Reviewed by Jill Harness on March 20, 2011.

Everyone knows it’s hard to lose weight (if it weren’t, America wouldn’t have an obesity problem). The trick is to find what works for you. What works for me, and may benefit you as well, is the Calorie Counter app on my Windows phone. In fact, it’s working so well that I lost six pounds in my first week.

The app was created by FatSecret and is available on all of the major smartphone operating systems, but if you don’t have a smartphone, you can always go ahead and use the FatSecret webpage instead.

Essentially, all you have to do is track what you eat every day and how much you exercise. The system will be able to tell you how many calories, carbs, etc. you’re taking in and compare your calorie intake to the amount you should be consuming if you want to lose weight. If you slip up one day, it’s easy to stay motivated, because the diet calendar can still show you how many calories you have lost in an average day since you started using the program. There are a handful of foods and restaurants that aren’t on the list, but you can always look them up online and add them to the app where it will be available from there on out.

And of course, the service is one of the Cheapskate’s favorite adjectives -free!

I give the Calorie Counter app 4.5 out of 5.

Today is national cow appreciation day. To celebrate, put on your best cow costume and get a free combo meal at Chick-fill-a.

As if that wasn’t good enough, tomorrow, 7/11, is national 7-Eleven day, where you can get free small Slurpees and your local franchise may even offer other special deals to celebrate.

Go to their site to check it out.

The day of:

-Onami: This is a great, all you can eat sushi and Japanese food restaurant, meaning it is a little pricey usually. On the bright side, if you eat there on your actual birthday, you get a coupon to come back again for free.

-Ihop: While participation varies by location, many Ihop’s will give you a free meal just for coming in on your birthday. Call ahead for details.

-Disneyland: So it’s not in San Diego and it’s not a restaurant, but you can save yourself a $70 admission fee for visiting on your birthday. It’s a great deal that can leave you with fantastic memories. Also note, the registration is not mandatory, it merely makes admission faster.

On a set day of the month:

-The Boathouse: This upscale restaurant selects one day of the month to offer a free prime rib meal with the purchase of another meal for all people born on a particular month.

Emails for near-birthday coupons:

-Rubios: When you sign up for their Beach Club, you get a free taco automatically. When your birthday rolls around, they give you a free meal worth up to $7. No other purchase is necessary.

-Mimi’s Cafe: Sign up for Mimi’s eclub and you’ll receive a coupon for a free breakfast worth up to $10. For your birthday, they’ll send you a coupon for $10 off you next meal over $20.

-Black Angus: If you want a steak for your birthday, sign up for their Prime Club and receive a buy one get one free meal coupon for your birthday.  Your meal can be worth up to $19.99.

-Red Robin: Get a free birthday burger when you register at their website…best of all, there’s no other purchase necessary.

-HomeTown Buffet: When you sign up here, you can get one free buffet dinner when you purchase another buffet dinner. You’ll recieve another coupon like this for your birthday.

-Coldstone: Get a free like-it size ice cream for your birthday when you register at their site.

Know any other freebies? Let me know in the comments!

Photo Via Aloha Orangeneko [Flickr]

If you’ve been itching to try the new BK burger shots (I have, and they’re actually quite good) now’s your chance. On Saturday, 3/14 Burger King is giving away free burger shots between 11 AM to 2 PM. I’m not sure if “one” means one shot or one pack, but either way, one free tiny burger is yours if you stop by your local BK this Saturday.