Editors' Choice Freebies from A to Z: Magazines, MP3s, Zombie Preparedness

There are a lot of different words we like to use in connection with deals that cost nothing: free, nada, zilch, and (our very own favorite) bupkis. But no matter what language of gratis you speak, these five Editors' Choice deals — including a yearlong magazine subscription, a zombie apocalypse class, and admission to museums on September 28 — won't set you back a cent.

1. Maxim Magazine 1-Year Subscription
   Store: Mercury Magazines
   Price: Free
   Lowest By: $7

   Is It Worth It?: Whether you read it for the "hotties" (Maxim's word, not ours) or just the articles, this 10-issue, 1-year subscription to Maxim can be yours for free. You'll need to offer up a few pieces of personal information, and allow for a few weeks delivery time.

2. Pastry or Sweet, Espresso or Smoothie
   Store: Panera Bread
   Price: Free
   Lowest By: At least $3

   Is It Worth It?: Signing up for the MyPanera Card program is easy and rewarding! Not only will you enjoy a free snack or drink, but you'll also score future discounts on random occasions and birthdays.

   You'll need to present your card in-store to receive your reward, which will be randomly selected. (Click "View My Reward" after joining to see what you've received.) The reward can be claimed for 60 days after registering.

3. Admission to Over 1,500 Museums
   Store: Smithsonian Magazine
   Price: Free
   Lowest By: Varies

   Is It Worth It?: Mark September 28 on your calendar: That's Museum Day, and Smithsonian Magazine is celebrating by offering free general admission for two people to over 1,500 museums nationwide. This is the best deal we've seen for this many museums since the Smithsonian Magazine ran this promotion last year.

4. 13 MP3 Singles
   Store: Google Play
   Price: Free
   Lowest By: At least 99 cents

   Is It Worth It?: As part of Sub Pop's Silver Jubilee, the folks at Google Play are donning their hipster duds and offering you downloads of a lucky 13 tracks. The featured artists and songs include Nirvana's About a Girl, The Shins' New Slang (immortalized in the movie Garden State), and Sunny Day Real Estate's In Circles.

5. AMC's The Walking Dead Online Course
   Store: University of California, Irvine
   Price: Free

   Is It Worth It?: To coincide with this season of The Walking Dead (which runs October 14 to December 20), UC Irvine is offering a higher education course on the spread of infectious disease and population modeling, the role of energy, and momentum in damage control. Specific topics like, how can you best protect yourself, and nutrition in a post-apocalyptic world (Are squirrels really good for you?), and more are on the syllabus.