My post about the hassle I went through to redeem a $2 gift card from Subway generated a storm of comments, including this one from a reader named Summer Sweetie:
I appreciate your steadfast effort to breakdown the bad Subway tactics. I do hope that the cashier didn’t have to pay for their company’s error but in the case that they did I hope the next time you go you add something to their tip jar. Working in the food industry myself it makes me upset with my employers when I’m made to look like a fool to a customer, but it’s even worse if I have to pay for their mistake.
As it turns out, of the 30 readers who left a comment on this post, only 5 had trouble with their own cards. Another 10 had no problem and 15 either had not tried their cards or did not receive a card. I’m glad to hear most people did not have any trouble with their cards. Subway has been (slightly) redeemed, in my eyes.
Krispy Kreme is giving away free donuts this Friday and so is Dunkin’ Donuts (though the latter requires a beverage purchase).
Find a KK near you. Find a DD near you.
I was so pleased to receive a $2 gift card, above, from Subway in the mail yesterday. I had signed up for it as part of a lawsuit settlement that said the sandwich chain had to give out 142,000 $2 gift cards to California residents in February.
I’m always skeptical when I sign up for freebies online and the company says they’ll mail me a coupon in a bazillion weeks. By that time, I’ve completely forgotten about it. But Subway proved me wrong.
Then I tried to use the card.
I needed a quick bite on the road later that day so I decided to get a $5 footlong sandwich so I could use my $2 card. But at the register the card rang up empty.
“It says the card is inactive or invalid,” the cashier told me. Since when does a gift card need to be activated? Sigh. Be friendly, I told myself. It’s not her fault that the company she works for is @#&$%!
“Well I just received the card today,” I said, pulling out my letter from Subway that came with the card. Lord knows why I had brought the letter with me, but it certainly helped convince her I was telling the truth. “I’ve only had this card for four hours.”
She inspected the letter and swiped the card a few more times. Nothing. I called the number on the back of the card to see if I could miraculously “activate” it. No luck. We tried calling an alternative customer service number. Closed for the day.
The cashier swiped the card again. Still nada. Her co-worker, who was sweeping the floor this entire time, came over to study the error message. It hadn’t changed.
By this time, we had wasted at least 15 minutes (Hubby says more like 30) discussing $2. I didn’t want to walk out after they had made me a sandwich. But I wasn’t about to pay the full price. The only reason I went to Subway was to use the card. Grrrr!
Should I give in and pay full price? Or stick to my guns and walk out the door? I was stuck between my hardened bargain instincts and compassion for two workers who probably earned minimum wage.
Eventually the sweeper pushed a button on the cash register that somehow showed the card had $2 on it. At the same time he murmured to the cashier, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the $2.”
I handed over the bills and walked out with my sandwich.
I hope my savings does not come out of this man’s paycheck. Perhaps the employees did figure it out. Perhaps my problematic card was a fluke and the other 141,999 will work perfectly. On the other hand, maybe this is how Subway squeezes profits out of its franchises, which makes me never want to eat there again.
Has anybody else tried to use their $2 Subway gift cards? What happened?
I’m thrilled to announce my hunt for Lincoln Lunches – what I call a $5 meal because Lincoln is on the fiver – have returned to BargainBabe.com. This time on video!
The video also appears on my YouTube channel, bargainbabetv. Future video blog posts on BargainBabe.com will be filmed in Los Angeles because that is where I am based, but in the future I hope to film my Lincoln Lunch adventures in cities across the country.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZaIAIRmR4o
Great job, Erin!
Money comes up all the time these days, but often in uncomfortable situations. One person wants to splurge, another is counting every penny. How to you handle it? I turned to Nancy R. Mitchell, aka The Etiquette Advocate. She offers social, business and dining etiquette training.
In general: Think about the other person before you think about yourself, Nancy said. “Try to see where someone else is coming from and what is important to them.”
If you have money: When it comes to money, remember that someone who still has a job can go out and spend money, but if you are spending time with an unemployed buddy or family member, think twice about suggestions for where to eat dinner or take a trip together. Avoid making assumptions that could embarrass your them.
Instead of “I know you can’t afford this…” say “what’s everybody up for?” Take your cues from the person who is frugal or might have to be at that point. Leave it open for them to suggest something that fits their budget.
