Is there anything better than ice cream on a hot summer day? Well, yes there is — FREE ice cream! And I've got the scoop on where you can get free goodies like ice cream on your birthday and other times, too.

Most of these stores and restaurants will require you to join a club or sign up for e-alerts. So do this: Create a free email account at Yahoo or Gmail exclusively for these kinds of special offers and freebies. That will help keep your regular inbox free of all the notices and offers that are sure to show up.

Baskin-Robbins. When you sign up for the Baskin-Robbins Birthday Club you get a free scoop of ice cream on your birthday and other special offers and coupons throughout the year.

Dippin' Dots. When you join the Forty Below Club, you will get a free cup of Dippin' Dots ice cream on your birthday.

Friendly's. Once you join the BFF Club, you'll be eligible for a free three-scoop sundae with the purchase of an entree just for enrolling, and a special treat on your birthday, too.

Dairy Queen. Join the Blizzard Fan Club to get a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for Blizzards. Kids also get a free ice cream treat with a kids' meal.

TCBY offers free frozen yogurt to moms and dads on their special days. It also offers a loyalty card you can use to earn points with each purchase. Once you get 30 points, you earn $3 of store credit.

Culver's. Kids get a free scoop of frozen custard with a kids' meal at this restaurant chain with more than 450 locations in 19 states.

Cold Stone Creamery. You can sign up for the eClub to get two ice cream creations for the price of one and a coupon on your birthday to buy one ice cream and get one for free.

Carvel. Join Fudgie Fanatics to get a coupon for buy-one-get-one-free ice cream treats.

Ben & Jerry's. The Ben & Jerry's scoop truck is traveling along the East and West Coasts of the USA, giving away free ice cream. Find out here which cities the truck will visit and when. Also, Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops have a Free Cone Day each year in the spring-usually April. Become a Chunk Spelunker and you'll get a free scoop of ice cream on your birthday.

Bruster's Real Ice Cream. This ice cream franchise with 220 locations in 18 states offers free mini ice cream cones to children shorter than 40 inches.

Denny's. Join Denny's Rewards Club to receive a free Grand Slam Breakfast on your birthday.

Del Taco. Join Del Taco's Raving Fan e-Club to receive a free premium shake on your birthday, plus two free grilled chicken tacos, just for signing up.

Chili's. Sign up for the Chili's email list and get a free order of chips and salsa, guacamole or queso just for joining, plus a brownie sundae on your birthday.

Buca di Beppo. Register for Buca's eClub updates and receive a free brownie on your birthday and a free dessert on your anniversary.

Black Angus Steakhouse. Join their Prime Club and receive a free steak dinner (with purchase of a second entree) on your first birthday as a member.

Baker's Square Restaurant & Pies. Sign up for their email newsletters and you'll receive a coupon for a free entree right away, plus a free slice of pie on your birthday.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.