I have received a decent number of coupons in the mail lately, so I decided to see how much I could squeeze out of a mega couponing trip. I didn't stop with grocery shopping - I went to the mall and bought dinner too. In the end, I bought $88.25 worth of items for $36.23 - 59% savings.
I started with JC Penney - I get coupons from them all the time. This one was the best - $10 off a purchase of $10, no restrictions. I found a pair of sandals I really liked to replace the cheap flip flops that gave me blisters while walking around our hotel room on vacation. They were originally $22 marked down to $10. My mood quickly changed when I got to the register. This wasn't like in the "Extreme Couponers" commercial where the sales associates are circling around and cheering for the person. The cashier didn't look at me in the face and gave me a curt "have a nice day" as I left with a free pair of sandals. Which makes me wonder, did I just break a couponing "code of ethics"? Am I supposed to use it as a discount and spend money? On the one hand, I am just taking advantage of the store's inefficiency, and on the other I just stole a pair of sandals from Penney's. Thoughts?
I moved on to Kroger, which recently sent me a number of store coupons in the mail. A few of them were straight up free items (bacon, sausage, canned vegetables, etc) and then there was a $5 off $35. After doing some research on the store's website and adding in some manufacturer's coupons, I was able to save $27. But this brings up another ethical issue: the $5 off $35 coupon wasn't supposed to be valid for another 3 days. For some strange reason, there were 3 of those coupons in the pack and each one was for a consecutive time period with the exception of a 6 day gap (which included today). I tried using it anyway and was successful. I didn't do any damage to them (if I would have gone 3 days later, I would have paid the exact same amount) but was it unethical to knowingly use a coupon that wasn't yet valid?
I finished off the trip with a stop at McDonalds. A simple "buy an angus burger, get fries and a pop for free" - no ethical questions there.
In the end, it was rewarding to save money, but it wasn't a true "extreme couponing" trip because I wasn't getting 10 packs of diapers for a quarter. The coupons were very restrictive (no combining with other coupons, limit 1) so I don't see how the people on TLC do it. I will continue to use coupons where I can (as I usually have) but I don't think it would be possible to repeat this trip because the Kroger coupons I was randomly sent gave me the most savings.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Can Quality Last?
Read this first:
How Five Guys Got Us Eating Its Burgers
Now, I don't know if Five Guys has ventured to Lansing yet, but the first time I ate at the East Coast staple, I was hooked. I was left to wander around Pitt's campus for dinner during a business trip a couple of years ago. After a very disappointing sushi stop, I came across the simple red and white restaurant. I passed the large stacks of peanut bags and had no expectations when I looked at the basic menu. When I opened the foil wrapper, the condiments and grease dripping off didn't make for an attractive burger. But the first time I tasted the freshness of the meat, I was sold.
Five Guys has grown so quickly (there are at least 2-3 in the Columbus area now) because of the "word of mouth" from its fanatical customers. I love that their CEO respects their competition and sees the value that they bring to the table. During discussions of our competition, my company's leadership often makes fun of other companies and degrades their offerings. The mindset is that we should not respect our competitor's offerings because we need to clearly communicate the superiority of our own products when speaking with potential customers. In reality, if our competitors weren't doing something right, they wouldn't still be in business. (It was funny how quickly the tone changed when we bought one competitor in particular).
I always enjoy reading about business philosophy and how other companies conduct their business. Five Guys' core competency is clearly quality and consistency. They have a simple menu, but provide customers with a lot of options through their wide variety of toppings. I completely agree with the comparison to Chipotle and Panera; they all fill that "fast casual" niche between fast food and table service restaurants. I am not sure about the CEO's comment that they don't worry too much about food prices. The cost of ingredients can fluctuate dramatically due to spikes in gas prices or severe weather. I think there can be a balance between quality ingredients and cost management. I am not sure that they will be able to keep up that philosophy, especially when their skyrocketing expansion slows down and they're trying to maintain profit margins.