If you don’t have money: Be honest instead of trying to keep things secret. If your friends are headed out for a pricey meal, say something like “I am really watching my pennies and if it’s okay with you, could we consider a less expensive restaurant?” Or suggest alternating between high-end and more casual restaurants. Mention you can join them at the lower-priced places. This approach works for vacations, weekend plans, and a lot more.
“If you get the impression you are putting a wet blanket on their lifestyle, then they are rude and insensitive,” Nancy said.
If you are eating in a group: when responsibility for the tab is uneven, here’s how to deal. If it’s a one-time thing, like a birthday dinner, Nancy suggests to keep quiet and pay your split, if you can afford it. If you can’t afford it, bow out beforehand and send a lovely card.
If you eat out with the same friends and get fed up subsidizing their meal, ask for separate checks. Nancy suggest saying something like, “We always eat so differently, let’s ask for different checks.” Or, separate the alcohol portion of the bill and divide that by the number of people who had drinks. Split the food tab evenly. Set the ground rules and stick to them.
If you have a pressing etiquette question, check out Nancy’s manners 911 form.
This is a guest blog post from reader Renee MacLaughlan Bozarth, who says she is a big coupon and bargain shopper. “My 16 year old asked me once why I needed a coupon to shop everywhere,” Renee said, “and I taught her about double coupons!”
When meal preparation businesses opened, I jumped on the bandwagon. I enjoyed the convenience and variety, as well as being able to bring my family members to help me. I’d pay $225 for 10 to 12 meals; each served 4 to 6 people. I would use 3 meals every week; leftovers, sandwiches and other items made up the rest of my menus.
When I got word that my favorite meal preparation location was going out of business, I didn’t know what I was going to do. Comparable locations didn’t have family friendly recipes and cost a lot more than what I had been paying. My husband suggested that I make the meals at home, using our kids and himself as labor. This was going to require a lot of planning! I’d have to find recipes that my family would like, make a grocery list, and find containers that would hold the prepared meals and hope that they would freeze well. I didn’t think that I could accomplish all of that on my own.
My first challenge was to find containers. I bought them online at www.webstaurantstore.com. A set of 100 full size aluminum pans and lids were $70 with shipping. I also stocked up on 1 gallon freezer bags from the grocery store for meals that could be stored that way.
I have a few places I visit for recipes. Kraft has a great site at www.foodandfamily.com. My newest find is a Campbell’s Soup site called www.campbellkitchen.com. Both have easy searches for just about any recipe you might want. Pick the recipes you like, print them and then start your grocery list. I make my meals once a month, so I shop once a month for the ingredients. My store of choice is Win Co Foods, because I can buy items in bulk, such as pasta, rice, potatoes and spices. They also have a great store brand product for most name brand items, such as stuffing mix, soups and frozen vegetables. These items are usually $.30 to $.50 less expensive than the name brand item.
Once I have my shopping done, I set aside 2 to 3 hours on a Saturday to put the meals together. Some recipes may require that you cook the ground beef, for example, so I will do that before making the meal. If a recipe requires cooked chicken cubed or sliced, you can purchase cooked chicken in the deli aisle that will work just as well. I try to keep my meal preparation as simple as possible! Each family member helps. Dishes and utensils are washed and re-used right away. For example, one of my family’s favorite meals is Meatball Sandwiches. I buy prepared meatballs, put them in a gallon bag (put the gallon bag in a pitcher for less spilling), along with spaghetti sauce, and freeze the mixture, along with sandwich rolls. When the meal is ready to be prepared, it requires defrosting, re-heating and some Mozzarella cheese on top of the meatball/sauce mixture. Add your chosen sides, and you are ready to eat.
Once the meal is done and in its’ container, I use scotch tape to secure the recipe to the lid of the aluminum pan. If the recipe is stored in a gallon freezer bag, I fold the recipe in a zipped sandwich bag and place it inside of the freezer bag before I close it. All of my meals are in the freezer until they are brought out for that week’s meals. There are some things that don’t freeze well, such as potatoes and green peppers. If I happen to pick a recipe with those items, I use that meal during the first week so it doesn’t have to be frozen. Also, some recipes don’t pass my family’s taste test. We’ll vote on favorites and also on those we don’t like. I keep the names of both categories in a binder, along with the recipes of the ones I want to repeat.
