Freebie Fanatics

Thanksgiving comes up fast, and the stress usually isn't the cooking. It's the long list of small jobs that all land in the last two days. The fix is simple: spread them out. This countdown walks you through three weeks of easy steps, from deciding who's coming to storing the leftovers, so Thursday, November 26 feels calm instead of frantic. Pick the steps that fit your table, skip the rest, and check things off as you go.

SCHEELS LEGO Build Events are one of the best free things to do with kids at a store. Kids sit down at a build table, put together a SCHEELS-exclusive LEGO kit, and take it home when they're done, all at no cost. This holiday season the kit is a gingerbread build, and events run in December at select SCHEELS stores in 16 states. You do need to register, and spots are limited, so here's how it works and how to grab one.

Dinner is sneaky expensive. It's the meal that happens every single night, usually when everyone's tired and hungry, and that's exactly when the takeout app starts looking good and the "quick" grocery run turns into a cart full of extras. A plan fixes a lot of that. So our sister site, The Brisk Bite, put together a free printable plan with five easy weeknight dinners, each one made for a family of 4, plus a short shopping list to keep the store trip simple. It's free; you just enter your email to download it. Below you'll find what's inside, a quick look at all five dinners, and some practical ways to spend less on weeknight meals, whether you grab the plan or not.

Love the idea of winning something but hate digging through sketchy giveaway sites? Same. This page rounds up current sweepstakes and giveaways from real brands, all in one place. Every card tells you what you can win, who's allowed to enter, how to enter and when it ends, with a button straight to the official entry page. They're sorted so the ones ending soonest are at the top, and we clear out the expired ones every Thursday, so everything here is still open to enter.

Veterans Day rolls around every November 11, and a whole lot of restaurants, coffee shops and barbershops say thank you the best way they know how: with free stuff. If you served or you're serving now, this is your cheat sheet. We pulled the free meals, free coffee, free haircuts and free park days into one spot, along with who qualifies and what to bring, so you can plan your day without hopping between ten different websites. Know a veteran? Send this their way.

Charcuterie boards and snack trays are fun until you see the total at checkout, and this offer takes some of that sting away. Upper Cut is letting you try one of its deli items on the house, but there's a twist worth knowing up front: you buy the item first, then text in a photo of your receipt and get paid back through Venmo or PayPal, up to $11.99. If you were already planning on a snack tray or some cubed cheese for the weekend, this could make it effectively free.

Some freebies are worth keeping on your radar, especially when they involve free coffee or rewards for your next visit. If you shop at QuickChek, this guide brings together current freebie offers and rewards perks in one place, so you can find ways to save without digging through multiple pages.