Baja’s Mexican Restaurant

Spend $35 and get free chips and salsa. Spend $50 and get two free chips and salsa or a $10 gift card for your next visit.

Chili’s

Get a Classic Marg for $5, a Popping Boba Marg (the May Marg of the Month) for $6, or a Patrón Frozen Marg for $7.

Laredo Taco

Customers can get BOGO burritos, a $6 walking taco, and $3 small frozen margaritas.

Outback Steakhouse

Get a Bloomin’ Onion and a drink (either a soda or a 16 oz. domestic draft beer) for $10.

Randy’s Doughnuts

No deals, but the famous doughnut shop is brining back its Mango Lemonade and Mango Tajin Doughnut in time for Cinco de Mayo.

Cinco De Mayo Giveaways

Aroma Joe’s

Teachers can get a free 24 oz. any iced drink (in-store).

Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar

Teachers can score happy hour deals from May 4 to 8, including $4 drinks and $6 food from 3 pm to 6 pm. This excludes North Carolina. In South Carolina, hours are 4 pm to 6 pm. p.m.

Bojangles

Enter the fast food restaurant’s sweepstakes here for a chance to win free food and merch for your school staff. You have until April 24 to enter and everyone who enters will get a coupon for 10% off in their email on April 27.

Carrabba’s

Get $50 off a $250+ catering order with the promo code 50OFF250.

This is being promoted as a Teacher Appreciation Week deal, but it’s valid until May 31.

Chick-fil-A

As a company, Chick-fil-A does celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day, but the offers are decided by the individual franchises.

Look for social media posts from your local franchises to see what’s being offered.

Chipotle

Chipotle is giving away 100,000 burritos to teachers. Head over to this link to enter your email address now through May 12 for a chance to be selected.

Crumbl Cookies

Enter your favorite teacher here for a chance for for them to win $20,000. Nominees are being accepted until May 4.

Dog Haus

Teachers get 20% off with a valid ID from May 4 to 8.

Einstein Bros Bagels

Get a free bagel and shmear with any purchase on May 6 with the coupon in the mobile app.

Jason’s Deli

From now until April 17, you can nominate a teacher here for a chance to win 100 free meals for their school.

McAlister’s Deli

Educators can get a complimentary tea from May 4 to 8, no purchase necessary.

Choose from a Big Sweet Tea, Unsweet Tea, ½ Sweet & ½ Unsweet Tea, or ½ Lemonade & ½ Sweet/Unsweet Tea.

Noodles & Company

Save 10% on catering orders of $150 or more with the promo code APPRECIATION2026. This is valid through May 8.

Shake Shack

Teachers can get a free Single ShackBurger or Veggie Shack with any purchase from May 4 to 12. Make sure to show any ID at checkout.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Teachers can get a free brewed hot or iced coffee or tea in any size with a valid ID.

Whataburger

Educators and school staff can get a free breakfast from 5 am to 9 am.

Choose from a Breakfast on a Bun, Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit, or Breakfast Taquito.

More National Day Deals:

This is just one of the times during the year when restaurants give out free food and discounts. To mark your calendar and make sure you don’t miss any, we have a huge list of the Top National Days for deals that you should absolutely check out.

​The South Carolina Festival Of Flowers takes place in uptown Greenwood, SC.

If you’re traveling to the city of Greenwood for it and you’re looking for other things to do while you’re in town, check out our Things To Do In Greenwood, SC post.

South Carolina Festival Of Flowers History

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

South Carolina Festival Of Flowers Schedule Of Events

The topiary sculptures will be on display throughout Greenwood from June 1 through July 12

Thursday, June 4

Beach Music Blast: The free live concert will be performed in Uptown Greenwood. It starts with Rhonda McDaniel at 6 pm followed by The Swinging Medallions from 7 pm to 9 pm. Bring your camp chairs and hang out in front of the stage. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

Juried Art Show: An adult juried art show will be held. The artwork will be on display at the Arts Center of Greenwood from June 4 to July 25. Cash prizes will be given to the winners.

The Museum’s Special Exhibit Opening Reception: The Museum will feature an exhibit on South Carolina’s role in the American Revolution. The opening reception is free to the public from 5 pm to 6:30 pm.

Friday, June 12

Annie: The play will be performed at the Greenwood Community Theatre (110 Main St North). This is opening night and the play will run through Sunday, June 21.

Using a concierge is just one of the ways to stretch your vacation budget.

For more ideas, check out our how to travel on a budget post, filled with ideas like frugal amenities to look for when you book a hotel, money saving tips for food on vacation, and more.

How A Hotel Concierge Can Help You Save Money On Vacation

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

Avoiding Overpriced Tourist Restaurants

If you don’t know where to eat, a concierge can help you decide — and help you avoid expensive restaurants that aren’t worth it.

Let the concierge know what type of cuisine you’re in the mood for and what your price range is. He’ll be able to recommend a great place, including budget-friendly options that might not have popped up on your google search.

Because we all know those expensive tourist traps aren’t where the locals are going.

Yes, I love eating at the restaurants I see when I’m scrolling social media. And you should go to some of them. But some aren’t worth your money. A concierge can help you avoid overspending on a bad meal that only looks good on Instagram.

Finding Better Values And Discounts

A concierge and the hotel you’re staying at may have partnerships with local bars, restaurants, and attractions that can save you money on your trip.

If you know where you want to eat or visit, stop by the concierge’s desk to ask if the hotel has a coupon or discount.

When we were in Nashville, we got a coupon for a free moonshine tasting at Ole Smokey Moonshine through our hotel. Since Pete was already planning on doing that, this freebie ended up being an unexpected way to save on our overall trip cost.

Other times, when we’ve checked into a hotel, we’ve been given coupons for free appetizers or discounts at local restaurants, which helped to save money on food on our trips.

Sometimes you can get a discount by showing your hotel key. That’s a way for the attraction or restaurant to thank the hotel for sending customers. And that thank you is passed along to you in the form of savings.

Saving Money On Fitness

You don’t want to stop your fitness routine when you’re on vacation, but paying for a day pass at a local gym can get expensive.

Using a hotel’s gym means you can avoid that cost. But, not every hotel has its own fitness center and some have limited hours.

A concierge may be able to let you know about a neighboring gym or fitness center that allows free access for hotel guests.

If you’re planning on working out offsite, check with the hotel concierge and see what the rules are. You may need to show your room key or need a printed pass from the hotel in order to use the gym.

Preventing Costly Hotel Mistakes

We went to Hilton Head Island for a work trip a couple summers ago. When I tried to log on to the hotel’s WiFi and it wasn’t connecting, I was worried. I needed it so I could work. I mean, that was the whole purpose of us being there.

Pete and I went down to the concierge and, luckily, he was great and was able to solve our connection problem and get us online. That meant I didn’t have to waste any time trying to find and pay for a hotspot and miss important work deadlines.

So, if you have something going wrong at the hotel, ask the concierge. He can help you avoid paying for costly fixes (like, in my case, an unnecessary hotspot). He can also help you much quicker than you can probably help yourself, and we all know, time is money.

Getting Around Without Overspending

When you’re trying to get to an attraction, you might immediately think of booking a ride with a rideshare app. But, rideshares and taxis are usually the most expensive choice and eat up a lot of your travel budget.

A concierge will be able to let you know if it’s cheaper to take public transportation or to walk, which can add up to a ton of savings.

The concierge will also know about road closures, which your GPS might not know about.

When we were in Puerto Rico, we were trying to get to the natural pond at El Yunque Natural Forest. There was a mudslide that closed the direct route, so the office staff alerted us of an updated route and told us only Apple Maps had it. Google maps did not.

Without that tip, we would have been driving around in circles, wasting our time and gas, and maybe never made it to the natural pond.

Getting Free Perks for Special Occasions

If you’re on vacation for an occasion, like a birthday or an anniversary, and you want something special set up in the hotel room, let the concierge know.

We went to Washington, DC for Pete’s dad’s 70th birthday a few years ago, and I mentioned the reason for our trip when I booked the hotel. The staff was so sweet and set up a bottle of wine, water, snacks, and a card for his dad to see when he got to his room.

Pete’s dad actually checked in before us, so he knew we didn’t sneak into his room to set it up. What he didn’t know is we didn’t pay for this. It was a free perk from the hotel, which meant we didn’t have to buy a gift basket or balloons ourselves. Yay for savings.

You can’t expect this type of freebie from the hotel, but if you do get it, it’s a really nice perk.

Saving On Airport Transportation

In the age of rideshare, that’s usually the default choice to get to and from the airport. In fact, when we stayed in San Antonio, we were able to book our rides via the app days in advance. But, it was really expensive.

Some cities don’t have great ride share (like ours!), so you’re better off asking the concierge for help.

The concierge will know if the hotel offers complimentary airport shuttle service. If not, the concierge can suggest taxi services that are reliable and cheaper than rideshare. He may even be able to set your ride up for you so you’re not scrambling at the last minute and paying a rush fee.

Saving on Luggage / Storage Fees

We had an early flight when we went to Texas, which meant we got to our hotel a couple hours before check in. We went straight there and kindly asked if early check in was a possibility. We were told yes, but for a hefty fee (almost the cost of a full night’s stay).

While we were debating paying that, the concierge stopped us and said that we could store our luggage at the hotel for free and go explore the town. It would be there for us when we checked in.

She also said that if we had a late flight after checkout, we could store our bags there as well and pick them up before going to the airport.

We’ve done something similar in Japan and Las Vegas too, and it really does save you a lot of money (because paying to check in early or paying for luggage storage in town is really expensive).

Avoiding Parking Fees (Or Expensive Parking Decisions)

Parking is downtown Wilmington is pretty confusing. There ae public lots, which are cheap, private lots, which are expensive, and then street parking, which is free in some places but not everywhere. It’s a little complicated and parking in the wrong spot can get costly (especially if you get a parking ticket, which is expensive).

Before you drive somewhere, you should stop by and chat with the concierge to see if there are any parking rules or restrictions you should be aware of. The concierge can also let you know about any free parking spots that are close to your destination, eliminating your parking costs completely.

I love making burgers for dinner. They’re always so satisfying and you can customize them so much that they never get boring.

For more ideas, check out our list of really good burger recipes. There are ones you make on the grill, others you make in the oven, beef burgers, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, more.

Nashville Hot Chicken Burgers Recipe

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Nashville Hot Chicken Burgers Ingredients:

You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Flour – All-purpose flour coats the chicken to give it a crust and keep it moist.
• Nashville hot chicken seasoning – I personally think the McCormick Nashville hot chicken seasoning has the best overall flavor, but you can use any brand.
• Brown sugar – Hattie B’s hot chicken adds brown sugar into its seasoning blend so you taste more than just heat. It adds a really good flavor so we add this to ours.
• Egg – This helps the flour and seasoning stick to the patty.
• Ground chicken – We use lean ground chicken, but starting this on the stovetop and finishing it in the oven keeps in the moisture so you don’t miss the fat.
• Spicy Panko breadcrumbs – These act as a binder to keep the patties together and also as a way to spice the meat.
• Mayonnaise – We use a low-fat mayo to add a little fat back into the chicken patties. If you don’t use as lean of a cut of ground chicken, you can probably skip the mayo.
• Garlic – This adds spice and flavor to the chicken.
• Hamburger buns – Any sort of bun works.
• Coleslaw – Traditionally, hot chicken is topped with coleslaw. But, it’s optional.

Pour the flour onto a plate.

You can use a small bowl too, but I always use plates when I’m making a breading station.

Add in the Nashville hot seasoning.

Add in the brown sugar.

Stir until the seasoning and sugar are evenly distributed throughout the flour.

Taste the seasoning here. The hot seasoning gets diluted from the flour. It’ll get a little hotter while it cooks. I wouldn’t add any less Nashville hot seasoning to this, but you could add more if you want a spicier burger.

Crack the egg into a second plate.

Gently scramble it with a fork.

Put the ground chicken into a large bowl.

Add in the Panko breadcrumbs.

Add in the mayo.

Grate in the garlic.

If you don’t have a grater, you can chop the garlic really fine and add it that way. I just prefer the grater because the garlic is finer and incorporates into the chicken.

Mix until everything is combined.

Take some of the chicken mixture and form a patty (which is about 1/2 inch thick).

The patty should hold together because of the breadcrumbs in the chicken, but just be careful when you’re dredging it to keep its shape. If it starts to become more oval than round, you can just push the sides in to keep it tighter.

Put it in the seasoned flour and coat both sides, making sure to knock off any excess.

Quick note: Ground chicken is wet, which can prevent breading from sticking evenly. So, you coat it in seasoned flour first to absorb the moisture. The flour does become a little sticky, which is good. If you skipped this layer, the egg wouldn’t stick to the wet chicken.

Move it to the egg mixture and coat both sides. Again, make sure you knock off any excess.

Another quick note: Because the flour is sticky, the egg has something to grip onto it. The egg layer acts as a binder between the chicken and the second coat of breading. If you skipped this, you would only have a moist breading that would slip off the chicken.

Put it back into the seasoned flour and coat both sides. And, once again, knock off any excess.

Final quick note: The second coat of seasoned flour gives the patties a crust and texture. It also gives the burger a lot of its flavor. Since this is a burger, not a deep fried piece of chicken, it won’t be as crunchy as a fried chicken sandwich, but it will have a nice texture.

Continue until you’re done with all the chicken. You should be able to get five patties out of this recipe. They don’t have to be exactly the same size, but they’ll cook evenly if they are.

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. You need just enough to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.

Quick note: We prefer olive oil because of its flavor, but you could use a canola or vegetable oil instead.

Add the chicken patties to the pan.

Heat them for four minutes until a crust forms.

You should be able to easily slide a spatula under the patty.

Add a drizzle of olive oil on top of each patty, then flip them.

Cook them on the other side for three minutes.

Again, you want to cook them until a crust forms and you can slide the spatula under. These won’t cook to a deep golden brown like a fried chicken sandwich. But you’ll notice the crust forming.

Put the entire skillet in the preheated oven for six minutes.

Quick note: If your skillet isn’t oven safe (it says so on the bottom of the pan), you’ll want to transfer the patties to a baking sheet and put that inside the oven instead.

The chicken is done when its internal temperature reaches 165 F.

Put the chicken burger between a toasted bun and top with coleslaw.

Nashville Hot Chicken Burgers: Frequently Asked Questions

Soft Pretzel S’mores

These soft pretzel s’mores are a really fun twist on a classic treat. Instead of using graham crackers as the base, everything is layered on a soft pretzel for a delicious sweet-and-salty snack.

What makes these so easy is that you’re using marshmallow creme, not melted marshmallow, so you don’t have to worry about a flame.

No Bake S’mores Cookies With Marshmallow Fluff

If you’re in the mood for s’mores but don’t want to start a campfire, these no bake s’mores cookies with marshmallow fluff should be your go-to.

They have all the classic flavors of s’mores without any baking. Plus, they come together in just minutes using simple ingredients you probably already have at home, making them such a simple treat.

Puff Pastry S’mores Bites

Instead of using graham crackers, these puff pastry s’mores bites start with store-bought puff pastry as the base.

You broil them for a minute, so you get the delicious gooey marshmallow and melted chocolate that you expect from s’mores, just without the campfire.

S’mores Quesadillas

Sweet quesadillas aren’t something you see often, but these s’mores quesadillas will change your mind. They have the flavors of traditional s’mores, but with a tortilla in place of the graham crackers.

We make these as dessert when we’re having quesadillas for dinner, since we already have the quesadilla maker out.

S’mores Fudge

The easiest way to have just a bite of s’mores is with our s’mores fudge recipe. It’s a great twist on a simple two-ingredient fudge.

You need to make this ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge before you can cut it, so you want to make it before the s’mores craving hits.

Foil-Wrapped Grilled S’mores

Traditionally, s’mores are made on a campfire. But, if you’re at home, you can easily make s’mores on the grill instead.

A grill is large enough to cook a bunch of s’mores at once, so this is the perfect way to make s’mores for a crowd. Plus, since they’re wrapped in foil, they don’t make a mess, which means there’s no cleanup after.

Spooky S’mores Wedding Favors

Spooky s’mores wedding favors might sound too niche, especially if you’re not planning a wedding, but these work perfectly for parties too.

At the core, these are packaged s’mores. But, the fun comes from customizing them for any holiday or celebration. You can use traditional Peeps for Easter, Christmas tree Peeps for a stocking stuffer, and more.

Philly Pretzel Factory

Get one free soft pretzel, no purchase necessary, on April 26.

Plus, if you have the app, you can get double points on anything else you buy.

Easy Pretzel Treat For National Pretzel Day

If you can’t make it out for National Pretzel Day, celebrate at home with our favorite pretzel recipe: s’mores soft pretzels. It turns a soft pretzel into a summer treat.

Fayetteville Dogwood Festival 2026 Dates & Details

• Dates: April 24 to 26, 2026
• Location: Festival Park (335 Ray Ave) and the surrounding downtown Fayetteville area
• Cost: Free to attend (although things like food and kids rides cost money)
• Times: Friday: 5 pm to 9:30 pm (Festival Park opens at 4 pm); Saturday: noon to 9:30 pm (Festival Park opens at 11 am); Sunday: noon to 8 pm (Festival Park opens at 11 am)

Festival Hours & What to Expect Each Day

Friday, April 24

All events are happening from 5 pm to 9:30 pm.

• Blood drive
• Food and drink, plus marketplace vendors: There will be 135 vendors and 26 food and drink vendors open.
• Kid zone: There will be a space for the kids, with a bounce house and more.
• Mechanical bull
• Midway Rides
• Ying Yang Twins concert: The concert opens with live DJ sets from Trev Truth & DJ Yodo followed by the Ying Yang Twins.

Saturday, April 25

All events are happening from noon to 9:30 pm, unless otherwise noted.

• Blood drive
• Car Show: This will be set up at the corner of Ray Ave and Maiden Lane.
• Concert: Saved By The 90s (a 90s cover band) and Echostone (a Carolina-based band) will be playing from 2 pm to 9 pm.
• DJ Problem: The DJ will be playing sets at 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and 3:30 pm.
• Earth Day Events
• Fascinate-U Fun
• Food and drink, plus marketplace vendors: There will be 135 vendors and 26 food and drink vendors open.
• Kid zone: There will be a space for the kids, with a bounce house and more.
• Mechanical bull
• Midway Rides

Sunday, April 26

All events are happening from noon to 8 pm, unless otherwise noted.

• Blood drive
• Exercise classes: There will be pure barre at noon, dancing without sin at 2 pm, 9 rounds at 4 pm, and burn boot camp at 6 pm.
• Food and drink, plus marketplace vendors: There will be 135 vendors and 26 food and drink vendors open.
• Kid zone: There will be a space for the kids, with a bounce house and more.
• Mechanical bull
• Midway Rides
• Poetry Slam: The Creative Corner Poetry Slam hosted by by El’Ja is happening from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

Top Reasons To Check Out The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival

Live music

We are huge fans of live music. If there’s a band playing, we’re going. The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival has DJs and the Ying Yang Twins on Friday and DJs, and 90s cover band, and a rock band on Saturday.

