Black Friday Freebies 2013

(Update: Many of the deals on this page are expired and therefore the links have been removed. This page is kept for reference)

Here are the Black Friday Freebies 2013. For reference, most Black Friday ads can be found at www.BlackFriday.com, www.BFads.net, or the Black Friday page at www.SlickDeals.net. The pages cited below are scan numbers, not necessarily the actual page of the ad since some ad pages are split into two scans. Black Friday ads will also gradually become available on the respective website of each store if they are not already. For most “in line” or “first customers” prizes, expect to get there at least an hour early, maybe two hours. Pay attention to the wording of the ad; if they say “first customers” then they may not offer the prize until checking out, in which case it’s not actually free. For the Black Friday freebies post last year I verified that there was at least one item that could be acquired free – if there was a free $5 gift card I made sure there was an item for $5. This is the only case where it’s actually free. I didn’t do that for this post. However, any true freebie seeker would do that before going to the store if they intend to use any of these deals to get freebies that are actually free.

Academy Sports – Get $25 off your in-store purchase when you get an Academy Visa card. The ad does not specify a minimum purchase requirement, but there might be, and if there is then this deal is not actually free. See their ad, page 6. This is a credit card, so be careful. If you have more than 5 lines of credit (any debt) or if you have more than 3 credit cards, it can negatively affect your credit score. I’d only get the credit card if you shop at Academy Sports all the time and the credit card always gets you discounts and I’d only use a credit card period if you are “type A” or rigidly organized with your finances. If you don’t match those two descriptions then do NOT take this offer. There will be more on this topic for my “free Christmas gifts” post later in the season. Academy Sports is also holding a sweepstakes where three winners a day will receive $2,500 through December 2. See their ad, page 20 for details

Ashley Furniture – Free $50 gift card to the first 25 customers Friday, Nov 29, Sat, Nov 30, Sunday, Dec 1, and Monday, Dec 2. Opens at 9 am all four days. Uncertain if a furniture store would have anything for sale for $50. If they don’t then this is not actually free. See their ad, page 1.

Bass Pro Shops – Free Christmas Events: Santa’s Wonderland Free Games and Activities, Free Crafts for kids, and Free Photo with Santa between Black Friday and Christmas Eve. See their ad, pages 6, 7, and 8 for details and schedule. The first 125 kids to visit Santa’s Wonderland will receive a free backpack clip Thanksgiving day 3-5 pm and “Monday-Friday 5-7 pm” (unclear on the exact dates or if its all dates between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve). See page 7 of the their ad, top right, for details. Also Super Saturday and Sunday Events, November 30 and December 1: free drawings every hour and door prizes. Saturday, first 100 customers receive a Bass Pro Shops knife and there are drawings for prizes every hour. Sunday, first 100 customers receive a 3 pack of Cotton Cordell baits and there are drawings for prizes every hour. See their ad page 50 for details. Bass Pro Shops opens at 8 am both days for at least one location, but check your local store to confirm hours of operation. Drawings begin at 10:30 am both days as advertised.

Bath and Body Works – They may be giving away a VIP bag worth over “$100” with things like soap and candles. The ad is vague; it doesn’t have a price and it doesn’t say it’s free or “while supplies last”. See their ad page 1. It doesn’t say when they open.

Bealls Florida – The first 100 people in line get a scratch-off card for a chance to win either a $5 gift card, a $100 gift card, or an iPad Mini. See their ad, page 2. Bealls opens at 8 pm Thursday. AT 11 pm on Thursday Bealls is also giving away $10,000 to two schools, the first 500 customers can vote for their favorite school to win and each customer that participates will get a $5 off coupon. The next offer is not actually free, but maybe it’s a good deal if you shop regularly at Bealls: At 7 am on Friday Bealls is also giving away a lifetime discount to one winner at each store. The first 200 customers at each store will receive an entry form.

Belk – The first 250 customers in the store will receive a free gift card. One of those gift cards will be worth $1,000. The majority will be worth $5. The prize could range between $5 – $1,000. see their ad, page 1. Belk opens Thursday, 8 pm.

