Bob Segall/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - They are money-saving deals that may sound too good to be true. But they're not. Here are some of my favorite tricks for saving money around Indianapolis - and beyond.
I love to eat out, so when I first learned about Restaurant.com, I was giddy with excitement. Take a closer look and you'll see why.
Restaurant.com allows savvy diners to eat at some of our area's finest restaurants for the same price as eating at home.
Here's how the website works:
First enter your zip code to find a list of participating restaurants. There are currently about 65 of them in metro Indy.
You will then see a list of local restaurants offering gift certificates at a deep discount. You'll find $25 gift certificates for $10 and $10 gift certificates for $3. Some restaurants also offer a $100 gift certificates for $40. Better yet, those discounted gift certificates are often discounted even more. I can often find a $25 gift certificate for as little as $2!
Pick the certificate(s) you want, enter your credit card information and, within seconds, you can print out your gift certificate and go get something to eat.
Gourmet on a budget
Recently I used a Restaurant.com gift certificate at Scholars Inn restaurant in downtown Indy. It's hard to find more reasonably priced gourmet than what you'll find at SI. But with a Restaurant.com gift certificate, affordable becomes a downright steal! The bill for two entrees (grilled skirt steak with sweet chile sauce and the mushroom ravioli with roasted red peppers) came to $24 -- including tax and a 20% pre-discount tip! Add in the $3 I paid for the gift certificate and my total cost for a truly amazing dinner was $27.
How can restaurants like Scholars Inn afford a deal like that?
"I'll be bluntly honest, it's tough....really tough," admits SI owner Lyle Feigenbaum. "I really don't like having to do something like Restaurant.com but I also don't like the fact we're in a recession. The fact of the matter is people are scared. We want to see people happy and right now everyone is cost conscious, and we have contoured our business to do that."
Traveling to another city? Take Restaurant.com with you. The website offers discounted gift certificates to more than 9,000 restaurants nationwide.
Insider tips for Restaurant.com: The deeper discounts are usually offered toward the end of each month but because each restaurant offers only a limited number of Restaurant.com gift certificates monthly, gift certificates do sell out.
Waiting to get a larger discount increases the chances that you will not get a gift certificate at all for the restaurant you really want. Some gift certificates sell out very quickly. If the restaurant you like is listed as "out of stock," don't lose hope. Restaurant.com restocks gift certificates for every participating restaurant at the beginning of each month, so that is the best time to grab a hard-to-get gift certificate.
Gift certificates are good for one year from the date they are purchased. Also, realize there is usually a minimum purchase required for each certificate. For example, some restaurants require that you purchase at least two entrees or $50 worth of food in order to use a $25 certificate. While you can buy multiple certificates for a single restaurant, you are limited to using one certificate per restaurant per month. There is nothing tricky or sneaky about Restaurant.com, but do make sure you read the fine print before you buy a certificate to make sure you understand how the promotion works.
Online Coupons For Indy
Another website I love to visit is Coupons4Indy.com because I find savings for businesses I already use every day.
In a single day, I can save money at my dry cleaners, filling up my gas tank, getting my hair cut, going out for dinner and then seeing a movie -- all with print-my-own coupons from Coupons4Indy.com.
If there's something you need to do around town, chances are you'll find a coupon for it there. The website offers coupons to hundreds of area businesses -- not just in Indy but also in Greenwood, Fishers, Avon, Speedway, Carmel and other metro-area suburbs.
Some of the deals you'll find on Coupons4Indy.com are worth a buck, some are worth $50, and others will save you $500. It can really add up.
"We had a consumer contact us and say they actually saved $1500 in one month just by using our site," said Natalie Ward, who owns and operates the website with her husband, Michael.
Is there a catch?
"No catch at all," Ward said. "You go to the web site, print out the coupon, take it in and save. It's simple and it's easy and it's free."
Insider tips for Coupons4Indy.com: You can search for coupons on the website by the type of business you are looking for or by the area of town you live in. The coupons do not have an expiration date, so for businesses you visit often, print a few extra coupons and keep them in your car or purse so you have them when you need them. If you don't see a business on the website that you wish were there, go to the "wish list" section and enter the business information. You may find it added to the website a few weeks later.
Go find it!
Lastly, if you don't have a coupon for what you're looking for, go find one online!
There are a number of websites that collect coupon offers and coupon codes, which means you can find savings at some of your favorite stores -- even before you walk in. It just takes a little planning ahead.
Try this: go to an online search engine like Google, type in the name of the store you're going to and then the words "coupon" or "coupon code."
I did that recently before I went to Dick's Sporting Goods to buy a baseball bat for my kids and found a $10 coupon.
It's especially helpful if you are buying something online and see the phrase "coupon code" on the checkout screen. That means the company offers online discounts somewhere. You just have to find them, and that can often take only a minute or two to find free shipping, 20% off, or a buy one get one free offer.
It doesn't always work, but more often than not, I find it translates into easy money.
New: Also check out WTHR's coupon site.
If you have a favorite discount or coupon site that you'd like to share, feel free to leave a comment with a link to the URL below.
