Fantastic Deals for National Waffle Day 2017
Among the many celebrated food holidays is National Waffle Day. The holiday originated on Aug. 24, 1869 when the United States issued the first patent for a waffle iron. Now restaurants, hotels and food vendors celebrate their favorite breakfast staple by offering fantastic deals on waffle meals, waffle irons and other waffle-related goods and services. Whether you're a traditional waffle purist, love breakfast for dinner or want to mix it up with a unique new recipe, there are multiple opportunities for frugal indulgence.
[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]
Restaurants and hotels. These business are providing free or discount waffles in honor of National Waffle Day.
-- Waffle House. One of the most famous purveyors of all-day waffles, Waffle House will give you a free waffle when you sign up with your email address and become a member of the Waffle House Regulars Club.
-- Waffatopia. This waffle purveyor in Pennsylvania will celebrate Waffle Day and give out free waffles in Philadelphia and at its Conshohocken facility. Purchases from the Waffatopia website will benefit Philadelphia and New York City food banks.
-- Lo-Lo's Chicken and Waffles. The restaurant chain is celebrating all week in its Phoenix locations with a complimentary waffle for any purchase of a "Hood Classic" combo or specialty meal.
-- J. Christopher's. This Georgia restaurant is serving up its signature Belgian, cinnamon pecan, bacon and strawberry waffles for only $5 each through Friday, Aug. 25.
-- Cold Stone Creamery. Ready for dessert? Cold Stone Creamery is offering a coupon for a free homemade waffle cone or bowl with any ice cream purchase.
-- Comfort Inn by Choice Hotels. The hotel chain is serving up a plate of appreciation with free waffles for hometown heroes, to thank them for their outstanding service to their communities.
-- Huddle House. In case you miss today's celebrations, Huddle House celebrates Waffle Wednesday every week. You can get a free waffle any Wednesday with a $6 entree purchase.
-- Local deals. Look in your own backyard for local and regional breakfast spots hosting National Waffle Day specials. Check the Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts of your favorite diner and follow along with the #NationalWaffleDay hashtag for deals in your area.
[See: 20 Tips for Saving Money at the Grocery Store.]
Waffle irons. If you prefer to celebrate Waffle Day at home, you can certainly do so on the cheap. A waffle iron doesn't have to empty your wallet. Right now you can find a Cooks Single Flip Waffle Maker with a five-star rating for only $40 at JCPenney. If you opt for free same-day pickup, you won't have to pay for shipping, and you'll be flipping waffles within hours.
An Oster 1½-inch thick Belgian Flip Waffle Maker with brushed stainless steel has a near perfect rating on Amazon, and is available for less than $40 and free shipping with Amazon Prime.
Cheaper still is the $19.84 Bella Rotating Waffle Maker available at Walmart, with free same day pickup at select locations.
Do-it-yourself. The Frugal Chef blogger has a classic waffles recipe with only seven ingredients, most of which you probably have in your pantry right now. Once you cook up this easy batter and start pouring it into your waffle iron, the possibilities are endless.
Any fruit currently in-season and on sale from your local farm stand, such as strawberries, pineapple, kiwi and rhubarb, would make a delicious sweet and healthy topping for your waffles. Of course, maple syrup is a must-have for many breakfast lovers, but it can get expensive, especially if it's not made in your backyard. Check Amazon Prime for maple syrup if you're looking for a bottle straight from the farm, where many Northeast sellers offer their wares. You can get free shipping with Amazon Prime and avoid the markup at many stores.
Of course, breakfast isn't the only option for Waffle Day. Blogger Mom on Timeout came up with a recipe for Grilled Peanut Butter Honey Banana Waffle Sandwiches, which is a twist on the traditional PB&J and sure to impress the whole family. For dinner, blogger Frugal Mom Eh! took the southern concept of chicken and waffles and created a Chicken and Waffles Casserole for a low-cost option to feed a family of six.
[See: 10 Money Leaks to Shut Down Now.]
Coupons. Of course, time doesn't always allow for breaking out the waffle iron. If you want to pick up a few boxes of frozen waffles for a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner (the recipes above could all easily swap real waffles for frozen ones), check for coupons first.
Take a look at your local grocery store's weekly circular for any applicable coupons. Eggo is currently offering $5 off any Crayola product when you buy any three boxes of Kelloggs' Eggo products -- perfect timing for back-to-school shopping. Sign up for the newsletter at Van's Foods, which offers frozen waffles as well as other breakfast products, and get a coupon for 75 cents off your next purchase.
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