I spent my birthday looking for freebies in New York City - here's what I got

It turns out that family and friends aren't the only ones who like to spoil you on your birthday - a bunch of restaurants (and a few other retail spots) offer generous gifts on your big day.

I wanted to see whether these places stuck to their word, so on July 14 - my 23rd birthday - I schlepped across Manhattan with my coworker Arielle Berger, who was also celebrating her birthday in July, to see what I could accumulate.

A bit of planning is involved if you want to rack in the freebies. Most places require you to sign up for their email club or rewards program at least a week before your birthday (I registered three days in advance, which cost me in some situations).

We stopped at 15 places overall and had a pretty impressive success rate. Here's how the day went: