Holy pancakes! Free breakfast at Denny’s (today only)
I’m going to make this quick because if I try to be clever you may just miss out on this fabulous freebie:
Denny’s is offering free Grand Slam breakfasts today (February 3) from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m, with up to 2 million people expected to take advantage of the deal.
In case you think Denny’s is crazy to be giving away all this food – in a recession, no less – consider this marketing ROI analysis from WalletPop:
“A Grand Slam breakfast retails in my area for $5.99, so the maximum retail value of this giveaway would be around $15,457,075. Wow!
However, the cost of the food to prepare a menu item typically runs around 25% to 30%, so the actual cost for food for this giveaway, at a generous 30%, would be more like $4,637,122.
Now, how many of these diners do you suppose would eat a breakfast without something to drink? My guess is very few. Suppose 2,500,000 ordered coffee, juice or a soft drink. Restaurants typically make around 85% on drink orders, so on an average $2 per drink basis, the company should net around $1,70 per, or $4,250,000 in drink revenue.
If this is the case, the entire promotion cost is now down to around $400,000. The value of the free press surrounding this promotion? Easily worth 10 times that.”
I’m stuck at work and already sipping on my Caramel Macchiato, but if you do make it out to Denny’s, have a pancake for me!
Filed under Deals, Saving Ideas | Comment (1)Don’t miss your chance for free makeup!
Saw this last night on the local news and I confirmed by calling one of the department store’s on the list…
Apparently, a 2003 lawsuit found several high-end stores guilty of holding back certain makeup and skin care products in order to manipulate pricing. As a result, they are being ordered to give away $175 million worth of products to consumers starting today, January 20.
Brands included in the lawsuit and free giveaway are Lancome, Chanel, L’oreal, Clarins and Estée Lauder, among others. Shoppers are limited to one item from a selected list of available products while supplies last.
To get your free product, visit one of these stores starting today.
Filed under Deals, Saving Ideas | Comment (0)Unlimited love for The Limited
Lately I feel as if the shopping gods have been smiling down on me. I don’t know what I did to deserve such benevolence but I’m certainly not going to question it!
By far the best deals have been found at The Limited, which just happens to be one of my favorite stores anyway.
Back in December I found a pair of $12.99 jeans that fit perfectly (in a size 6 no less…even if I didn’t like them I might have bought them just because I could get into a 6). Luckily I loved them so I didn’t have to resort to such a shallow buying principle.
Anyway, I paired them with a cute top that was on sale for $9.99, and at checkout I presented a $15 off coupon my friend had given me. I half expected the sales clerk to tell me I couldn’t use the coupon because of the already crazy discounts, but she didn’t even bat an eye.
When all was said and done, I had a new pair of dark-wash, bootcut jeans and a cute emerald green top for a grand total of [drumroll please]…$8.65.
Thinking this amazing shopping fortune was a fluke, I was surprised yesterday to find a pair of different jeans on sale for $19.99.
Again, they fit perfectly, a miracle unto itself since when it comes to jeans they’re usually only one step up from bathing suits in the “horrible fitting room experiences” department.
All sale items were an additional 40% off, so when combined with a 30% off coupon I’d recently received in the mail I became the proud owner of another pair of awesome Limited jeans for just $9.08.
And this may not be the end of it since the clerk told me as I checked out that they’re closing the store at the end of the month for renovations and they’ll probably have a huge clearance sale to move out the inventory.
Thank you, shopping gods…
Filed under Deals, Shopping | Comment (0)Save with Shop it to Me
I’ve never had the best timing. In high school I was the person who asked a friend in gushing tones how it was going with her boyfriend…a week after they’d broken up.
From a shopping perspective, my horrible timing means both frustration and missing out on opportunities to save. For example, a co-worker will wear an outfit that I absolutely love and then tell me she got it on sale for something like 75% off. I’ll drop everything to get to the store…only to find out the sale ended the day before or the last one in my size was just sold. Aaarrrghh, it’s annoying!
Which is why I was excited when my friend emailed me about a website called Shop it to Me which monitors online sales and emails you when items – both in your size and at stores you’ve pre-selected - go on sale. I’ve set mine up to send me alerts on J. Crew, New York & Company, Banana Republic, Nine West and Ann Taylor, but there are literally over a hundred different store/brand options to choose from. Oh and did I mention it’s free?
Plus, now through January 31, 2009, if you get 10 friends to sign up to also receive Shop it to Me email alerts, you’ll receive a $10 gift card to the store of your choice. Here’s to happy sale-ing and never having bad timing again! At least when it comes to shopping…
Filed under Deals, Saving Ideas, Shopping | Comment (0)Champagne tastes on a beer budget
Sure, your 401(k) has become more like a 201(k) and your annual raise is on hold until “further notice,” but that doesn’t mean you have to forego a little celebratory bubbly on New Year’s Eve. If you haven’t already bought your beverages for this evening’s festivities, here are five perfectly snazzy champagnes* that won’t break the bank:
Ballatore Gran Spumante ($7.99): For those who prefer their sparkling wines on the light and sweet side, the Ballatore is comparable to Martini and Rossi’s Asti Spumante, but half the price.
Cristalino Extra Dry, Rosé Brut ($9.99): Deep pink in color, this Rosé has a raspberry and watermelon nose and tastes of cherries, strawberries and minerals.
Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut NV ($12): With its flavors of pear, lime and balsamic, this brut recently outscored a $150 bottle of Dom Perignon in a national taste test of 540 wines by 500 consumers.
Wilson Creek Almond Champagne ($16.95): If you’re lucky enough to live in southern California (or you live in a state where wine may be shipped), this sparkling wine is a gold-medal winner with just a hint of pure almond. Yum!
Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut ($18): Known for being consistently good, this sparkling wine is said to have “apple strudel aromas joined by whiffs of strawberry and mild nuttiness.” Sounds tasty to me!
*Only sparkling wines made using grapes from the Champagne region of France may truly be called “champagne.” French law also dictates that all sparkling wines made in that area must be made by a special process called the traditional or champagne method. Only then, may it be called Champagne. That said, “Sparkling wine tastes on a beer budget” just didn’t have the same ring to it so I used a little artistic license…
Filed under Deals, Food/Wine | Comment (0)