Food trucks

Food just tastes better off of a truck, doesn’t it? The field of Festival Park is lined with 26 food trucks selling everything from burgers to sno cones to pizza. You can bring your own food in and have a picnic if you prefer, but it’s just fun to have the availability of food trucks all around you.

The Kid Zone

We love standing in front of the stage and singing along, but that’s not not always so exciting for kids. That’s why the Kid Zone is great.

Wristband prices haven’t been announced yet for this year, but it’s usually unlimited rides on the bounce houses, 2-story slides, access to yard games, and more.

Vendor tents

We used to work at the local farmers’ market every week, so my heart is always with the vendor tents at events. It’s so much work to pack the car, set up, stay there all day, and peddle your wares (while often getting ignored by passers by).

This year, the festival is hosting over 130 vendors, so you’re bound to find something to buy.

Visitor Info / Tips for Attending

Parking

Street parking is free in downtown Fayetteville on the weekends, although expect those spots to fill up quickly. Paid street parking ends at 5 pm on Friday, so your best bet is to get to the festival right after work, pay until 5, and then leave your car there.

You can park in one of the public lots (on Hay St. and Franklin St.). Event parking is usually $5.

Be wary of private lots as they can charge whatever they want (and usually raise the prices on festival weekends).

What To Bring / Not Bring

Clear bags: You’re only allowed clear bags, no larger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″. We prefer using clear backpacks at events that require clear bags because they’re easier to carry. If you don’t have one, you can also bring a small clutch (5″ x 7″). I have one of those but it barely holds my phone and keys.

Chairs: There is a huge grassy area in front of the stage and you are encouraged to bring your own lawn chairs to sit in front of the stage. We suggest you bring a collapsible picnic table as well, so you can easily eat your food and drinks.

Food and drink: You are able to bring your own food and drinks into the festival, so, although we love eating off a food truck, you definitely should bring your own water bottle and some snacks.

Cash and credit cards: Some vendors will only accept credit or debit cards and some will only accept cash (or may offer a discount for cash), so we suggest you have both with you. Of course, we never suggest carrying large amounts of cash to a festival.

What To Wear

Comfortable sneakers: The majority of the festival is at Festival Park, which is mostly grass and slightly hilly, so we suggest wearing sneakers. Also, closed toed shoes help protect your feet in case you’re dancing near someone and get stepped on.

Layers: It’s spring, which means it’s really warm during the day and then the temperature dips when the sun goes down. Since the festival ends past sundown, we suggest dressing in layers so you are comfortable all day.

Sunscreen: The festival is outside in the spring, so you definitely want sunscreen.

Bug spray: No-see-ums are a big problem in Southeast North Carolina and they’ll ruin your fun. The only thing we’ve found to work is Buggins spray.

Best Time To Go:

The least crowded time will be Friday, as soon as the festival starts, because most people will be at work or late Sunday, since most people will be getting ready for work on Monday.

The festival has boasted over 100,000 attendees over the three days in the past, so honestly, it’s gonna be crowded any time you go.

More Things To Do In Fayetteville, NC

We love Fayetteville. We used to go so often, we called it our home away from home. If you’re looking to go for the weekend and want to do more than just the festival, check out our list of things to do in Fayetteville, NC. It’s filled with restaurants, activities, hotel options, and more to plan your whole trip.

If you spent all your money already, our list of free things to do in Fayetteville will help you enjoy your time without opening your wallet.

And, if you’re hungry and don’t want food truck food, we really like Ramen Tsubaki for Japanese food and Napkins at Dirtbag Ales (which is the craft brewery’s on-site restaurant, so you get good food and good beer).

H-E-B

The Texas-based grocery store will be giving away up to 276,000 free reusable bags to customers at H-E-B, Central Market, Joe V’s Smart Shop, and Mi Tienda stores in Texas, beginning at 8 am.

You can purchase additional Earth Day reusable bags for $1.50.

Stewart’s Shops

Get a free hot coffee or tea (up to 32 oz.) when you bring it any refillable mug.

Yogurtland

Get BOGO dirt cups when you order online or via the mobile app and enter the promo code EARTHDAY at checkout.

Carvel

Buy one classic sundae, get one free.

Corner Bakery Cafe

All administrative professionals can get a free DC Chicken Salad Sandwich Combo (which is a DC Chicken Salad Sandwich, chips, and a drink). No purchase necessary.

If you’re ordering online or in the app, enter the promo code 4091 at checkout.

McCormick & Schmick’s

Get a free appetizer (up to $18 value) with the purchase of two entrees from April 21 to 25. You must mention the Administrative Professionals Week offer to get the freebie.

Schlotzsky’s

Buy one pizza, get one free.

Shake Shack

Get BOGO K-Shack items with the promo code SPICYSWEET.

Participating items include K-Shack BBQ Burger, K-Shack Fried Chicken Sandwich, K-Shack Fried Chicken Bites, K-Shack Spicy BBQ Fries, K-Shack Spicy BBQ Cheese Fries, and K-Shack Spicy Caramel Shake. 

TGI Friday’s

Get a free dessert or appetizer with any entree purchase.

The post says, “treat them (or yourself)” so sounds like this deal is for everyone.

National Cold Brew Day is just one of the annual holidays when chains offer freebies and deals to celebrate. Check out our list of the Top 20+ National Days For Freebies And Deals to make sure you mark your calendar and don’t miss any of the free food and drink all year long.

National Cold Brew Day Freebies And Deals

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

National Cold Brew Day is Monday, April 20th. All of these deals are valid on that day only unless otherwise noted.

Also, we only included national or large regional chains on this list. Your local coffee shop may be participating, but it we included every local coffee shop, this list would be too overwhelming.

Another Broken Egg Cafe

Get a free cold brew coffee (or matcha) with any entree purchase.

This is valid until April 26.

Dunkin’

Dunkin’ Rewards Members can get 4X points on any cold brew purchase.

National Cold Brew Day falls on a Monday this year and Dunkin’ Rewards members always get 100 bonus points with mobile purchases on Mondays.

If you’re not a member, find out how to sign up for Dunkin’s rewards program here.

Dunn Brothers Coffee

Loyalty members can get a free small cold brew coffee.

Dutch Bros.

Loyalty members will get a free festival wristband starting at 5 am.

Last year it was with a cold brew purchase, but this year it seems like any medium or large drink will qualify.

Ellianos Coffee

Get any size cold brew for $3 with the coupon in the app.

Paris Baguette

PB Rewards members can get a medium cold brew for only $3.

Playa Bowls

Playa Rewards members can get a free 16 oz. Sweet Cream Cold Brew with the purchase of any bowl.

Port City Java

Loyalty members can get a cold brew for $1 when they order ahead in the mobile app.

Scooter’s Coffee

Members can get half off any cold brew (including Crème Cold Brews) on April 20 with the coupon in the app.

Tim Hortons

Rewards members can get 2X points on cold brew.

Make Cold Brew At Home:

If you don’t want to go out to pick up a coffee shop’s cold brew and would rather make it at home instead, check out our Super Simple Cold Brew Coffee recipe.

National Cold Brew Day happens to fall on April 20 every year also. So, we didn’t put any coffee deals in this post.

Instead, you can find all of those at our National Cold Brew Day freebies and deals post.

It’s a good day to be hungry and thirsty.

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

You can get a Pizookie for $4.20 from 9 pm to close.

Bonefish Grill

Get a margarita or martini for $5.

Burger King

Get a 4-piece Cheesy Bacon Tots or Jalapeño Cheddar Bites reward for 400 Crowns.

Charleys Cheesesteaks

Charleys Rewards members should have an offer for a free cheese fry with $1+ purchase, valid April 20 to 22.

Chipotle

Wear a hockey jersey into Chipotle after 3 pm and receive BOGO entrees, up to 5.

Del Taco

Del Yeah! rewards members can get BOGO carne asada fries with the deal in the app from April 17 to 20.

Fatburger

Get an Original Fatburger for $4.20.

Firehouse Subs

Get a medium meatball sub for $6.99.

Insomnia Cookies

Insomnia rewards members can get two free classic cookies with the purchase of four classic cookies from April 18 to 20.

Jimmy John’s

Buy a Dream Rotation Meal, and get a second free with the promo code DREAMROTATION. I’m pretty sure this is valid for JJ Rewards members only.

KFC

Rewards members can get a pot pie combo (a pot pie and a drink) for $4.20.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Get a dozen original glazed doughnuts for just $7.99 from 4 pm to 6 pm.

Love’s Truck Stop 

Rewards members can get a free Quest Protein milkshake with the coupon in the app.

Mellow Mushroom

Get pretzel bites with regular or spicy beer cheese or four Mellow Rollz for $4.20.

Outback Steakhouse

Kids eat free with the purchase of an adult entree.

Panera Bread

MyPanera Rewards members can get $5 off a $25+ order with the coupon in the app.

Red Robin

Get the he Sky-High Towering Trio (a Towering Double Cheeseburger Slider Tower, a Towering Onion Ring Shorty, and a Cinnamon Sugar Doh! Ring Shorty) for $20.

Shake Shack

Get BOGO K-Shack items with the promo code SPICYSWEET. This is valid through April 22.

Participating items include K-Shack BBQ Burger, K-Shack Fried Chicken Sandwich, K-Shack Fried Chicken Bites, K-Shack Spicy BBQ Fries, K-Shack Spicy BBQ Cheese Fries, and K-Shack Spicy Caramel Shake. 

Snickers

Head to snickers.com/chill at noon for a chance to claim one of 200 Snickers ice cream x Carnell Tate six-pack ice cream packs.

Subway

Get BOGO footlong subs all month long with the promo code FLBOGO.

Also, you can get 30% off your next sub, wrap, salad or bowl now through April 26.

Wingstop

If you order a Wingstop Hot Box at 1 of 4 locations, you’ll get a free branded flavor trays.

This is happening at 1709 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA; 5134 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose, CA; 595 Piedmont Ave. NE, Ste. 330, Atlanta, GA; and 935 8th Ave., NY, NY.

Yogurtland

Real Rewards members can get 20% off their order.

Zaxby’s

The first 20,000 rewards members who enter the code BANANAS in the app can get a free Banana Pudding Milkshake with any $1+ purchase.

More National Day Deals:

This isn’t the only day when fast food restaurants celebrate with free food and drinks. For more, check out our full list of the top national days for freebies and deals. Mark your calendar and make sure you don’t miss any, like the Earth Day deals happening later this month.

We love s’mores without flames, so of course, we have a few more fire-free recipes for those.

Check out our list of Unique S’mores Recipes for ideas like soft pretzel s’mores and no bake s’mores cookies.

S’mores Fudge Recipe

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

S’mores Fudge Ingredients:

You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Sweetened condensed milk – This is the base of your fudge. It adds sweetness and the moisture needed to bind everything together to give you the texture of fudge.
• Chocolate chips – You can use any flavor of chocolate chips. We prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, since the sweetened condensed milk adds a lot of sweetness. You could use dark or milk chocolate chips if you prefer.
• Mini marshmallows – Mini marshmallows distribute more evenly than full-sized ones do. If you only have full-sized ones, cut them into small pieces.
• Graham crackers – We use whole graham crackers that we break apart, but you can actually purchase graham cracker crumbs and use that.

How To Make S’mores Fudge:

Put the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl.

Pour in the sweetened condensed milk.

Microwave on high for one minute until the condensed milk is warm and the chocolate chips start to melt.

Stir the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together until they’re completely combined.

Quick note: If the ingredients aren’t combining, you can put the bowl back and microwave and stir at 30-second intervals until it’s completely smooth.

Add the marshmallows into the chocolate mixture and stir gently until the marshmallows are coated.

You don’t want to overmix be cause that can melt the marshmallows.

As long as you stir gently, the marshmallows will stay whole and add a pillowy texture to those bites of fudge.

Pour the mixture into an aluminum foil-lined 8×8 inch pan.

Alternatively, you could line the pan with parchment paper. I just personally think foil is a little easier to fit into the pan, but either works.

Put the graham crackers in a plastic bag and break them into crumbs with your fingers.

You could gently hit them with a rolling pin to break them apart as well.

While the fudge mixture is still warm, sprinkle the crushed graham crackers on top.

They should stick to the fudge, but just in case, you can gently pat the crumbs down with the back of a spoon.

Put the pan in the fridge for at least two hours.

Pull the foil out from the pan and place it on a cutting board.

Use a sharp knife to cut it into squares.

I usually do six rows by six rows for a total of 36 pieces. You can cut them into smaller pieces if you’re making them for a party and trying to stretch them to feed a crowd.

S’mores Fudge: Frequently Asked Questions

More Fudge Recipes:

If you love homemade fudge, we have a few other recipes you’ll like. There’s our rocky road fudge, which is my favorite (because it’s the one my mom makes most often, so it tastes like nostalgia to me), and our watermelon fudge, which is always a big hit (because it’s decorated to look like watermelon, although doesn’t taste like it).

Be sure to check out all of our fudge recipes to satisfy your sweet tooth.

If it’s too cold for you to play outside, but you want to host game night, check out our list of 20 Board Games For Families To Play Together.

Fun Outdoor Games For Families

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

To make your life easier, we broke this into a couple sections: giant yard games (filled with anything oversized), tossing games (which require a little throwing while you stand in place), active games (which get you moving around), and classic games (which are ones we all know and love).

Giant Yard Games

Gigantic Jenga

Jenga is such a classic game, which you usually play on a table indoors, trying to balance blocks so the tower doesn’t topple.

The giant version has much larger blocks, which create a much larger tower, so it’s good for the outdoors where you have more space. With it being so large, it adds to the fun — and the drama (and collective group yelling!) of when it collapses.

Best for: All ages
Players: 2+. It’s great for large groups as well.
Setup: Needs a large table
Why it works: It takes strategy, precision, and attentiveness to detail

Purchase here

Make it here

Jumbo Connect 4

Connect 4 is a well-known tabletop game with the object of getting four of your colored pieces in a row.

The outdoor version is a larger-than-life jumbo game that’s really simple for young children to play, but turns into a friendly competition when the adults take over.

Best for: Kids
Players: 2
Setup: Quick
Why it works: It’s easy to learn, has vibrant colors, and is fun for everyone.

Purchase here

Oversized Checkers

I would love for Pete and I to collaborate and make a homemade oversized checkers game for our backyard parties because it’s so much fun to play.

Instead of making one, you can buy an oversized checkers set with a fabric board. That way, you can just fold it up and bring it outside. Set it up on a table (or on the grass because the game board is huge) and play for hours.

Best for: All ages
Players: 2
Setup: You need space on the grass for a large fabric game board.
Why it works: It’s so easy for young kids to learn

Purchase here

Tetris Tumble XL

Tetris is such a fun video game to play, so it’s so cool to see it come to life outdoors with the Tetris Tumble XL game.

You roll a die, which has a Tetris piece indicated on it. Add that to the game board and try to keep it balanced, avoiding the inevitable collapse. If you topple the board, your opponent wins.

Best for: All ages (although it’s better if you’re older and understand weight distribution)
Players: 2 or more
Setup: It’s simple to set up, right out of the box.
Why it works: It’s so fun to play a physical version of a popular video game. Plus, the foam pieces are a great, soft alternative to the hard, wooden Jenga pieces (if you need a more kid-friendly game).

Purchase here

Tossing Games

All the games where your feet stay still and your hands and arms do all the work are in this section.

Cornhole

Cornhole can get competitive when adults play, but it’s still fun with kids. Although, when younger kids play, they usually end up just running up to the board and dropping the bean bags straight into the hole.

Those aren’t the rules, obviously, but that is a fun way for kids to play while the adults are taking a break.

Best for: Older kids and adults (arm strength to throw the bags between boards helps)
Players: 2-4 (two teams of 2 or single players)
Setup: Needs space (boards are placed between 12 and 27 feet apart)
Why it works: It’s easy to play and super competitive and it’s great for teams.

Purchase here

Bucketball

Bucketball is something fun that you can play with the whole family. To play, teams take turns throwing a tennis or rubber ball towards the buckets. The first team to sink a ball in each one of the buckets wins.

Just like cornhole, if you’re playing with kids, there’s a good chance they’ll run up to the buckets and just drop the ball in. As long as everyone’s having fun, that’s all that matters.

Best for: Older kids and adults (arm strength and accuracy helps)
Players: 2-4 (two teams of 2 or single players)
Setup: Quick, but needs space (you want 15 feet minimum between buckets)
Why it works: It’s a great way to be active, but minimally.

Purchase here

Make it here

Ladder Ball

No matter how athletic you are, ladder ball is hard to master. So everyone is on a level playing field, which means everyone will have a good time playing together.

You take a bolas (two balls connected by a rope) and throw it towards a ladder. If it twirls around, you get points. The higher it lands, the more points. The first to 21 wins.

Best for: All ages
Players: 2-4 (two teams of 2 or single players)
Setup: Needs space (you need 15 feet between boards)
Why it works: It’s really fun and it’s hard to master, so there’s a good chance kids can actually beat the adults (without you letting them win).

Purchase here

Kan Jam

One of Pete’s friends had Kan Jam and we played it at a BBQ forever ago. Kan Jam is similar to frisbee golf because it involves throwing a disc towards a target, but it’s more of a team sport.

The first player tosses the frisbee towards the can while a teammate deflects it, trying to slam it into the can. The opposing team tries to defend that. Then, the teams switch between offense and defense. It’s a great way to get in a little exercise without even realizing it.

Best for: All ages (but, it’s fast-paced so younger kids might have trouble keeping up with the frisbee and the adults)
Players: 4 (two teams of 2)
Setup: Needs space (Kan Jam involves a lot of space to run)
Why it works: It’s so competitive, fun to play, and active

Purchase here

Mini Frisbee Golf Set

Disc golf is so popular, but, if you don’t want to head to a course, get this mini frisbee golf set.

The cage sits on a table and you throw mini frisbee golf discs at it. It’s usually an indoor game, but since it’s made of plastic (which can handle the elements) and takes up little space, we bring it outside when we have company as an alternative to the other games we have.

Best for: Kids (because the discs are made for smaller hands)
Players: 2 or more
Setup: Quick and portable
Why it works: It’s easy to play and young kids can be competitive.

Purchase here

Active Games

If you really want to get some exercise, these are the best games for you.

Spikeball

I’ve seen so many people play Spikeball at the beach and get super into it. But, you don’t need to be at the beach to play. It’s great for the backyard too.

There’s a rebound net (it looks like a mini trampoline) and a ball, and teams of two play a game of volleyball meets four square. You and your partner have up to three rally-style hits to hit the trampoline. Sounds easy, but it depends on who you play with.

Best for: All ages (everyone can play but hand-eye coordination is helpful)
Players: 4 (two teams of 2)
Setup: Needs space (this can involve a lot of running around to chase the ball)
Why it works: It’s really competitive and keeps you active

Purchase here

Classic Backyard Games

Yard Dice

We made our own set of yard dice from leftover wood so we could play Yardzee. But, they work with any dice game, like Farkle or Bunco. Any dice game is great when you’re playing with these extra large dice.