Big Lots – First 100 customers in line will get a scratch and win gift card worth $5 – $100 off purchase. See their ad, page 4. Big Lots opens Friday at 6 am. (They’re also open Thanksgiving, but this deal starts on Friday)

Bon Ton Stores – Coupon for $10 off any item of $10 or more. The coupon is in their Black Friday ad, page 1. Buy an item that’s $10 and its actually free. No sales tax. Bon Ton’s Black Friday sale is from Thursday, 8 pm to Friday 2 pm. Since the coupon is in their ad you can potentially buy more than one newspaper and you and your spouse can each use one for more freebies.

Bon Ton has affiliated stores that share the exact same marketing, so they all have the same offer: Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s, and Younkers. See their ads, page 1. They likely open at the same time, but check your local stores to confirm hours.

Burlington Coat Factory – Enter to win a $500 shopping spree. Go to BCFSweeps.com. Be sure to read the fine print. The winner will not be selected before Christmas.

Cabela’s – First 600 people in line get one of six possible prizes for free: Browning X-Bolt Medallion Riffle ($799.99 value), Go PRO sports camera ($399.99 value), a Cabela’s gift card up to $100 in value (but probably not all gift cards will be that much, and probably most people will get gift cards), Nikon ProStaff 5 Rangefinder ($249.99 value), Bushnell Trophy XLT Bone Collector Binoculars ($189.99 value), and Masterbuilt 30″ Smoker ($349.99 value). See page 1 of their ad. Cabela’s opens at 5 am on Friday. Also, free pictures with Santa December 7, 8, 14, and 15. See their ad page 21.

Costco – It’s not in the Costco ad scans that are online, but Costco will be giving out free cookbooks again this year while supplies last. It’s on the first and last page of the printed ad. Check your local Costco for store hours. It may open between 9-10 am on Friday.

Craft Warehouse – Free sticker organizer to the first 200 customers on Friday with the coupon in their ad, free junior mints on Saturday with coupon to the first 200 customers, free crystal bracelet on Sunday with coupon to the first 200 customers. Also on Saturday, small businesses with an American Express Card get $10 back after spending $10 or more (not actually free, it’s like a rewards program, small businesses may be interested). Also, on Saturday from 1-3 pm, make a Christmas tree ornament for $1 (not actually free, but may be a fun, cheap activity for the family). See page 1 of their Black Friday ad. The ad doesn’t specify store hours so check with your local branches for opening times.

CVS – On Thanksgiving day stop by the in-store coupon center to get a coupon for a free 4-pack of CVS AA or AAA batteries. See page 1 of their ad. The ad says to scan the batteries at the coupon dispenser. It requires a CVS card. This is a rare ad where something is free and it doesn’t have “free” in big bold letters. CVS may also have Mars Chocolate Bars and GUM toothbrushes for free after rebate. UPDATE: The Mars bars and GUM toothbrushes were “free” after rewards, which is not actually free, but actually did work out to be a good deal for me since I was buying other items in the store anyway.

Fred Meyer – Free doughnuts and coffee, 5 am – noon, Friday, Nov 29. See pages 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10 of their ad.

Frys Electronics Pre Black Friday Week (Free After Rebate deals valid from now until Black Friday):

• Weekly software specials with 32 titles free after rebate.
• Sign up to win Sony Headphones, Sony 64″ LED TV, Flex 15 Ultrabook, and complete PS4 Gaming System, see their ads page at the bottom.
• 8 software titles free after rebate, see their ads, pg 8.
• 17 software titles free after rebate, see their software ad page.

If the deal requires an “upgrade” rebate, that means you must have the previous version in order to get the updated version for free (generally the barcode of the previous version). Sales tax applies when buying in-store. Shipping fees may apply when buying online. Fry’s Electronics also has many other good deals.

