Things You Didn't Know You Could Get for Free

They say the best things in life are free., and in many cases that may be true. You see, I love getting things for free. That's one reason I do mystery shopping from time to time (I wrote about how you can become a mystery shopper here). In fact, I'm always saying, "If it's free, it's me." And with the recent economic downturn, and with everybody tightening their belts, getting something for free is nice now more than ever .

Here are some of my favorite things that you can get for free.

A free pastry from Panera
Stop in your local Panera and ask for a myPanera card. When you register the card online you'll be rewarded with a free bakery item of your choice on your next visit. And each time you make a purchase have them swipe your myPanera card to rack up more free stuff and discounts.

Get Microsoft Office for free
The Office suite of programs from Microsoft includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. And if you buy the programs from your local store you'll pay well over $100. But did you know that you can use basic versions of these programs online for free? Just visit office.live.com and create a free account. You'll be able to upload and store your documents and create and edit documents and presentaiotns using the free versions Microsoft Office. And it's all free.

Get a free dessert or appitizer at T.G.I. Firday's
T.G.I. Friday's advertising slogan is "In here it's always Friday." But with this offer, you'll be saying "In here it's always free!" Simply join the T.G.I. Friday's loyalty program at tgifridays.com and you'll be rewarded with a free appitizer or dessert on your next visit.

Get a free iPod music download at Starbucks (and a free drink, too)
Every week, Starbucks stores have cards with a code that allow you to download one free song from iTunes. The free download is for a pre-select "Starbucks song of the week" but it's a great way to build you music library and to discover some great new artists.

And speaking of Starbucks, you can score a free drink on your birthday from Starbucks. Just stop in any Starbucks and ask for a My Starbucks Rewards card. Register the card online and then on your birthday you'll be rewarded with a free drink of your choice on your birthday.