These are really loud if you roll them inside, which is why we use them outside only.

Best for: All ages
Players: It depends on the game.
Setup: Easy (just bring the dice outside)
Why it works: Giant dice make games feel more fun.

Outdoor Ring Toss

One of my favorite parts about going to Japan is going to the street fairs, which have a ton of food and games. There’s a popular ring toss game, which is really fun game, really good for hand-eye coordination, and really slept on. People totally forget about it even though it’s simple, low-effort fun.

So, pick up outdoor ring toss for your home. It doesn’t take up that much outdoor space when you’re playing (as opposed to something like cornhole, which takes up a lot of open space), so it’s great if you have less space.

Best for: All ages
Players: 2 or more
Setup: Quick and portable
Why it works: There’s basically no setup for this, so you can just bring it outside and start playing.

Hookey

I’m not very good at darts. I like the concept, but getting the dart exactly where it needs to go isn’t my forte. So hookey is more up my alley.

Hookey is basically ring toss that is propped upward, usually on an outdoor wall. You toss rings at the board, aiming to get them on hooks, and add up the score. The player with the most points wins. There are a few different ways you can keep score, just like with darts. Just make house rules.

Best for: All ages (anyone who can toss a ring can play)
Players: 2 or more
Setup: It hangs permanently, so there’s no setup.
Why it works: It’s easy to play and doesn’t require any setup.

Outdoor Dominoes

My family loves playing dominoes. We play double dominoes (aka Mexican train dominoes), and it’s really fun. You need a lot of dominoes to play, though, and the game gets really large and takes up our entire kitchen table. So bringing the game outside would be a great idea.

You can make your own set of outdoor dominoes if you have wood, time, and patience. Or you can just purchase it online — which seems a lot easier, honestly.

Best for: All ages
Players: 2 or more
Setup: There’s no setup.
Why it works: It’s perfect for outdoors because the large pieces are too big to use inside.

Lawn Bowling

We have a mini outdoor lawn bowling game that we set up when we have parties, and it’s always a big hit with the kids.

If you set it up on grass, the pins wobble a little bit, making them easier to knock over. If you want more of a challenge, set it up on the driveway where the concrete will hold them in place better.

Best for: Kids (adults are usually too strong for these sets)
Players: 2 or more
Setup: Setting it up is quick, but you do have to reset it between every roll.
Why it works: It’s a game everyone knows the rules for and one that’s easy to play.

Tax Day Freebies And Deals For 2026

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

All deals are happening on Wednesday, April 15 unless otherwise noted.

Also, we kept this list to large regional and national chains only. Your local restaurants may be offering something for tax day, but if we included every small shop, this list would be way too long.

7-Eleven

Get $10.40 off a $25+ order through the app when you use the promo code WRITEOFF.

Avelo Airlines

Get $26 off all round trip tickets (flying 4/19 to 11/17 — my birthday) when you enter the promo code REFUND.

Buca di Beppo

Look for an email with an offer for BOGO free pasta valid through April 19.

Burger King

Royal Perks members can get a Whopper for $3.99 with the offer in the app.

Also, get 100 bonus points when you order two desserts at once, valid through April 19.

California Tortilla

Get a free small chips and queso with any online or app purchase when you enter the promo code GOVCHEESE. If you order in store, just say “Government cheese” when you order.

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop

Get a free combo upgrade (chips and a fountain drink) with any sub purchase.

Checkers/Rally’s

Get a Big Buford for only $3 from April 15 to 17.

Church’s Texas Chicken

Real Rewards members can get an 8‑piece leg and thigh order for $4.99.

Corner Bakery Cafe

Get 15% off catering orders from April 10 to 15.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

Get $10 off a purchase of $50+ with the code WRITEOFF. This is valid April 14 and 15.

Dunkin’

Dunkin’ Rewards members can get 3X points on an order of beverages (that’s how it’s worded in the offer in the app and it sounds so weird to me).

Fazoli’s

Get a free baked spaghetti with the purchase of one.

Firehouse Subs

Get 12,000 bonus points when you order a Chicken ‘n’ Cheddar Rancher sub through April 19.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

Rewards members can earn 250 bonus points on all purchases.

Maple Street Biscuit Company

Get 3 free bonuts with any purchase when you mention the offer.

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Bundtastic Rewards members can get 50 bonus points with any cake purchase.

Paris Baguette

PB Rewards members can get a free pastry with the purchase of any beverage.

Petco

Bring your dog in for a free treat from the treat bar.

Pizza Hut

Get a large, 3-topping hand tossed pizza for $10.

QDOBA

Head over to www.taxdayguacrelief.com by the end of the day, if you’re a QDOBA rewards members, and get a coupon for $5 off a full-sized entree, valid through April 20 to 26.

Round Table Pizza

Get 15% off all orders from April 15 to 19 when you use the promo code RTP978 at checkout.

Shake Shack

Get a free Pimento Cheese Burger or Chicken Sandwich when you buy one with the code PIMENTO from April 9 to 12.

Shipley Donuts

Loyalty members can get a half-dozen of our glazed doughnuts for just $4.15 from April 10 to 15.

Smoothie King

Healthy Rewards members can get $3 off a purchase.

Sonny’s BBQ

Get St. Louis Rib Dinners for $10.99.

Subway

Sub Club members can get BOGO footlong subs with the code FLBOGO.

The Cheesecake Factory

Rewards members can get a free slice of cheesecake with the coupon in the app, valid through April 30.

Uber

Book an in person tax appointment with Turbo Tax and get a $25 Uber credit to take you there via this link.

Wendy’s

Get a free 6-piece nugget with a $5+ app purchase. The coupon is in the app and valid until April 25.

Ziggy’s Coffee

Buy a coffee on Tax Day, then receive a $2 bounce back coupon to use between April 16 and 22.

Save On Filing Your Taxes

Tax Day is the deadline to file your taxes. If you haven’t done that yet, you have until 11:59 pm on April 15.

If you still need to file, you don’t have to pay a premium for it. You can actually save on Tax Software with Groupon.

Personally, we use H&R Block for our taxes, but we go into the tax office because that’s easier for me and the guy who does our taxes is fantastic.

There are a few other tax deals on Groupon, so if you’d rather use a person to help you file, you can find that as well.

We always serve crab imperial with asparagus almondine. That’s a French style of asparagus that you often find at high-end restaurants.

It takes less than 10 minutes to make, which means you can keep almost all of your focus on the crab.

Crab Imperial Recipe

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

Crab Imperial Ingredients:

You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Mayonnaise – The mayonnaise is the base of the imperial sauce that coats the crab. Any mayo works, but Japanese mayo would add a nice sweetness to mimic the sweetness in the crab.
• Egg – The egg acts as a binder so the crab stays together.
• Worcestershire sauce – This adds a depth of flavor and cuts through the mayo.
• Seasoning – Old Bay seasoning is used in traditional Maryland-style seafood dishes. It adds a spicy and very familiar seasoning. You also want to use salt to bring out all of the flavors and dried parsley to add an Earthy balance. Fresh parsley adds too much moisture and, depending on who you ask, isn’t traditionally used but dried is.
• Lemon – The acid from fresh lemon juice brings out a brightness in the dressing.
• Crab meat – Traditionally, jumbo lump crab is used to make crab imperial. But, crab special works as well and is a third of the price of jumbo lump crab meat.

How To Make Crab Imperial:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Put the mayonnaise, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning into a large bowl.

I use a metal bowl because it keeps the crab cooler, which reduces the chance of it falling apart.

Squeeze in the lemon.

I say this every time we talk about citrus, but here’s Pete’s hack: Microwave the lemon on high for 15 seconds. Take it out of the microwave and roll it, very hard, on the kitchen counter. This will break up the pulp and get more lemon juice than if you tried to squeeze a cold lemon.

Stir until everything is combined.

Add in the refrigerated crab meat.

Use a fork to slightly break apart the crab.

When you pour the crab from the container into the bowl, it’ll hold together in the shape of the container. So that’s why you want to break it apart.

However, crab is really delicate and crab special is already pretty flaky, so you want to be careful when you’re separating it.

You want to take it out of the container shape, but you don’t actually wanna pull apart any of the crab.

Gently folk the crab in until it is completely coated in the mayonnaise dressing.

You want to do this gently because, again, you don’t wanna break up the crab. Plus, overmixing can result in mushy crab.

Put the bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill and allow the flavors to come together.

After 20 minutes, take the bowl out of the fridge.

Separate the crab mixture into quarters and add each quarter into its own ramekin or small baking dish.

Any oven-safe small bowl works, but we love using cuter ones for a fancier-feeling presentation. I use 8 oz. Le Creuset cocottes.

Spread it just a little bit so it’s flat on top.

Sprinkle some Old Bay seasoning on top for color.

Some recipes will add breadcrumbs on top along with the seasoning to add texture. You can do that if you want.

I don’t because I think any additional ingredients take away from the crab. The beauty of this recipe really is that every bite tastes like crab without any fillers. And I think, if you spent that much money on crab meat, it should be the only thing you taste.

But, a thin layer of breadcrumbs on top would also be delicious.

Bake for 25 minutes until the crab is cooked through and the mayonnaise-based dressing is not bubbly.

Turn the oven to broil and broil for two minutes to add a nice golden brown crust on top.

Quick note: Crab should be cooked to 140 F.

Let it sit for a minute before serving.

We serve it with asparagus almondine and risotto, but you can add whatever sides you want. You could also serve it as a hot crab dip with saltine crackers too.

Crab imperial: Frequently Asked Questions

Saving on food is just one way to stretch your budget.

For more ways to do so, check out our How To Travel On A Budget post, filled with tons of money-saving tips for your next vacation.

How To Save Money On Food When You’re On Vacation

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

Easy Ways To Save Money On Food While Traveling

Before you even think about what you’re going to eat, it’s good to think about ways to stretch your budget.

A little preplanning, like downloading mobile apps and setting a budget, can really help.

Set A Daily Food Budget

Having a budget on vacation doesn’t sound that fun. But, it can be really helpful because it is really easy to overspend, especially on food, without realizing it.

So, set a daily budget before you leave. Then, when you’re away and deciding what to eat, keep it within that pre-determined number.

If you want a more expensive meal, maybe order water instead of alcohol to go with it. Then, have a nightcap back at your hotel room.

Or, if you eat a cheaper meal, you can stop at that doughnut shop on the way back home.

Frugal tip: If you are setting a daily budget, allow yourself to carry any leftover money into the next day so you can save one day to splurge the next. But, don’t borrow from the future for today’s meals.

Use Rewards Programs And Mobile Apps For Discounts

Almost every fast food restaurant has a mobile app now. And so many of them offer discounts in those apps.

Now, a lot of travelers will tell you not to visit chains when you’re on vacation because you can have that food at home. And that’s true. You can.

But, if you’re looking for something quick to eat when you’re driving to your destination or if you want to grab a coffee on the way back to the hotel, fast food often wins.

So download the apps and see what great deals you can find.

Don’t stop with a restaurant’s app, though. Upside, popular for its cash back on gas, also has restaurant deals. Open the app when you’re on your trip and you’ll see local restaurants in the area. Click “claim offer” and you’ll get a percentage back in your Upside account.

Frugal tip: Some chains offer a discount if you join their loyalty program. I signed up for Parlor Doughnuts’ when we were in Nashville and got $5 as a welcome. We used that to get a doughnut and coffee for just $2.

Pay With Cash

Some restaurants will charge you a fee for the convenience of paying with a credit card, but won’t charge you that fee if you pay with cash.

The price on the menu is the price, but you’ll see a fee added onto your bill if you pay with a credit, debit, or gift card (like a VISA gift card, not a restaurant’s gift card). So, to save the fee, pay with cash.

Now, I don’t think it’s a good idea to carry large amounts of cash on you when you’re on vacation, but paying with cash to save is an option if you really need to stretch your budget.

Frugal tip: Before your pay, ask your server if there’s an upcharge for using a credit card. If there’s not, pay with your card to get credit card points. If there is, pay with cash.

Simple Tips To Eat Cheap on Vacation

When you’re on your trip, you want to focus on where you’re getting your food (snacks from home, premade grocery store meals, etc.) to stretch your budget.

Bring Your Own Meals for Travel Days

Traveling is never a surprise, so you’re able to prepare for it. And one of the ways I do that is by making meals for our travel day.

I always pack sandwiches if we’re going on a road trip, so we can eat them in the car when we’re hungry rather than having to find somewhere to stop.

I do the same thing when we fly, too, so we can have lunch or dinner at the gate while we’re waiting to board rather than ordering something expensive at an airport restaurant.

Pack Your Own Snacks

On our last trip to Japan, Pete and I decided we would just eat and drink everything we wanted and not worry about the cost.

But, I still packed snacks for when we were out sightseeing and weren’t able to stop and grab something to eat.

When we go on weekend road trips, I love packing large bags of chips or popcorn that we can snack on when we’re sitting in the hotel room.

And when we fly, I always pack a couple snacks (granola bars, nuts, fruit, etc.) for the plane so we don’t have to overpay at the airport convenience stores or from the in-flight menu.

Bring Your Own Drinks

A great savings tip is to pack your own drinks. That way, you don’t have to buy drinks at the hotel’s bar or vending machine, where they’re probably more expensive.

This can be any type of drinks, too.

When we go to Las Vegas, we always stop at a drugstore on the strip and pick up bottled cold coffee. Then, in the morning, we drink that — which is a lot cheaper than heading to the Starbucks in the casino.

Of course, you can stop at bars, breweries, or coffee shops on your trip. And you should. But, stick to your own drinks when you’re unwinding in the hotel room.

Pack A Cooler With Food

When I was growing up, our annual family vacations were camping every summer. We went with a large group and all the families would pack coolers with meats to grill, drinks, stuff for breakfasts, etc.

It was so much easier than spending part of vacation putting together a shopping list, finding a grocery store, and going shopping. Plus, you could buy what you needed on sale at your supermarket instead of paying full price when you got on vacation.

If you’re staying in a hotel, not a campground, you can still pack a cooler. You can bring sandwiches and fruit from home so you don’t have to buy lunch.

Most hotels will have an in-room refrigerator, so you can unpack your cooler when you check in. If not, you can keep everything in your cooler and use the hotel’s ice maker to fill it up with ice to keep your food cold.

Make Simple Meals In Your Hotel Room

Some hotels (especially extended stay hotels) have a full kitchen with pots and pans, a stove top, and a dishwasher. If you book one, you can bring your own ingredients and cook at the hotel. That way, you’re only spending money on ingredients, not full meals.

Even better, if you followed our tip to pack a cooler with food, you don’t even have to grocery shop on your trip.

You can do this if you book an Airbnb too. Some Airbnb rentals have ingredients for you to use, like spices, which means you don’t have to buy or bring them.

Don’t limit it to just making big meals in your room. My mom and I stayed at an Airbnb once, bought peaches from a local farm, and made Peach Hand Pies for dessert one night instead of having dessert out in town.

Frugal tip: A room with a kitchenette is just one of the amenities we look for when we’re comparing hotels. Our hotel amenities save you money when traveling post is filled with everything we look for to stretch our travel budget.

Have Breakfast At The Hotel

I’m a big fan of booking a hotel with a complimentary breakfast. That way, you can have a meal without an extra cost when you’re on your trip.

When you’re booking, look under the hotel’s amenities for the mention of breakfast. Some will offer a hot breakfast, some a continental breakfast, and some won’t offer one at all.

When we booked our hotel in San Antonio, I paid an extra $4.50 a day for us to have breakfast at the hotel. That got us a full, sit down breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant — complete with the best coffee we’ve had in a hotel.

If you eat enough or eat late enough, you might be able to skip lunch, which means that’s another meal you don’t have to pay for.

Frugal tip: Don’t forget about your coffee. Having it at breakfast, or just grabbing a free cup in the hotel’s lobby, saves you from spending a ton at a coffeeshop. Plus, we have a great way to make a mocha in a hotel.

Use The Hotel’s Barbecue Grills

During our wedding, we blocked off rooms at a hotel with a barbecue grill in its outdoor area. Use of the grill was available on a first come, first serve basis. But luckily, we were the first (and only) group there on the Thursday before our wedding.

So, as our guests were arriving at the hotel, they would join us outside for hamburgers, hot dogs, and drinks. My dad manned the grill, and it was a great way to say hi and hang out. Plus, it saved people from having to go out to dinner after traveling all day, which saved them all money.

We stayed at a hotel in Japan with a grill, which was great because we were traveling with over 30 people and it was easier to have everyone find a seat in the hotel’s barbecue area than in a restaurant. And it was cheaper for us all to eat that way too.

Shop At Local Grocery Stores For Cheap Meals

There were a few times when we stayed at hotels that shared a parking lot with grocery stores, and those really saved us.

Some nights, we were hungry but too tired to go out for a full meal. So, I took a quick walk over to the grocery store for fried chicken and a packaged salad. I brought that back to our hotel and we had a cheap meal in our pajamas.

The grocery store is definitely cheaper than a restaurant, so if you can replace one daily meal with something from the grocery store, you’ll easily stretch your budget with little effort.

How To Save Money At Restaurants On Vacation

You don’t have to avoid restaurants when you’re on vacation. In fact, we suggest the opposite. Check out as many as you can. Go to all the tourist trap restaurants. But, go in with a little bit of a strategy.

Eat Lunch Out Instead Of Dinner

Dinner is usually more expensive than lunch because the portions are bigger, so restaurants charge more. So, if you have your heart set on a restaurant, go for lunch instead of dinner. That way, you’ll be able to experience it for less money.

Lunch is usually a shorter meal, too. So, that means less lingering, which means less money spent on extra drinks while you’re sitting and talking.

Restaurants are usually slower in the afternoon too, so many offer happy hour deals with cheaper appetizers to lure in customers. So, you might be able to get a few apps for the same price that you’d pay for a full meal.

Share Meals

When Pete and I were in Nashville, I really wanted to try hot chicken. So, we did. And each time, we split a chicken sandwich and a side.

Honestly, that was more than enough food to fill us for lunch.

So, if you don’t want a huge lunch, or you notice the restaurant serves large portions, split a meal.

That way, you’re only paying for one meal for two people and can use that savings to buy a fun treat later.

Purchase Discount Restaurant Certificates

When you’re visiting a new town, you can get restaurant recommendations from the front desk or a local friend.

Then, head over to restaurant.com and see if there are any discount certificates for that restaurant. The site is such an easy way to save a significant amount on your bill.

Locally, we have a site called the Save30Store that sells 30% off vouchers for many local businesses, including restaurants, that you can use towards your bill. It’s one of the best ways to save on your meal.

Many other metro cities have similar local sites, so a quick Google search before your trip can help you save.