Frys Electronics Black Friday Sale:

• Rayovac 8 pack of AA or AAA batteries, free after $3 mail in rebate
• Rhino DC to USB adapter, free after $5.99 mail in rebate
• Rhino AC to USB power adapter, free after $5 mail in rebate
• Wagon Tech 80 watt power inverter, free after $11 mail in rebate
• Antec Formula 7 Thermal Paste, free after $6 mail in rebate
• Antec True Quiet 120 mm case fan, free after $6 mail in rebate
• Antec Accent Lighting, free after $5 mail in rebate
• Bytec 2.5″ USB 3.0 to SATA 6Gb/s Hard Drive Enclosure, free after $15 mail in rebate
• Swan PennCam Mini Video Camera & Recorder, free after $20 mail in rebate
• BlueTooth Headset, free after $10 mail in rebate
• 16 Software titles, free after mail in rebate
• 8 Software titles, free after upgrade rebates (this means you must have the previous version of the software or its not actually free)

Most of the software titles are Anti-virus/security, utilities, clipart, language learning, business tools, and a couple of media-editing titles. Black Friday deals start on Thanksgiving day online. You can buy anything and reserve it, then pick it up on Friday morning. Different sales start at different times. If the time is not specified then I’d try first at 9 am PST and keep trying at the right times later if it’s not yet available. When you go to Frys, bring the item number or a copy of the ad with you so a sales associate can look it up on their computer. They usually aren’t as familiar with the ad as the customers, but they know where to find something. Frys also has an item for 5 cents that you’d only want if you build computers and store parts. See their system-builds upgrades Black Friday ad. They also have many other items for less than $1 either before or after rebate.

UPDATE: FRY’S ELECTRONICS HAD 25 OTHER ITEMS FOR FREE AFTER REBATE WHICH WERE ONLY ADVERTISED ON BLACK FRIDAY:

• ProHT Pro-Display Titan LCD Mount, free after $8 mail in rebate
• CD/DVD Wallet 24 Capacity, free after $3 mail in rebate
• Universal Racing Gaming Wheel Stand for 7″ to 10.1″ Tablets, free after $40 mail in rebate
• HDMI to VGA Adapter, free after $15 mail in rebate
• Cooler Master Cooler Fits Up to 15.6″ Notebooks, free after $11 mail in rebate
• Antec 100% Natural Spray Cleaning Kit, free after $5 mail in rebate
• Antec 100% Natural Cleaning Wipes, free after $3 mail in rebate
• inland 1.3 Megapixel USB 2.0 Webcam, free after $5 mail in rebate
• ProHT Universal 10″ Tablet Sleeve, free after $3 mail in rebate
• Stylus for Tablets, iPads and Smart Phones, free after $5 mail in rebate
• Remanufactured Black Ink Cartridge for Epson TO69 Series, free after $4.50 mail in rebate
• Capatible Black Ink Cartridge for Brother LC61/LC65 High Capacity, free after $3 mail in rebate
• belkin 6ft VGA Cable, free after $3 mail in rebate
• ProHT 8″ HDMI Cable, free after $2 mail in rebate
• Slim Compact CD/DVD Black Case 10PK, free after $3 mail in rebate
• NuGiant Universal USB AC Adapter, free after $6 mail in rebate
• SIIG Wake Stylus, free after $6 mail in rebate
• belkin 6 Outlet Surge Protector, free after $5.15 mail in rebate
• belkin 4-Port USB 2.0 Hub, free after $6.05 mail in rebate
• inland Pro All in 1 USB 2.0 Card Reader, free after $4 mail in rebate
• NuGiant Galaxy Series Wall Tap Surge Power Protector, free after $5 mail in rebate
• inland 4 Port USB 2.0 HUB, free after $4 mail in rebate
• inland Lightweight Headset with Mic and Volume Control, free after $4 mail in rebate
• inland USB Power Speaker with Built-in Volume Control, free after $3 mail in rebate

Fry’s Electronics is rebate heaven! The only kicker is that sales tax applies. But if you’re a savvy shopper like me, you’ll find a way to not have to pay for that out of your own pocket. More details on that will be in the “Free Christmas Gifts” post in December. [If you’re reading this, you’re probably too late to take advantage of the 25 rebates above. This post will continue to be updated as freebies are found for Black Friday, even if they’re expired now that Black Friday is almost over. This will serve for reference for next year.]

Gander Mountain – Package of gun accessories free after rebate (1 Bushmaster Carbon 15 .223 Rem AR, 1 Tactical Field Cleaning System, 4 Intrafuse 30-round mags) “$125 value free after mfr’s mail-in rebate”. Top right of page 5 and page 6 on their Black Friday ad. Gander Mountain will be open on Thursday and 12:01 Friday morning. However, this particular deal is available at 6 am on Friday and 6 am on Saturday.

