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I think this is the first time I've ever started a thread on this side.
Anyway, after reading what OSC had to say about gift certificates (which I agree with), I wanted to toss this out there: Restaurant gift certificates.
It's a website that teams up with restaurants and offers gift certificates (with some, but often few restrictions) for a greatly reduced price. Say, you wanted to buy a $25 gift certificate for your friend to a new restaurant in town, it might only cost you $10 or $12, and they can go and eat there, get that off their bill, and it helps the restaurants bring in new business, thus everyone wins.
I've used it once or twice to buy gift certificates for myself to restaurants I've never been to before but sounded interesting (some I'd never even heard of before visiting the site). You can type in your zip code and it'll spit out a search result of restaurants near you, the deal on the certificate, and a link to the information on the restaurant.
I think it's a fun way to experience new restaurants that you might never have either had the daring or the cash to go to before, and I think they'd make great gifts if any of your friends or family members had a little adventurous side to their taste buds. Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I was very surprised to see that they only listed two restaurants for Omaha, NE. We're known for having LOTS of restaurants and food options.
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
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Well, it's all done in partnership with restaurants, so if they didn't sign up, there won't be a ton of results.
In contrast, in suburban Detroit, I got a 15 page long list of results, some to restaurants I'd never even heard of before (which I suppose is the point).
If Omaha does very well, the restaurant owners there probably don't see the need to do it.
In Greensboro, NC, for example, there's three pages of results, all in just Greensboro, not counting the surrounding areas.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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We can (and do) actually use credit card miles/points to buy restaurant.com certificates (which tend to be for, say, $10 off a $30 bill around here, which is worth it to us because it lets us go on dates and outings while staying within our budget.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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(I have to say, though, I don't agree with him on donations-- my mom is giving a lot of Heifer Int'l and Union Rescue Mission and other donations this year, and I couldn't be happier with it. )
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I searched for Ithaca and I'm kind of surprised more restaurants haven't signed up yet. I only found one restaurant. College kids love food.
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
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One of my High School friends has some very rude cousins. After watching them count up and compare the hundreds of dollars in gift cards they receibed, my friend's mom decided that she would donate to a charity in their name next year because they clearly didn't deserve any presents from her.
Posts: 1757 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Get this...I live in New Orleans where we're known for our food and there's only 3 restaurants listed! The cool thing though, is that I haven't heard of any of them and I'm always looking for different places to eat here.
Posts: 124 | Registered: Apr 2006
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I gave out fake donations to the Human Fund to my acquaintances that I couldn't afford to buy gifts for but still wanted to recognize, it seemed to work out the way I expected.
There was a lot of explaining to those who hadn't seen that particular Seinfeld episode Though.
Posts: 959 | Registered: Oct 2005
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My mom donated money for a week's worth of preschool daycare being provided at a childcare center in Nogales for our gift. This center provides ECE, nutritious food, and childcare at no cost so mothers don't have to choose between working to feed their families and taking care of their children.
It is one of the year's best presents so far.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Thanks for the link, Lyrhawn--although most of the listings in my area are farther away than I would normally go, there are listings for a couple of restaurants I already frequent, as well as a couple I've been wanting to try.
Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Donations as gifts is tricky though, because you don't want to donate to a cause that the other person doesn't like, and some people are VERY perculiar about that.
On the other hand, most people now do "in memory" donations instead of flowers for funerals and stuff, and I think that's a really good thing, since you don't need like ten billion flowers at a funeral anyway. Half our local school library is stocked that way. When I was little I thought it was sorta creepy because practically every book has a little "sticker" on the front cover that says something like "In Memory of Maria Perez" or something similar, but as I got older I started thinking it was cool, espescially if the name was some great-great-aunt or someone related to me.
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Jun 2006
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Just like when I checked 'em out the last time, there is exactly one kosher place within 30 miles of me on their list. Now, it's one I really like (Delice Bakery and Cafe, which I've even taken Hatrackers to), and it's actually quite close.
However, there are a lot of restrictions on it (dine in only, parties of two or more only, etc.) -- so not worth it.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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rivka, since they're free for us (we still have credit from a cc/airline miles purchase) let us know next time you want to meet us at Delice for dinner and we'll print one out. Or even if you want to meet someone else, I think we could e-mail it to you and let you print it.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by rivka: That's very sweet. We really should get together there again.
I would agree. Especially since Emma is now using her words more clearly and could tell us what she wants instead of eating the fruit off her dessert and then turning to mine. And Jeff gets home by 3:30 so it can be as early as works for you.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Thanks for that link. My favorite restaurant is on that list (though currently sold out). It is normally a bit too expensive to eat out, but at half off...
Posts: 1001 | Registered: Mar 2006
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We get two pages of listings for my zip code, with one in particular that looks like a winner. A few of our local radio stations have deals like this as well, once a week a restaurant comes on the station and offer $50 gift certificates for $25.
Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:Originally posted by rivka: That's very sweet. We really should get together there again.
I would agree. Especially since Emma is now using her words more clearly and could tell us what she wants instead of eating the fruit off her dessert and then turning to mine. And Jeff gets home by 3:30 so it can be as early as works for you.
Too bad they aren't open Saturday nights, even in the winter.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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And Jeff gets home by 3:30 so it can be as early as works for you.
