If you are a federal employee and affected by the government shutdown, there are many local and national companies looking to help.

Below is a list of Shutdown Specials that are currently available:

The Friendly Toast: Free meal for you and a guest with a federal/government ID

British Beer Company (Multiple Locations): Furloughed Government Employees can receive a free entrée with ID

Not Your Average Joes: Get 15% off your food bill for federal workers affected by the government shutdown

The Voyage (Marshfield): Free soup & sandwich or cheese pizza for federal employees with Government ID

Kings: Two free games of bowling from Monday-Thursday from open to 6PM with government ID

Lucky Strike Boston: Enjoy a free game of bowling and shoe rental from open to 6PM

The Museum of Fine Arts: Free admission for federal workers + one guest during the government shutdown

Boston Symphony Orchestra: Furloughed and federal employees required to work without pay can get two tickets to the Orchestra for free with Government ID.

Harlem Globetrotters: Any U.S. government employee currently on furlough can show their valid government ID at their local box office and receive two complimentary tickets to a Harlem Globetrotter game during the government shutdown

Sky Zone: Federal government employees furloughed or currently without pay and up to three (3) immediate family members are invited to participating Sky Zone parks Tuesday through Thursday in January for 60-minutes of play for free.

The Village Works (Brookline): Free co-working space for furloughed federal employees in January.

MSPCA-Angell: Free dog and cat food for furloughed government workers

If you are looking for more Shutdown Specials during the Government Shutdown, you can search #ShutdownSpecials on Twitter for all the freebies and offers. I’m going to try to retweet as many as I can as well, so make sure to follow me on Twitter if you don’t already!

Also, a big thanks to Phillip, Tyrone, and everyone that sent shutdown deals to me lately! I appreciate it!

If you know of any furlough freebies in Boston that I may have missed or have been recently added, please leave them in the comments below or send me an e-mail or tag on social media! Thanks!

Are you looking for discounts to the Museum of Science in Boston?

The Museum of Science is located at 1 Science Park in Boston and is a fun and interactive museum for all ages.

Admission to the exhibits at Museum of Science is $28 for ages 12+, $24 for ages 60+, and $23 for ages 3-11. Children under 3 are free.

However, there are a few different ways to save at the Museum of Science so you do not have to pay full-price admission. My favorite way is to reserve a library pass for free admission to the Museum of Science, but there’s so many great ways to save at the MoS:

• Boston Public Library Pass: Free pass up to four people for exhibit halls with advanced reservation for Boston Public Library (any MA resident can get a BPL card) and Cambridge Public Library cardholders (also $10 tickets and other discount passes available at many other local libraries) *keep in mind that these passes are popular so you’ll want to reserve a pass early*
• Free Admission for Members: Free admission to exhibits for museum members + tons of perks, MoS memberships start at $95/year
• Reciprocal Membership: Free admission for ASTC/AZA members *more info/personal experience below
• Two Visit Ticket: Pay full-price for admission within the last two hours, and get your ticket stamped for a free return visit to use within 6 months
• WIC/EBT cardholders: Free admission for up to 4 for EBT and WIC cardholders
• US Active Military: Active military members can receive free admission with CAC and free admission for Veterans on Veterans Day
• Advance Purchase: Save $3 when you buy your ticket at least one day before your visit, coupon will automatically apply online
• Boston Visitor Passes: Admission Included with the Go Boston Card and Boston CityPass
• Boston Duck Tour Admission: Purchase a Boston Duck Tour departing from the museum and receive discount admission

I recently went to the Museum of Science with my two little ones for free with the reciprocal membership benefit! For Christmas, I had asked for “experience” gifts and I had received a membership to the Capron Zoo in Attleboro. A family membership to Capron Zoo is $70 for the year and comes with (AZA) reciprocal benefits, which includes free admission for two adults and two children to the Museum of Science!

I can use my Capron Zoo season pass anytime to the Museum of Science. I didn’t have to wait in the ticket line either– we just went straight to the entrance and showed our season pass for a fast entry! It was super easy! If we just showed up to the MoS without any passes, coupons, etc. we would have paid $79 in admission for two adults and one child, which is more money than a season pass to Capron! You can also pick a different reciprocal zoo or museum (like Buttonwood Zoo in New Bedford) or get a season pass directly to the MoS if you rather get more member perks besides free admission!

We chose a Capron Zoo membership because it was half the price of a Museum of Science family membership, and I loved the fact I could get free admission for 4 to the Museum of Science whenever, and I didn’t care about the other membership perks that came it. I know the library passes negate the need of a membership but sometimes the library passes need some pre-planning as they book up, which I’m not the best at with small children. We also get free admission and discounts to other museums and zoos in the area which I’m going to take advantage of.

The Museum of Science also participates is the ASTC passport program so if you are visiting over 90 miles away from the Museum and have a membership to a museum over 90 miles away as well, you can show your membership to get free admission for up to 4 people, depending on membership level, to the Museum of Science. For more information or to view participating ASTC attractions, please head here.

There are so many great ways to save at the Museum of Science. What is your favorite way to save on admission?

Head to Legal Sea Foods on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 for “Chowda Day” where you can grab a cup of their signature clam chowder for $1.

The $1 clam chowder offer is available when you purchase an entrée anytime on 1/15/19 at any Legal Sea Foods location.

For more information or to find all participating locations, please head here.

Will you be enjoying “Chowda Day” on 1/15/19?

Happy (almost) weekend! I don’t have too many suggestions for this weekend, sorry! I’m having a hard time finding a lot of free events in mid-January, but luckily Sunday there’s a big game on! Let me know in the comments below if I missed anything fun for the weekend.

Snowflake Festival: Sunday, January 13, 2019 at Brookline Arts Center from 1-3PM. Join the Brookline Arts Center for a fun afternoon filled with art and fun for all ages!

Harvard Art Museums: Massachusetts residents are admitted free every Saturday morning from 10am to Noon year-round with proof of residency

Harvard Museum of Natural History: Massachusetts residents are admitted free every Sunday morning from 9am to Noon year-round with proof of residency

Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology: Massachusetts residents are admitted free every Sunday morning from 9am to Noon year-round with proof of residency

Also, if you plan on using the commuter rail for any weekend plans, you may want to check out the $10 unlimited pass for the Commuter Rail if you haven’t already!

Hope you have a great weekend!

GO PATS!

The MBTA announced the return of the $10 weekend unlimited pass program after a short hiatus. The pass is available for travel through all zones on weekends for unlimited travel for just $10.

Keep in mind that this pass won’t work on special event trains (like Gillette Stadium) as well as CapeFlyer.

The $10 fare is available on mTicket, onboard trains, and ticket windows at North, South, and Back Bay Stations.

The pass applies to customers 12 and above and paying adults can bring two children under 12 for free.

Some commuter rail fares are over $10 for one way, so this pays for itself in less than one trip!

For more information about this weekend commuter pass, please head here.

Will you get this commuter rail pass this year?

Are you looking for the City of Boston Parking Holiday Schedule for 2019?

Boston Parking Meters are free on Sundays and Holidays and below is the 2019 Holiday Schedule for free meter parking days in Boston:

Although it is not mentioned on the City of Boston’s holiday schedule, keep an eye out for free parking for Evacuation Day (March 17) and Bunker Hill Day (June 17). Check out Twitter or other City of Boston forms of communication for free parking updates on those dates because meters are typically free on those dates as well– in Boston proper only.

For more information about the City of Boston Holiday schedule or parking information, please head here.