Gordmans – On Friday the first 30 customers get a free bag and 25% off anything they can fit in the bag (not actually free, but may be a good deal). Some lucky customers on Saturday and Sunday will get their entire purchase free from $50 to $1,000. “Get an extra $10, $20, $50 off, or even your entire purchase for free, up to $1,000, when you spend $50 or more.” The first 300 customers will receive a mystery discount card. See their Black Friday ad, page 1. My guess is one or two customers who only spend $50 might get their entire purchase for free and one will get their entire purchase for free up to $1,000. The rest will end up paying something if their “mystery card” is worth less than $50. Most people should go expecting to receive $10 off their purchase of $50 or more. Gordmans opens at 5 am on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday they open at 8 am.

Guitar Center – Free Promark LA Special [drum] Sticks, Free for the first 30 people in line. Also, “free post-holiday guitar lessons, see store for details.” They also have a guitar stand for $1 (not actually free, but still a good deal). See their ad, page 4. Guitar Center opens Friday at 6 am.

h.h. gregg – One winner per store will win their entire Black Friday purchase free. See their ad page 2 and www.hhgregg.com/BlackFridayonUs for details. This is not exactly something you can plan on, but it might offer a nice surprise if you already shop at hh gregg. They open Thursday at 8 pm.

Half Price Books – First 100 customers will receive a tote and a $5 gift card. One tote bag will contain a $100 gift card. See their ad (or flyer), page 1. Half Price Books opens on Friday at 7 am. Half Price Books is also having a “Booksgiving day” on Saturday, Nov 23. Any child who comes to story time from 1-2 pm will get a free book. See details here.

Hastings (goHastings.com) – Free movie rentals all day Friday from 6 pm to close. See their ad, page 6.

JCPenney – Free snow globes while supplies last, starting Friday at 4 pm. See page 1 of their ad.

Just Cabinets – First 10 people in line get a $25 gift card. Also, enter to win a $1,000 gift card. See their ad, page 1. They open at 7 am on Friday.

Kohls – One winner every hour for the first 4 hours starting at 8 pm Thurs will receive the entire purchase free. This applies at every participating branch and online. See their ad, page 61. It’s not exactly something you can plan on, but if you shop at Kohls you might get pleasantly surprised. They may also be having a winner every day from Black Friday to Christmas Eve. More details will be at www.Kohls.com/dreamreceipt when it’s live.

Micro Center – Kingwin 80 mm advance case fan, free after $2 mail in rebate, see their ad page 19.

Mills Fleet Farm – First 500 customers will receive a free plush cow stuffed animal. See their ad page 1. They open at 6 am Friday.

New York & Company – First 100 customers on Wednesday, November 27 will receive a gift card up to $100. Two people will win $100, 18 will win $25, 40 will win $10 and 40 will win $5. This was announced to their email club. They may open between 10-11 am on Wednesday. Check your local branch for exact hours.

Newegg  (Pre-Black Friday Free After Rebate deals):

• Featured Software page with 4 software items for free after rebate.
• Early Black Friday Sale with at least one software title for free after rebate.
• UPDATE: 72 Hour Pre Black Friday sale with Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, 3 PCs, free after $50 mail in rebate.
• UPDATE: Countdown to Black Friday with free software page.

Free after rebate deals from Newegg are actually free. Other rebate offers may require sales tax or shipping fees. Newegg most often has free shipping and sales tax only applies if you live in one of their three or four states of operation. The rebate may come in the form of a prepaid debit card which cannot be redeemed for cash. It just has to be used liked you’d use cash.

Newegg – Free After Rebate Black Friday deals available Thursday

• KINGWIN SEK-USB2 USB2.0 to SATA & E-SATA Adapter, free after $8 mail in rebate
• KINGWIN USB-04 USB Extension Cable with Intergrated Repeater, free after $5 mail in rebate
• KINGWIN Model ML-02 5″ 4 Pin Molex (M) to SATA (F) Power Adapter Cable, free after $2.99 mail in rebate
• KINGWIN Model RS232 5 ft. USB (M) to RS232 (M) Serial Converter M-M, free after $6.99 mail in rebate
• AVG Internet Security 2014 – 3 PCs, free after $45 mail in rebate
• AVG PC TuneUp 2014 – 3 PCs, free after $25 mail in rebate
• Bitdefender Sphere – 1 Year – Unlimited Devices, free after $60 mail in rebate
• ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2014 – 3 PCs, free after $45 mail in rebate
• Intuit QuickBooks Online Simple Start, free after $90 mail in rebate
• KASPERSKY lab Internet Security 2014 – 3 PCs, free after $50 mail in rebate
• McAfee Internet Security 2014 – 3 PCs, free after $60 mail in rebate
• NUANCE PDF Converter 8.0, free after $40 mail in rebate
• Panda Global Protection 2014 – 3 Devices, free after $45 mail in rebate