Limit Restaurant Meals To One Per Day

When you’re on vacation, you feel like every meal needs to be out at a restaurant. But that can really get expensive. So, limit yourself to one each day. Sit down, figure out where you want to go, then decide when you want to go there.

You don’t have to skip meals in this scenario, but you do have to do a little planning.

Eat breakfast at the hotel, then have lunch out, and maybe eat leftovers at the hotel for dinner. Or, grab a quick to go lunch at the grocery store and have dinner out.

We love making these for Sunday Funday or whenever we have friends over to watch the game. But, they’re not the only thing we serve. And you’re probably the same way.

If you’re looking for more finger foods to go with this, we have a great list of Game Day Bites, filled with tons of ideas.

Bacon-Wrapped Crackers With Brown Sugar Recipe

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

Bacon-Wrapped Crackers With Brown Sugar Ingredients:

You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Bacon – We use low-sodium bacon because bacon is salty enough. We do not recommend thick cut bacon because it will not get crispy before the crackers start to burn.
• Club crackers – Club crackers are rectangular butter crackers. You don’t have to use that brand, but the only similar generics we’ve found are Great Value from Walmart or Savoritz from ALDI. Other brands sell butter crackers, but they’re usually shaped differently and it’s not as easy to wrap the bacon around them.
• Brown sugar – We prefer light brown sugar because it’s a lighter taste, but dark brown sugar works if that’s all you have.

How To Make Bacon-Wrapped Crackers With Brown Sugar:

Preheat the oven to 250 F.

Put a wire rack on top of an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.

Quick note: I don’t have a problem with these sticking to the wire rack, but if you’re worried, you can use a little cooking spray on the rack first.

Cooking these on a wire rack means that all of the bacon grease will fall through the grates and your crackers won’t be sitting in soggy grease.

When the fat renders out of the bacon, it gets absorbed into the cracker and gives it that crunch you’re looking for. But, too much of that will make the crackers soggy.

Using foil is optional, but it will catch the grease instead of it pooling on the tray, making for really easy clean up.

Cut the strips of bacon into thirds.

Wrap one piece of the bacon around the center of a cracker, running across the shorter side.

It may overlap a little. That’s good. That will help the bacon stay around the cracker while it bakes.

Place the cracker, cut-edge down, on the wire rack.

Continue until all of the crackers are done.

Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the bacon-wrapped cracker.

It should be about a half teaspoon per cracker.

You want to be generous with the sugar. It caramelizes and adds such a great sweetness to the appetizer. If you don’t add enough, you’ll get some really good bites and some mediocre bites.

Bake for 1.5 hours until the crackers are golden brown and the piece of bacon is cooked through and crispy.

Let these cool completely before serving. That will give the crackers a chance to harden up again and they’ll have a nice crunchy to them. If you eat them while they’re warm, the cracker will be soft and crumbly, making a big mess.

Bacon-Wrapped Crackers With Brown Sugar: Frequently Asked Questions

More Bacon-Wrapped Recipes:

Wrapping food in bacon is a great idea. If you’re looking for some more bacon-wrapped ideas, check out our Bacon-Wrapped Cocktail Wieners, which is a very similar appetizer, and Bacon-Wrapped Egg Cups, which is a fun breakfast idea.

Asparagus: Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Asparagus Pair Well With?

Asparagus is an easy way to make any protein feel special. Some of our favorite dinners to serve with asparagus are:

• Grilled chicken (like Chicken Oscar with lump crab meat and Hollandaise sauce)
• Fish, steak, or pork chops
• Pasta (like Linguine with Clam Sauce)
• Fun weeknight dinners (like Pork Rind-Crusted Chicken Fingers)
• Summer grilling meals (like Grilled Shrimp Kabobs)
• And budget-friendly recipes (like Tuna Cakes)

No matter what you’re making, there’s an asparagus side dish to go with it.

Azalea Festival 2026 Dates & Details

• Dates: April 8 to 12, 2026.
• Location: The majority of the festival will be held in downtown historic Wilmington with the concerts being held at the Live Oak Bank Pavilion. There are a few other events at other venues throughout Wilmington.
• Cost: Most of the festival events during the weekend, like the parade, street festival, and Tunes & Blooms concert are free to attend. The main stage concerts — Lil Jon and Dustin Lynch are playing on the Azalea Festival Main Stage at Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park — require tickets.

Parking + Road Closures

Where To Park

There are a few public lots in downtown Wilmington (including the Convention Center at 10 Convention Center Drive and Skyline Center parking deck at 155 Brunswick St) and they’ll be a $10 flat rate for the festival.

The city, which runs the lots, said the 2nd Street lot will be closed for festival use, but didn’t specify if it’s the lot off Princess Street or off Grace Street.

Be really careful that you’re parking in the public lots if you want that rate. There are a ton of private lots downtown and those are really expensive.

Street parking is free all weekend, beginning at 6:30 pm on Friday. Street parking is always free higher than 3rd Street (unless marked as permit parking).

Road Closures

The Azalea Festival’s street fair is on Front Street between Orange Street and Red Cross Street with the Children’s Area and Performing Arts Stage in the parking lot on 2nd Street between Market Street and Dock Street.

Because of it, there will be the following road closures from 7 am on Friday to 6 pm on Sunday:

• Front Street from Orange Street to Red Cross Street
• Market Street from N. Water Street to N. 2nd Street
• Dock Street from N. Water Street to N. 2nd Street
• N. 2nd Street between Market Street and Dock Street

The Azalea Festival parade is Saturday from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. It runs along Third Street from Market Street to Brunswick Street. Because of it, every street along that path from 2nd Street to 5th Street will be closed at that time. So if you’re planning on driving downtown for it, you want to come early or make sure you park on 6th Street or higher.

Best Reasons To Attend The North Carolina Azalea Festival

The Azalea Festival’s schedule is long (you’ll see that later) and it’s really hard to get to everything. So, to make it easier, we’re listing out favorite reasons to visit the festival here.

Eat The Street Food

My favorite reason for going to the Azalea Fest is to get a corn dog. I tend to limit my corn dog consumption to street fairs in Wilmington and rest stops on long road trips.

That’s not the only food available, though.

Each year, there are food vendors selling ribbon fries, gyros, sausage and pepper sandwiches, snow cones, deep fried cookies and candy bars, soda, ice cream, and more. It’s all your favorite street fair food.

Shop The Street Fair

A ton of food and vendor tents make up the street fair. There are some salesy vendors — like the local newspapers and banks — but there are also artists. It’s amazing to see the creations they can make. I’m crafty, but these people are on another level.

Every year, I end up walking away with something special and unique. A few years ago, it was a hand painted sign for my aunt’s beach house. A few years after that it was a watercolor print for our bathroom.

Check Out The Bands

This year, there are two concerts on the main stage: Lil Jon and Dustin Lynch. Those are ticketed concerts, which will be held at the Live Oak Bank Pavilion.

We had pit tickets for the T-Pain and the Chase Rice concerts a couple years ago, and those were amazing. I’ll be honest, though. That venue is really bad when you sit on the lawn. So, if you’re going to go, the more expensive tickets are better.

But you don’t need to shell out money for a big ticket to enjoy some tunes.

The Tunes & Blooms Music Festival on Sunday at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater and is free to the public and filled with 10 hours of music from local bands.

Watch The Azalea Festival Parade

The Azalea Festival Parade gets crowded. We went a few years ago for the first time, and parking was crazy. But the parade is so good, and you get to see the festival Queen at the end, so it’s worth it.

If you don’t want to go, you can actually stream the parade live town website, so that’s much easier. You’ll just miss out on the opportunity to catch candy thrown from cars and floats (which you’ll miss out on anyway, honestly, if you’re an adult).

Play In The Children’s Area

If you’re bringing the kids, they can’t run through the festival unattended. There are so many people, it’s just not safe for them.

When they’re ready to run, find the Street Fair Children’s Area. There are bounce houses, arts and crafts, touch-a-truck with the Wilmington Fire Department, mini golf, and more.

Marvel At The Fireworks Show

On Saturday night, there will be fireworks shot over the Cape Fear River. You can get a great view of them for free anywhere on Water Street, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

If you want to get a better seat, you can buy tickets to watch from the Battleship as part of the Battleship Boom & Bloom. Ticketholders have access to sit at the Battleship and watch the show from there.

See The Belles

This is an honorable mention.

In the past, when you took the Garden Tour, you were greeted at each garden by the Azalea Belles. The belles were dressed in antebellum attire (those beautiful huge dresses that you associate with Southern Belles). To see the Belles in real life at the gardens, or standing at the gardens, it’s so special.

A few years ago, the Cape Fear Garden Club decided to end the Azalea Belles program, much to the dismay of a lot of the residents of Wilmington. There are some details about that here.

Full North Carolina Azalea Festival 2026 Schedule

This schedule is in alphabetical order, by day. So, just scroll down to the day that you’ll be at the Azalea Festival and you’ll see what events are happening that day.

Saturday, Janury 31

Chefs’ Showcase: A 5-course meal with wine pairings and light entertainment will be held at Hotel Ballast at 1 pm.

Thursday, April 9

Juried Art Show: The Wilmington Art Association’s juried art show will be held at the Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center.

Lil Jon: The recording artist’s concert begins at 7 pm at Live Oak Bank Pavilion. The Ying Yang Twins are opening. This is a ticketed event.

Friday, April 10

Airlie Luncheon Garden Party: Celebrity Reception: A private event for festival sponsors, the Azalea Queen, and others at Airlie Gardens. The event starts at 11 am.

After Garden Get Down: The official after-party of the Airlie Luncheon Garden Party. This event is held at Bluewater Grill starting at 2 pm and is open to the public.

Azalea Festival Garden Tour: A self-guided tour of home gardens. Tickets are required and are $50. Self =-guided tours are allowed between 10 am to 5 pm.

Dustin Lynch: The concert begins at 7 pm at Live Oak Bank Pavilion. Noah Rinker is opening. Fun fact: We saw Dustin Lynch play the Grand Ole Opry last year and he was amazing.

Juried Art Show: The Wilmington Art Association’s juried art show will be held at the Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center.

Queen’s Dance Party: A ticketed event held at the Embassy Suites Hotel at 6 pm.

Street Fair: A street fair with over 250 vendors will be set up in on Front and Water Streets in downtown Wilmington. Hours: 6 pm to 10 pm (food vendors).

The Wizard of Oz: The play will be performed at Thalian Hall in conjunction with the Azalea Festival. This is a ticketed event taking place at 7:30 pm.

Saturday, April 11

America250: One Day Wonder: The one-day exhibition featuring North Carolina’s constitutional history will be presented at the Cape Fear Museum from 11 am to 4 pm. Admission is free.

Azalea Aviation Static Military Displays: Displays will be set up at the Wilmington International Airport from noon to 5 pm. Food trucks will also be on site.

Azalea Festival Garden Tour: A self-guided tour of home gardens. Tickets are required and are $50. Self-guided tours are allowed between 10 am to 5 pm.

Azalea Festival Home Tour: A self-guided tour of various homes. Tickets are required. Self-guided tours are permitted from 12 pm to 5 pm.

Azalea Festival Parade: The parade will begin at 9:30 am. It runs on Third Street, starting between Dock and Market Streets and ending on Bladen Street.

Battleship Boom & Bloom Bonanza: You can watch the fireworks from the USS Battleship North Carolina. Tickets are required and do include a pink folding chair that you can keep, popcorn, a self-guided deck tour, and more. This starts at 7:30 pm.

Boxing Tournament: The boxing tournament is free for spectators and starts at 2 pm.

Coin Show: There will be a coin show at the Elks Lodge from 10 am to 5 pm.

Fireworks: Fireworks will be shot off over the Cape Fear River at 9 pm.

Juried Art Show: The Wilmington Art Association’s juried art show will be held at the Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center.

Patron’s Party Gala: The party for the festival’s sponsors will be held at the Cape Fear Country Club at 7 pm.

Street Fair: A street fair with over 250 vendors will be set up in on Front and Water Streets in downtown Wilmington. Hours: 10 am to 10 pm (food vendors).

Street Fair Performing Arts Stage: A stage will be set up near the street fair. It will host performances from different musical and performance groups from noon to 5 pm.

Street Fair Royalty Performances: The Azalea queen and royal court will be performing their talents on stage at 1 pm. This should take about an hour.

The Wizard of Oz: The play will be performed at Thalian Hall in conjunction with the Azalea Festival. This is a ticketed event taking place at 2 pm and 7:30 pm.

Sunday, April 12

Azalea Aviation Static Military Displays: Displays will be set up at the Wilmington International Airport from 10 am to 3 pm. Food trucks will also be on site.

Azalea Festival Garden Tour: A self-guided tour of home gardens. Tickets are required and are $50. Self-guided tours are allowed between 10 am to 5 pm.

Azalea Festival Home Tour: A self-guided tour of various homes. Tickets are required. Self-guided tours are permitted from 12 pm to 5 pm.

Boxing Tournament: The boxing tournament is free for spectators and starts at 2 pm.

Cape Fear Corvette Club Car Show: The show will take place at 9 am at Jeff Gordon Chevrolet.

Coin Show: There will be a coin show at the Elks Lodge from 10 am to 5 pm.

Juried Art Show: The Wilmington Art Association’s juried art show will be held at the Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center.

Street Fair: A street fair with over 250 vendors will be set up in on Front and Water Streets in downtown Wilmington. Hours: 10 am to 5 pm.

The Wizard of Oz: The play will be performed at Thalian Hall in conjunction with the Azalea Festival. This is a ticketed event taking place at 2 pm.

Tunes & Blooms Music Festival: A free music festival from noon to 10 pm at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater. Food and drink will be available for purchase.

Visitor’s Tips

Transportation

Wilmington doesn’t offer a lot of public transportation options, like you get in large cities. So, your best bet is to drive yourself to the festival. Just leave early because parking fills up quickly.

You can take a rideshare service, but know that those are limited and you’ll have to pay surge pricing because of the festival.

Weather Tips / What To Wear

The weather in Wilmington in April is really unpredictable. It goes from lows in the 40s in the mornings to highs of 80 in the day. So, you’ll want to dress in layers and bring a light jacket.

The Azalea Festival gets really crowded, so we suggest you wear closed toe shoes in case people drop things or step on your feet accidentally. Good sneakers are recommended because the festival is a lot of walking.

And, since you’ll be outside, make sure to put on sunscreen. No-see-ums are a problem in Wilmington, and the only thing we’ve found to work is Buggins spray, so you’ll want to use that too.

The festival and concerts are rain or shine. The concerts have been delayed for weather before and may start really late, so keep that in mind if you have tickets.

What To Bring

If you’re going to the parade, you’ll want to bring a chair to set up on the sidewalk. There is some bleacher seating, but you need to reserve that for a fee ahead of time.

You’ll want to bring cash, as some vendors charge a 3% fee for credit card purchases. We have seen portable ATM machines downtown for the festival, but those will charge fees. Some vendors may only accept cards, though, so bring your whole wallet.

Nearby Restaurants

If you don’t want to eat greasy fair food, there are a ton of local restaurants around the festival. Fun fact: Chains aren’t allowed on the first few streets in Wilmington, so downtown is filled with mom and pop shops.

We have a huge list of Wilmington restaurants and another with Wilmington breweries to help decide where to eat and drink.

This isn’t our only asparagus recipe on Drugstore Divas. So if you bought too much, and you’re looking for ways to use it, check out our list of easy asparagus recipes.

It’s filled with ideas for side dishes, sauces, and dinners using asparagus.

Asparagus Almondine Recipe

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

Asparagus Almondine Ingredients:

You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Asparagus – You need fresh asparagus for this recipe.
• Unsalted butter – Using unsalted butter means you can control the amount of salt. Since you’re also adding Parmesan cheese and salted almonds, which are salty, it doesn’t need any additional salt.
• Almonds – Roasted and salted almonds add texture and salt.
• Parmesan cheese – The cheap, canned grated cheese works best because it doesn’t clump like freshly graded Parmesan, which has more moisture, does.
• Lemon – Juice from a fresh lemon adds a little acid and adds an extra depth of flavor.

How To Make Asparagus Almondine:

Wash your asparagus and break the tips off at the natural break.

If you’ve never made asparagus before, know that you need to break off the pale-colored bottoms of the asparagus, known as the woody ends. If you look at an asparagus spear, the bottom third will be discarded because it’s too tough to eat.

When you start to bend the asparagus around that spot, you’ll feel it naturally flex. You want to snap it there and discord the bottom portion.

Pat dry the asparagus.

You’re going to be adding it to melted butter and any water droplets can cause the butter to pop and potentially hurt you.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

When the butter is completely melted and the skillet is coated, add the cleaned asparagus.

Sauté the asparagus, rotating it frequently so that the entire spear is coated in melted butter, for seven minutes until it starts to soften.

While that’s cooking, chop the almonds into very small pieces.

Add the chopped almonds into the pan with the asparagus.

You don’t need to save any of the chopped almonds for garnish. While this cooks, the almond and Parmesan cheese sticks to the asparagus, eliminating the need for a garnish.

Add in the grated Parmesan cheese.

Toss the asparagus in the chopped almonds and cheese.

You want to do this quickly so the cheese doesn’t burn and get stuck to the bottom of the pan. But, if it does, it will easily come off the pan because of the butter.

Cook everything together for about a minute until the Parmesan cheese is golden brown and toasted.

You don’t want to cook this for too long because the chopped almonds will get soggy. You want them to stay hard, but toast slightly, to add texture and a nutty flavor to the asparagus.

Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze in juice from half a lemon.

Quick note: I give Pete’s hack any time you’re juicing citrus. Microwave the lemon in the microwave for 15 seconds. Take it out and roll it, really hard, on the counter. This will break up the pulp and will give you more lemon juice than if you try to juice cold citrus.

Toss everything before serving.

Asparagus Almondine: Frequently Asked Questions

What To Serve With Asparagus Almondine:

Even though asparagus almondine is a really simple recipe, it tastes fancy so I always make it when I’m cooking a holiday or date night at home dinner.

I serve it with crab imperial, which is basically a ramekin of crab meat in a mayo based dressing. It’s also great with steak or salmon.

If I serve it with crab, I also make risotto. And if I serve it with another protein, I make mashed potatoes.

This isn’t the only sweet treat we have for Easter. For more, check out our list of fun Easter dessert ideas.

There are ideas for mini cakes, homemade peanut butter, eggs, and more.

Chocolate Covered Brownie Eggs Recipe

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

Chocolate Covered Brownie Eggs Ingredients:

You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Boxed brownie mix – We use a boxed mix for this because it’s easier. You can buy whatever brand you prefer. If you have a homemade brownie recipe you love, you can use that too.
• Oil – Most boxed brownie mix needs oil, but check your package for the exact amount.
• Water – Most boxed brownie mix needs water, but check your package for the exact amount.
• Eggs – Most boxed brownie mix needs eggs, but check your package for the exact amount.
• Vanilla almond bark – Vanilla almond bark is the best choice when you’re coating anything. If it cools, you can always reheat it. You can’t do that with white chocolate chips. And it tastes a lot better than candy melts, which taste like wax.
• Oil-based food coloring – Oil-based food coloring will dye the vanilla almond bark. Water-based food coloring will cause it to seize. So, if you do want to dye these different colors to look like Easter eggs, make sure you’re using an oil-based food dye.

