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This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
You’re in the office and your tummy starts grumbling. You have many options for lunch but which one is best for your wallet? Options include eating out, brown bagging and re-heating a frozen entree.
Eating Out
Pros: This option is convenient and depending on where you work, you have an array of foods at your fingertips. There is no need to pack a lunch the night before or wake up extra early to prepare something. Eating out with coworkers can be a bonding experience and if you can chose the eatery, you can make sure you have an Entertainment Book coupon. Cons: This can quickly become an expensive habit if you don’t find deals for eating out. If you stick to dollar menus to minimize the cost, your waistline and health may take a toll. Cost: $10 per meal x 5 days a week = $50 per week
Brown Bagging
Pros: Keep an eye on your wallet and your waistline with this option. Brown Bagging can be more environmental if you use a reusable lunch bag, bring utensils from home instead of using disposables and pack a reusable water bottle. Being your own chef allows creative meal planning, especially if you use a multi-compartment easy lunch box. Re-heat dinner leftovers for a tasty meal. You can eat quickly at your desk or find a nearby park. Brown Bagging is nearly as fun as eating out with a favorite co-worker. Cons: It gets boring fast if you stick to the same meals and requires advance planning. Cost: $2.60 for a sandwich + .40 for baby carrots or fruit slices = $3 x 5 days a week = $15
Frozen Entrees
Pros: Prepackaged foods are very convenient and easy to grab on your way out the door in the morning when you’re in a hurry. You can stock up when they go on sale and keep them for weeks in the freezer. You can eat quickly at your desk. TV dinners used to have a bad rap for being unhealthy but there are now healthy options. Cons: Many TV dinner are loaded with salt and lack fiber and vitamins, taking a toll on your health over time. Portions are often so small you head to the candy machine for an afternoon snack. Cost: The entrees cost around $5 and sometimes cheaper when you can find coupons. $5 x 5 days a week = $25
Eating out costs significantly more than brown bagging or relying on frozen meals, but also takes a lot more time. What’s your frugal lunchtime option?
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
Restaurant.com – Get 80% off Restaurant.com’s $25 certs, which start at $10 per. That means each $25 cert is just $2. Expires July 31, 2010.
Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic – Get 30% off online. Expires tomorrow!
El Pollo Loco – Get a free queso crunch burrito when you buy one and a drink. Expires August 3, 2010.
J.Crew – Get 30% off sale items at J.Crew, plus shipping is free when you spend $150 or more.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
wohnai/Flickr
Ends Thursday! Get a free Starbucks coffee at Barnes & Noble cafes when you download the book chains iPhone app and download an ebook.
Are you in college or grad school? Amazon is offering free Amazon Prime memberships (worth $79) to students, even if you just take one class. Prime members get free 2-day shipping, including on textbooks (hint hint). Awesome deal!
Ends Thursday! Restaurant.com certificates are 70% off through Thursday, July 15, 2010.
Here are three Borders coupons for 33-50% off.
Check out all the deals and coupons on my WalletPop blog.
Roozbeh Rikni/Flickr
You’ve joined Groupon, haven’t you? There’s no time like the present to get steep discounts on restaurants, gyms, and other local services!
Trade in your Vuvuzela for a free KFC sandwich! Feel free to share with people who own these obnoxious pieces of plastic.
Order two entrees (which can be as low as $18 total) at TGI Friday’s and get a $10 gift card.
Got kids? Feed ‘em for free at Carrow’s after 4 p.m. for the rest of the summer. Ages 10 and younger.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
Best website logo ever.
Here are four cool new money-saving sites I’ve been meaning to share with you, plus a link to a explainer piece on invite-only shipping sites like Gilt Group.
Clicker.com – the site’s motto – “what’s on online” – had me fantasizing about finding free episodes of my favorite TV show, 30 Rock. Sadly, Clicker.com is so comprehensive it took me 8 minutes to find the show’s homepage. Once there, I see glorious links to every episode ever with links to watch. Many are paid, i.e., require me to pay for access.
Clicker.com has similar pages for movies, music, web originals, live TV (FIFA World Cup, for instance), and there is a page for trends. You can create playlists and get a notification when a new episode is available. Clicker.com is a bit confusing at first, but I recommend setting aside 15 minutes to familiarize yourself with the site. If you are really confused, scroll over the teeny tiny arrow to the right of each tab, and when that teeny tiny arrow expands into a drop down menu, click on the “browse by alphabet” link.