Check each offer for details, but in general Newegg rebate offers come with free shipping and no sales tax except in three or four states, making these offers actually free.

Office Depot – Free batteries after rebate. Energizer Max Alkaline batteries are on sale 2 for $4 and there is a $4 rebate. This is not in any of the ads. I got this one from freebies.about.com.

Office Max – QuickBooks Online Simple Start Free after 9.99 instant rebate and $90 mail-in rebate. See their ad page 6. Office Max opens Thursday at 8 pm. Sales tax applies.

Old Navy – The first 500 people in line will have a chance to win $1 million. see the details in their Black Friday ad, page 4. There will probably just be one winner among all the branches. Old Navy opens on Thursday at 7 pm.

Origins – Free $10 gift card in their Black Friday ad, page 2. The fine print isn’t available in the ad so it must be on the card itself. Origins opens on Friday. Their Black Friday ad does not specify any special hours. UPDATE: The gift card wasn’t in my newspaper. This might have been an offer that was mailed to their email or snail mail list members.

Pep Boys Auto – Platinum Spark Plugs free after $2 mail in rebate, limit 16 plugs per person. See page 2 of their ad. Pep boys opens on Friday. The hours are not specified in the ad.

PetSmart – Free stocking for the first 100 customers and “over $100 in coupons”. The coupon deals may not actually be free, but they might be good deals for pet owners. Each free stocking will be filled with dog and cat treats. See their ad, page 1. PetSmart opens at 7 am on Friday.

Seattle’s Best Coffee – Free medium coffee for those who are working on Black Friday for “liking” their facebook page.

Shoe Carnival – First 100 customers will receive a gift card worth at least $10. One lucky customer will receive a gift card worth $100. Shoe Carnival opens Thursday at 6 pm. Also “Thursday 9 PM and Friday 9 PM win a $100 shopping spree.” See their ad, page 1.

Sierra Trading Post – First 50 guests will receive a gift card up to $500. They open at 6 am on Friday. Most guests will probably get a card worth about $10, but it could be more or less. See their ad, or flyer, page 1.

Sports Authority – First 80 people in line on Thursday AND Friday get a free gift card. The highest gift card (probably one per store per day) will be worth $500 bucks. If you happen to receive a gift card valued at $125 or more, you can also buy $125 worth of The North Face or Columbia merchandise for an additional $25 per brand. Also, enter to win a $500,000 sweepstakes at the website listed on their Black Friday ad. Sports Authority opens at 6 pm Thursday and 6 am Friday. See their ad, page 1.

Stage – First 50 customers Thursday & Friday get a scratch-off gift card. 48 customers will get a $10 coupon, 1 customer will get a $50 gift card and 1 will get a $100 gift card. Stage opens at 6 pm on Thursday and 6 am on Friday. See their ad, page 1.

Stage-affiliated stores will have the exact same offer: Bealls (no relation to Bealls Florida above), Palais Royal, Peebles, and Goody’s. See their ads, page 1 of each. Check each local store for their hours.

