One of the biggest changes I made in my life when I embraced frugality was giving up my morning cup of Joe that I paid someone else to brew for me. In the grand scheme of things, that $1.50 that I spent each morning didn’t seem like too much money. But that’s because I never added it up. Once we buckled down and started living frugally–and I crunched the numbers on how much one little cup of coffee a day can cost you–I tossed that cup of coffee right out the window. Now I brew at home, and I know I’m saving significant money doing so–at least $500 a year. Wow!

Today, though, I plan to treat myself to a cup of coffee from Starbucks. It’s not because I’m back-tracking on my thrifty ways or anything–it’s because Starbucks is running a special on November 4th for all American voters. If you visit Starbucks between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. today and tell the barista that you’ve just voted, Starbucks will give you a tall cup of coffee on the house. Yes, you read that right–a free cup of coffee at Starbucks. Considering that I can easily take a quick detour on my walk home from the polls to my downtown Starbucks, I guess I’ll be seeing you at Starbucks.

Turns out that Starbucks isn’t the only place rewarding Americans for voting with free food. Here are two other national food companies that have gotten on the Election Day Freebie bandwagon.

* Krispy Kreme is giving out star-shaped donuts to anyone popping in to say, “Hey, I just voted,” though you would be hard pressed to find a Krispy Kreme in my neck of the woods; they all closed down in the past few years. (I hear the Atkins diet was to blame.)

* Ben and Jerry’s will give you a free scoop of ice cream between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Actually, I think you may need an “I just voted” sticker to get some of these freebies. Do they give those out? The last time I remember getting a sticker for anything was a “Be nice to me. I gave blood” sticker after donating blood to the American Red Cross.

Not hungry? Here are some other things you can expect to get for free today:

* A free ride on public transit. This is true in Charlottesville, Virginia, and in Austin, Texas.

* Free (or reduced-price) babysitting. Hey, maybe you won’t have to drag the kids along when you go vote, now that two babysitting companies, including SitterCity, are offering to watch your kids for (almost) free today. Hope they’re not completely booked!

Let me know if you end up taking advantage of or finding out about any other Election Day Freebies.

***UPDATE*** Attention Readers in Georgia: Saying “I voted” and getting something for free may be against your state’s law. That stinks.