How To Make Chocolate Covered Brownie Eggs:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F (or whatever temperature is suggested on the back of your brownie mix).

Start by making your brownie batter.

Add all of the ingredients from the package directions in a large bowl.

Stir until everything is combined.

Set the egg-shaped silicone baking molds onto a baking sheet.

Silicone baking molds are very flexible and if you try to move them from the counter to the oven when they’re filled, there’s a good chance they’ll flop around and the batter will spill out of the cavities.

So, if you put them on a cookie sheet first, then fill them, you can just pick up the sheet and put it in the oven without worrying about the batter spilling.

Small aside: We use these egg-shaped silicone baking molds. They make this recipe so much easier because you don’t have to shape the brownies into eggs. This mold does it for you. Plus, it has indents that look like decorations, which means you don’t need to buy anything extra to decorate these.

Use a cookie scoop to fill the cavities of the egg shaped silicone mold about three-quarters of the way full.

You don’t have to use a cookie scoop, but if you do, it assures you are putting an even amount of batter in each mold, so the brownies will bake evenly, and all of the brownie eggs will be the same size when they’re done.

You should be able to make 24 brownie eggs from one box of mix.

Bake the brownies for about 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Oven temperatures can vary, so your cooking time may be a little different.

Remove the silicone baking molds from the baking sheet and cool the brownies on a wire rack.

If you’re making these with lots of time to spare, you can let them cool to room temperature by sitting on the kitchen counter. But, if you don’t have that much time, you can cool them in the refrigerator.

The colder these are, the easier they’ll pop out of the silicone mold. If they’re warm, the tops of the eggs will get stuck.

When the brownies are completely cool, remove them from the silicone molds.

Wash and dry the mold completely, making sure that you don’t have any water droplets left behind. Those will cause air bubbles to form in the chocolate coating. They’re fine to eat that way, but they don’t look as pretty.

Melt the almond bark according to the package.

If you’ve never used almond bark before, the easiest way to do it is to cut it into smaller pieces and put it in a microwave safe bowl.

Microwave it on high for one minute, then take it out and stir. Continue microwaving and stirring at 30-second intervals until it’s completely melted.

Pour about a tablespoon of the white almond bark into the egg-shaped silicone mold.

Spread it around with a spoon.

You want to make sure that you’re going up to the top of the silicone mold and that you can’t see through it. If you can see through the chocolate, that means the brownie will be able to poke through and won’t be covered.

I do four of each color, but you can do however many you want.

Take one of the cooled brownies and gently place it back into the silicone mold, on top of the melted chocolate.

You don’t want to push it too far because you don’t want it to go all the way to the bottom. You want to leave some chocolate between it and the mold.

After you’ve done some of them, add a drop of red oil-based food coloring to the white almond bark and stir until it’s pink.

Add some of the pink tinted chocolate to some of the egg-shaped cavities.

Again, I do four of this color.

Add the cooled brownies to the pink-covered molds.

Finally, add a drop of blue food coloring to the pink chocolate and stir until you make purple.

Quick note: If you took your time and the almond bark has started to harden, remember you can put it back in the microwave for 30 seconds to remelt it. That’s the benefit of using almond bark.

Alternatively, you can melt more white almond bark and dye it a different color.

Fill the remaining cavities with the last colored chocolate.

Add the rest of the brownies to those as well.

Let the chocolate harden completely.

Quick note: I let the chocolate cool on the counter. If you put it in the refrigerator when the chocolate is still warm, that can cause it to bloom and that creates crackles in the chocolate.

So definitely cool it at room temperature. Depending on how cold your house is, this should only take about 30 minutes.

When the chocolate is completely hardened, pop the brownies out of the mold and set them out for your guests.

Chocolate Covered Brownie Eggs: Frequently Asked Questions

More Ways To Use An Egg-Shaped Silicone Mold:

I have a ton of reusable holiday silicone molds (and two that are owl shaped). And I’m still always tempted to buy new ones.

Buying and storing a ton of silicone molds that you use for just one recipe isn’t ideal or budget-friendly. But, if you buy the silicone egg molds for this recipe, you can also use them to make our homemade peanut butter eggs and homemade smash eggs, which are great Easter treats to gift.

I’ve used it to make marshmallow eggs as well (although I still have yet to blog that recipe).

We are huge fans of saving money when we’re on road trips. Yes, we’re even frugal on vacation. For more tips, check out our How To Save Money On Snacks For Road Trips post.

How To Save Money On Gas On Your Next Road Trip

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

Gas prices are expensive, so you really want to get the most miles out of each gallon. Smart driving habits, like using cruise control, plus good travel hacks, like not overpacking, really help with that.

Don’t Overpack The Car

When you’re going on vacation, you want to be prepared for everything. So you pack clothes for warm weather and cold weather, way too many pairs of shoes, and lots of bathing suits. And if you have kids, you end up throwing half the toy chest in the trunk, just in case.

But driving with that much in the car isn’t a good idea.

Weighing down your car reduces the miles per gallon that a car can get. And less weight means your car goes farther between gas station stops, so you stop less and spend less.

Frugal tip: When you’re leaving extra items at home, that includes what’s usually in your car too. If you work a job where you always have tools in the trunk, or you’re like Pete and have all your farmer’s market supplies in the car all season long, leave those at home before your road trip.

Use Cruise Control On Highways

If your road trip is taking you on a highway, cruise control will be your best friend. Set it and forget it, as they say.

But actually, cruise control helps immensely with your gas.

Since you’re not accelerating and decelerating to maintain your speed, your car doesn’t have to burn extra fuel accelerating.

So overall, you’re using less gas, which means less gas station stops to plan, and less gas to pay for.

And, a bonus tip: Cruise control just gives you a smoother ride, without sudden acceleration to get back up to speed, which makes for a nicer road trip overall.

Don’t Idle At Fast Food Restaurants

If you’re stopping for food on a road trip and you decide to go through a drive through, don’t. Get out of the car and walk inside.

That’s a good excuse to stretch your legs and go to the bathroom, but it also means you’re turning off your car and saving gas, not wasting gas on the car sitting there idling.

If you don’t have time to order with a cashier or the kiosk, you can always mobile order (as long as you’re not the driver) and walk inside or sit in a curbside pickup spot and have your food brought out to you. Just, remember, when you’re in curbside pickup, turn off your car. Leaving the AC on while you wait defeats the purpose.

Little habits like this seem, well, little, but they add up over time and end up saving you money in the long run.

Take The Scenic Route (Sometimes)

I took a road trip with my parents once where my dad kept taking the scenic route. On the way home, my mom and I were yelling, “Don’t take the scenic route. Just get us home.” But actually, the scenic route can save you money on gas depending on when you take it.

If you’re driving through a tourist area, or somewhere with a lot of traffic, you don’t drive smoothly. There’s so much stop and go. That’s not great for your gas mileage.

So, take the long way — where your car can sit on cruise control and where you can discover some potential hidden gems off the beaten path — for better miles per gallon.

Frugal tip: This is a good hack as long as you’re not driving completely out of the way. Adding too many miles, especially if you’re adding time to your trip, might not be in your best interest.

Consider Early Morning Or Late Evening Driving

When we were young, my family would drive from New York to Florida every Christmas. And my parents always left in the middle of the night.

They said it was so the three of us kids would sleep most of the way down, but it’s also actually really good for gas mileage too.

It’s usually cooler in the early morning or late at night, after the sun goes down, because of the denser air (You can read more about that here).

Also, cooler air means you won’t have to run the AC, which uses gas and forces you to fill up more often.

And, because there are less people on the road then, you have a smoother drive, which is better for gas mileage as well.

How To Plan Gas Stops On A Road Trip To Save Money

Now that we’ve chatted about the best way to drive in order to stretch your miles per gallon, we need to cover stopping for gas. That’s where the real savings is.

Knowing where to stop, which gas stations offer loyalty programs for the best savings, and how to stack rewards programs on top of gas discounts can cut costs even more.

Choose Cheaper Stations With the Upside App

Anytime I’m getting gas, either in general or on a road trip, I use the Upside app. It’s an app that offers you cash back for purchasing gas at specific gas stations.

The cash back amount back varieties per gas station. But, you’re able to see that within the app, so you can choose which gas station you want to go to based on the price after cash back.

The gas station we used to go to doesn’t participate, but the station across the street does. So guess where I go? Yup. I’m loyal to the station across the street now.

Using Upside helps you plan out your gas stops while you’re traveling too. When you open the app, you’ll see a map of participating gas stations. So if you know you’ll need gas in about 50 miles, you can zoom out on the map, choose the station with the highest cash back in that area, and set it in your GPS.

That’s so much easier than reading highway signs and hoping a gas station pops up when you need it.

Find Stations That Accept Your Grocery Store Gas Points

There are some grocery stores that allow you to earn gas points. Here, Harris Teeter is a big one. On Fridays, you earn 4X points, plus there are additional bonus days during the month.

If your grocery store does that, you get the points every time you use your phone number or loyalty card at checkout.

Don’t let those points expire. Head to the pump. For us, we can use Harris Teeter points at BP, Amoco, and Harris Teeter pumps. Even if it’s only enough for a few cents off, it’s still worth it.

And, even better, if you don’t have any points to redeem, just for having a loyalty number, Harris Teeter gives 3 cents off every gallon, every day.

So, when you’re planning to stop for gas, look for the closest gas station that accepts your points.

Frugal tip: Grocery stores are super regional. So, this tip is super helpful if you’re taking a local road trip. If you’re planning on driving hours, you’ll want to use your gas points when you’re still close to home because you won’t be able to use them when you get outside the grocery chain’s region.

Stop At Highway Chains With Loyalty Programs

There are a lot of gas station chains that you mostly see on highways. Those appeal to long-distance drivers (some, like Pilot and Flying J have showers and spaces specifically for truck drivers), so you mostly see them on the interstate.

But, they’re good for casual road trippers too, especially because they have great loyalty programs. If you’re a part of one, make sure to plan your gas station stops around them to maximize your savings.

Circle K

Circle K has two free loyalty programs: Easy Rewards and Inner Circle.

Easy Rewards gives you 10 cents off per gallon when you use your registered credit card, plus an additional 20 cents off per gallon for your first 100 gallons (or the first two months, whichever comes first).

With the Inner Circle Rewards program, you enter your phone number at the pump to save an extra 5¢ per gallon.

Frugal tip: You can sign up and save instantly, so if you happen to see a Circle K when you’re on your trip, you can join and save on that fill up. Then, plan your next stop around other Circle K locations to keep saving.

Pilot / Flying J Stations

Pilot and Flying J gas stations (they’re sister stores) have a myRewards Plus program with a loyalty card that saves you 3 cents per gallon.

If you’re a Good Sam member, you can link that to your myRewards Plus program for even more savings.

Frugal tip: The rewards program has coupons and bonus offers, like free snacks every month, which you can see in the app. There are loyalty programs, like earning a free coffee when you buy a certain number of them. So definitely check out the offers and see if you can get a freebie while you’re filling up.

Plan For Iconic Road Trip Stops

We’re talking a lot about the best way to save, but, depending on where your road trip lands you, you might be able to save and take in some sights when you check out one of these fun stops.

South Of The Border

If you’ve ever driven I-95 from North Carolina to Florida, you’ve seen the iconic South of the Border billboards, counting down to the giant Mexican-themed tourist destination.

There’s a restaurant, mini golf, souvenir shop, hotel, and, of course, gas. Gas isn’t the best price there, but you can get really cheap fireworks and tchotchkes, so it makes up for the gas prices.

Read more about South of the Border here.

Buc-ee’s

Buc-ee’s is America’s favorite gas station. And, it’s a gas station, not a rest stop. Despite having a full barbecue carving station in the middle, the beaver does not want you to stop.

There’s no overnight parking, no seats to eat your meal, and no WiFi. Get in, go to the cleanest bathroom you’re gonna find on the highway, and get out. And, on the way out, get gas because it’s always a good price.

Read more about Buc-ee’s here.

Stuckey’s Roadside Stores

There’s a good chance that the word “Stuckey’s” means little to you. But if your parent or grandparents took road trips when they were young, there’s a very good chance they stopped at Stuckey’s for gas and pecan log rolls.

The chain is making a comeback, thanks to third-generation owner Stephanie Stuckey. So, if you’re road tripping with your parents, stop for gas and snacks there.

Read more about Stuckey’s Roadside Stores here.

This is just one of the days that chains celebrate with free food and other deals. To make sure you mark your calendar and don’t miss a thing, check out our Top 20+ National Days For Freebies And Deals list.

National Burrito Day: Freebies And Deals

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

All deals are valid on April 2, 2026 only unless otherwise noted.

Quick note: We are limiting this list to national or large, regional fast food chains. Your local restaurants may be doing something to in celebration of National Burrito Day, but this list would get far too long if we included all of them.

Baja Fresh Mexican Grill

Club Baja Rewards members can get a Baja Burrito with Chicken for just $5.

This is valid in store only and is a limit of 1 per customer.

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle had a digital burrito vault game from March 31 to April 2 that Chipotle Rewards members could play for a chance to win BOGO codes, double meat, or burritos for a year.

If you got a code, you can redeem it via the Chipotle app or online today.

Chronic Tacos

Buy one burrito and get a second free when you order through the app.

California Burritos and Surf and Turf Burritos are not participating, FYI.

Del Taco

Del Yeah! rewards members can get a free classic burrito with any $3 purchase. The offer will be in the mobile app and you have to save it before ordering.

El Pollo Loco

Loco Rewards members who Buy a burrito, get an à la carte burrito free.

Freebirds World Burrito

Get Freebirds-Sized Burritos for $5.95 in store. It’s a limit of 1 but if you’re a rewards member, you can get two online when you enter the promo code FREEBIRDS.

Hot Head Burritos

Rewards members can get BOGO burritos when they order through the app or online.

Moe’s Southwest Grill

Buy one burrito or bowl and get a second burrito or bowl for free. This is valid from March 31 to April 2.

You can also enter for a chance to win burritos for a year here.

Pancheros Mexican Grill

Follow the restaurant on social media. It will be posting coupon codes four times during the day. The codes will be valid for a free burrito.

QDOBA

Loyalty members will get a free burrito or bowl with the purchase of an entrée and drink.

Taco John’s

Taco John’s rewards members can get a free bean burrito with any $3 purchase via the app.

Tijuana Flats

Every Thursday, you can get a burrito or bowl, chips and a drink for $8.99. And, coincidentally, National Burrito Day falls on a Thursday this year.

Order Burritos Online:

If you don’t feel like cooking and you forgot to stop by one of these places on your drive home tonight, you can order burritos online with the following delivery services: Goldbelly, Grubhub, or Instacart​.

You may not be able to get the deals when you order use third-party delivery, but you will get burritos, and that’s what matters.

This is just one of the days during the year when you can score fun freebies. To make sure you don’t miss any, check out our list of the Top National Days For Freebies And Deals.

April Fools’ Day: Freebies And Deals

All of these deals are happening on April 1 unless otherwise noted.

Arby’s

Get a box of fries (equivalent to three large fries) for only $5.

Avelo Airlines

Get 50% off flights when you bring a friend with the code FRIEND50. The code is valid on travel from April 21 to June 9, 2026.

Avelo is a budget-friendly airline. You can read more via that link.

Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar

Select beers are $4 from 3 pm to 6 pm (4 pm to 6 pm in South Carolina).

The restaurant is also launching a Ballpark Burger on April 1.

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

You can get the Sweet Heat Pepperoni Pizookie for $4.01 if you dine in. This pizookie will only be available on April 1.

Burger King

Royal Perks members can get a Whopper for just $3.99 with the coupon in the Burger King app.

Checkers/Rally’s

Get a Big Buford for only $3.

This offer is valid April 1 and 2.

Chipotle

From 9 am to 8:59 pm, Chipotle Rewards members can play the Burrito Vault game for a chance to win double protein, BOGO burritos, or free burritos for a year.

Rewards for the first two are redeemable on April 2, National Burrito Day.

Dairy Queens

Rewards members can get a Blizzard Treat for $.99 with the purchase of one at full price.

This is happening through April 28.

Del Taco

Get an Epic Grilled Chicken Fresh Guacamole Burrito for only $5 when you order through the app.

Dunkin’

Dunkin’ Rewards members can get a free coffee when they enter the promo code STILLNOTAJOKE in the Dunkin’ app.

Dutch Bros Coffee

Get a free sticker with every drink purchase, starting at 5 am, while supplies last.

Ordering ahead does not guarantee a sticker.

Family Dollar

App users should have a coupon for $5 off $25, valid today only, to clip in the app.

Family Dollar is also kicking off a 4-day-sale today with tons of in store and online deals.

Hallmark

Hallmark Crown Rewards members can get 20% off Shoebox products to celebrate Shoebox’s 40 year anniversary. The deal is valid on select Shoebox gifts, cards, ornaments, gift wrap, and stationery. That’s valid today only.

Rewards members should also have a coupon for a free Just Because coupon in their accounts today. That’s valid until April 30.

Hardee’s

The first 1,000 rewards members who enter the code NOJOKESHERE will get an offer for a free large iced coffee with $1 purchase in the app. The offer is valid until April 8.

Hooters

Get 10 wings for just $3.99. You can choose either boneless or traditional.

KFC

Rewards members can get 5 wings for $5 when they order through the KFC app.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Rewards members can get a dozen original glazed doughnuts for $4.01 when they purchase any other dozen.

Insomnia Cookies

Buy 12 classic cookies, get 4 free.

Marco’s Pizza

Get a Pepperoni Magnifico Pizza for just $12.99 when you enter the promo code GOTCHA at checkout.

Panda Express

Rewards members get a new reward every Wednesday and April Fools’ Day happens to fall on a Wednesday this year.

Panera Bread

My Panera rewards members can get $5 off any purchase of $10 or more with the coupon in their app (unless they’ve used it previously).

Peet’s Coffee & Tea

Rewards members can get a small drip or cold brew coffee for just $.60.

It just so happens that April 1 coincides with the coffeeshop’s 60th anniversary.

Playa Bowls

Rewards members get double points all day. Plus, you can get the brand new sticker of the month.

QDOBA

Rewards members can get a free medium (4 oz.) Queso & Chips with purchase of an entree.

This is a promotion the restaurant does on every full moon, and there happens to be a full moon of April 1 (because of course there is).

Scooter’s Coffee

Rewards members can get Double Smiles on app orders that contain a Caramelicious drink.

Shipley Do-Nuts

Loyalty members can get four Kolache Dippers and Rowdy Ranch for free with any purchase in shop, while supplies last.

This is valid one time per customer at participating locations.

Slim Chickens

The first 10,000 people who click this link will get a code for a free 2 piece tenders and sauce. It’s valid at the drive through or for dine in, but not at the kiosk. You have to request it today, but you’ll have until April 4 to use it.