Staples – Free After Rebate Black Friday Deals:

• QuickBooks Online Simple Start 2014, 1 year subscription, free after discount and $90 mail-in rebate. See their Black Friday ad, page 8.
• Kaspersky Internet Security 2014, 1 PC, free after discount and $45 easy rebate. See their Black Friday ad, page 9.
• Staples 8.5″ x 11″ multipurpose paper, 500 sheets/ream, free after $6.99 easy rebate. See their Black Friday ad, page 11. Staples photo supreme 8.5″ x 11″, double-sided matte, 50/pack, free after $14.99 easy rebate. See their Black Friday ad, page 11.
• Pentel RSVP assorted pens, 5/pack, free after $5.29 easy rebate. See their Black Friday ad, page 11.
• Staples 8.5″ x 11″ multipurpose paper, 10-ream case, Buy it for $54.99 and get 100% back in rewards. Normally I don’t consider these “100% back in rewards” to be actually free, because you have to spend money to get it. But Staples is a rare circumstance since they also offer Free After Rebate deals in addition to their “100% back in rewards deals”. Here’s how to do it. Buy the item that gives you 100% in rewards, then use the rewards to buy an item that is Free After Rebate, and you get both items for free with the exception of some small sales tax. It’s a bit of a gamble since there is no guarantee that they’ll have a Free After Rebate deal when the rewards become available. But it usually pays off when I’ve done it in the past. Be sure to read any fine print.

Staples is honest when they describe their rebates as “easy”. Based on previous experience, Staples rebates are, indeed, some of the easiest rebates to claim. Staples opens on Thursday at 8 pm-midnight and Friday at 6 am. Sales tax applies.

Stein Mart – Their Black Friday ad will have a scratch-off gift card. A sales associate at the store must scratch it off. Do not scratch it before arriving. The card could either be worth $10, $20, $50 or $100. Stein Mart is expecting customers to come in the store and buy what interests them, take it all to the counter and then have the associate scratch it off. If the customer is buying $50 worth of items and the coupon is worth $100 then they lose $50 of the coupon’s value. If they are buying $50 worth of stuff and the coupon is $10, then the customer pays $40. Neither of these situations is actually free. Last year I had an associate scratch the card before I started shopping and I knew exactly how much I had to spend without pulling much out of my own pocket. Also, if you buy more than one newspaper with the Black Friday ads, then you’ll have more than one scratch-off gift card. You and a spouse could use one for more freebies. See their ad, page 1. Steinmart opens at 7 am on Friday.

Tiger Direct – Free After Rebate deals on Thanksgiving (Early Black Friday deals):

• Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking Home 12 Software and Total Defense Premium Internet Security Bundle, free after $85 mail in rebate
• PayPal Here Card Reader – 3.5mm Jack Connection, Smartphone Compatible (4021), free after $15 mail in rebate.

The Nuance Dragon-Total Defense combo was available for a lower price earlier this month and with rebates it actually paid $20 to buy it. There will be more details on that in my “free Christmas gifts” post later in December. The PayPal card reader may be available directly from PayPal without having to bother with rebates.

Tiger Direct – Free After Rebate deals (Available in stores Friday at 5 am):

• CuiZen 6 cup rice cooker, free after $10 mail in rebate, see their ad page 2
• 120 disc carrying case for CDs/DVDs, free after $10 mail in rebate, see their ad page 8
• Eastware 15.6″ laptop backpack, free after $10 mail in rebate, see their ad page 11

These are very unique free after rebate deals, especially the rice cooker. Kitchen appliances for free after rebate are somewhat rare. I’ve only seen it on one other occasion. If you buy these items online then shipping fees may apply. When buying in store then sales tax may apply. Tiger Direct is also holding a sweepstakes with cash and prizes. UPDATE: The ad says to shop online on Thursday, but these deals were not available when checked on Thursday. They may only be available online when they’re available in store.

Tilly’s – First 100 customers will receive a Tilly’s gift card worth $10 – $100. There will be 97 $10 cards, one $25 card, one $50 card, and one $100 card. See their ad, page 1. Tilly’s opens on Friday, the ad doesn’t specify what time. Also, enter to win a $500 shopping spree while you’re there. Fill out a card and give it to the cashier to enter.

World Market – On Friday at 7 am the first 100 in-store customers receive a free Downton Abby tea cup in gift box.

 

Be sure to read the fine print for each offer, on the coupon itself or on the gift card. Many exclusions may apply. For instance, they won’t allow the deal to be combined with other offers or certain items in the store may be excluded, such as clearance items. The gift card deals are often treated as cash with very few limitations within the store itself.

Bartering and trading may be another way to get freebies without spending cash. Game Stop accepts old video games and game systems for store credit. Although the trade-in value may not be very satisfying, even if it is more on Black Friday. Walmart is also offering store credit when you trade in your smart phone. Gander Mountain buys, sells and trades used firearms.

