Boy, it sure is a hot one today, huh? The heat waves of summer 2021 have been brutal in many places - shattering temperature records, posing a danger to some, and just making others miserable.
If you're looking for relief in the form of a frozen dessert or cold drink, we've got you covered. There are several days coming up where you can snag a tasty treat to cool you down, for the low price of $0.00.
Not looking to rush out, or don't have time? Want to make it a family event on the weekend? That's OK too, because some of these offers are available for weeks at a time. No rush!
Plenty of them are available in your area - but if not, maybe you want to plan a pit stop on your summer road trip. (Just make sure you have all the toll transponders you need first).
There are plenty of deals to be had, sure. But do you really care about saving 35% off something cold, when you could've gone somewhere else and paid nothing?
This is America, the land of the free. So this list is ONLY THE FREE STUFF, with no fluff. Let's get right to it.
July 2021: Free Slurpees at 7-Eleven
Traditionally, 7-Eleven only offered its Slurpees for free on one day - July 11. Because we write the date as 7/11, you know?
But we missed out on free Slurpees in 2020 thanks to COVID-19. 7-Eleven canceled the offer last year, wanting to avoid crowds lining up at stores and creating risks for social distancing and viral spread.
This year, there's still a hesitancy to encourage crowds - with the Delta variant still out there and many Americans still unvaccinated - but there WILL be free Slurpees, on your own time.
The convenience store chain says it's not limiting the party to one day this year - on the first day of July 2021, anyone using the 7-Eleven app received a coupon for a free slurpee, redeemable any day during this month.
On the traditional July 11, Slurpees are free in the 7NOW delivery app.
July 19, 2021: National Ice Cream Day
It's a day, but it's also a month. National Ice Cream Month lasts all through July, and many businesses have plans to slash prices on ice cream.
We might hear more about free deals closer to National Ice Cream Day, held annually since the Reagan Administration on the 3rd Sunday of the month.
Your local ice cream shop might have something fun planned too! One initiative in Minnesota, while not free ice cream, does have some prizes available - encouraging traffic to local small businesses.
As part of the initiative called Minnesota Scoop, about 100 local shops will give out punch cards until Aug. 1. You get one punch per visit to a participating business - and once you get 6, you can enter to win a travel package for a weekend stay in the state.
All Summer: Friendly’s Free Sundae Offers
Back to the freebies. Restaurant chain Friendly's expects to hand out over 1 million free ice cream sundaes this summer. That's a lot of ice cream!
Signing up for the chain's Sweet Rewards Club will earn you a free medium sundae just for joining, and another during your birthday month. One more freebie comes after the purchase of five medium or larger sundaes, according to a company news release.
You can get more details on the Friendly’s rewards program through their site.
Aug. 6, 2021: National Root Beer Float Day
It's root beer. It's soft serve ice cream. It's cold and refreshing, and like almost everything else on this list, it's going to be free.
On Friday, Aug. 6, participating A&W Restaurants locations will give out a free small Root Beer Float between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. While no payment is necessary, the businesses will encourage you to donate to Disabled American Veterans, which offers no-cost help getting veterans to medical appointments or working on a benefit claim.
A full list of A&W locations offering the free root beer float deal is available on the website here.