9 Teacher Appreciation Week Freebies, Deals and Discounts

Teachers and parents of students will probably know that May 4 is the kickoff of Teacher Appreciation Week, with Teacher Appreciation Day falling on May 5. This event is a great opportunity to thank teachers for their hard work and dedication, and maybe give them a gift that will brighten their day and bring a smile to their faces.

But parents aren’t the only ones looking to thank teachers. Many businesses will go out of their way this week to thank teachers for their hard work with freebies, deals and discounts. Here’s a roundup of deals you can take advantage of on Teacher Appreciation Day or throughout Teacher Appreciation Week.

Read: A Year-by-Year Guide to Teaching Kids About Money

9 Best Teacher Appreciation Week Freebies and Deals

• Arby’s: Click here to claim a coupon to upgrade a smokehouse turkey sandwich to a meal (adding a fry and drink) for free through May 5.
• CiCi’s Pizza: Teachers will get a free pizza buffet dinner on May 5 from 4 p.m. to closing with a valid faculty ID (must show picture, name of school and current school year).
• EVOS: Teachers can enjoy a buy one, get one free deal on meals and salads on May 5 with a valid teacher ID.
• Lakeshore Learning: This coupon will get shoppers 20 percent off a single non-sale item through June 30, plus many locations offer free crafts for kids each weekend.
• McDonald’s: Several McDonald’s locations are offering deals and freebies. In Phoenix- area locations, teachers visiting on May 5 can show teacher IDs to get a keytag to get a free small McCafé beverage (from coffees to smoothies and more) every day through the end of 2015. In Southern Nevada, McDonald’s is giving teachers free breakfasts on May 4 through May 8 with a faculty ID. Check with your local McDonald’s for Teacher’s Appreciation Week deals.
• Office Depot and OfficeMax: Between May 3 and May 9, teachers can get a discount of $5 off a purchase of $25 by joining the office supply stores’ rewards programs.
• PDQ: Teachers with a valid ID can get a free combo meal on May 5 only.
• Staples: Teachers who are members of the store’s free Teacher Rewards program will get 40 percent rewards on teaching supplies, art supplies, laminating, posters and cleaning supplies from May 3 to May 9.
• Starbucks: Anyone can enjoy this deal, not just teachers: Frappuccinos are 50 percent off during a happy hour event from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. through May 10.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 9 Teacher Appreciation Week Freebies, Deals and Discounts

This article by Elyssa Kirkham first appeared on GoBankingRates.com and was distributed by the Personal Finance Syndication Network.

17 Best Earth Day 2015 Freebies, Deals and Discounts

Earth Day is this Wednesday, April 22, a day to renew our commitment as a global community to the Earth, the environment and striving for sustainability. Many celebrate Earth Day by volunteering in their communities, cleaning up public areas, planting trees or other Earth-friendly events. Likewise many companies are offering Earth Day deals and freebies that save money, save the Earth — or both.

Related: How to Go Green With Your Bank Account for Earth Day

Go Green With These 17 Earth Day Freebies and Deals

GOBankingRates hunted down the best Earth Day freebies, deals and discounts to help you go green without burning through the green in your wallet. From kid-friendly free crafts to environmentally friendly reusable grocery bags, here are deals to help you save money on Earth Day.

• AERO: Follow this link to print out a coupon for 20 percent off your total purchase, valid through April 30.
• Anthropologie: The brand’s locations are offering free Rainforest Crafts for Kids events throughout the week of Earth Day. Visit the Anthropologie site here to find a store near you offering the event and to RSVP; the craft is recommended for ages 5 to 10.
• Carter’s: Using this coupon from CouponSherpa will get shoppers 15 percent off storewide, or an even bigger discount of 20 percent off if they spend $40 or more. Valid in store only, through April 22.
• Disney Store: DealsPlus reports that Disney Stores will repeat an Earth Day freebie offer from years past, allowing customers to trade five plastic bags for a reusable tote in stores, while supplies last.
• EVOS: Visit an EVOS location on April 22 to get a free organic milkshake.
• J. Crew Factory: Women’s and men’s styles are discounted by 50 percent, while girls’ and boys’ apparel is 40 percent off through April 22, online only.
• KFC: Ordering a meal of 10 pieces or more will get you a free red velvet cake.
• Krispy Kreme: On April 28, buying a dozen donuts will get patrons a second dozen glazed donuts for free.
• LG: The washer and dryer manufacturer is having an Earth Day Sale that takes 20 percent off select items when coupon code EARTHDAY is used at checkout.
• Office Depot and Office Max: These office supply stores will shred two pounds of documents for free with this coupon, valid through April 25. With the end of tax season, it’s the perfect time to get rid of old documents, plus it’s Earth-friendly since Office Depot and Office Max bale and recycle shredded paper.
• Olive Garden: Through April 23, you can click here to claim a coupon to get a free kids’ entrée with the purchase of an adult entrée.
• Panda Express: DealNews reports an offer to get a free single-serve entrée by ordering online or through the mobile app and entering coupon code NOLINE.
• Pottery Barn: Stores are hosting free Earth Day events for kids on Tuesday, April 21 at 11 a.m. local time; pre-registration is required through the Pottery Barn site. Participants will decorate and take home biodegradable flower pots complete with seeds.
• Staples: Similar to the Office Depot and Office Max deals, Staples will shred up to five pounds of documents for free. Just click here to print out a coupon and use it by May 2.
• Walmart: Shoppers can click here to access a range of environmentally friendly items for recycling, composting and gardening discounted for Walmart’s Earth Day sale.
• Wegmans: The first 300 visitors to a Wegmans location on April 25 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. can exchange a bundle of clean, dry plastic grocery bags for a free reusable grocery tote.

In addition to the freebies above, About.com also rounded up a number of free Earth Day resources like coloring pages, word searches and puzzles, online games and worksheets that teachers and parents can use to help kids learn about Earth Day and the environment.

Photo: U.S. Embassy Romania

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 17 Best Earth Day 2015 Freebies, Deals and Discounts

This article by Elyssa Kirkham first appeared on GoBankingRates.com and was distributed by the Personal Finance Syndication Network.