Birthday freebies: Where to eat, drink, shop and play for free on your birthday
Who doesn’t love a freebie - especially on their birthday?
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According to University of Canterbury marketing professor Ekant Veer, it makes us feel like we’re “winning” at life.
He told RNZ last week: “Treasure hunting is still within the psyche of every human to say, ‘I feel like I’ve accomplished something and I’ve done it for free’.”
The promise of free stuff is particularly tempting when the cost of living is high. A freebie at the supermarket might just ease the pain of forking out more than $10 for butter.
Restaurants and retailers know this, so many of them offer customers a free treat or gift on their birthday. You have to be signed up to rewards programmes or a membership to benefit from most of them - but it might just be worth the constant barrage of emails in your inbox.
So, here are just some of the perks, free food and vouchers you can nab on your birthday across New Zealand.
Food and drink
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If you’re like me, your day truly starts when you take that first sip of coffee - so it makes sense to kick off our birthday freebie crawl with a hot beverage.
You can get a free hot drink from Columbus Coffee cafes throughout the country if you’re signed up to Columbus Rewards, and if one isn’t enough, you can get another beverage on Starbucks through their rewards programme.
If you’re after a sweet treat to go with your coffee - and you’re in Auckland - head into Krispy Kreme and get yourself a pack of 4 original glazed Krispy Kreme donuts for free, as long as you’ve signed up to their Inner Circle rewards programme at least 4 weeks before your birthday.
Subway also offers loyalty members a free cookie and drink with a meal purchase on their birthday. If you’re looking for something a bit more substantial, you can claim a free birthday burger from Burgerfuel if you’re a long-time VIB member. If you’re a new member or use your membership very rarely, it’s buy one popular burger, get one free.
Mexicali Fresh will sort you out with a free birthday taco with a $10 spend, and while we’re on that Mexican wave, sign up to Mexico’s Love Mexico app and get $10 to spend on your birthday.
Fancy a cheeky Nando’s? If you’re signed up to Nando’s PeriPerks, you’ll get a $15 voucher to spend during your birthday month.
And Mama Brown’s in Wellington will shout you a free meal and drink if you bring along a friend who orders and pays for their own, available five days either side of your actual birthday.
Shopping
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It’s not just cafes and eateries that will shout you a birthday gift, so make sure you add a stop at the shops to your itinerary. If you haven’t signed up for a membership at your favourite clothing or tech stores because it’s too much hassle, think again; it could really pay off when your birthday rolls around.
I don’t know about you, but nothing calms me like browsing the Farmers homeware department, so best believe I was overjoyed to find that if you have a Farmers club card, you can opt in to get a free birthday gift.
If you sign up for a Country Road membership you can get rewards ranging from $10-$100 on your birthday.
Bendon also offers members a birthday gift of $10 off a purchase, while North Beach Locals can get $20 voucher on their birthday. If you’re the outdoorsy type, then Kathmandu’s Out There Rewards has you covered, while Palmers Rewards members can get a $10 birthday voucher from the garden centre chain.
For the beauty gurus, Mecca’s Beauty Loop programme will also earn you a free gift on your birthday.
If you’re the crafty type, you can get a birthday voucher from Spotlight through their VIP club.
Hoyts Cinemas offers a birthday reward of a free drink or small popcorn for members, while Silky Otter Club members can get a free movie ticket from the boutique cinema during their birthday week - as well as a birthday treat if they upgrade to a Platinum membership.
And for the techie, Noel Leeming will gift you a voucher to spend.
Activities
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Eaten and shopped (for free) to your heart’s content? Turns out there’s plenty of free ways to pass the time on your birthday.
So, round up your mates for some good old-fashioned group activities and enjoy the birthday VIP treatment.
If you’re in Wellington and relish the idea of taking aim at your mates for free while they pay for the privilege, maybe you can talk 10 of them into heading along to Wellington Paintball Corp on your birthday with you - you’ll get free entry.
Gloputt Mini Golf in Takapuna, Auckland will let you play for free on your birthday - just bring your ID.
And the budding marine biologist in the family will get free entry to Kelly Tarlton’s in Auckland on their birthday.
If you’re after something more relaxing, you can get a free one-hour massage at Optihealth in Auckland with a refundable booking fee, if you’ve visited in the past six months.
