Birthday freebies 2018
Before, I had written a blog post about the birthday freebies that you can get in the Netherlands and this will be the updated 2018 version. Because my birthday was on a Sunday and I already had my big birthday party on Saturday, I was able to have a relaxing day in Rotterdam city center, enjoying all the perks of being the birthday girl. It was fun to try to spend as little as possible.
1. With the HEMA customer card or app, you can register to get a free tompouce (= Dutch pastry made of two layers of puff pastry, with cream in between and a pink frosting on top) on your birthday. No purchase required, but they hope you buy some sweet treats or gifts for your birthday, while you are in the store anyways.
2. Like last year, I was able to get a free slice of Dudok cake of my choice on my birthday with Ovmiles (public transport miles saving program). As I already had the red velvet cake on my birthday, the day before, I wanted to try the Yellow Velvet cake (€2.60 per slice). It has layers of yellow sponge cake with in between passion fruit, apricot, and cream cheese, covered by yellow chocolate curls. I have to say that I like this one more than the red velvet cake. The tropical fruit flavor is much stronger and the sweet-sour of the passion fruit and apricot, cuts through the sweetness of the cake.
3+4. When you get a La place customer card or register in the La Place app for the first time, you get a free cup of coffee or tea. On your birthday, you get to choose a free tart of your choice too. I felt bad not paying for anything, so I also got a cranberry tart (€3). The chocolate tart that I got for free was amazing. It has a buttery crust, filled with a velvety chocolate cream, and on top, a thick and crunchy chocolate cookie. The chocolate flavor was very rich. I wish I got two of these instead, as the cranberry tart had no surprises. It was just a solid piece of cake with cranberries on top.
5+6. With the McDonalds app, you can get a free hamburger, 6 Chicken McNuggets, or a McFlurry on your birthday. I decided to get the hamburger, as I don't really like the Chicken McNuggets and although I love ice cream, it was a bit too cold for that. As it is too weird to just get a hamburger, I bought two Chili Chicken burgers too.
7. With the Etos app, you get to choose a free product (Etos deodorant, face mask, or nail polish) for your birthday, after purchase. As a true nail polish fanatic, I chose the nail polish. In 2020: you get a code for a free entrance ticket to a wellness resort.
8. If you are a Yves Rocher member, you get a flyer in your mail box around your birthday, with which you can get a free surprise birthday gift in the store. For me, it was the Yves Rocher Elixer Jeunesse Anti-polution + Detox micellar cleansing gel for face and eyes (200 ml).
9. If you are a The Body Shop member, you get €5 discount in your birthday month. As the sale was still going on, I got The Body Shop vineyard peach and almond shower gels (250 ml), paying only €1.30.
10. As I had writen before, you get a free bag of fries and sauce of choice at Bram Ladage in Rotterdam (ends on 8 April 2018) on your birthday. I had to wait almost for a year, but I was finally able to get one! Update: it is extended for another year.
2020 update:
11. At IKEA, you can get a free piece of cake (daim cake, chocolate cake, or a princess cake) by showing the discount code of the email and the IKEA Family card.
12. At Vapiano, you can get a free bottle of cava brut or Vapiano ice tea by showing the Vapiano people qr code in the app or website at the cash register. You can not take it home with you, you need to consume it in the restaurant.
13. Not free, but it is a nice discount. At the Jumbo supermarket, you get 20% discount to fresh pastries in the fridge in Jumbo and La Place boxes one week before and one week after your birthday.
1. With the HEMA customer card or app, you can register to get a free tompouce (= Dutch pastry made of two layers of puff pastry, with cream in between and a pink frosting on top) on your birthday. No purchase required, but they hope you buy some sweet treats or gifts for your birthday, while you are in the store anyways.
2. Like last year, I was able to get a free slice of Dudok cake of my choice on my birthday with Ovmiles (public transport miles saving program). As I already had the red velvet cake on my birthday, the day before, I wanted to try the Yellow Velvet cake (€2.60 per slice). It has layers of yellow sponge cake with in between passion fruit, apricot, and cream cheese, covered by yellow chocolate curls. I have to say that I like this one more than the red velvet cake. The tropical fruit flavor is much stronger and the sweet-sour of the passion fruit and apricot, cuts through the sweetness of the cake.
3+4. When you get a La place customer card or register in the La Place app for the first time, you get a free cup of coffee or tea. On your birthday, you get to choose a free tart of your choice too. I felt bad not paying for anything, so I also got a cranberry tart (€3). The chocolate tart that I got for free was amazing. It has a buttery crust, filled with a velvety chocolate cream, and on top, a thick and crunchy chocolate cookie. The chocolate flavor was very rich. I wish I got two of these instead, as the cranberry tart had no surprises. It was just a solid piece of cake with cranberries on top.
5+6. With the McDonalds app, you can get a free hamburger, 6 Chicken McNuggets, or a McFlurry on your birthday. I decided to get the hamburger, as I don't really like the Chicken McNuggets and although I love ice cream, it was a bit too cold for that. As it is too weird to just get a hamburger, I bought two Chili Chicken burgers too.
7. With the Etos app, you get to choose a free product (Etos deodorant, face mask, or nail polish) for your birthday, after purchase. As a true nail polish fanatic, I chose the nail polish. In 2020: you get a code for a free entrance ticket to a wellness resort.
9. If you are a The Body Shop member, you get €5 discount in your birthday month. As the sale was still going on, I got The Body Shop vineyard peach and almond shower gels (250 ml), paying only €1.30.
11. At IKEA, you can get a free piece of cake (daim cake, chocolate cake, or a princess cake) by showing the discount code of the email and the IKEA Family card.
12. At Vapiano, you can get a free bottle of cava brut or Vapiano ice tea by showing the Vapiano people qr code in the app or website at the cash register. You can not take it home with you, you need to consume it in the restaurant.
13. Not free, but it is a nice discount. At the Jumbo supermarket, you get 20% discount to fresh pastries in the fridge in Jumbo and La Place boxes one week before and one week after your birthday.