SiteJabber.com -this site aims to inform consumers about websites and online businesses to avoid fraud by collecting reviews from regular folks like you and me. It also has tips for consumers on evaluating sites, which I wish more people did. Plus, SiteJabber.com has one of the best slogans ever, pictured above. This site is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
HalfOffDeals.com – this is an oldie, actually. HalfOffDeals sells gift certificates for restaurants, spa, golf courses, and a lot more for 50% off flat. The discount isn’t as big as say, Restaurant.com, but there are many fewer restrictions. In Los Angeles, a $50 certificate to La Fonda Restaurant, which is renown for its mariachi show, is $25. You can search for deals within 10, 30, and 60 miles of a particular zip code. The site makes a cut of each certificate sold.
BillShrink.com – also an old site, but it has a new feature that may apply to you. The site, which suggests credit cards and phone plans that save you money over your current ones, now lets you compare the price of TV services in your area. The site earns a referral fee for each person who signs up for a new service through the site.
Bonus: Curious about how invite-only shopping sites like Gilt Groupe work? Switched.com explains how they work and reviews the major ones.
There’s nothing I love more than fresh food, whether it be healthy or deliciously fatty. The Seventeenth Street Cafe in Santa Monica prides itself on fresh baked goods and California fusion cuisine. I’ve never eaten there, but this Daily D for $38 worth of food for $18 is tempting my taste buds.
This deal expires Monday, June 21 at 11:59 p.m. PST or as soon as the 100 discounted vouchers are purchased. The vouchers do not have a stated expiration date, but I would use it within three months to be on the safe side. Limit one voucher per customer and one per couple at the restaurant. Tax and gratuity are not included.
Caveats: not valid with other offers. You have to use the full value of your voucher in one visit, unless the voucher specifically says otherwise. Vouchers can be for wine or alcohol, unless the voucher says it can’t. That information will be posted on the screen when you purchase the Voucher, before you purchase it.
This is not paid content, however I earn a commission on every purchase made through Daily D.
eliazar/Flickr
Expires today! A Brooks Brothers sale has sports shirts 40% off today only. Gift for Father’s Day, perchance?
Restaurant.com gift certificates are 70% off for Father’s Day.
Tomorrow only! Hot Dog on a Stick is giving out free hot dogs to celebrate its 60th birthday Tuesday, June 15, 2010.
Become a fan of Redbox on Facebook and you will get a free movie rental code that is valid June 21, 2010 only. Plan ahead and save a buck.
Expires today! Use this Borders coupon to get 25% off books and some other stuff. Expires Monday, June 14, 2010.
The Bev Mo nickel wine sale is on! Unclear when it ends, however.
Denny’s has a sorta free deal for Father’s Day that gets you a free ice cream float when you spend at least $2.
Check out all the coupon and deals on my WalletPop blog.
Restaurant.com is 80% off using this coupon code. Expires Thursday, June 10, 2010!
Expires tonight! Through June 9, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST, get an extra 20% off sale items at J.Crew with this J.Crew coupon code.
An eco brand of nail polish is offering six new colors when you mail in six bottles of old polishes. You pay $3.50/bottle plus whatever it takes to ship in your old polish. The new bottles go for $7 each so this is a good deal.
Starting June 20, Dad’s can get a free ice cream float at Denny’s with a minimum $2 purchase. Happy Father’s Day!
Expires tonight! Here is a Blockbuster Express coupon code for a free movie when you rent one!
The Bev Mo nickel wine sale is on. Buy one bottle of vino and get the same bottle for $.05.
Read all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
Lower your restaurant tab with $25 gift certificates at Restaurant.com that are 80% off, bringing them to $2 each. (They normally go for $10).
Munch on a free spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A when you reserve a freebie today for next week.
Get 30 free photo prints from Shutterfly for opening an online account with them. Expires May 27, 2010!
Get 33% off at Borders using this Borders coupon, which expires May 27, 2010.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
gabi_menashe/Flickr
This Borders coupon coupon for 33% off ends today!
Through Wednesday, May 12, 2010, an Old Navy sale has prices 15-20% off when you spend $75-$100 or more online only.
Check out this free pedometer offer from vitamin-maker Nature’s Bounty!
Got a big budget? Through May 31 get $50 off a purchase of $250 or more at Kate Spade using this coupon code.
Poise is giving away free samples of their bladder control pads. The site claims they are three times as absorbent as period pads!
This morning Restaurant.com released an 80% off coupon code for restaurant gift certificates!
Babies R Us has a coupon for 20% off baby gear, supplies, and furniture. Plus, many other baby items are on sale!