This also sparked my imagination as to what the next widely successful "fast casual" restaurant could be. Taco Bell has Chipotle, McDonalds has Five Guys, Subway has Panera... I think Pizza Hut could have a gourmet pizzeria, like a California Pizza Kitchen to go (although frozen pizza kinda fills that void). Thoughts?
How Five Guys Got Us Eating Its Burgers
Now, I don't know if Five Guys has ventured to Lansing yet, but the first time I ate at the East Coast staple, I was hooked. I was left to wander around Pitt's campus for dinner during a business trip a couple of years ago. After a very disappointing sushi stop, I came across the simple red and white restaurant. I passed the large stacks of peanut bags and had no expectations when I looked at the basic menu. When I opened the foil wrapper, the condiments and grease dripping off didn't make for an attractive burger. But the first time I tasted the freshness of the meat, I was sold.
Five Guys has grown so quickly (there are at least 2-3 in the Columbus area now) because of the "word of mouth" from its fanatical customers. I love that their CEO respects their competition and sees the value that they bring to the table. During discussions of our competition, my company's leadership often makes fun of other companies and degrades their offerings. The mindset is that we should not respect our competitor's offerings because we need to clearly communicate the superiority of our own products when speaking with potential customers. In reality, if our competitors weren't doing something right, they wouldn't still be in business. (It was funny how quickly the tone changed when we bought one competitor in particular).
I always enjoy reading about business philosophy and how other companies conduct their business. Five Guys' core competency is clearly quality and consistency. They have a simple menu, but provide customers with a lot of options through their wide variety of toppings. I completely agree with the comparison to Chipotle and Panera; they all fill that "fast casual" niche between fast food and table service restaurants. I am not sure about the CEO's comment that they don't worry too much about food prices. The cost of ingredients can fluctuate dramatically due to spikes in gas prices or severe weather. I think there can be a balance between quality ingredients and cost management. I am not sure that they will be able to keep up that philosophy, especially when their skyrocketing expansion slows down and they're trying to maintain profit margins.
This also sparked my imagination as to what the next widely successful "fast casual" restaurant could be. Taco Bell has Chipotle, McDonalds has Five Guys, Subway has Panera... I think Pizza Hut could have a gourmet pizzeria, like a California Pizza Kitchen to go (although frozen pizza kinda fills that void). Thoughts?
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Passing Judgment On LeBron Based On Beginner Level Hockey
Is anyone else watching the NBA Finals for the sole reason of rooting for the Heat to lose? I should clarify - I don't care if Dwayne Wade wins. Nor do I care if Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Juwan Howard, or any of the other Heat win. I just don't want LeBron to win. I am not a Cleveland fan, I don't care about "The Decision", and I don't blame him for wanting to surround himself with better teammates (though I'll get back to that in a minute). But I still don't want him to win.
As I've mentioned before, my hockey team was very bad last season. They went 1-12 because of inexperience. They had a few guys that had NEVER played hockey before and much of the rest of the team was fairly new to organized hockey. This season, we are much better because nobody is horrible and a few people have stepped their game up to lead the team. Last season, one team went undefeated and won the championship game 5-0. They had some skaters that could probably play two divisions higher. If I had my choice, however, I would much rather play on my current team, where I think I am one of the better players, than ride the coattails of the best players on the championship team.
I understand LeBron's desire to play with better teammates. If I was on the worst team in our league (1 Goal, 39 Goals Allowed), I would not have any fun. Assuming I was clearly their best player, our opponents would probably double-team me and I would be demoralized quickly. I am glad that my teammates can score in tough situations. We've had two games where we had to score a winning or tying goal in the last 30 seconds. Exciting stuff.