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7 tips for buying your Christmas ham
It’s the centerpiece of the Christmas table, so when you’re peering into the supermarket chiller or ordering from the butcher, choosing the perfect ham can feel like a daunting task.
Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing one to bring home with you.
1. What type of ham to buy
You’ve got some decisions to make when it comes to the type of Christmas ham you’re going to buy.
Cooked on the bone (COB) ham is the traditional Christmas ham. If you’re buying a half ham, you’ll have the choice of the shank or fillet end. The shank is the part with the bone sticking out that gives the ham that traditional look. The fillet end is the round part that gives more meat. If you’re deciding whether to get a whole ham or half, consider how quickly you’ll be able to eat it all. You only have about a week to eat an opened ham before it will go off, so it can be a good idea to get two halves. That way you can eat one half during the week of Christmas and save the other for January.
Champagne ham has had the bone removed and only has the hock left on, so it’s easier to carve.
Pressed ham – also known as continental ham – has had the bones removed and has been pressed, so it’s also easy to carve.
2. Check the pork percentage
The label on a packaged ham will say what percentage is actually meat. Hams are injected with brine, to keep them moist, and additives. The brine injection level for manufactured hams is usually between 10% and 35% of the ham's weight. A manufacturer that wants to produce a cheap ham will add more water to bump up the weight.
3. Know how to tell if it’s New Zealand pork
By far, most of the hams bought in New Zealand this Christmas will be from pigs reared overseas. New Zealand imports pork from about 25 countries. It’s frustrating for New Zealand pig farmers because this ham can come from farms that don’t have to meet the same animal welfare standards as we have in this country. As a result, overseas meat is often cheaper.
If buying New Zealand pork is important to you, look for:
words on the packaging like ‘New Zealand pork’ or ‘born and raised in New Zealand’
4. Have a good look at the ham
If you’re going to be glazing your ham, look for one that is covered in a finger-thick layer of fat. This will give you the thickness you need to make good score lines.
New Zealand Pork’s website also advises looking for a ham that has a meaty texture rather than one that looks wet or rubbery. It says the ham’s skin should be smooth with even colouring. “If the knuckle is sunken, it may be overcooked. If the rind is buckled or uneven, it may be a sign of dryness.”
5. Ask a lot of questions
If you’re ordering your pork from a butcher, you probably won’t be able to compare hams like you would at the supermarket. So, make sure you ask lots of questions, now that you know what you’re looking for.
You could ask:
Is the ham made from New Zealand born and farmed pork?
What will be its injection percentage?
What flavours will it have?
You could even ask if there’s a glaze the butcher thinks would work particularly well with those flavours.
6. Know what size you’ll need
If the ham is the only meat on your Christmas menu, New Zealand Pork advises allowing 1kg of ham for five people. Or if you’ve got other meat options, 1kg will feed about six to eight people.
7. Know the best hams in New Zealand
The best hams of the year were awarded at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards earlier in the year so you can check out which ones got medals. Some of them are only available in the city the butcher is based, but a Farmland boneless ham available nationwide won a gold award and Woolworths bone-in and boneless hams picked up bronze.
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Some Choice News!
Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
From National MP--CHRIS BISHOP----'Twas the night before taxes'
’Twas the night before taxes, and all through the nation,
Hard-working Kiwis were still feeling Labour’s inflation.
While their payslips were hidden with care,
They prayed Hipkins and Chloë wouldn’t take their ‘fair’ share.
When out by the Beehive there rose such a shout,
The Greens’ TikTok was not getting enough clout.
“We need more taxes!” Chloë said with a flair,
“For justice! For progress! For… I’ll think of the rest later, I swear.”
Hipkins quickly agreed, as Chloë and the Greens held the key,
He knew he couldn’t win without their guarantee.
But before he could breathe, Te Pāti Māori came with a glare,
Holding a wishlist of taxes that reached mid-air.
And so the trio assembled, a most troublesome sight,
Ready to dream up new taxes till the early midnight.
But no need to worry, National set things right,
We delivered tax relief that finally eased the bite.
And with new roads, schools, and hospitals underway,
Our infrastructure is getting stronger everyday.
Fixing the basics and building the future, as we’ve said,
So every Kiwi family can finally get ahead.
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