Extreme couponers may be able to find more freebies at places like Dollar General, Walgreens, CVS, and other food stores and pharmacies when they combine coupons with discounts for items like food and hygiene products. Check with CouponMom.com. Yet, be careful since CouponMom.com considers that rewards freebies are actually free when they’re not.

Advance shoppers may also buy gift cards from one establishment to get the rewards for money they’ll be spending anyway. For example, if your local grocery store offers gas rewards for all purchases and you know you’ll be spending $20 at Old Navy, then buy a $20 Old Navy gift card from the grocery store to get the gas rewards. This is not actually free, but it is a great way to maximize the value of the money you’re already spending. Meijer is offering $25 when you buy $100 in gift cards on Thanksgiving Day. See their ad, page 24. At 25% of the total cost that may be the best offer I’ve seen advertised, regarding gift card benefits. But then again, I don’t look that closely for non-freebie deals.

There are many other Buy One Get One Free offers, or Buy One Get a Gift Card free, or Buy One Get a Separate Item Free. There are many where you get additional store credit if you spend a certain amount ($15 Kohl’s cash when you spend $100 or more, or $10 off your purchase of $25 or more, etc.). These are not actually free, but they can be fantastic deals if they’re offered with products that you’re already looking for. If you’re not already looking for those items, then be weary of spending more than you would have otherwise. It’s easy to inflate the price on two items just to say that one of them is “free”. The Retail Industry About.com guide has put together the most extensive list of freebies with purchases on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

I’ll mention one buy one get one free deal: At BJ’s wholesale club, you can buy forever stamps 100 count and get a box of luxury cards free. I mention this offer because stamps are a kind of currency, so it’s essentially just trading one currency for another. Also, buying forever stamps now will help you spend less over time since the price of stamps will eventually increase. This is not a bad deal.

Some stores will have “free after rewards” deals. These are not actually free since they’re similar to “buy one, get one free” type offers. However, they can be very good deals. Especially if you shop at the establishment regularly. For example, I know I will eventually buy printer ink from an office store. So if I take the full advantage of a “free after rewards” deal, then I can get something for free with the printer ink that I’m going to buy anyway. I do not intend to let any advertisement or deal trick me into spending more money than I would have otherwise, and I suggest the same for anyone else. Expected stores to have “free after rewards” deals are CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Staples, Office Depot, and Office Max.

Some retailers are offering very nice “free” smart phones. These are not actually free since they require purchase of cell phone service. Yet, they may also be good deals if you’re in the market for a new phone.

Some retailers are also offering a donation to charity with certain purchases. Some of these may be worth looking at.

You may find additional rewards or even freebies when you sign up for credit cards. Be weary not to sign up for more than 3 credit cards total, including the one(s) you already have, or it could negatively affect your credit score. As a general rule credit cards should be avoided unless you can be “type A” or rigidly organized enough to pay off the balance every month and collect the rewards. I can’t say this enough. There will be more on this in my “Free Christmas Gifts” blog post sometime in December.

There may be more offers on Cyber Monday. Free after rebate deals will probably pop up continually between now and Christmas Eve.

From Black Friday to Christmas Eve there may also be “12 days of Christmas” promotions which may include freebies. Also expect a day where most retailers offer 70% off all items in the store and an online free shipping day.

For more local freebies, check out the Black Friday ads in the local newspapers and visit the websites of local news stations. They may have additional freebies in your area.

Other stores that aren’t yet listed above which are expected to offer freebies for the Holidays based on previous history: Sears apparel outlets, local furniture stores and possibly car dealerships. Find the sears apparel outlet facebook page and check it often for a free apparel day. This year, their free apparel days are usually just for kids apparel. Fry’s Electronics, Newegg.com, Micro Center, and occasionally office stores will have software, small electronics and computer accessories for free after rebate probably through the rest of the holiday season. Local furniture stores may offer free food on Black Friday, like hot dogs and soda. Car dealerships might offer something similar too. This post will be updated as more freebies are discovered. So bookmark it and check back often. There will also be a Cyber Monday Freebies 2013 post, but it probably won’t be as extensive as this one. A lot of freebies are offered to get people in the stores. That tactic doesn’t apply for online shoppers.