Cleveland, however, was not the worst team in the league. Being ok with "sharing the spotlight" and "spreading around the ball" is one thing. But LeBron didn't just surround himself with better teammates. He joined someone else's team and took a secondary role. For someone who wanted to build a "Global Brand" for himself, I don't understand why LeBron has put winning a championship ahead of leading a team. Superstars are supposed to take the shot when they can. They're supposed to be the one in the huddle in the last few minutes pumping up their teammates and making everyone believe that they will pull out a victory. I remember the coming out party LeBron held against the Pistons in the playoffs. One of the best defensive teams in the league couldn't do ANYTHING to stop him. You could SEE the transformation that he was making as a player in one single quarter of basketball. Now, he looks completely comfortable passing off to Mario Chalmers rather than aggressively driving to the basket. He is looking to Wade for guidance and calling Chris Bosh the most important player on their team.
If the Heat do win the championship, I hope that he earns his piece of it in the last three games. Perhaps the Mavs' criticisms will light a fire under his ass and we will see a very different LeBron in the last few games. The only thing I would hate to see more than LeBron winning the championship is LeBron winning the championship as his team's third leading scorer.
As I've mentioned before, my hockey team was very bad last season. They went 1-12 because of inexperience. They had a few guys that had NEVER played hockey before and much of the rest of the team was fairly new to organized hockey. This season, we are much better because nobody is horrible and a few people have stepped their game up to lead the team. Last season, one team went undefeated and won the championship game 5-0. They had some skaters that could probably play two divisions higher. If I had my choice, however, I would much rather play on my current team, where I think I am one of the better players, than ride the coattails of the best players on the championship team.
I understand LeBron's desire to play with better teammates. If I was on the worst team in our league (1 Goal, 39 Goals Allowed), I would not have any fun. Assuming I was clearly their best player, our opponents would probably double-team me and I would be demoralized quickly. I am glad that my teammates can score in tough situations. We've had two games where we had to score a winning or tying goal in the last 30 seconds. Exciting stuff.
Cleveland, however, was not the worst team in the league. Being ok with "sharing the spotlight" and "spreading around the ball" is one thing. But LeBron didn't just surround himself with better teammates. He joined someone else's team and took a secondary role. For someone who wanted to build a "Global Brand" for himself, I don't understand why LeBron has put winning a championship ahead of leading a team. Superstars are supposed to take the shot when they can. They're supposed to be the one in the huddle in the last few minutes pumping up their teammates and making everyone believe that they will pull out a victory. I remember the coming out party LeBron held against the Pistons in the playoffs. One of the best defensive teams in the league couldn't do ANYTHING to stop him. You could SEE the transformation that he was making as a player in one single quarter of basketball. Now, he looks completely comfortable passing off to Mario Chalmers rather than aggressively driving to the basket. He is looking to Wade for guidance and calling Chris Bosh the most important player on their team.
If the Heat do win the championship, I hope that he earns his piece of it in the last three games. Perhaps the Mavs' criticisms will light a fire under his ass and we will see a very different LeBron in the last few games. The only thing I would hate to see more than LeBron winning the championship is LeBron winning the championship as his team's third leading scorer.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Paper Lions?
Detroit Lions primed to contend
The latest rumor is that the NFL is preparing to have an 8 game season in the likelihood that they aren't able to reach an agreement before the season starts.
Debate:
If the Lions were to win the Super Bowl after a shortened regular season, would people respect the victory as much as previous championship teams or would the shortened season diminish their accomplishment in the minds of writers and fans in general?
The latest rumor is that the NFL is preparing to have an 8 game season in the likelihood that they aren't able to reach an agreement before the season starts.
Debate:
If the Lions were to win the Super Bowl after a shortened regular season, would people respect the victory as much as previous championship teams or would the shortened season diminish their accomplishment in the minds of writers and fans in general?
Friday, June 03, 2011
Turner Field
Food
Stacey opted for the corn dogs when she found out her "supreme nachos" were basically some cheese wiz and salsa. I went with the Atlanta Braves staple, the pulled pork sandwich. I chose mac & cheese and candied pecans for my sides to make it a platter. I was disappointed that the only place that sold this was in the main concourse beyond centerfield - on the exact opposite side of the stadium as our seats. It was WELL worth it! This was the absolute best ballpark food I've ever had. The pulled pork was in giant, fresh pieces (like it was actually smoked and pulled!) and didn't really have a sauce. The pour-your-own barbeque sauce was a perfect choice. I chose the pecans as one of my sides because you only see two things locally promoted on Georgia roadside billboards - peaches and pecans. It acted as a nice "dessert" to the meal. For $9, it was a complete meal - much more filling than the $9 Cuban sandwich in Tampa. The other menu items seemed to be priced reasonably as well.