Subway

Sub Club members can get BOGO sandwiches with the promo code FLBOGO.

The BOGO offer starts today but is valid through April 28.

The Cheesecake Factory

Rewards members who log in or sign up for a new account will receive a reward for a free slice of cheesecake.

The free rewards is hitting accounts starting today, but it’s valid until April 30.

This isn’t our only sheet pan dinner recipe.

For more, check out our list of easy sheet pan dinners. We have ideas like sheet pan chicken vesuvio (which is similar to this in that it has sausage and potatoes, but also adds bell peppers and chicken), sheet pan chicken fajitas (one of our favorite easy weeknight dinners), and more.

Sheet Pan Sausage And Potatoes With Green Beans Recipe

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

Sheet Pan Sausage And Potatoes With Green Beans Ingredients:

You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Potatoes – Any potatoes work for this. I prefer yellow potatoes because the skin is really thin, but Russet potatoes or even mini potatoes work fine. If you do use Russets, we suggest you peel them first.
• Green beans – Fresh green beans work better than canned green beans because the crisp green beans can hold up to being in the oven for a while. Frozen green beans have too much liquid to work.
• Sausage links – We use Italian sausage because it adds a lot of flavor, but you could use a mild sausage if you prefer.
• Seasoning – We use salt, Italian seasoning, and lemon pepper seasoning. If you have other seasoning combinations that you prefer, you can use those.
• Unsalted butter – There is enough salt in this recipe that you don’t need to add anymore with your butter.

How To Make Sheet Pan Sausage And Potatoes With Green Beans:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Wash the potatoes and peel them if you are using a type with a thick skin. Cut the potatoes into medium size cubes.

You don’t want the pieces too large because you don’t want to end up with raw potato. But you also don’t want them too small. Whatever size you cut them, make sure they’re all uniform so they cook evenly.

Put the cubed potatoes on one side of a silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet.

We use an 11- x 17-inch sheet pan because it’s the largest we have.

I prefer a silicone mat because it’s reusable so it’s better for the environment and for your wallet, but if you don’t have one, you can use parchment paper instead.

Clean the green beans.

Fresh green beans sometimes have some of the stem on them. You want to cut those off so they don’t burn in the oven.

Put the green beans on the opposite side of potatoes on the baking sheet.

Chop the sausage into rounds.

I try to keep mine around 1/2- to 3/4- of an inch. Like the potatoes, make sure you’re cutting them uniform so they cook evenly.

Put the sausage into the center of the pan between the green beans and potatoes.

Quick tip: You want to make sure everything is in a single layer and isn’t overcrowded in the pan. This way, the ingredients roast. If they’re too close together, they’ll steam instead and you won’t get the nice browning you want.

Evenly sprinkle the seasoning on top of the green beans and the potatoes.

Like I said above, we use salt, Italian seasoning, and lemon pepper seasoning.

For more spice, you can add red pepper flakes, cayenne, or paprika. For a more rustic taste, use dried rosemary or a garlic and herb all purpose seasoning.

Side note: We don’t put seasoning on top of the sausage because the hot sausage is already very flavorful. If you’re using a mild sausage instead, you may want to add seasoning to that.

Cut the butter into eight pieces.

Put four butter tabs on top of the green beans and four on top of the potatoes.

Quick note: The butter melts as the food cooks. It coats everything in the pan, helping it cook, and keeps everything moist. Since the sausage will release some juices as it cooks, you don’t need to add butter to it for moisture.

Some sheet pan recipes add a drizzle of olive oil on top because it has a higher smoke point than butter, but we don’t use it in this recipe.

Once everything is on the pan, it’s ready to put it in the preheated oven.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Quick note: Oven temperatures vary and cook time can change based on the size you cut the potatoes and the size of your pan, so just keep that in mind the first time you’re making this.

You want to flip the potatoes and sausage halfway through for more even browning. You can give the green beans a little shake too so they don’t get too charred on one side.

It’s done when the potatoes are fork tender and golden brown, the sausage has a nice brown edges, and the green beans are slightly blistered.

Sheet Pan Sausage And Potatoes With Green Beans: Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re looking for some other frugal ways to enjoy the holiday, making dessert at home is a great one. Get some ideas with our Easy Easter Dessert Recipes.

Before You Buy Anything, Check This First:

Check your pantry for snacks you can repackage. Sure, grabbing a chocolate bar that’s already in the pantry can feel like cheating. But, take that chocolate and wrap it in paper to make it look like a bunny, like our Easter bunny chocolate bar post, and the snack suddenly feels brand new and perfect for a basket filler — and didn’t cost you anything.

Look at the toys you already have at home. This works much better for younger kids rather than older ones who have a mental inventory of all their stuff. But, if you have any unused or forgotten toys, add them to the basket. Your kids will get new surprises that cost nothing.

Check your craft room for supplies you can turn into DIY kits. You don’t want to just take your kids’ markers and stick them into the basket.

Instead, draw (or print) a bunny template on printer paper. Then, go through the craft supplies and look for items to decorate the bunny with (googly eyes, cotton balls, pompoms, etc.). Stick them all in a bag, call it a “Build Your Own Bunny Kit,” and it’s perfect — and free.

Upcycle Or DIY Easter Baskets

If you make Easter baskets for your kids every year, you can keep reusing each child’s Easter basket annually. That will save you money because you only have to buy one once.

But, if you’re having guests for Easter, or you don’t have baskets from last year, you can make an upcycled Easter basket from items that you might already be throwing away.

Every year, I save a couple 8 oz. plastic mushroom containers, wash them really well, and use them as Easter baskets. When they’re done, they can be recycled.

You can also turn empty cereal boxes into Easter baskets. With a little creativity, anything can be turned into a basket.

And, if you have last-minute company, just grab some paper bags and turn them into a paper bag bunny. Since you probably already have these at home, it’s the perfect no-cost solution.

Frugal tip: If you don’t already have baskets and aren’t up for a DIY project, you can purchase reusable Easter baskets online and use them every year. Be sure to check the size, though. Smaller baskets need less items to feel full, which will save you more in the long run.

Reuse Paper Shred Or Make Your Easter Grass

Paper shred is really cheap at the local dollar store. But it’s free if you get it in packages you order during the year (which I get a lot of). So, any time you get something with paper shred, save it in a bag in your gift closet.

Then, when you’re making Easter baskets, instead of buying Easter grass, just go into your bag in the closet and grab some paper shred. It looks so similar to Easter grass that your kids won’t know the difference and your baskets will still be super cute.

If you don’t get any paper shred during the year, grab a couple pieces of colorful paper (like construction paper, card stock, or scrapbook paper) and run it through your paper shredder for easy homemade Easter grass that’s so much cheaper than any you’d buy in store.

Pick Up Some Free Candy

If you’re shopping at the last minute, you’re at the mercy of what stores have left in stock and have to pay whatever the Easter candy costs.

But, if you plan ahead a little, you can save some money and grab free or cheap candy. In year’s past, we’ve found offers for free Nerds at Circle K, Flipz bars for a quarter, and free Snickers at Walmart. Any time we find these deals at the drugstores or grocery stores, we post them on our social media pages. So, definitely follow us.

Set the free candy aside as you “buy” it, making sure not to eat it, and you’ll be able to fill those Easter baskets for a fraction of the cost.

Reuse Plastic Eggs

If you have Easter eggs left over from last year, or if you went to a local egg hunt this year and collected plastic eggs, don’t throw them away. Reuse them. That saves you from having to buy plastic eggs. 

Fill them with jelly beans or small candies. Then, have an Easter egg hunt at home or you can use them in your Easter baskets this year. 

If you really need to stretch your budget, put one small piece of candy in each egg, then put them in the Easter basket. Doing it that way will take up more space than just putting candy in there, making the basket look fuller.

Plus, kids will love the surprise of opening the eggs to find candy. So, more eggs means more surprises, which is more fun.

Frugal tip: If you don’t have any leftover eggs, you can buy cheap plastic Easter eggs in bulk on Amazon this year, then reuse them next year.

Add Some Non-Candy Easter Basket Stuffers

Easter baskets don’t have to be filled solely with candy. You can stick in some toys and other items that take up some space.

The age of your recipient will determine what type of toys to add to the basket. For a young child, art supplies like sidewalk chalk are great. So are Easter books. Anything to keep them off tablets and away from the television.

For an older kids, like your teens with a new car, towels for washing the car and Rain-X for the windshield are helpful.

For your mom, think about her hobbies. If she likes gardening, go with gardening gloves.

Small gifts take up a lot of space in an Easter basket, but not in your gift closet. So, while you’re out doing your regular shopping during the year, check out the Target dollar spot or clearance aisles of your local stores for cheap Easter basket filler ideas. You can pick up inexpensive items during the year, then use them to fill Easter baskets.

And by that logic, you actually end up spending less on the Easter basket than if you filled it with a bunch of last-minute toys from your local Dollar Tree.

Frugal tip: If you need help coming up with fun ideas, we have a great list of Non-Candy Easter Basket Fillers For Kids. 

Avoid Pre-Packaged Easter Baskets

It’s so easy to grab an Easter basket off a store shelf and be done. But those pre-packaged Easter baskets are so expensive because they charge for convenience.

You can, however, use those for inspiration.

Take a peek inside to see what the basket is filled with to get some great ideas for your kids. Maybe it’s sports equipment like a soccer ball. Or maybe it’s a stuffed animal. Take notes of what you like about the basket and what drew you to look at it in the first place.

Then, head around the store and pick up those items. Assembling a similar basket yourself will be a lot cheaper than purchasing it already made.

Shop After-Easter Sales

When Easter ends, stores want Easter merchandise off the shelves as quickly as possible. So the day after, Easter items are on clearance. Usually, items start at 50% off and go as high as 95% off. The biggest the discount now, the bigger the savings for next year.

Some stores even start sales before the holiday. Easter items are 40% off at Hobby Lobby nearly a month before the holiday. So you can still shop there and fill your baskets at a discount.

When the sales are huge, like 75% to 90%, pick up small, non-perishable items for next year’s baskets. Don’t pick up clearance chocolate for next year (but, definitely pick it up for yourself), but toys, coloring books, and other small Easter basket fillers are worth grabbing at a discount.

Then, next year, your future self will be able to put together heavily discounted Easter baskets.

How to Make a Cheap Easter Basket Look More Expensive:

The reason pre-packed baskets are so appealing is because everything is one color. So, to make your DIY basket look more expensive, stick to a color theme. This is really easy if you have multiple kids.

Pick a color for each kid, then, buy or make paper shred in that color. Separate the plastic eggs into piles that match those color and buy candies that match too.

Also, make sure to limit clutter. If you’re trying to add a bunch of items to make it look filled, that sometimes comes across cheap looking. So, instead, add a few nicer items rather than a lot of cheap ones.

And, try to avoid plastic (besides the eggs). Plastic toys scream cheap, dollar store purchases. Wooden or fabric items make the Easter basket feel more high-end.

These little choices help to really make the basket look and feel expensive while still sticking to your budget.

More Easter Basket Ideas:

Need a little more help putting together a great Easter basket? We have a few more posts that can help.

Check out our Fun Easter Basket Ideas For Teens, Fun Easter Basket Ideas For Adults, and Non-Candy Easter Basket Fillers For Kids lists for creative ideas.

This isn’t the only fun idea we have for Easter. For more, check out our list of Easy Easter Crafts for inspiration.

How To Make A DIY Easter Bunny Gift Basket:

Start by filling your Easter eggs with small Easter candies.

We suggest using wrapped candy only because not all plastic Easter eggs are food grade. So, you don’t want to put something like an open marshmallow Peep into a plastic egg. Instead, choose the individually wrapped Peeps.

Put your paper shred in the bottom of one of the bigger plastic bowls.

You want to put enough to make the bowl look full, but not too much that your Easter treats won’t fit.

Fill the bigger bottom bowl with some of the candies, small gifts, and plastic Easter eggs.

Make sure to save some of the candies and gifts for the smaller bowls.

Place the other larger bowl onto the top of the filled bowl. Tape the two bowls together.

If you place the tape horizontally, it will give the tape a better grip on the two bowls and will hold them together better.

Also, you don’t have to tape the entirety of the bowls. A couple strategically placed pieces of tape will work and will also make it easier for the gift recipient to open.

Set the bowls aside.

Fill one of the small bowls with the white paper shred.

Add the remaining plastic Easter eggs, candy, and small toys.

Place the other one of the smaller bowls on top. Tape the two bowls together.

Take your smaller bowl and stick it to the top of the bigger bowls.

​Now, you have two options for this. You can either hot glue them together or you can use packing tape to stick them together.

Of course, the hot glue is going to be more stable. But the packing tape means your recipient can reuse the bowls.

Now it’s time to start decorating and turning these bowls into a bunny.

Use hot glue to stick your bunny ears to the top of the basket.

The easiest way to do this is to line the inside of the headband with glue, then just stretch it over the top of the top bowls.

Take your pink foam ball and glue it, using hot glue, to the center of where the two small bowls are touching. 

Quick note: If you can’t find a foam ball, you could use a pink pom pom instead.

Cut off the end of your zip ties and use the hot glue to glue them under the foam ball to create whiskers to complete the bunny face.

If you can’t find white zip ties, you can paint some white. Alternatively, you could use white pipe cleaners.

Hot glue the bunny feet to the front of the bottom bucket.

Quick note: The bunny feet in this post are from a bunny decoration. You can use whatever you find. If you’re feeling creative, you can make bunny feet out of construction paper.

Use the sticker letters to spell out the child’s name on the front of the bigger basket.

Finally, take your Easter ribbon and place it around the neck of the bunny to create a bowtie between the top and bottom bowls.

DIY Easter Bunny Gift Basket: Frequently Asked Questions

More DIY Easter Baskets:

If you want to put together a fun Easter basket but this is above your skill level, that’s okay. Just grab a bag and make our Paper Bag Bunny Craft instead. And, if you love upcycling, our DIY Cereal Box Easter Basket is for you.

If you really want to celebrate, check out our Dr. Seuss Party Ideas to make the day something special.

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

• It’s a fun, educational book, filled with rhyming and fun wordplay.
• Young kids who are learning colors and numbers love this.
• Since there’s no story to follow, it’s perfect for the littlest of readers.

My take: If you’re shopping for kids who love the cadence of stories more than the plot, this book is the best choice.

Green Eggs and Ham

• Green Eggs and Ham is the perfect way to encourage your kids to try new things.
• The repeating words and funny story are great for new readers.
• Everyone remembers “I do not like them, Sam I Am” from their childhood.

My take: This is one of the most classic Dr. Seuss books. Plus, if your kids read this one a lot, you have the perfect breakfast for Dr. Seuss Day or April Fool’s (green eggs, maybe not the ham).

Fox In Socks

• This is a silly book filled with tongue twisters (and no real plot).
• Kids will love trying to say all the silly words (this book needs to be read aloud).
• It’s better for older kids who will laugh at trying to read this, rather than younger kids who won’t get the humor in it.

My take: Fox In Socks will have older kids laughing with whoever is reading the story and getting excited over it (so it’s maybe not best for bedtime). Younger kids will get frustrated at the reader for tripping over his or her words.

Oh, The Places You’ll Go

• It’s about the journey of life and the ups and downs that go along with it.
• It’s one of the more serious books by Dr. Seuss.
• Oh, The Places You’ll Go is one of the most popular graduation gifts.

My take: For years, Oh, The Places You’ll Go has been a great high school graduation gift, sending students off into the world with a little encouragement and a little whimsy.

Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now

• A really silly story about a boy who just won’t leave.
• Kids will love how the pointing finger grows as the book goes on.
• It’s good for little kids who will love the repetition and laugh at the increasing absurdity.

My take: The Irish goodbye is so popular with adults but kids sometimes want to wear out their welcome. So, this might be a good one to keep in your pocket when they don’t want to go home.

The Cat in the Hat

• It’s a fun story about a mysterious cat turning a boring day into one to remember.
• This is one of the most whimsical of the books
• This book is the first one everyone thinks of when they think of Dr. Seuss.

My take: I always buy this one to kick off someone’s Dr. Seuss collection because it’s the most well known and classic.

The Cat In The Hat Comes Back

• The sequel to The Cat In The Hat is filled with new hijinks and antics.
• It’s really funny, especially to kids who have read the first book.
• If you have a pair of kids to gift, give The Cat In The Hat to one and The Cat In The Hat Comes Back to the other.

My take: I love to gift this to siblings when I’m trying to gift similar but different gifts.

Hop On Pop

• Filled with easy rhymes, this book helps teach phonics.
• It’s really quick and filled with repetition.
• Hop On Pop is perfect for really young kids.

My take: If you’re gifting someone who is learning to read, rather than someone who is having books read to them, this is a really good one.

The Lorax

• The Lorax is about the environment and conservation.
• It’s a more serious book than most of the others in Dr. Seuss’ collection.
• It’s better for older kids who can follow a plot.

My take: Honestly, The Lorax is a classic but it’s not one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books, so I don’t usually choose this one to gift.

Horton Hears A Who!

• Horton, the elephant, discovers Whoville (which is the same Whoville that’s also in The Grinch).
• This is a more story-driven book than some of the others.
• It’s best for kids who are a little bit older and can follow a plot.

My take: If your kids like the movie Horton Hears A Who, you definitely want to introduce them to the book version as well.

Dr. Seuss’s 123

• It’s a counting book, filled with illustrations from the Dr. Seuss universe.
• Kids can learn to count up to 20.
• It’s best for young kids who are learning their numbers.

My take: This is one of the more educational books for little kids.

Dr. Seuss’s Book Of Colors

• The book, filled with illustrations from the Dr. Seuss universe, help kids learn their colors.
• It’s filled with rhyming, which helps kids learn.
• It’s best for young kids who are learning their colors.

My take: This is another educational book for little kids and would make a great gift with the 123 book.

Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book

• The alphabet book is filled with illustrations from the Dr. Seuss universe.
• It helps kids learn their letters by introducing them to whimsical characters.
• It’s best for young kids who are learning their letters and sounds.

My take: Pair this book with the colors and numbers books for the perfect gift.

The Foot Book: Dr. Seuss’s Wacky Book of Opposites

• The book is filled with opposites, really helping kids learn the concept.
• It’s filled with rhymes and easy opposites (like “wet foot / dry foot”).
• It’s perfect for preschoolers.

My take: If you’re shopping for a precocious kid who is about to enter preschool, this one is perfect.

The Sneetches And Other Stories

• There are four stories in the book: The Sneetches, The Zax, Too Many Daves, and What Was I Scared Of?
• The stories focus on overcoming our differences.
• It’s best for kids who are older and can understand prejudices and acceptance.

My take: Honestly, I never even knew this collection existed until I was putting this list together. It sounds great, but it’s not one of the most popular of Dr. Seuss’ books.

What Pet Should I Get?

• It’s about being indecisive and helping kids make up their minds.
• It’s filled with characters from Dr. Seuss’ world.
• Fun fact: The book was discovered and published posthumously.

