Labor Day freebies and deals

This guest post comes from Leah Ingram at Living on the Cheap.

Many Americans will be spending Labor Day weekend getting in a last day at the beach, or hosting friends at home for a backyard barbecue. But if you're looking to do something or go out to eat without busting your budget, we can help.

A handful of places nationwide are offering Labor Day freebies and deals. Here are seven worth checking out:

Burger King Smoothies for $1. From Friday, Aug. 31, through Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 3, you can get a fruit Smoothie at participating Burger King restaurants for just $1 (regularly $2.29 or more). No coupon is required for this deal. Choose among strawberry banana, tropical mango, or raspberry.

A free meal for you and your family at Ikea. This freebie is good Sept. 1-3. The catch? You'll need to spend $100 or more on home furnishing items in the store that day. "They need to eat first, hold on to the receipt, then show the cashier when they are checking out with their purchases," an Ikea spokeswoman said. If you are going to Ikea on Monday, Sept. 3, anyway and can get to the store before 11 a.m., you can get a free breakfast. Breakfast is always free on Mondays at Ikea. (Post continues below.)

BOGO deal at Firehouse Subs. Firehouse Subs is giving away a free medium sub when you purchase any sub combo. To redeem the offer, simply bring a printed copy of the coupon. This is valid on Monday, Sept. 3, only.

Free museum admission. Bank of America and Merrill Lynch cardholders will enjoy free admission Sept. 1-2 as part of the Museums on Us program involving more than 150 leading cultural institutions in 91 cities across the country. These include Newport Art Museum in Newport, R.I.; Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, Calif.; Chicago History Museum; and National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. Here is a link to the list of all the participating museums nationwide.

Free museum admission for the military. Active-duty military members and their families can enjoy free museum admission on Labor Day, thanks to the Blue Star Museums program, a collaboration of the National Endowment of the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,800 museums across America. This free admission program, which began May 28, ends on Labor Day.

Free phone calls for the military. Labor Day comes a day early for troops and hospitalized veterans in Afghanistan and Kuwait, who will be able to call the U.S. for free for a full 24 hours. Free Call Day starts at 12:01 a.m. EST on Sunday, Sept. 2, courtesy of Sport Clips Haircuts, and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST that same day. Free Call Days are offered at more than 800 MWR Internet cafes at various military installations in Afghanistan and Kuwait.

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Cheap movie tickets. Regal Cinemas is letting you see movies on the cheap this Labor Day weekend. From Friday, Aug. 31, through Monday, Sept. 2, Regal Crown Club members will be able to see some first-run movies for only $5. These tickets are for RPX shows only. RPX is the Regal Premium Experience, the chain's high-end theater experience with plush seats, a high-definition 60-foot-high screen and a sound system powered by 100,000 watts. (Tickets are normally about $14.) If you're not a Regal Crown Club member, the cost is still a deal at $6.

Finally, many cities have their own freebies and deals for Labor Day. Check out the Living on the Cheap network to see if there's an On the Cheap site for your area, and then click through to find local Labor Day freebies and deals.

More on Living on the Cheap and MSN Money:

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• What to expect from Labor Day sales
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