As 2018 comes to a close, I thought it’d be fun to reflect on some of my favorite frugal & free moments of the year.
1. Yelp Elite Status
After writing countless reviews on Yelp, I was awarded the Elite title, making me eligible to attend multiple events featuring great local food and services all around Denver. From a memorable 4-course dining experience at Courier, to a food & music-filled party supporting Youth on Record’s FEMpowered program, and many more great events, I quickly learned that Yelp sure knows how to treat their Elites well!
For my 24th birthday, I won tickets to Chicken Fight Fest (best birthday present ever). Although I had the worst stomach ache the following day, I had absolutely no regrets after tasting some of the best fried chicken & cocktails in the city!
If you live in Denver, you’ve likely been to the Milk Market at least once or twice. Before it opened, there were several sneak peeks locals could attend to get a taste of the Milk Market. Matthew and I went to a sneak peek at Osteria Marco, and for $5 each, we enjoyed a delicious Italian meal, along with a $50 certificate each for being 2 of the first 25 people in line!
4. BOGO Beer Books
2018 was also the year of BOGO books for Matthew & I, as we won a Denver Passport and Brew Denver Book for BOGO beers and cocktails throughout the city! On top of that, I won a $50 certificate to one of our favorite breweries, Intrepid Sojourner – all on Instagram!
5. Chick-fil-A Calendar Card
Chick-fil-A played a bigger part in our year than we could have imagined. Although Chick-fil-A is sooo much more popular in Georgia, we were still able to indulge in that familiar fried chicken in Denver – for free, thanks to the Calendar Card!
**Since the Calendar Card is gone forever, be sure to download the Chick-fil-A app for random freebies throughout the new year!
6. Groupon
Okay, so Groupon has always been a big deal (haha) for us, but we really went hard with scooping up all the Groupons we could get this year! From the delicious sandwiches at Smiling Moose (softest bread ever) and fresh smoothie bowls at Superfruit Republic, to some of our newfound favorite beer at Desteeg Brewing & Mockery Brewing, Groupon really pulled through for us in 2018!
7. MealPal
Finally, my lunch routine changed for a bit this year when I discovered MealPal, a membership offering discounted meals from restaurants in your city! I’m not one to pay for memberships, but MealPal offered me 50% off of its original plan, making my meals less than $3! I greatly enjoyed trying several restaurants – new & old – throughout the city. Plus, it was a great way to get out of the office for a nice walk to pick up my food during my lunch break. I definitely suggest giving MealPal a try!
After a successful, deal-filled 2018, I’m looking forward to what 2019 has in store!
Happy New Year, everyone!
Hangry & Restless 