My take: If your kid is whishy-washy, this is the perfect book to help them learn how to make a decision.

Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book

• A tiny yawn is contagious and puts everyone to sleep.
• It’s really funny and relies on humor.
• If your kid is tough to get to sleep, a book about contagious yawns might help him catch one.

My take: I remember this book, and catching the yawn, when I was young and think about it anytime someone yawns close to me.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

• The Grinch steals Christmas and its material possessions, but can’t steal the town’s joy.
• It’s such a good story about how people are more important than possessions.
• Kids who are just starting to learn the meaning of Christmas would love this book.

My take: If your kid doesn’t have How The Grinch Stole Christmas! yet, it’s the best stocking stuffer.

Dr Seuss’s If You Think There’s Nothing To Do

• The book is filled with lots of funny ways to kill time and boredom.
• It’s completely impractical (like balancing cats on your head).
• The book is best for kids who won’t actually try out these boredom busters.

My take: If your kids are always complaining they’re bored, this book will give them really silly ideas that may help them imagine actual things to do.

Yertle the Turtle And Other Stories

• The book is filled with three stories: Yertle the Turtle, Gertrude McFuzz, and The Big Brag,
• The stories are pretty serious, focusing on concepts like greed and pride.
• It’s best for older kids who can follow the plots and understand the meaning.

My take: Most of the Dr. Seuss books out there are silly and fun. This … is not.

The Tooth Book

• It’s an educational book about teeth.
• It’s filled with both facts and rhymes.
• If your kid is going for his first dentist appointment, this is a good way to introduce him to why he has to go.

My take: This would actually be a fun gift to give from the Tooth Fairy after your kids loses his first tooth.

Dr Seuss’s Book Of Animals

• It’s an animal book, filled with illustrations from the Dr. Seuss universe.
• Both real and fictional animals find their way onto the pages.
• It’s a good book for kids who are interested in animals.

My take: You don’t have to read this start to finish to grasp it, so it’s great for little kids who just want to flip around the book.

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?

• The book is filled with animal sounds and onomatopoeic text.
• It’s really interactive and encourages kids to make noise.
• It’s perfect for young kids learning animal sounds or just ones who need to get out some wiggles.

My take: This is one of the more interactive books, so it’s definitely up high on my shopping list.

Ten Apples Up On Top!

• This is a silly book about three friends adding more and more apples on their heads.
• This is a fun way to learn counting.
• It’s great for little kids since it teaches them to count to ten.

My take: If you’re shopping for a really young kid who is learning to count, this is a great choice.

Purchase Dr. Seuss Books Online:

These aren’t all of the Dr. Seuss books out there. There are more, including Happy Birthday To You, a perfect birthday gift.

To purchase those books, check out the stores below:

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Books-A-Million
• Target
• Walmart

Don’t forget to check a store’s minimum cart total to qualify for free shipping. Also consider instore or curbside pickup to avoid shipping charges.

How to Save Money on Dr. Seuss Books:

If you want to pick up a bunch of Dr. Seuss books at once, that can honestly get a little bit expensive. So, we have a couple tips to help you save just a little bit.

Check seasonal displays

I found a huge display in Walmart, right in time for Read Across America Day. When the March holiday is over, Walmart needs to clear out this display to make room for other seasonal items. So, Dr. Seuss books get clearanced.

Look for box sets

If you’re buying a few books, look for boxed sets, like the The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library Boxed Set, which comes with 10 books, or the Dr. Seuss’s Beginner Book Collection Boxed Set, which comes with five classics.

Buying that way is cheaper than buying the books individually.

Compare Hardcover vs. Mini Versions

Most Dr. Seuss books are hardcovers, which are always a little bit cheaper than paperback — but I’ve never seen any paperback Dr. Seuss books. What I have seen, though, are mini versions. Those are perfect for little hands and may save you money too.

Check Thrift Stores Or Library Sales

Anytime I’m looking for a book for a craft, I check the thrift store. And the shelves are filled with Dr. Seuss books. If you’re buying as a gift, I wouldn’t suggest this. But if you’re buying for your own kids’ home collection, thrift stores (or a library’s annual sale) will have the books for a fraction of the retail price.

Traveling is expensive, but it’s so important, so we have to figure out how to do it. For some help, check out our How To Travel On A Budget guide, filled with ways to save money on your next vacation.

Hotel Amenities That Save You Money When Traveling

This list is filled with hotel amenities to look for to get the most out of your hotel stay. They’re grouped into four categories: food savings, transportation savings, hidden fee avoidance, extra savings and credits, and then a section with additional amenities that can stretch your dollar.

That way, you can either read the full post or jump to the section that you need most.

Hotel Amenities That Save You Money on Food

Free Hotel Breakfast

Booking a hotel with a complimentary breakfast is one of the best ways to save money on your trip.

If you go out to breakfast, that’s at least $15 per person, if you’re getting a meal and a drink. For a couple, that’s $30. Multiply that by every day you’re on vacation, and that’s a huge part of your travel budget.

A full hot breakfast buffet, which has hot items like breakfast meats, eggs, and usually has a pancake or waffle maker, can offer more value and savings overall than a continental breakfast, which is mostly just cold items like pastries.

As long as there’s some sort of free breakfast, you pocket that savings.

It saves you more than just the breakfast tab, too, because you’re not paying to go anywhere.

Since you don’t have to leave the hotel for breakfast, you don’t have to pay for rideshare or gas to get there. And you don’t have to find and pay for parking near the restaurant.

All those savings add up.

So, if you’re debating between two hotels, and one is a little more expensive but offers a free breakfast, we suggest the one that includes breakfast.

In-Room Coffee Maker

Coffeeshops can get so expensive. If you head out for coffee every morning you’re on your trip, that daily $5 cup of coffee really cuts into your budget.

So, instead, book a hotel room with an in-room coffee maker.

The hotel usually has a single-serving bag or two of regular and decaf waiting for you in the room. If you drink more than that, stop at the front desk on the way back to your room and ask for more. They’re usually more than happy to give you a couple extra instant coffee packets.

What I really love is when a hotel has coffee in the lobby when you walk in. That means it’s always available. So if you want a cup of coffee when you’re checking in (and tired from traveling) or at night after your spent all day sightseeing, you can run down to the lobby rather than running to the closest Starbucks (and spending another $5).

Fun frugal tip: If your hotel has hot chocolate in the lobby too, you can make a hotel mocha.

Hotel Happy Hours

Hotels with happy hours, which can include either drinks (if you’re 21+) or full meals can save you a ton of money.

We once stayed at a Kimpton hotel that had a daily complimentary happy hour each night with free beer, wine, coffee, and tea. My parents stayed at another of the hotel chain’s properties that a hot chocolate happy hour, complete with a huge toppings bar.

If the happy hour fits into your schedule right, you can pre-game there and save about $15 a person per night (if you drink two drinks) before you go out. That way, you can spend less on drinks and the local bars and breweries.

For our wedding, we room blocked the TownePlace Suites Marriott, which offered free drinks and free appetizers from a local restaurant a few times a week. I know the Drury Hotel offers something similar daily too.

So, if you need to stretch your budget, you could actually eat a full meal at the hotel, saving yourself at least $20 a person.

Kitchen / Kitchenette

If you book an extended stay hotel, like the Hyatt House, it usually has a kitchenette area with a refrigerator, microwave, and stove top.

You may not want to cook a full meal while you’re on vacation, but, having a kitchen or kitchenette saves you money because you’re able to save your leftovers.

Since you’re bringing them back to your hotel, you’re not throwing money away by throwing them away. Then, on the last day of your trip, you can heat up all the leftovers in the fridge rather than going out for one more meal. That will save you close to $100 (as long as your entire family has enough leftovers for a full meal).

Hotel Amenities That Save You Money On Transportation

Complimentary Parking

Parking can be so expensive in hotels in big cities. Those cities don’t have the room for large parking lots, so hotels end up charging a lot of money for parking.

If you’re debating between two hotels, and one is a little more expensive but offers complimentary daily parking, go with that one.

If parking is included in the hotel price, that’s great. But, if it’s not included, it can cost upwards of $50 per night … just to park in the hotel’s lot.

A $50 a night charge really adds up over your trip. And then it’s not really a frugal hotel anymore. So, a hotel with a higher nightly rate, but free parking, might actually be a better deal.

Complimentary Airport Shuttle Service

One of the hotel amenities to look for to save money is a complimentary airport shuttle service.

That can be a huge savings because some airports have additional fees for using rideshare. So, your trip is more expensive. Of course, this varies by airport, but just a quick example: When we flew into like Nashville International Airport, there was a $5 airport fee plus a $2 city fee for airport pickups.

So, if you don’t have to pay for taxis or rideshares to get from the airport to the hotel and can use a hotel’s free service instead, you can save a lot of money.

Shuttle To Attractions

If your hotel offers a shuttle to popular attractions, use it. It can save you so much on rideshare costs and is especially helpful if you don’t have a rental car (which is another travel expense).

There are a lot of complimentary Las Vegas shuttles for hotel guests, which will bring you between casino properties. That way, you can see a bunch of different properties without having to take taxies or rideshares to get to them.

In Nashville, there are hotels in midtown that will take you to Broadway for free. The hotels in midtown are cheaper because they are away from the honkey tonk bars everyone wants to go to, so now you’re saving on the hotel and rides.

And, when my parents stayed at the Best Western Plus Humboldt Bay Inn in Eureka, CA, there was a complimentary limo service that drove guests from the hotel to restaurants downtown, then pick them up.

So, you’ll want to ask a concierge or the check-in desk about these services because they’ll vary by hotel.

Hotel Amenities That Help You Avoid Hidden Fees

Free WiFi

With remote work getting so popular, we all need internet at all times. Most, but not all, hotels will offer free WiFi. Some only offer it for a specific number of devices, though, which is not great if you’re traveling with kids who each have their own device.

So, make sure that your hotel offers free WiFi. If not, internet usage is usually $14.95 a day, and that can really add up.

No Resort Fees

Some hotels, especially on the strip in Las Vegas, add resort fees onto your hotel stay. Resort fees are a mandatory, daily surcharge that cover things like pool usage, shuttles, WiFi, etc. even if you don’t use them.

They’re in addition to the daily rate and can be over $45. Hotels in downtown Las Vegas heavily lean into their no resort fees advertisements because, even if you’re going to Vegas for a long weekend, the resort fees can be $200 total.

Since resort fees can vary greatly by hotel, you definitely want to compare them before booking.

Frugal tip: Certain hotel chains waive resort fees if you’re at a certain level in the hotel’s loyalty program. So, check that out before you book too.

Bonus Ways Hotels Help You Save Money

Benefits For Not Using Housekeeping

I always say my favorite part about staying in a hotel is that I don’t have to make the bed. So any time I stay at a hotel, I never put up the do not disturb sign. Please, housekeeping, come make my bed.

(And yes, before you even worry, I do tip housekeeping daily for making the bed.)

But there are hotel chains that offer you perks for not using housekeeping. Some casino hotels will offer you free play, which is free money, so that’s worth it.

A resort we stayed at on Hilton Head Island offered us a $5 credit for the hotel’s sundry store if we skipped housekeeping. And a hotel we stayed at in Charleston offered us 250 loyalty points if we didn’t have our room cleaned.

Those little perks can add up … unless you’re like me and always appreciate when someone else makes the bed.

Amenities That Add Value to Your Stay

Pool

If you’re on vacation, your trip can get expensive. Dining out, sightseeing, and transportation all cost money. So you might be looking for a day where you can stop spending but still have fun.

If you book a hotel with a pool, it indirectly saves you money because you can spend an entire afternoon there for free.

Be sure to check the rules at the pool because some will let you bring food and drinks down, so you can plan lunch by the pool and not have to pay to dine out that day.

Plus, if you don’t have a pool at home, swimming in one at a hotel is such a treat.

Fitness Center

When Pete is on vacation, he loves booking a hotel with a fitness center so he can keep up with his workout routine. Because yes, it’s nice to exercise on vacation.

If a hotel doesn’t have a fitness center, and you’re traveling with someone who needs to work out daily, that person may look into a day pass at a local gym, which costs money and cuts into your vacation budget.

So, a fitness center at a hotel doesn’t directly save you money, but it does stop you from extra spending.

If you love your slow cooker as much as I do and you want more ways to use it, we have a great list of recipes using the slow cooker.

There are recipes for appetizers, dessert, and everything in between.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken With Corn And Beans Recipe

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken With Corn And Beans Ingredients:

You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Canned corn – I use no salt added canned corn in this recipe because even though I also use lower sodium taco seasoning, there’s plenty of salt to season the entire dish.
• Canned black beans – If you don’t have black beans, you can substitute kidney beans.
• Chicken breast fillet – Fillets work better portion wise than tenderloins.
• Salsa – Any type and spice level works. I prefer red salsa because it adds more color than a green salsa it does, but you can choose whatever you think tastes the best.
• Cheddar cheese – Buy a brick of cheese and shredded it yourself. Pre-shredded, bagged cheese has a preservative added to it so it doesn’t melt in the bag, but that means it also doesn’t melt in your recipe.
• Seasoning – I season the chicken with Adobo and cumin and everything else with low sodium taco seasoning. You can use regular taco seasoning, but it already has plenty of salt.

How To Make Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken With Corn And Beans:

Drain your corn and add it to the bottom of a slow cooker.

Drain and your beans and add them to the slow cooker as well.

Sprinkle the taco seasoning on top.

You don’t have to worry about stirring it in. As this cooks, the taco seasoning will get absorbed into the vegetables.

Season the chicken generously on both sides.

Put the chicken fillets into the slow cooker.

You can just set them on top of the beans. They don’t need to be incorporated any further and actually if you put them too low, they could over cook and dry out.

Pour the salsa all over the top. Close the lid and click on the low for six hours.

The salsa will act as a liquid, so you don’t need to add any additional liquid like you often do with slow cooker recipes.

If you do add more liquid, you’ll end up with a broth at the bottom of the slow cooker that you don’t want.

When the time is about finished, shred the cheddar cheese.

I say this every time there’s a recipe where you want melted cheese, but you want to shred the cheese rather than buying bagged, shredded cheese.

The bagged cheese has a preservative coating on it so it doesn’t clump together in the bag. That same preservative stops it from melting properly. So anytime you want that nice melty cheese, you want to shred it yourself.

Please equal amounts of shredded cheese on top of each chicken breast.

Put back the lid and cook for just another five minutes until the cheese melts.

Serve the salsa chicken over either white rice or cilantro lime rice, then garnish with cilantro.

An alternate way to serve this, is to shred the chicken (it’s easy with two forks), then use it to stuff tortillas to make a burrito or use it as a taco filling. Add your favorite toppings to make it complete.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken With Corn And Beans: Frequently Asked Questions

More Ways To Use Taco Seasoning:

This is just one of our recipes that uses taco seasoning but isn’t tacos. I actually really like taco seasoning packets because they have so many different flavors in it so you don’t have to worry about having a ton of seasoning jars in your cabinet.

Although, if you came to my house, you would be shocked to see how much seasoning, including finishing salt and sugars, that we have. But I digress. Back to the taco seasoning.

If you bought a couple packets because it was on sale and you’re looking for more recipes to use it in, check out our list of recipes using taco seasoning for more ideas.

Amazon

Amazon is running a Spring Sale with deals on spring cleaning items, fitness and outdoors items, festival fashion, and more, starting on March 25.

Head over to Amazon to scroll the sale.

Dairy Queen

The first day of spring is usually Dairy Queen’s free cone day, but this year, the ice cream chain is celebrating it the day before, on March 19.

Anyone can get free small vanilla cone at participating non-mall locations of both Dairy Queen and DQ Grill & Chill locations. You can get it dipped for $1.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Get three free Original Glazed doughnuts for $2 when you buy any dozen. This is valid March 19 to 22.

Moore County, NC

The Pinecone Pathways Program in Moore County, NC kicks off on the first day of spring. Glass pinecones will be hidden throughout parks in the county (which includes the towns of Pinehurst, which people know because of golf, and Southern Pines, which people know because of beer).

You can keep the pinecones and scan a QR code on them for a chance at additional prizes.

Panera Bread

MyPanera rewards members can get a free tulip cookie with a delivery purchase. This is valid until March 22.

Parlor Doughnuts

Parlor Perks program members get double points on savory doughnut purchases.

This is valid from March 18 to 22.

You’ll sleep better in a calm, uncluttered space, so keeping your bedroom is clean is really important.

We have a great post on things you forget to clean in the bedroom. Check it out to make sure everything is perfect for a good night’s sleep.

Frugal Ways To Unwind Before Bed

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

These are just ways that we’ve found that work for us when we’ve had long days. But, these aren’t tips to get your best sleep.

For that, The Mayo Clinic suggests tips like creating a sleep routine, with a set sleep time and waking time every night, avoid caffeine and heavy meals in the evening, limiting daytime naps, using blackout curtains to create a relaxing space, adding physical activity into your day, and managing your worries.

Read a book or magazine

For Pete, reading is basically a tranquilizer. As soon as he opens a book or magazine, he gets so tired, he usually falls asleep with the magazine open on his lap. It makes it hard to get through a book, but it’s a great way for him to unwind and fall asleep.

It’s a good idea to keep a book or magazine on your nightstand. That way, when you’re in bed, you can just reach over and grab it. If it’s in another room and you have to get up to get it, you probably won’t.

To keep this even more budget-friendly, though, head down to your local library and borrow a book. That way, you always have something to read without constantly spending money on books.

If you have an e-reader or tablet, you can take out ebooks and audiobooks for free via the Libby app. You just need to have a library card to access the system.

And, if you want something shorter and easier, we’re constantly posting free magazine deals on our social media pages, so request those and you’ll always have something free to read.

Put on a podcast

I used to never be able to fall asleep with any sort of noise, and Pete really loves having it when he falls asleep.

At some point, he changed from playing music to listening to podcasts before bed. Some of the hosts have such soothing voices that no matter how interested I am in in their content, their voices are a lullaby for me.

We used to listen to a specific scripted series at night. I would fall asleep shortly after it started and wake up after it ended.

That meant the next day, when I was awake and working, I would actually have to re-listen to the podcast to see what I had missed.

What’s great about this is so many shows just want you to listen, so they offer their podcasts for free via apps like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. So you don’t have to pay anything for them, which makes you feel better about sleeping through them.

Plus, you don’t need to purchase any types of devices to listen to these. You can just stream for free on your phone or tablet.

Turn on the television

My grandma’s favorite way to fall asleep was with the television on. She would set the sleep timer for two hours or so and fall asleep while it was on.

If you’re using television to unwind before bed, be sure to set a sleep timer. You don’t want the television on until morning (because that’s not good for your electric bill).

If you’re like us and don’t pay for cable, that’s fine. You can still set a sleep timer and watch local channels with a digital TV antenna. That way, you’re just falling asleep to whatever’s on in the background rather than actually staying up late streaming your favorite shows.

