Sunday, September 30, 2012

Newport Dinner Train

The Deal: $99 for a Dinner Train for Two Newport Dinner Train

I’m going to file this one under “Not sure I actually saved any money,” but I had a lovely evening.  The deal stated that, for $99, you could get a dinner train for two people, with an ordinary price of $168 (for savings of $69).  The fine print states that this does not include gratuity - fine.  Whenever I use a Groupon, I tip on the full price of the meal.  So, you have to pay $23 on top of the voucher price (this is the amount they tell you when you book the reservation).  I bought this awhile ago, but I usually do my research in advance, and I swear I went to the website to look up the full price before buying the voucher.  After all, it’s only a deal if you’re saving money, right?

So, the Newport Dinner Train has two options - Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, or Romancing the Rails candlelit dinner for two.   The reason that I bought the deal is that I have always, always, always wanted to go to a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater.  The addition of the train was really just a bonus.  The Murder Mystery Tour is currently$68.95 per person, so the total for two people would be $137.90, not the $168 printed on the website.  Again, I thought I looked into this earlier, so I’m not really sure where the discrepancy is.  Late season discount?  Maybe.  The Romancing the Rails Dinner is only $59.95 per person, so that’s $119.90 for two.  That’s only $20 more than the voucher price.
 
The people were very nice.  There was a scheduling mix-up, and they were really great about working with me to find a date that I could still go, even though it was something that was in no way their fault.  They returned phone calls and emails promptly.  They agreed to extend the vouchers through the end of October so we could still use them (that ended up not being necessary, but I appreciate the gesture).

Onto the tour.  We wound up on the romance train, instead of the Murder Mystery.  The ambiance was good.   The ribs were absolutely delicious.  I can’t speak for the chicken, because my boyfriend ate it so fast he forgot to offer me a bite, but that seems like a good sign.  The salad was simple, but something about it was very satisfying.  I can’t quite put my finger on it, but - no need.   It was delicious, and I really enjoyed it.  The green beans and mashed potatoes were also excellent.  Dessert was cheesecake with chocolate sauce.  I’m not a huge fan but, as cheesecake goes, it’s tasty.   As we were eating, we took a train along the beach at sunset - absolutely beautiful views.  We also learned about the history, economy, and geography of Rhode Island (Wait.  It’s really an island???  Seriously???)  We had a lovely evening.  I don’t know that I would recommend driving all the way to Newport to do it (even at a discount), but if you’re going to be in the area, anyway, it’s definitely something to consider for a different experience that is more interesting than just getting dinner somewhere.

Cost:  $99
Estimated Value: $119.90
Estimated Savings:  $20.90.
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,330.82

Monday, September 17, 2012

New England Dessert Showcase

The Deal$20 for VIP Access to the New England Dessert Showcase

Now, this event has some pretty low reviews on Yelp, but I actually had a nice time (Note:  I did not have the problems getting in that many people reported.  There was no line).  Then again, I do understand that the VIP access really turned out not to be all that it was cracked up to be.  First, it includes admission to a kick-off party the night before and a wrap-up party the day after.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t really have an entire two days to devote to delicious desserts (although I wish I did).  Also, I didn’t appreciate being automatically subscribed to the Anthem Entertainment Newsletter when I signed up for the deal - I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have checked a box agreeing to that.  Anyway, my bigger issue was that, apparently, so many people RSVPed to the kickoff party that they split it into two locations - which means that my friends and I were separated, and the end result was that most of us chose not to go.  That’s OK, though, right?  After all, I’m still getting a bunch of delicious desserts for $20, and a VIP gift bag.

The gift bag left much to be desired.  Honestly, it was nothing but ads for other businesses, and coupons for places that aren’t convenient enough to me that I’m likely to ever go.  The one saving grace was that it also included what turned out to be a $10 gift card for Finale - and I guarantee, I can use that.  Even better - I went with a friend visiting from out of state.  They don’t have Finale in her area, so she gave me her gift card, and I wound up with $20.  Since Finale does brunch, I’m pretty happy with that.  We did also each get a raffle ticket, although I won nothing.  Had I won Red Sox box tickets, I think I would be even happier with this deal.
 
