Extreme Dancesport in Cambridge

The Deal:  $29 for Four Salsa Lessons*. 

I may have mentioned this before, but I’m very lazy.  I don’t particularly enjoy working out.  So, to trick myself into doing things that are active, I have to buy deals for lots of fun and exciting activities that have a side effect of burning questions.  Enter, Salsa at Extreme Dancesport!

These classes are a ridiculous amount of fun.  I am really, really enjoying myself.  You do have to sign up for a full series of four classes in a row, so I had to make an effort to actually find four Tuesdays where I didn’t have any other plans.  I’m glad I did.  The instructor is fun and vivacious.  It’s a big class, so she has an advanced student helping her.  She takes time to make sure everyone can get close enough to see her feet to follow what we’re doing.  She goes through the steps slowly, with and without music, and makes sure that everyone gets it before moving on.  So, I’m learning how to dance, I’m burning calories, and - it’s fun! 

I’m assuming that I am not the only person who bought this deal, because the classes are huge.  We have so many people that the instructor was surprised to walk in and see us all the first time.  That’s good and bad - it’s good if you want to hide in the middle and hope no one notices how bad you are (except when you rotate to the front).  It’s good because I suspect it’s a gold mine for the studio, and they’ll offer more deals in the future - after all, 40 students for a four-class series at $29 earns them more money than 10 students for the series at $60 per person - and they’ve got the space to hold a ton of people.  I’d be tempted to go back at some point, if the timing were right.  I will note that there were far more women than men (not surprising) and that most of the men were there with their fiancés to learn to dance for their wedding (and, by “most”, I mean “all but one”).  The instructor is really good about rotating us around so everyone gets a partner, but, if you’re female, be prepared to spend some time dancing alone.  Either way, be prepared to have a blast.

Cost:  $29
Value:  $60
Savings:  $31
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,379.92.

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* This link is to Amazon, because I couldn't find the Living Social link, which is where I bought it.  However, the deal is the same.

Fun Fact - Airline Reward Miles

Many frequent flier programs have special shopping websites where customers can earn additional miles by making purchases through their websites.  I know that Living Social and Groupon have deals with both Delta and United (I don't know about the other airlines, but it's easy enough to check).  So, if you're planning to buy deals anyway, and you usually fly on the same airline, check it out - you can get one mile per dollar spent, which can add up over time.

Nothing earth-shattering, but, hey, why not?

Bites of Boston Food Tour - the South End

The Deal:  $33 for Bites of Boston Food Tour of the South End. 

I admit, I was much more interested in the food here than the history.  However, I learned a lot.  I hear this deal is also offered fairly regularly, which is good, because I want to get another one when I have company in town.  I actually think everyone on the tour had bought the same deal.  The vouchers aren’t valid on Saturdays, though, so keep that in mind if your guests are only in the area for a limited time.

We started at The Parish Cafe II for bites of chipotle meatloaf sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy.  Much like the owner of the cafe, I grew up with a large family that ate a lot of meatloaf - and I hated it.  Needles to say, this sandwich was far better than the meatloaf I remember from my childhood.  Next, we had bacon wrapped figs, stuffed with almonds at Orinoco Kitchen (YUM!).  The vegetarians got what I believe was a  cheese-stuffed plantain?  It also looked pretty good.  On to Flour, which was great, because my friend had just told me how awesome it was.  We got a Chunky Lola cookie, which was really good, even though it has ingredients that I ordinarily don't care for (that's the point, right?  Branching out?).  We also got fried clams from Morse Fish Company, then we got to sample two cheeses at South End Formaggio.  The cheese was amazing - I'm going back.  Finally, we wound up at the Upper Crust Pizzeria, which was delicious, as usual.  As you’re trying all these delicious things, you’re also walking around the South End, learning about the history, and the culture, and the people who live there.   I was pleasantly full at the end, but not stuffed.  There's a good amount of food, but ti's not overwhelming.

Even if you have food issues, they worked with people to get them substitutes for things they couldn’t eat.  They also send out information in advance re: what to wear, where to park, bring water, and things like that.  They have a website that makes signing up easy. 

The tour guide was friendly, interesting, and informative.  I intend to look and see what other tours they offer in other locations.  I don’t know that it would be worth spending full price, but with the discount, I had a very nice afternoon, and I felt like I really got good value.  Plus, I now know all the good places to eat in the South End!  (and even went back to try a different one yesterday.)

Cost:  $33
Value: $52
Savings:  $19.00
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,349.82.