If you’re having friends over to watch the game, here are some ideas that can help you keep the cost under control.
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"Living On The Cheap" - 5 new articles

  1. How to throw a Super Bowl party on the cheap
  2. Valentine’s Day deals and specials 2026
  3. Enjoy $1 Original Double Steakburger at Freddy’s for one day only
  4. How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics without cable TV
  5. Starbucks gives away free coffee for one day only + new paper cups & global bakery items!
  6. More Recent Articles

How to throw a Super Bowl party on the cheap

The Big Game doesn’t have to equal big spending. A little food, some libations, a few decorations and a TV, and you’ve got the makings for a great Super Bowl party. If you’re having friends over to watch the game, here are some Super Bowl party ideas that can help you keep the price tag under control.

Football party food -- chips, salsa, guacamole, pretzels and beer -- next to a football on a table.

Photo: Deposit Photos

Consider a potluck

Every Super Bowl party needs food, but you don’t have to do it all on your own. Prepare a few dishes and snacks yourself, then ask everyone to bring their favorite football food. It you send your invitations electronically, you can ask people to reply to the list with what they’ll bring to avoid duplication (although you really can’t have too many hot wings, can you?).

Enlist a party co-host

Having a friend help with the party will not only save you money, but will also save you time before and during game day. Choose the house with the most seating and divvy up the costs for food and other party essentials. You can also divide the chores so you’re only doing half the work.

The best snacks are also the cheapest 

All-time favorite football foods — chili, nachos and potato skins — are all cheap to make. Instead of buying fancy cupcakes topped with footballs, make and decorate your own football-themed treats. And, of course, look for supermarket sales and coupons for Game Day recipe staples, such as chips and soda.

Need inspiration? See our favorite cheap Super Bowl party food ideas (with recipes!).

Ask guests to BYOB

Three male friends, two white and one black, drinking beer at a party or bar.

Photo: Deposit Photos

Beer and other alcoholic drinks are the most expensive part of any Super Bowl party, so ask guests to bring their own. You supply the ice and a cooler. Not only will you save, but you can have fun trying out the different brews everyone contributes.

Order pizza

If your friends don’t cook, or you’re just looking to keep things simple, you might want to order pizza. A lot of pizza places run Super Bowl deals, so you can sometimes get multiple pies without spending a fortune. If you belong to Costco, their pizzas are always a great deal, and you can get them to go. Check Living on the Cheap’s “Dining” page  for the latest deals before making any final decisions on where to order.

Skip fancy party decorations

Although it may be fun to have paper plates/bowls/cups with your team logo, they can be a bit pricey. You’ll save money if you instead buy those items in solid colors at a discount party store or dollar store. Alternate colors when you set them out, so when you look around the room, you’ll see your team’s colors in full force.

Add some cheap entertainment

Between the game, the halftime show, and the commercials, you should have all the entertainment you need. But if you want a little extra, play some Super Bowl trivia. You can get cheap miniature trophies or ribbons for the winners at most party stores. Frugal hosts could use food gifts as prizes; make some tasty treats to give away, or put together a fun themed gift basket filled with popcorn, chips, spray cheese, or football-shaped treats.

Use real dishes

The price of paper products seems to have skyrocketed over the past several years, so if you have enough glasses and plates to use real ones, you can save yourself some money that way. Make sure the dishwasher is empty beforehand, and keep loading it throughout the evening.

Visit the dollar store

The dollar store is a great place to pick up inexpensive party decorations. You don’t need to spend a great deal of money decorating, but you might want to pick up a few items (think pompoms and streamers) in both teams’ colors. You might also be able to get supplies to make your own decorations and cheap snacks like pretzels and nuts.

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Big events don’t have to equal big spending. A little food, some libations, a few decorations and a TV, and you’ve got the makings for a great Super Bowl party. If you’re having friends over to watch the game, here are some ideas that can help you keep the price tag under control.

 

   

Valentine’s Day deals and specials 2026

Valentine’s Day is a holiday full of love, laughter and, if you’re a bargain hunter, lots of sweet savings. Most will celebrate by buying gifts and taking loved ones out for dinner, drinks or dessert. However, who says you have to spend big bucks to show your love?

Money-saving cupids should aim their arrow at restaurants offering Valentine’s Day dinner specials and discounts or attractions offering Valentine’s Day deals.  Because the lovely holiday is so popular, you should call ahead to secure a reservation or place an early order. 

Don’t forget to support your local restaurants and shops, if possible. Many will be offering lots of specials for the day, so check their website or call ahead to inquire about any possible Valentine’s Day deals. Don’t forget to look for local deals near you at our network of  local cheap sites.