If you do want to watch something specific before bed, we suggest something you’ve seen before that’s a comfort show or something lighthearted. I always say, “I don’t want chaos in my entertainment,” but you definitely don’t want something with high adrenaline when you’re trying to unwind.

Shower

Lowering your body temperature helps you fall asleep. So a warm shower before bed is a great way to help your body unwind and get ready to sleep. If you don’t like showers, a warm bath would work too.

Okay, I know that sounds counterproductive. But, if you raise your body temperature in the shower, your body will naturally start to cool itself off. And that will help tell your brain it’s almost bedtime.

If you want, you can turn this into a whole nighttime routine, complete with DIY shower steamers. Since you’re making them yourself, that’s more budget-friendly than buying expensive ones.

Instead of expensive exfoliating creams, use a Japanese washcloth. I’ve used those my whole life and I’m obsessed. The fabric it’s made of is a little scratchy, so they scrub away the day (and any dead skin), and just get you relaxed and ready for bed.

We actually have a whole post about having an at home spa day. You’re not going to go through that full routine every day, but on days when you’re really having trouble getting to bed, the tricks in that post may help.

Play games on your phone.

My favorite way to unwind is to play games on my phone. I know, people say that it actually keeps you awake because of the stimulation and the blue light, but it’s so good for me.

Quick note: But if you’re worried about blue light, you can always use your phone on night mode or with blue light blocking glasses.

When I’m playing a strategy game, I stop thinking about the day and start thinking about the level I’m trying to beat. My absolute favorite game is Two Dots, which I have had on my phone for over a decade. It’s a free puzzle solving game, so definitely try it if you like puzzles.

I would recommend staying off social media though. You might see something that makes you angry or upset and gets your brain going. You’ll be thinking about it all night long and won’t be able to fall asleep.

Plus, social media is filled with targeted ads, so you’ll be scrolling and next thing you know, you’ll be adding all sorts of nonsense to your cart. And spending money on things you don’t need late at night is not a frugal way to unwind.

Have some tea.

Tea in the evening is so good for the soul. Tea, like the drink, not gossip (although that kind of tea is good for my soul too, just maybe not in the relaxation way).

A couple times a week, Pete will make a teapot filled with some sort of tea. The type doesn’t really matter, but it’s usually something like chamomile that I got on sale with a coupon. He’ll cut the teabags up and steep the loose tea in a Japanese teapot that he bought me for one of our first Christmases.

If you don’t have something like that, a simple tea infuser that you can add the tea bag contents into works.

Sitting and drinking tea is so soothing in itself. And spending that time with him at the end of the day is just so calming, it really does just get my body into night mode.

And, side note, if you want to get into that ritual with your loved ones, we have a list of tea lover gift ideas for inspiration.

Write a gratitude journal

We (and by we, I mean people in general), very often, spend a lot of time going over the bad parts of the day, thinking about everything that we did wrong, and that keeps us up at night.

So, a really good habit to get into is gratitude journaling.

All you need to do is write down three things that happened that day that you’re thankful or grateful for. Doing this helps you appreciate your days (even the bad days) more, makes you more optimistic, and helps you focus on positive emotions.

Gratitude journaling helps you get better sleep because it puts your mind in a better place and you avoid pre-sleep anxiety. You can read all about that here.

The best part? It’s so cheap. You can write in an old notebook or even just use a notes app on your phone (that way, you don’t even need paper). Or, there are actually specific gratitude journals out there that you can buy (which might be helpful if you’ve never journaled before).

Try some deep breathing

This one might feel a little funny if you’ve never done it before, but stick with me.

Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, breathe it out through your mouth for six seconds.

That very specific deep breathing is so good for your nervous system. It’s similar to box breathing, although that uses the same interval so you form a box.

I feel like deep breathing is a lot easier for people to do than meditation. With this, you just have to focus for a few seconds. With meditation, you really have to concentrate and that can be hard for people.

Being mindful of your body when you’re doing this, feeling your chest as it goes up and down, really helps to calm you down. And, even better: breathing is free.

If you want, you can spray some lavender essential oil mist into the air before you start any breathing exercises because the scent helps relax your body and get it into sleep mode.

Listen to nature sounds/white noise

Before we had a white noise machine, I was so skeptical of them. I told you earlier, I need the room to be silent in order to sleep. So I couldn’t imagine how eight hours of background noise would improve anyone’s sleep quality.

And then we got a sound machine. It’s amazing.

The first night we used it was on a blog trip where our hotel room faced a very noisy parking lot that faced a highway. And I slept so soundly. The noise machine covered all that outside noise, plus the sounds were so calming that we got such good sleep that night.

You can find free white noise apps online that you can play straight from your phone for free. Also, don’t stop at white (it’s just the most common ambient noise).

There are other types like pink noise, brown noise, green noise, plus ocean sounds and other nature sounds. Try them all out until you find what’s best for you, then create an entire playlist of that sound to get you through the whole night.

Declutter

If you’re in bed and can’t fall asleep, get out of bed. If you’re lying there for more than 20 to 30 minutes, get up. You’re confusing your body and it’s not associating your bed with relaxation anymore.

So, what can you do instead?

Clean a little. Declutter. A clean space helps to create a clean mind. So, clean.

This is a little hard if you share a bedroom with a spouse because you don’t want to be reorganizing your closet when someone else has figured out how to rest. But, you can go downstairs to another room and tackle something like the junk drawer that has been bothering you since you moved in.

The best part about this? You’ll end up with a clean home. I mean, no. The best part is that it doesn’t cost any money to clean. The clean home thanks to that night’s insomnia is a bonus.

How Free Hotel Breakfast Can Save You Money On Vacation

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How Much Breakfast Costs When Traveling

Dining out is inevitable when you’re going on vacation. And that can get really expensive.

How expensive depends on where you go for your meals. But, let’s stick with breakfast.

Most people start with a cup of coffee. Even if you end there, that’s $5 — even before they flip that screen around and ask you for a tip. If you want a pastry, that’s another $5. And so now, you’re caffeinated and carbonated and paid $10 for it.

If you go to a fast food restaurant (which I don’t recommend you do on vacation because you can get that at home), you’re paying a little less, but still around $8 or so for a meal with coffee.

And, if you go to a local restaurant (maybe one that’s a tourist trap but is on your list because you’re a tourist, like the Pancake Pantry in Nashville, you’re paying at least $11 for a meal and more than that for a Bloody Mary (it is Nashville, after all). So that’s $25 before a tip.

At the Carolina Dining Room at Pinehurst Resort, dubbed “The Best Breakfast In Golf,” I paid $40 a person for breakfast — and that’s not including any additional drinks.

Now multiply that by the number of the people you’re traveling with and that’s a really big chunk of your daily budget.

That’s why we like booking a hotel with a free breakfast. It saves that entire cost (which, for a couple is at least $20 and for a family of four is at least $40).

And now that you didn’t spend that $5 on coffee first thing this morning, you have that $5 to spend on a coffee when you’re sightseeing downtown and stumble over the cutest coffeeshop (which happens to me all the time).

Why A Free Hotel Breakfast Is One Of The Best Frugal Travel Hacks

The most obvious reason to look for a hotel with a complimentary breakfast is so you don’t pay to have breakfast out in town. So right there, you’re eliminating an entire meal that you have to pay for.

But, it saves you more than just money. It saves you time.

When you wake up, your morning has a little more flexibility built in. You can just mosey on to the hotel’s lobby and get your first cup of coffee. Or get your full breakfast if you’re ready to eat.

You don’t have to worry about figuring out where to eat, getting your car in the parking lot or ordering a rideshare, waiting on a line to get in, reading a menu, ordering your food, then waiting for it to be made and served.

That’s all too much for me to do before I drink any coffee.

Plus, everything at breakfast is included. So if you’re in the mood for eggs, breakfast meats, a pastry, and yogurt, you can just pile that all on your plate. Can’t decide between hot chocolate and juice? Have them both. There’s no extra cost.

If you want multiple drinks at the local breakfast spot down the block from your hotel, you’re getting charged for multiple drinks.

Not at your hotel.

Ways To Stretch A Free Hotel Breakfast

You May Be Able To Skip Lunch

If you eat a large breakfast at the hotel, you might be able to skip lunch later on (and that helps you save at least $15).

When we were in Santee, SC, we stayed at the historic Clarks Inn & Restaurant. Restaurant is in the name, so of course, breakfast at the restaurant was included in our stay.

It wasn’t a buffet breakfast. It was a voucher with six different breakfast options on it that you could choose from daily. The breakfast choices were so hearty and filling, we weren’t even able to finish them. So we had our leftovers packed and brought them back to our hotel room.

That’s lunch right there at no additional cost.

Even with a continental breakfast, if you eat enough to fill yourself, you might be too full to even want to have lunch, which saves you from paying for it.

Frugal travel tip: If you don’t or can’t skip a meal, but you still want to save, we have a great post with ways to save on food when you’re on vacation.

You Can Save On Snacks

If your hotel’s breakfast has fresh fruit, you can take a piece of it to go. That’ll save you about $3 to $5 when you’re looking for a snack later.

When my mom and I were on a trip together, we both grabbed a piece of fruit to take with us on a hike we were planning on doing. When we were in the middle of the hike in the wood, obviously with no stores around, we were able to take a break.

This is good when you’re sightseeing too because now you have a snack — a free snack, mind you — handy rather than trying to find a grocery or convenience store to buy something to eat.

If you don’t like fruit, you could take a bagels with cream cheese to go instead (that’s my aunt’s go to) and eat that when you’re hungry.

Frugal travel tip: For more ways to save on snacks, check out that linked post.

You Can Grab A Coffee To Go

Many complimentary breakfasts will include coffee and other hot beverages. If you’re checking out after breakfast, you can always grab a coffee for the road.

If you’re driving home or to the airport, you might want that extra jolt of caffeine. So grab that at breakfast instead of the closest coffeeshop to save yourself at least $4 — and to save yourself some time on the road since now you don’t have to stop.

I you’re like me and you enjoy coffee when you’re strolling around town, this is perfect too. Grab a to go cup of coffee and go explore. That’s better than spending time walking around town, trying to find a coffeeshop.

Fun travel tip: I actually make a hotel mocha instead and take that to go. That way, I feel like I’m having a coffeehouse drink without the $7 price tag.

Hotels That Usually Offer Free Breakfast

Holiday Inn Express is our go to hotel because it always has a free breakfast included. Holiday Inn does not.

We’ve found free breakfast at the TownPlace Suites Marriott, Embassy Suites, Home2 Suites, Hyatt House (the one we stayed at in Charleston even had a made-to-order omelet station), and the Best Western. We got it once at the EconoLodge too, although that was not our favorite.

I know Staybridge Suites and Homewood Suites usually offer them as well, although we’ve never stayed at those.

Most high-end hotel chains don’t offer a complimentary breakfast (which is wild to me because you’d expect a higher price tag to come with more perks than budget hotels have).

Some higher end chains will offer complimentary breakfast or a breakfast credit to higher tier guests.

But, of course, this can vary by location as well, so you definitely need to check the hotel’s website before booking.

And, just keep in mind that there’s a difference between a full hot breakfast buffet, which includes hot items and breakfast meats (usually a choice of bacon or sausage, plus eggs, potatoes, waffles, oatmeal, toast, etc.), and a continental breakfast (a light breakfast of cold, mostly shelf-stable items like pastries, baked goods, fruit, yogurt, and coffee).

When Paying More For A Hotel With Breakfast Is Worth It

Before you book the hotel, look under the amenities to see if a complimentary breakfast is listed.

The hotel might be a little more expensive than another option, but let’s do the math. Breakfast for two at a diner is about $30, including food and a coffee. So even if the room rate of the hotel you book is $5 a night more than another hotel without breakfast, it’s worth it. You’ll be saving $25 a day.

When we were booking our hotel in San Antonio, I paid an extra $9 a day for vouchers for breakfast at the hotel. I figured even if we just got a nice cup of coffee in the hotel before starting our day, that was worth the $4.50 each.

Well, it turns out that the breakfast vouchers were actually good for a coffee and full, hot breakfast entrée at the hotel’s restaurant. We got $20 breakfasts each every morning. Eggs, waffles, toast, meat, and coffee.

And the coffee was so good. We each had a cup, and a refill, and the waitress even offered us a to go cup of it so we could take coffee back to the room while we were getting ready for the day.

More Frugal Amenities To Look For:

Staying at a hotel with free breakfast options is such a good travel hack. But, it’s not the only thing we look for when we’re booking a hotel.

For more, we have a huge list of Hotel Amenities That Save You Money When Traveling to help your stretch that budget.

Even though these are my favorite, they’re not the only treat we make for the holiday.

For more fun treats, check out our long list of St. Patrick’s Day desserts.

Lucky Charms Marshmallow Treats Recipe

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

Lucky Charms Marshmallow Treats Ingredients:

You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

Butter – We prefer unsalted butter because the cereal already has plenty of salt in it.
Mini marshmallows – The mini marshmallows melt quicker and are easier to incorporate into your treats than full-size marshmallows. But if all you can find are large marshmallows, those will work. They’ll just take a little longer to melt.
Lucky Charms Cereal – You can use the brand or the generic version. You can also use the chocolate version if you prefer.

How To Make Lucky Charms Marshmallow Treats:

Making these is the same as making rice cereal treats, so if you’ve ever made those before, you know exactly what to do. But if you don’t, I’m here to help.

Melt the butter in a large pot on the stovetop over medium low heat.

The larger the pot, the easier the rest of this will be for you. I love using a Dutch oven in general because of how it heats, but it doesn’t have enough room to stir all of the cereal.

And I think that’s the biggest problem people make when they’re making marshmallow treats. They don’t use a bowl that’s big enough for what they need. So stirring becomes frustrating and then people don’t want to make these.

So, heed my warning, and use a bowl that’s large enough.

Add in the mini marshmallows.

Stir constantly with a bamboo spoon until the marshmallows are completely melted. This should take about five minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat.

Two quick tips. One: Marshmallow sticks less to a bamboo spoon than it does to a metal one, so using a wooden spoon makes stirring a little easier.

Two: Add a little bit of butter onto the spoon first, especially if you’re using something other than a wooden spoon, like a rubber spatula. This will help the sticky marshmallow slip off.

Quickly pour in the Lucky Charms cereal into the melted marshmallows.

Stir until the Lucky Charms are completely coated in marshmallow.

You want to make sure that you’re getting the marshmallow on the very bottom of the bowl incorporated into the cereal as well. If not, you’ll end up with large, sticky pockets of marshmallow in your treats.

Lightly coat a baking dish with butter.

Here’s a fun tip. Save the wrapper from the butter that you melted before. Then, use the butter residue that’s left behind on that wrapper to grease pan.

That’s a good way to stretch your budget because you’re not using additional butter.

Pour the cereal and marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan.

Flatten it so it’s an even layer.

You want to flatten it a little bit so that everything sticks together after it cools. But, you don’t want to push it down too much because that makes the marshmallow treats very dense, breaks up the cereal pieces, and you lose that beautiful airiness that marshmallow treats are known for.

You can either push it down with the back of your bamboo spoon or with your hands.

Many people suggest putting that in a sheet of parchment paper down and pushing on top of that to keep your hands clean.

Here’s a quick tip. As soon as you get the marshmallow treats into the pan, add dish soap and hot water into the bowl. Let that sit for a little. The sticky marshmallow will wash right out.

If you don’t let it soak in hot water, the marshmallow will be a pain in the neck to wash out.

Let the marshmallow treats cool completely before removing them from the tray and cutting them into pieces.

After I cut them, I stick some extra marshmallows on top for a garnish. If you didn’t reserve any extra marshmallows for this, you could use St. Patrick’s Day sprinkles instead.

Lucky Charms Marshmallow Treats: Frequently Asked Questions

More Lucky Charms Treats:

Lucky Charms cereal is on sale everywhere in the first half of March.

So, if you found a buy one get one free deal and now you have an extra box of cereal, use it to make our Lucky Charms chocolate bark. That’s a really fun way to showcase the marshmallows.

Fun fact, though. If you just want the marshmallows, you can actually buy Lucky charms marshmallows online. They come without the cereal, which is perfect if you just want the marshmallows for your baked items this season.

St. Patrick’s Day is just one of the days during the year when restaurants and shops offer fun freebies and deals to celebrate. To make sure you don’t miss any, check out our list of the list of Top 20+ National Days For Freebies And Deals.

St. Patrick’s Day Freebies And Deals

Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.

All of these deals are happening on March 17th only unless otherwise noted. Anything with an * is a 2025 deal.

Also, we kept this list to national and large regional chains. Your local Irish restaurant may be offering some special deals today, but if we included every local haunt, this list would definitely be too long.

7 Brew Coffee

Buy one Lucky Seven 7 Energy (original or sugar-free can) or 7 Fizz Soda (any size), get one of equal or lesser value for free.

This is valid all day.

7-Eleven

Get $17 off a $30+ delivery order with the promo code LUCKY.

Applebee’s

If you’re 21+, you can get a $6 Tipsy Leprechaun drink (with Jameson Irish Whiskey, melon liqueur, blue curaçao, premium lemon sour, lemon lime soda, and a gold sugar rim).

Avelo Air

Get 35% off round trip base fares on select flights taken between April 21 and June 15 when you enter the promo code LUCKY at checkout. The code is valid on March 15 to 17 only.

Biggby Coffee

Get 50% off any Irish Cream beverages and get a festive sticker.

Burger Boy

Get a Mint Chocolate Chip Shake for $1.99.

Burger King

Royal Perks rewards members can get an order of onion rings for $2.

Checkers & Rally’s

Get a Baconzilla for only $4.

Cinnabon

Get a lemonade (lem o’nade, they’re calling it) for $1 with any baked goods purchase from March 14 to 17.

Crumbl

Nothing yet, but there was a deal last year.

Dave’s Hot Chicken

Frequent Fryer members have a reward for a free upgrade to a Mint Oreo Top-Loaded Shake.

If you’ve never been to one of these, you can find out more in our Dave’s Hot Chicken review.

Del Taco

Del Yeah! Rewards members can get BOGO Epic Fresh Guac Burritos on March 17 and 18.

Hardees

Rewards members can get BOGO 3-piece chicken tenders with the offer in the app.

This isn’t specific to the holiday. It happens every Tuesday and St. Patrick’s Day happens to fall on a Tuesday this year.

Huddle House

Get $1 off any $10+ purchase.

Jacksons Food Stores

Get a free big size Cafe Tango frozen coffee. You can also get a free pack of Sour Skittles.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Get a free o’riginal glazed doughnut (it’s the regular original glazed, but green) if you show up to your local Krispy Kreme location in green. Valid from March 16 to 17.

You can also get a dozen of these for $12 on March 16 and 17.

Krispy Kreme also has a St. Patrick’s Day doughnut collection available in shop and in select grocery stores, although those aren’t free.

Lowe’s Foods

Check your Lowe’s Foods account for a digital coupon for $10 off $50, valid on St. Patrick’s Day only.