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
Subway.com
Get a free breakfast at Subway from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at So Cal Subway locations. The freebie is for a English Muffin Melt and an 8-ounce beverage. No coupon is needed to get the deal. The freebie is part of a publicity campaign to highlight Subway’s new breakfast options, which range from $1.75 to $3.25.
Valid only at Subway locations in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange County, San Bernadino, and Riverside counties. Watch the Subway commercial about the deal via YouTube.
Caveats: may not be combined with any other offer. Substitutions cost extra.
khawkins04/Flickr
Get 33% off the list price of any one item with this Borders coupon, good through April 22, 2010.
Take home a free roll of Reynolds 100% recycled wrap when you pair this high-value $1.25 off coupon with a sale.
Get 30% off at Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft during their friends and family sale. It ends Sunday, April 25, 2010.
Get 70% off at Restaurant.com through Thursday, April 22, 2010.
Through April 25 Dairy Queen Blizzards are buy one get one for $.25. That’s practically a 50% off your total Blizzard purchase!
These coupons and deals are from my WalletPop blog. Check back later today for a huge list of Earth Day freebies, discounts, and deals!
jpellgen/Flickr
This is a guest post from Marie, a long time reader of BargainBabe.com.
Most restaurants today offer great cost-conscious meals for those willing to search for them. Getting super deals when eating out is as simple as clicking keys.
The best way to get great deals is simply to visit their Internet sites, join their online member clubs, and take advantage of the great deals most restaurants offer on their sites and email regularly to their members.
It’s not just grownups that can benefit. You can fill in membership applications online for your children to get great free or low-priced offers. Here are a few examples, but you can find your own at almost any restaurant, simply by exploring their web sites.
Claim Jumpers Restaurants
Join the Claim Jumpers E-Club. Members receive a complimentary Small Bite Dessert for joining. Club members also receive monthly emails with exclusive offers, in-store promotions, etc.
Children 12 years of age and under can join the Little Jumpers Club to receive a FREE Build Your Own Sundae for joining and a FREE Little Jumpers meal on their birthday. You will also receive emails about children’s promotions and events at Claim Jumpers.
Benihana Restaurants
Benihana, the Japanese-style restaurants where food is cooked fresh on your table, have great online offers. Join the Benihana Chef’s Table club at www.benihana.com to get a Benihana Birthday Dinner certificate for a FREE meal of $30 or less during your birthday month. They will also take an instant birthday photo for you to keep as a souvenir.
Benihana is now launching Kabuki Kids for children 12 and under. Go to the site and fill out the form with the child’s name, birthday and address. Benihana will send the child a special postcard to bring into any participating Benihana during their birthday month for a FREE souvenir mug of their choice with the purchase of any Children’s meal.
Baja Fresh Restaurants
Join Club Baja to get email offers. Recent offers include a $5 coupon off any purchase of $15 or more (two can eat for this offer); a coupon for $2 off any $6 or more entree; and if you buy a Primo Taco Combo (which includes your choice of Langostino Lobster, Spicy Marinated Fire-Grilled Steak, and Blackened Mahi Mahi), you get the second Primo Taco Combo for $2.99.
Tip: Your Baja Fresh receipt often offers $2 off your next meal if you complete a survey.
I found 16 spankin’ deals and freebies related to chocolate, flowers, and other Valentine’s Day treats, including a free $30 bouquet of roses with chocolates when you sign up for eBates. Seriously, this is a one-of-a-kind deal!
Follow @CVS_Extra on Twitter and you’ll get a 25 percent off code for their entire website. What a way to attract new followers!
Get 33 percent off at Borders now through Feb. 11, 2010.
Restaurant.com is 80 percent off now through Feb. 14, 2010.
Do you surf? Get a free subscription to Surfer Magazine when you share a few questions about your job.
Here’s a Michaels coupon for 40 percent off, good through Feb. 20, 2010.
Get 33 percent off the list price of many items at Borders with a coupon here.
Buy a sandwich and a soda at Subway and get another sandwich free when you build a sandwich.
Check it! Get 20 percent off your entire purchase at Ulta Beauty online with a coupon code here.
You can get a free lightbulb from Target when you print these coupons.
Did you know Target has a trade-in program for iPods, iPhones, and lots of other gadgets? When I compared the value of my ancient iPod to other sites, Target came out ahead.
Now through Jan. 31 get 15 percent off your order of Ghirardelli Chocolate. How sweet!
For more deals check out my WalletPop blog. Thanks!