A hand holding a red stuffed fabric heart.

Photo: Deposit Photos

Applebee’s

Sip on Applebee’s Valentine’s Day-themed Tipsy Cupid and Prickly Ever After ‘Rita for just $6 each

The Tipsy Cupid is a spiked lemonade made with Smirnoff Vodka, orange liqueur, strawberry and premium lemon sour topped with gummi lips. 

NEW! The Prickly Ever After ‘Rita is sweet-meets-tart margarita with Cuervo Tradicional Blanco Tequila, orange liqueur, lime, prickly pear and gummi lips. 

Combine the specialty drink specials with the restaurant’s popular 2 for $25 meal deal (appetizer and two entrées) for a truly affordable date night. 

Baskin-Robbins

Surprise your sweetheart with Vintage Heart Cake or Vintage Cherry Cake from Baskin-Robbins — with your choice cake and ice cream flavor. Price varies by location.

And, back by popular demand, the shop’s Flavor of the Month for February is once again Love Potion #31. The limited-time flavor features white chocolate and raspberry ice cream, a raspberry swirl, chocolate chips and raspberry-filled chocolate hearts.

Download the Baskin-Robbins Rewards app for a FREE scoop of ice cream upon signing up. 

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

Enjoy a Valentine’s Day date at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, but be sure to buy a gift card to pay for the meal for an added bonus. 
 
From Feb. 1 to 14, 2026, for every $50 eGift Card purchased online from restaurant, receive a $10 bonus card. The bonus card is valid from Feb. 17 to March 31, 2026

Cafe Rio

Make it a frugal and fun fiesta for Valentine’s Day!

Through March 1, 2026, Cafe Rio is offering big savings with its $20 Double Meal Deal — a savings of up to 50%. 

The meal deal includes two entrées, two fountain drinks and chips & queso or guacamole, all for just twenty bucks! 

California Pizza Kitchen

Pizza is perfect for a Valentine’s Day date. Order your favorite Crispy Thin Crust pizza in a heart shape at no additional charge at California Pizza Kitchen — dine-in only.

Plus, enjoy the pizzeria’s “Valentine’s Day Sweet Meal for Two” with an appetizer, two entrées and a dessert at a special price — for dine-in, takeout or delivery. Price varies by location. ‘

The special meal is available from Feb. 10 to 16, 2026.

Photo: Chick-fil-A

The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory makes for a sweet date night for Valentine’s Day (or just about every other celebratory occasion.) 

Through Feb. 17, 2026, the restaurant is offering a $10 dining credit with the purchase of $50 gift card. The credit is available for use from Feb. 18 to March 31, 2026

Use the $50 gift card for a Valentine’s Day lunch or dinner and save the bonus for another date night. 

The offer is only available to Cheesecake Rewards members

Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A is making Valentine’s Day even lovelier, especially for sweethearts who really love Chick-fil-A. 

For Valentine’s Day, order Heart-Shaped Trays filled with select menu items, including Chick-fil-A Nuggets, Chick-n-Minis, Chick-n-Strips, Chocolate Chunk Cookies or Chocolate Fudge Brownie halves.

Price and participation varies by location. 

Chili’s

Perfect for a frugal date night! Enjoy Chili’s popular 3 for Me value meal with a beverage, appetizer and entrée — starting at just $10.99.

Plus, check out your location’s Happy Hour specials for added fun. 

Cinnabon

Make Valentine’s Day even sweeter at Cinnabon!

From Feb. 1 to 14, 2026, buy a $25 Cinnabon gift card online and enjoy a FREE Classic MiniBon reward code. The reward expires March 15, 2026

Dollar Tree

You won’t blow your entire Valentine’s Day budget at Dollar Tree. Rather than spend $5 or more for a single balloon at the grocery store, stretch your budget by buying bargain balloons at the popular discount store. 

Dollar Tree sells foil balloons in many shapes and colors for just $2, including Valentine’s Day and heart-shaped balloons. You can also get latex balloons for $1.50. They also have large foil balloons starting at $5

Plus, the discount chain offers a variety of low-cost Valentine’s Day greeting cards and gifts

Photo: Jamba

Jamba

Jamba is offering a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie for Valentine’s Day – a lovely fusion of chocolate and ripe strawberries, blended with creamy vanilla frozen yogurt. You can also choose orange or raspberry. 

In addition, get $5 Reward Card with every $25 in Jamba gift cards purchased online — from Feb. 1 to 14, 2026. (The bonus is valid through March 15, 2026.) 

