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Two ways to look at one thing.
Many places are offering deals this holiday season. If you spend a certain amount, they will give you a free gift or gift card for yourself, or to give to someone as a gift. This can be looked at two ways, but both add to pretty much the same conclusion.
You could look at this as a way for these places to bait you and hook you into spending a little more than yuou planned in order to take advantage of the deal.
Or you could look at it as just a good idea by these stores to guarantee some retun business for themselves.
Either way, it appears to be a win win situation for the store and the consumer.
You may spend a few more dollars initially to attain the deal, but since most of the places offering them are giving gifts or cards that range from $15-$50 it ends up that you will spend less in the future by using these freebies.
For example, if you spend $100 to get a free $25 gift card, you got a heck of a deal. You spent money now, but down the road you can use that card to get yourself something (maybe at a post hioliday sale) for nothing.
$125 dollars worth of stuff for $100 is a pretty good deal if you ask me.
Here's a suggestion. If you go into a place that's doing this, and youi do figure on spending that much, look around the place and see what you could get for that much money.
You'll be surprised, especially at the post holiday sales prices what you can come up with.
So, yes it may be a way for the stores to bait you into spending a little bit more, but in the long run you are still actually saving money.
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<font color="#a52a2a"><font size="1">[ December 03, 2004 11:13 AM: Message edited by: cincygreg ]</font></font>
<font color="#a52a2a" size="1">[ December 03, 2004 11:39 AM: Message edited by: cincygreg ]</font>
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By the way, here's a quick explanation of why stores and restauants love gift certificates.
The serve two purposes.
1) Almost Guaranteed return business of some sort, and most people will spend on top of the gift cert when they use it. This theory is that if you get a $50 gift cert for a restaurant, you will most likely spend a few bucks of your own and still maximize your meal.
2) In the event that the gift cert doesnt get used, they made $50 with only the cost of the card or gift cert itself being induced upon them.
Here's a helpful hint.
Before you buy a gift cert for a restaurant, look at the menu. Many places have theirs online. Check the prices to see how much the amount you are spending can get the giftee.
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OK, One more thing.
Great gift idea, especially if you are buying for a Couple or Family.
Give them a night out.
A restaurant gift cert along with movie passes (or tickets to a show or something you know they'd like)
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<font color="#a52a2a" size="1">[ December 03, 2004 11:38 AM: Message edited by: cincygreg ]</font>