The Braves offer a complimentary shuttle from the main subway interchange to the stadium (and back), which actually turned out very well. They had at least 9 or 10 buses lined up after the game, so we didn't have to wait long (though it was packed). Before the game started, they showed a minute long segment on the history of the Cincinnati Reds (including key games versus the Braves) and their starting pitcher, Johnny Cueto. I thought that was a great feature for baseball fans and non-fans alike. The Braves fans, however, were pretty tame through the game, until they did the chop. Everyone likes the Braves chop. Otherwise, they really had to goad fans into cheering during key moments even though the crowd was decent. The game was close and low scoring, but it didn't exactly feel like a pitching duel. Both teams combined for only 12 Ks - the same exact number that David Price had two days earlier in the game in Tampa. The game was a battle of the ground outs (the Braves with 16) versus the fly outs (the Reds with 12). It reminded me how much I hate the National League. Jair Jurrjens abruptly stopped a rally in the 5th with two on and 1 out by bunting into a double play. The most memorable part of the game was Braves' closer Craig Kimbrel's pitching stance. He looks like a bull while he's waiting for the call!
Stacey opted for the corn dogs when she found out her "supreme nachos" were basically some cheese wiz and salsa. I went with the Atlanta Braves staple, the pulled pork sandwich. I chose mac & cheese and candied pecans for my sides to make it a platter. I was disappointed that the only place that sold this was in the main concourse beyond centerfield - on the exact opposite side of the stadium as our seats. It was WELL worth it! This was the absolute best ballpark food I've ever had. The pulled pork was in giant, fresh pieces (like it was actually smoked and pulled!) and didn't really have a sauce. The pour-your-own barbeque sauce was a perfect choice. I chose the pecans as one of my sides because you only see two things locally promoted on Georgia roadside billboards - peaches and pecans. It acted as a nice "dessert" to the meal. For $9, it was a complete meal - much more filling than the $9 Cuban sandwich in Tampa. The other menu items seemed to be priced reasonably as well.Fan Experience
The Braves offer a complimentary shuttle from the main subway interchange to the stadium (and back), which actually turned out very well. They had at least 9 or 10 buses lined up after the game, so we didn't have to wait long (though it was packed). Before the game started, they showed a minute long segment on the history of the Cincinnati Reds (including key games versus the Braves) and their starting pitcher, Johnny Cueto. I thought that was a great feature for baseball fans and non-fans alike. The Braves fans, however, were pretty tame through the game, until they did the chop. Everyone likes the Braves chop. Otherwise, they really had to goad fans into cheering during key moments even though the crowd was decent. The game was close and low scoring, but it didn't exactly feel like a pitching duel. Both teams combined for only 12 Ks - the same exact number that David Price had two days earlier in the game in Tampa. The game was a battle of the ground outs (the Braves with 16) versus the fly outs (the Reds with 12). It reminded me how much I hate the National League. Jair Jurrjens abruptly stopped a rally in the 5th with two on and 1 out by bunting into a double play. The most memorable part of the game was Braves' closer Craig Kimbrel's pitching stance. He looks like a bull while he's waiting for the call!Stadium
Overall, Turner Field is not unlike any of the other newer parks. Take down the "Braves" signs and you couldn't really distinguish it from many others. The Braves logo and the tomahawk above the scoreboard should be much larger (the Delta sign in left is bigger). However, I really did like the small fireworks that came from the "Gas South" sign. The other feature that is really cool are the bullpens that stretch away from the field. It gives fans a great view, including the one below from the concourse. The part of the city in the backdrop are mostly just hotels, but it is something.
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