Landmark Theatres

Make Valentine’s Day a date night at the movies!

From Feb. 13 to 15, 2026, Landmark Theatres is offering a Valentine’s Movie & Combo Deal for Two — perfect for couples.

The packaged deal includes two movie tickets, two fountain drinks, a large popcorn and box of candy — starting at $30

Lowe’s

Lowe’s is blooming with a rosy giveaway on Valentine’s Day! 

On Feb. 14, 2026, Lowe’s is giving the first 150 customers a FREE Wooden Rose Bouquet at every location — starting at 10 a.m. No purchase necessary.

Get more details here

Olive Garden

The popular Italian restaurant continues its $6 Take-Home Entrées. After enjoying your Valentine’s Day date at Olive Garden, take home an extra budget-friendly entrée to enjoy later for just six bucks.

Choose from fettuccine alfredo, five-cheese ziti al forno or spaghetti with meat sauce. The offer is available for dine-in only. Limit five take-home meals per in-restaurant entrée. 

Papa Murphy’s

Heat up Valentine’s Day with Papa Murphy’s popular holiday pizza for just $11 — the HeartBaker Pizza. Choose from cheese or pepperoni

It’s the perfect pizza for a lovely Valentine’s Day at home! 

Popeyes

Mix-and-match for the perfect Valentine’s Day meal at Popeyes!

Through Feb. 15, 2026, the popular chicken restaurant is offering its $5 Faves Menu with three pieces of chicken, three chicken strips, two wraps and two sides as affordable options. 

Two could easily feast for $20!

QDOBA 

Grab your sweetheart or friend for a frugal fiesta!

On Feb. 14, 2026, QDOBA is offering a FREE entrée with the purchase of an entrée and drink. (Quesadillas are excluded from the offer.)

The lovely deal is exclusively for QDOBA Rewards members. The required coupon will be added to each member’s account on Valentine’s Day.

Regal Cinemas

Regal Cinemas is offering gift card bonus for Valentine’s Day — from Feb. 6 to 14, 2026.

Buy a $50 gift card online and receive a $15 Concession Bonus eCard. The bonus card is valid Feb. 6 to March 14, 2026.

Plus, the movie theater chain is hosting its “XOXO, Regal” film series all month long. Enjoy a classic romance back on the big screen every day in February. Tickets are just $7.99 each

Both are perfect for a Valentine’s Day date at the movies! 

Torchy’s Tacos

It’s Taco Saturday for Valentine’s Day — not Taco Tuesday!

Through March 3, 2026, Torchy’s Tacos offers a big deal with “The Double Feature” for $20 — a complete meal for two. 

The meal deal includes six tacos, rice, beans and two fountain drinks, all for just 20 bucks. For the tacos, choose from green chile pork, carne asada and barbacoa.

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Enjoy $1 Original Double Steakburger at Freddy’s for one day only

Get ready for meaty savings at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers!

The popular burger joint has officially declared Feb. 24th as National Steakburger Day. And they’re celebrating the day with a juicy deal for burger lovers and bargain hunters alike. 

Photo: Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

In addition, the restaurant’s namesake Freddy Simon would have turned 101 on Feb. 24, 2026.

To celebrate its famous steakburgers and commemorate Freddy’s 101st birthday, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is offering its famous Freddy’s Original Double Steakburger for just $1 at participating locations on Feb. 24, 2026.

Freddy’s Original Double is made with two patties, two slices of cheese, mustard, onion slices and pickle planks. Freddy’s steakburgers are made with premium, lean ground beef pressed thin and seared on a flat-top grill to create deliciously crispy, caramelized edges, and a juicy center. The steakburger is topped with Freddy’s Famous Fry Seasoning.

The burger is regularly $8.49, so it’s definitely a big deal for burger lovers. That’s a savings of nearly 90%! Regular price may vary by location.

The offer is only available for Freddy’s Rewards members via the chain’s app. Join Freddy’s Rewards here.

Limit one per customer. 

For locations nationwide, click here

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How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics without cable TV

The 2026 Winter Olympics are in Milan, and this is shaping up to be an exciting addition to the international tradition. Lucky for cord-cutters, you can watch the Olympics without an expensive cable TV subscription. When you’re ready to catch all the action, here are options to stream online on your phone or computer, or watch live on TV without cable.

When are the Olympics?

The 2026 Winter Olympics officially open Friday, Feb. 6, with the closing ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 22. 

You can view the entire Milan Olympics schedule here so you know when your favorite nations or athletes are competing.

Who is broadcasting the 2026 Olympics?

As in past years, the Olympics are being broadcast on TV by NBC. 

