San Francisco always has events going on, from concerts to symphonies to protests to gallery openings to charity races. It would be exceptionally hard to keep track of all of these goings on if it weren’t for the great selection of resources made available to the public -and all for free.
If you live in the Bay Area or are just visiting for a short while, it always helps to keep an eye on the upcoming events in the city to make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to check out a happening you are really into.

Check The Weekly Papers
The two local weekly papers in San Francisco always have an extensive listing of upcoming events, best of all, both are free both in the city and on the web. The San Francisco Bay Guardian has listings of upcoming political events and protests; theater shows; concerts; films; club happenings and other events that fail to fit in these categories. The SF Weekly has listings of concerts; movies; art gallery events; book-related happenings; museum exhibits; gay and lesbian meetings; theater shows and other events submitted to their publication.

Ask A City Guide
San Francisco City Guides provide free local tours of the city. These friendly residents are also very happy to help you answer any questions you have about the city, including what activities they may recommend doing during your trip.

The main City Guide booth is located at:
100 Larkin St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 557-4266

www.sfcityguides.org

The List
If you’re looking to see what bands are in town, the best resource available is an extensive collection of Bay Area shows put together weekly by Steve Koepke and known simply as ‘The List.’ The list can be found in an easily accessible html version by visiting foopee.com and clicking on punk shows -note that the list is not limited to punk music though.

Visit SF Station
SFStation.com is a comprehensive website with listings all types of activities in the Bay Area. Here you can find upcoming events, top-rated restaurants, local band profiles, and more. This site check help you find just about anything related to shopping, eating or events.

Yelp It
Yelp.com is a great resource of reviews from cities across the globe. They started out of San Francisco though, so their listings here are some of the best. If you’re looking for upcoming events, you can check the forums and then take a look at the reviews of the location it is held at.
One great thing about Yelp is that you may avoid good events ruined by the venue. Even if you heard about the event from one of the other sources listed here, you can still check its location on Yelp to make sure it’s worth your time.

When a representative from Plush Puffs got in touch with me about trying their gourmet marshmallows, I must admit, I was skeptical. After all, how great can a marshmallow be, right? Still, being a fan of cheap eats, I certainly enjoy freebies and gladly agreed to test out their products.

In one day, my opinion of marshmallows has changed forever. Prior to trying to Plush Puffs I thought of mallows as merely a tool for making certain desserts, like s’mores and rice squares. With Plush Puffs though, the marshmallow is all you need for dessert.

These light, fluffy bits of heaven are sweet and flavorful. The brand has six standard flavors, including Simply S’mores and Peppi-Mint, and claims they are willing to custom make flavors as well.

I tried the Caramel Swirl, Luscious Lemon Meringue and the Chocolate Chippetta and found each flavor to have its own magical kick. The caramel was bursting with light, sweet caramel, just hovering short of the delicate line of too sweet. The lemon had a delightful tang reminiscent of my mother’s lemon bars. The chocolate was dusted in cocoa powder and fitted with a sprinkling of chocolate chips making it a perfect after dinner snack.

Best of all, these tiny indulgences are incredibly healthy considering how delectable they are. Five mallows will land you only 70 calories and 0 grams of fat. For those of you looking to fight processed foods, they contain no corn syrup or artificial preservatives either.

If you ever get the chance to try these wonderful goodies, don’t pass it up. I assure you, they are worth the price.

The Lunch Bag Deli is exactly what a tiny local deli should be: cheap, uncrowded and delicious. It also has all the best characteristics of a good dive bar: full of empty space, yet decorated in a themeless mess of collectibles. Your sandwich maker could just as easily be pouring you a Jack and Coke as he could be loading up your pastrami on rye and his short bursts of conversation wouldn’t change either way. There’s an unused fan in the corner that is so dirty it would choke the whole establishment with dust if someone ever had the nerve to turn it on. On top of one of the refrigerators sits a dusty, antique display collection of fine oils and vinegars that will never touch one of the sandwiches on the menu. If a yuppie mother came in here, you could be certain she would be constantly hounding her children not to touch anything.

