Friday freebies: Food, music and bus trips

It’s time for Friday freebies and food deals, but the deal makers seem to be settling down for a long winter’s nap, or at least a holiday hiatus. Some of last week’s deals are still good.

To make up for the lack of free food, we’ve found you some free music, free kids’ craft workshops, a free poinsettia and even a free bus trip.

For your post-holiday travel needs, Megabus is giving away 100,000 free tickets for travel between Jan. 6 and March 20.

Here are a few new food deals we found, with some help from our friends at Cities on the Cheap:

• McDonald’s has unveiled a new $1 breakfast menu and will offer sausage McMuffins, sausage biscuits, sausage burritos, hash browns or a 12-ounce coffee for $1 each, starting in January.
• El Pollo Loco is offering a skinless chicken breast meal, which includes steamed vegetables and a salad, for $2.75 with this coupon. The meal has 275 calories, the chain says. The coupon is good through Dec. 17.
• Restaurant.com’s discount dining certificates are 80% off through Dec. 14. Use promo code SHARE to get a $25 certificate for $2. The normal price is $10.
• The Swedish Meatball Plate at IKEA, regularly $4.29, is just $1 this weekend, Dec. 12-13. The plate includes 10 meatballs, mashed potatoes and cream sauce.

How about a few Christmas freebies?

• Get a free six-inch poinsettia with this coupon when you make a purchase at Earth Fare Supermarket.
• Take your kids to Lowe’s at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, to learn to make Christmas ornaments at the chain’s free Build-and-Grow clinics. Advance registration is suggested. Bass Pro Shops and Michael’s craft stores also offer free craft workshops.
• Download the 20 free songs that make up the iTunes holiday sampler. Artists include Amy Grant, Sarah McLachlan, Barry Manilow, Mannheim Steamroller, Aretha Franklin and Rascal Flatts.
• Amazon’s 25 Days of Free gives you a free Christmas song every day through Dec. 25. You can go back and download the songs you missed. Amazon also has a free Sampler Claus with seven songs. And Jennifer Maciejewski of Cities on the Cheap found a whole list of additional free Christmas songs on Amazon.

• Huge sale on sports, theater tickets and more
• 6 steps to a frugal little Christmas
• Don’t spend a lot on gifts kids don’t want
• Gift cards are the new fruitcake