With cable TV, you can turn to any channel to watch. But without cable, how do you watch the Olympics live? We’ve got you covered. Here’s where you can watch the Olympics live and how you can stream the 2026 games. 

How to watch the Olympics on TV without cable 

The easiest place to watch the core NBC coverage is on your TV with a digital TV antenna. Digital antennas start at really affordable versions like this one and get more expensive for further range. If you live in or near a big city, odds are you can get a strong signal for this one-time, low cost without cable. Plus, once you have it, you can watch all of your local channels with the same antenna and no subscription cost. Digital antennas pick up channels like NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox.

Where I live in Ventura, California, the NBC signal is not strong enough for my TVs, so I’m stuck with streaming options. Lucky for me, and many others, streaming the Olympics is also quite easy.

How to watch the Olympics online

The next place to look if you don’t have a digital antenna or gear to stream to your TV is your trusty computer or smartphone. You can watch hours of Olympic goodness on your computer at NBCOlympics.com, which includes streaming of all NBC primetime broadcasts.  If you can’t watch every moment live, sign up for a free Peacock account and get access to the Olympic Spotlight channel, where you can catch the latest updates and highlights. 

Alternatively, you can download the NBC Sports App (iOS, Android) to stream the Olympics on your phone. Just beware of big data costs if you are streaming without a WiFi connection.

tv coverage of live sports with a hand holding a remote control in front of the screen

Stream live Olympic coverage from TV networks

Today you have several options to get a live TV stream to your home without a cable subscription. Popular choices are SlingTV,  FuboTV, Hulu and YouTube TV.

SlingTV comes in two package options. Accounts come with a special trial offer, so you can get most of the Olympics without paying full price before deciding if SlingTV makes sense for you.

FuboTV is a newer TV streaming service that is more sports-centric than Sling. It also comes with a special free trial. It provides live streaming to computers, phones and streaming devices like Roku, Chromecast, and FireTV. Learn more here.

While Hulu is often referred to as a streaming competitor to Netflix, there is a Hulu + Live TV option that brings the Olympics to your screens. With Hulu, you get access to an extensive library of streaming movies and TV shows, or an upgraded account for live TV. Hulu is also available in a bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+. Learn more here.

YouTube TV will also carry NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. Like the other services, it offers a free trial period. 

How you can watch the Olympics for free

While it is not the intention of the free trials, you can certainly “trial hop” on each of these trials to watch at least some of the Olympics via streaming TV without paying a dollar. But you may find the NBC Olympics website and NBC Sports apps easier than signing up for multiple services (and then remembering to cancel!).

Go enjoy the Olympics!

The Olympics are a piece of modern world history. The modern Olympic Games date back to 1896 and the original games date back to the 8th century BC. The games are larger than life, and a fun way to enjoy a friendly world competition. Even without cable TV, you can enjoy watching the Olympic games without cable by streaming at home, on your phone, or anywhere else with a fast internet connection.

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Starbucks gives away free coffee for one day only + new paper cups & global bakery items!

It’s time to make a Starbucks run! It’s not often the popular coffee shop offers any deals or discounts anymore, so that make this one-day-only giveaway extra hot for Starbucks lovers and bargain hunters alike.

Plus, the ubiquitous café is introducing a new dark roast brewed coffee and six globally inspired bakery items — for a limited time

Photo: Starbucks

Limited-Edition Green Paper Cup

For a limited time throughout February, Starbucks will serve tall, grande and venti hot beverage orders in a limited-edition paper cup wrapped in Starbucks iconic green and original logo.

Photo: Starbucks

New Bakery Items

Starbucks is introducing six new globally-inspired treats to enjoy alongside your favorite beverage.

The new line-up includes the following treats:

Dubai Chocolate Bite

Cookie Croissant Swirl

Berry Blondie

Strawberry Matcha Loaf

Yuzu Citrus Blossom

Chocolate Pistachio Loaf

Photo: Starbucks

New 1971 Roast Coffee

In addition, Starbucks is introducing a new bold, dark roast coffee blend that honors the company’s heritage in roasting the highest quality coffees for more than five decades — 1971 Roast.

 

Photo: Starbucks

Free Coffee Giveaway

The day after the Big Game on February 9, 2026, Starbucks Rewards members can get a FREE tall iced or brewed coffee (12-oz.) to share with any beverage purchase. Join Starbucks Rewards here

Limit one complimentary coffee per member. Customizations may cost extra. 

Starbucks Rewards Changing Soon

Starbucks is changing the structure of its popular Starbucks Rewards loyalty program on March 10, 2026. Review all of the changes here

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