Time Warner Cable and the Tennis Channel will be offering a free two-week trial to subscribers that coincides with the Tennis Channel's coverage of the U.S. Open.

The free trial will be available to subscribers from Aug. 31 through Sept. 13.

To find out what channel it will be on your TV, go to this Web site and put in your ZIP code. 

Triangle Pilates is offering one free Xtend class to area residents during the month of September. Xtend is like a combination pilates and dance class.

To take advantage of the offer, please call 919-466-9989 or e-mail info@trianglepilates.com To view a full class schedule, visit www.trianglepilates.com.

Sports Clips stores in North and South Carolina have teamed up with the Red Cross to offer a pretty good freebie. Donate blood any time during the month of August (ie., through Monday) and get a coupon good for a free haircut at Sports Clips. That's it.

Sports Clips area developer Matt Lewis said his stores may give away as many as 20,000 free haircuts. He said he's trying to help the Red Cross increase its August donations, since summer is typically a time of year when donation rates decline. The coupons are good through Oct. 15.

And, for those of you who are the plan-ahead type, Jersey Mike's will do a similar promotion with the Red Cross in September. Those who give a blood donation will receive a coupon for a free Jersey Mike's meal. You can definitely do both offers if you wish. The Red Cross Web site says you can give blood every three days up to 24 times a year. [Correction: apparently that's a different kind of blood donation. "Regular" blood donations may be made every eight weeks.] The Jersey Mike's offer is good only at the four Triangle donation centers, though.

To locate a donor center, visit www.givelife.org or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

Here's a heads up on a really good freebie.

On Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day), Chick-fil-A stores nationwide will be giving away a free chicken sandwich to any customer wearing any sports-related apparel. The promotion is tied in with the Chick-fil-A Kickoff football game, in which the University of Alabama and Virginia Tech will face off. The game will be broadcast on ABC.

Don't worry. I'll remind you as we get closer to Sept. 7. 

From now through Sept. 13, kids eat free at IHOP restaurants when you visit between 4 and 10 p.m.

You get a free kids' meal with each adult meal purchase. The free meal is valid for kids 12 and under. The offer is not valid with any other discounts, coupons or specials. And, of course, at participating locations only. (I'd recommend calling just to double check before you go.)

I've seen a lot of freebies in my day, but this is an impressive one.

The Alter Ego hair salon in downtown Raleigh is giving away a free hair cut to all first-time customers. That's it. Period.

The offer applies to any first-time customer, from kids to adults, regardless of length or cut. That's quite an offer considering the salon usually charges $21 and up for a kids' cut, $28 for mens' cuts and $45 for women (per the Web site).

The salon is open Monday through Saturday, some days as late as 8 p.m. I'd recommend calling for an appointment, since I am sure this will be a popular one! Or, you can book online on the company Web site.

Thanks to Super Coupon Girl for the heads up that you can call Betty Crocker to request a coupon for the company's soon-to-launch gluten-free baking mixes.

Read about how to request yours on her blog here...

Sarah over on our Mom2Mom blog reports that fans who dress up as their favorite Harry Potter character for a screening of the new IMAX version of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" can claim a free popcorn at Marbles.

The movie opened with a midnight showing early this morning. Fans who come in costume for any showing between 1 p.m. today and 10 p.m. Sunday get a free small popcorn.

And, there's a late night at Marbles screening on Aug. 21. Sarah has the details here...

Barnes & Noble is giving away downloads of its ebooks e-reader on its Web site here.

You can download it for iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, PC or Mac.

And when you download now for iPhone or PC, you also get free books.

You'll get "The Last of the Mohicans" and "Sense and Sensibility." Then if you create a B&N.com account, you will also get "Dracula," "Pride and Prejudice," "Little Women," and the "Merriam-Webster Pocket Dictionary."

The Cupcake Shoppe on Glenwood South in Raleigh will be celebrating its two-year anniversary on Tuesday.

Owner Sara Coleman wrote to me: "We would like to thank all our loyal customers and fans with free cupcakes in house all day long and wanted to spread the word."

Consider the word spread... yum.

Thanks to markpetko/spoonfedraleigh.com for the photo.