On to the event itself - dessert, dessert, dessert.  YUM!  I wish I’d brought Tupperware (of course, that may not have been allowed).  They had everything your heart could desire - fruit tortes, parfaits, chocolate-covered strawberries, cinnamon rolls, brownies, cookies, candy, and, my personal favorite - warm lava cake topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and candy.  YUM.  It was amazing.  Even though I managed to stuff myself ridiculously in the first hour, all things considered, $20 for a delicious brunch is not a bad deal.  Also, I enjoyed the chocolate tempering presentation from Finale’s Executive Chef, even though she ultimately used the chocolate to make peanut brittle, which I didn’t get to try.  Ah, well.  Had I paid full price for this VIP ticket, I would have been pretty disappointed (not even a drink ticket, and the drinks were expensive).  But, for $20, I had a nice time with my friends, and enjoyed a new experience, and I was happy.

Also, when the whole thing was over, they had a promotion where the first twenty people to email them with their favorite dessert received free admission to Anthem’s next event - so I now get to go to their Spa Bar Event at the end of the month at no cost.  Not bad for $20.

Cost:  $20.00
Value: $40.00
Savings:  $20.00**
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date:  $1,309.92

**This total doesn’t include the value of the Finale gift cards, so, technically, I got back the $20 that I spent on the admission.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Starbucks

The Deal$5 for $10 at Starbucks.** 

This may be the greatest deal I’ve ever found.  I don’t like Starbucks.  I think it’s insanely over-priced, way too busy, and the coffee tastes burnt.  It’s not good.  Worse, once Sarbucks became so popular, everyone else started charging way too much for their coffee, because they can.  I am primarily a mocha drinker, and there is something very wrong with the chocolate they use.  I’m not the only one who thinks so.  (Thanks to my best friend for pointing out that their non-chocolate drinks might not make me ill.  Unfortunately, I only like mochas and regular coffee.)  Oh, and the drinks I do like?  Have roughly 400 calories, which means that I have to choose a mocha or lunch. 

I know what you’re thinking - why would you buy this, if you hate Starbucks?  Because everyone else in the entire world loves them.  My best friend goes there at least once a day.  My boyfriend goes there all the time.  People are constantly wanting to meet at Starbucks, stop at Starbucks, etc.  Plus, I travel fairly frequently, and they’re everywhere. In my hometown, it’s the only convenient place for getting work done when necessary.  I can’t avoid the place - as much as I hate it, and as much as I make the effort to look for smaller, privately owned coffee shops I can go to instead, So, if I’m going to be forced to go to a coffee shop that I can’t stand, I might as well get the coffee for half-price.  I guarantee I'll use the $10 without even trying.  So, thank you, Living Social, I am extremely grateful.

I do have the Starbucks app on my phone, because I get gifts from other people sometimes, and this deal loaded right onto the app, no problem.  It just lists two cards now, instead of one - $10 from this deal, and $4 left from a gift I got from Christmas last year (like I said, I don't go there often).  Just need to pick the right one to make sure this $10 gets used before March, and I'm good.  Easy.  Yay for saving on (mediocre) coffee (that I have to buy, anyway)!

Cost:  $5.00
Value:  $10.00
Savings:  $5.00
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,289.92

** Living Social doesn’t let me link to their vouchers, and I can’t see the deal itself, so I hope you enjoy this Forbes article about it.

Friday, September 14, 2012

New Service - Zozi

Just found another one of these sites - check it out!  It's called Zozi, and I just made my first purchase - painting classes, complete with wine, for $25.  I'll be posting the details soon.  In the meantime, you can get $10 in credit by using the following link and signing up for the service.
Yes, I want $10!

I've been lax, not because I'm not buying/using deals, but because I've been busy.  No worries - lots more deals to discuss, coming soon.