Sorry Mike, but we have to make room for one more at the dinner table...my new best friend, the coupon. In these troubled times coupon redemption is up considerably and I certainly see why. A coupon is a win/win proposition. The restaurant gains business that may otherwise not be there. The customer feels like they got a deal. Long gone is the stigma and embarrassment of coupon redemption. Today I challenged myself to coupon for every meal.
My coupon buddy and I stopped at Panera for a free grande coffee with any breakfast sandwich. I opted for the Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwich - a fried egg and a slice of white cheddar pressed between two slices of French baguette. Oh my, it was yummy and the free coffee was good too. I saved $1.59 with my new pal. The bill with tax was $3.20.
"Coup" and I decided on McDonald's for lunch. My friend Dennis gave me Mickey D's coupons when I stopped by to see him this morning. Unfortunately when Coup and I approached the drive thru I realized we would be turned away. Coup had expired on 9/30/09. No problem, I thought. I pulled out my coupon envelope tucked away in the glove box and began rummaging. To my dismay, the dates flashed before my eyes...9/27/09...9/30/09...9/8/09...another 9/30/09. Every coupon in my arsenal had expired. Damn, now I can't meet my coupon challenge.
And then I remembered the coupon buddy attached to my Panera breakfast coupon. It was a loyalty card for 10% off your purchases for a year and it expires August 30, 2010. Perfect! And how much more loyal could you be than eating there for breakfast and lunch on the same day?! Coup helped me out with the You Pick Two - 1/2 Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich and 1/2 Chicken Cobb Salad. We saved .76 on a bill of $7.27 including tax. The great thing is this Coup..."SUPER COUP" will be with me for a year.
My friends are always looking out for me. Danielle left a Sweet Tomatoes BOGO coupon in my inbox this morning. So of course you know what was on the agenda for dinner. Sweet Tomatoes with Mike and Coup. I think Mike and I set a personal record for the longest time in between Sweet Tomatoes visits. We both thoroughly enjoyed dinner, especially the chocolate chip muffins. Coup saved us $9.59 on dinner and the total bill including tax was $15.27.
I think my coupon challenge was successful. A total of $25.74 was spent on food today, including dinner with Mike. Coup saved me $11.94. Not bad, I just need to find more coupons to replenish my arsenal.
Many hugs and coupon redemptions,
Kathy
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