Fortunately for you, the fan’s not on, the oils and vinegars remain capped and you are not the child of a yuppie. Enjoy a meatball sub, a turkey cappicola, a tuna melt or an Italian sub, whatever you get, you’re sure to enjoy the fresh meat that’s piled high atop a delightfully soft roll. Best of all, the subs here are dirt cheap. Get stuffed to the gills on less than $5 and you’ll be thrilled to start filling your lunch bag exclusively with Lunch Bag Deli subs.

For more info: Just stop by 4085 Pacific Hwy., San Diego, CA 92110, or call (619) 295-3484

Today, August 11 only, recieve two tacos for free at any participating Jack In The Box. Just bring in your coupon (get them here) and enjoy.

Today is national cow appreciation day. To celebrate, put on your best cow costume and get a free combo meal at Chick-fill-a.

As if that wasn’t good enough, tomorrow, 7/11, is national 7-Eleven day, where you can get free small Slurpees and your local franchise may even offer other special deals to celebrate.

Looking to paint your bedroom, a piece of furniture…anything? You’re in luck. Glidden paint is giving away a free can of paint in any color you choose. It’s easy, just choose your color, answer some questions and you’ll have it in a few weeks.

Go to their site to check it out.

Let’s face it, your family doesn’t want to spend all kinds of money taking you out to dinner on your birthday. They want to go somewhere and eat some good food and they already bought you presents, but why make them pay an additional $10-$20? And after the family and friends dinners, wouldn’t you be happy to have a few free meals to go? Here’s a few places in San Diego that offer free food for birthday diners:

The day of:

-Onami: This is a great, all you can eat sushi and Japanese food restaurant, meaning it is a little pricey usually. On the bright side, if you eat there on your actual birthday, you get a coupon to come back again for free.

-Ihop: While participation varies by location, many Ihop’s will give you a free meal just for coming in on your birthday. Call ahead for details.

-Disneyland: So it’s not in San Diego and it’s not a restaurant, but you can save yourself a $70 admission fee for visiting on your birthday. It’s a great deal that can leave you with fantastic memories. Also note, the registration is not mandatory, it merely makes admission faster.

On a set day of the month:

-The Boathouse: This upscale restaurant selects one day of the month to offer a free prime rib meal with the purchase of another meal for all people born on a particular month.

Emails for near-birthday coupons:

-Rubios: When you sign up for their Beach Club, you get a free taco automatically. When your birthday rolls around, they give you a free meal worth up to $7. No other purchase is necessary.

-Mimi’s Cafe: Sign up for Mimi’s eclub and you’ll receive a coupon for a free breakfast worth up to $10. For your birthday, they’ll send you a coupon for $10 off you next meal over $20.

-Black Angus: If you want a steak for your birthday, sign up for their Prime Club and receive a buy one get one free meal coupon for your birthday.  Your meal can be worth up to $19.99.

-Red Robin: Get a free birthday burger when you register at their website…best of all, there’s no other purchase necessary.

-HomeTown Buffet: When you sign up here, you can get one free buffet dinner when you purchase another buffet dinner. You’ll recieve another coupon like this for your birthday.

-Coldstone: Get a free like-it size ice cream for your birthday when you register at their site.

Know any other freebies? Let me know in the comments!

Photo Via Aloha Orangeneko [Flickr]

Over on my Cheap Eats site I write for the Examiner, I just posted 6 ways you can save by doing your spring cleaning this year. Check it out.

If you have a Franklin Covey store near your home and you recently lost your job, be sure to stop by and pick up a free day planner this Saturday, March 21.

Those of you who have read the blog for a while know that I love to promote Threadless every time they have a good sale going on. Right now is no exception, they have a great selection of shirts, not including the one shown, on sale for only $5, better shop fast, the deal expires on Monday.