On Sundays, I take out 3 meals to defrost. My family has a system we use that works well for us. Each night, one of our children will make dinner. Another child will clean up and do dishes – in our house, whoever makes dinner does not clean up that night. I assign meals to each evening, filling in nights with no prepared meals with spaghetti (I always have extra pasta and sauce), grilled cheese sandwiches and soup, leftover night or on-your-own night. The prepared meal will sometimes require the meal maker to prepare sides, such as rice, potatoes or vegetables. I will put serving suggestions on the recipe and allow the preparer to decide what to make. My 7-year-old daughter just entered the meal-making rotation. Last week, she made individual pizzas using English muffins as the “dough,” a bottle of squeezable pizza sauce, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese on top. Add a bag of salad mix and you have dinner made by a very proud 7-year-old.
My cost for the items to prepare my meals ranges from $100 to $140, depending on the ingredients. I do additional shopping during the month for staples such as milk, bread, eggs and personal items. I also buy canned goods and side items, such as rice, potatoes and rolls at a low price warehouse store that stocks cosmetically dented and damaged items. For my family of 5, I spend no more than $300 for groceries. I’ve been preparing my own meals for over a year. Considering that I was spending $225 or more for 12 meals, I am very happy with my meal preparation decision.
Later this afternoon my producer Erin and I are setting out to find – and film – a Lincoln Lunch in Los Angeles. What’s a Lincoln Lunch? A $5 meal named after the dead President that graces the fiver. I strongly believe that it is possible to find a tasty Lincoln Lunch in any city and someday I hope to test this claim!
I used to find and write about one Lincoln Lunch every week for my column in the LA Daily News. Now I’m reviving my hunt for lunch deals, but this time it will be on video. We hope to publish the “video blog post” within a week of filming it.
To whet your appetite and help you find a Lincoln Lunch in your own ‘hood, here are a few factors to consider:
- Does the eatery look like a hole in the wall?
- Is it located on the fringes of town or on a side street?
- Do you order at the counter?
- Is the food served on disposable plates?
- Does the eatery occupy a very small space?
- Is the eatery’s reputation based on word of mouth recommendations and not traditional advertising?
“Yes” answers to these questions increase the likelihood of finding a Lincoln Lunch because these factors indicate lower prices. No guarantees, however. If you are really desperate for a Lincoln Lunch, head to a taco stand or scan the lunch specials at a Chinese restaurant. I have found many LL’s this way. Bon appetite!
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<— FOUR WEEKS
AFTER PLANTING
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FIRST DAY
IN THE SOIL —>
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It’s been exactly four weeks since I planted my recession herb garden and I’m pleased to report that my mint, sage and rosemary, are getting much bigger. The mint is starting to take over, as readers cautioned it would, so tonight I may pluck a few leaves to make mojitos!
I water the herbs every 3-4 days and they get a good dose of sun on our deck. I took the picture on the left this morning. The one on the right is the day I planted them. How the little guys have grown!
Since my first attempt at recession gardening is going well I’d like to expand. What do you suggest I plant?
I’d like something that grows well in pots (I don’t have a yard, sadly) and that is edible, of course. Thanks for your suggestions!
Another garden tip:
It’s time to plant eggplant, which requires a long warm season, says Lowe’s Learn2Grow newsletter. “No matter what type you choose, eggplant requires a long warm season – and now is the time to plant!”
Get a small scooop of ice cream for 31-cents between 5 and 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at participating Baskin Robbins stores. The deal is part of a charity fundraiser for
Starbucks is an ever popular topic for bargain hunters, even if the recession has hurt the green giant’s popularity. Here are all of the Starbucks discounts and coupons I know about.
- Register your Starbucks gift card online and you can get up to 2 hours of free WiFi every day at their coffeeshops, plus refills and other perks.
- If you are a big fan, consider buying a $25 Gold Card that gets you perks like 10% off most items. A certain Bargain Hunter says “you need to spend $250 a year at Starbucks, which is $4.80 a week” to get your money back.
- Befriend a barista and ask them if any specials are coming up. Never hurts to be friendly!
- Select chains sell $1 cups of instant coffee.
- Starbucks recently introduced a few $4 breakfasts that include a drink.
- Many Costco‘s sell 5 $20 Starbucks gift cards for $80, a 25% discount.
- A few times I have gotten a “free upgrade” to a decaf Americano when ordering decaf in the afternoon, when many shops stop brewing decaf. Being a caffeine lightweight has benefits!
- Many Web sites sell gift cards at a discount, including ABCGiftCards.com (10% off), GiftCardsAgain.com (10% off), or GiftCards4Less.com (auction site).
- Sign up for Starbucks email list, which occasionally includes notices about drink giveaways, free shipping codes, and other perks.
What Starbucks deals am I missing?
Thanks, Jonathan!
Get a free scoop of ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s Tuesday, April 21, 2009. Stop by between noon and 8 p.m. for the freebie.
When I went on free scoop day two years ago I received a full-size scoop of a flavor I chose. Not sure if that is still the way it goes, however.
Expect lines if you go on your lunch hour or after dinner. Find a participating Ben & Jerry’s near you.
I spoke to a lovely group of people Saturday night about saving money in everyday life. I shared my best tips with them and they gave me great tips in return. If you are looking for a low-cost speaker, email me at julia@bargainbabe.com. Here are some of the best tips I learned:
- You can get a lower car rental price by calling the local office instead of booking online. The exception is priceline.com.
- A lot of restaurants have beefed up their happy hour offerings, making it possible to snack on appetizers at the bar for dinner.
- Traveling with UnTours.com is cheaper and less structured than a guided tour, but easier to arrange than a DIY vacation. You stay in a home or apartment instead of a hotel and Untours plans as many or as few excursions as you want. Trips are 7 days minimum and meals are not included. They have tours in North America and Europe.
- Yapta.com tracks the price of a flight after you book. If the price drops, Yapta emails you how to get a refund.
If you are counting the days until the beginning of the month when your spending budget is replenished, like me, here are a few ideas and resources to get you to May.
- Make meals out of whatever is left in your fridge. Click here to see how many days I lasted when I stopped buying groceries.
- Or cook recipes suggested by one grocery store that only cost $3 a day, which is how much food stamp recipients have for groceries.
- Park your car in favor of biking, taking the bus, or walking. Hubby and I recently took the bus downtown for a date and I was pleasantly surprised how convenient it was.
- Most museums have at least one free day a month. Check when it is at museums near you.
- Instead of going out to an expensive dinner or show, invite your friends over or go on one of these cheap dates. Or rent a free DVD from the library.
- If you hit the bars, leave your credit cards at home and only bring the amount of cash you want (or have) to spend.
- Find out what kind of free stuff you can get on Frugal Freebies.
- Dig out unused gift cards and re-consider using them. Maybe I will go to Panera Bread, after all!
Make it a game to see how long you can go without spending. Instead of feeling trapped because you cannot buy anything, think of how powerful you feel by doing so much without spending!
CD and DVD clearance at participating Borders Books are 50% off. Some exclusions. In store only. Read the fine print for a list of non-participating stores.
Get $50 off patio sets of $200 and up at Big Lots between April 17 and 24, 2009.
Get a free angus chili hot dog when you buy one angus chili hot dog at the regular price at Wienerschnitzel now through April 25, 2009. Print the coupon here.
EBates is offering higher automatic rebates at select green retailers, including beauty supplies, housewares, and gardening products.
Select spring shoes are 50% off at Shoes.com this Saturday, April 18, only. All Naturalizer shoes are 20% off Saturday and Sunday. No coupon code needed.
Gaiam is offering 20% off Earth-friendly best sellers with coupon code EDEMC. Ends April 23, 2009.
Restaurant.com offers 70% off $25 gift certificates that normally go for $10, bringing the cost to $3. Use code FEAST. Expires April 20, 2009. Watch out for strict redemption rules.
JCPenney offers 10-20% off as part of a friends and family sale on many items. Print the coupon here. Online use code FRIEND20 or mention it when ordering from the catalog (800-222-6161). Valid April 19, 2009 only. Some exclusions.
Thanks, Tina!
Easter morning Hubby and I went out to breakfast and I ate 3.5 crisp slices of bacon, above, plus one sausage (for which I traded a half slice of bacon). I had a turkey burger for lunch and pork tacos for dinner so I covered a lot of ground.
If I learned anything about giving up meat for Lent, it is that I really like to eat meat, I am very lucky to be able to eat it everyday, and that I can save a lot of money going vegetarian.
We ate breakfast at Alphie’s, a low-key diner in Goleta, which is about 10 minutes north of Santa Barbara. Alphie’s offered friendly service, good food, and a pleasant setting. Plus, TASTY homemade biscuits.
Every other Sunday Alphie’s has live jazz starting at 10:30 a.m. We did not stay long enough to hear music as we had Easter eggs to dye with my nephews, who had as much fun dying their fingers as their eggs. Many of them ended up a greenish-brown color. The eggs, I mean!
Visit Alphie’s at 5725 Hollister Ave in Goleta. 805-683-1202.
