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Permit me to whine about my gift certificate

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M

Mermaid

picky
I've warned you; this is going to be a rant! But I wouldn't mind opinions.

Merman and I were given a gift certificate for $50 for a very nice restaurant downtown. Yesterday's mail brought the Menu Guide from Indianapolis Monthly mag, and I looked up the menu for this restaurant. Our $50 doesn't go very far.

Starters: mixed green with sherry balsamic vinaigrette $6.75
Entree: Grilled beef madallions with fingerling potatoes, cippolini onions, yadda yadda yadda $21.00

Let's figure in a decent bottle of wine. Maybe about $25, at least? And a cup of coffee, $3, at least? And dessert, too, for about $6.75?

Add it all up and include tip and our bill is over $100. Our gift certificate covers only half.

Call me a grump of monumental proportions, but what kind of present is this that costs ME money? I know we'd be eating in fine syle for half the price, but what if I would really prefer a gift certificate that requires nothing from my wallet but a tip for good service?

So what's your take on this? Do you like gift certificates that allow you to go for luxury for less or are you grumpy like me (okay okay, call me a Scrooge)?
 
Whine all you want, but I would just take the gift certificte and have an appetizer dinner or go in for a dessert extravaganza!!!! Was this a gift from a person or corporation...or maybe the restaurant???
 
You didn't say whether it came from a prosperous company or from personal friends. Is it possible that it's all they can afford? I'm thinking of giving the same amount to several young couples, hoping it will at least help them on the bill to a nice dinner out. If it's from a company or business associates, I think nowadays, $100 is minimum.
 
I am a believer in Cash rather than gift certificates. Retail stores gain millions of dollars in unused gift cards. It is all gravy to them. Also, these cards are prepaid, putting cash in their bank while the inventory is still on the shelf. They get the float on millions of dollars.

Why not give the gift that is timeless and able to be used anywhere? CASH.

Mermaid, don't frown at any gift. Just find the way in which it can benefit you. Go to the restaurant and enjoy a romantic moment by ordering a couple of apps with cocktails. Afterwards, you can go home and sautee some fresh fruit with butter and sugar to pour over ice cream. You will have room for it since you skipped entrees. :idontno: What do you say?
 
OOOOH, you're all so much more clever than I am. I'm so glad I grumped to you. I never thought of the idea of just dining on appetisers, but that might just be the ticket.

We got this gift certificate from the Board of Directors of our neighborhood association. Every year Merman and I run the Home Tour, which is a big weekend-long event raising upwards of $50K for various projects and charities. I guess we did a bang-up job this summer because for the first time ever, we were given a token of appreciation. Or maybe just a bribe to keep us on board for the next tour. ;-)

Aren't you proud of us, SJ, for being so civic-minded? And here I am grumping about it (I told you I was a Scrooge!) However, it appears that thanks to quick-thinking SoWallers, there's a dining experience waiting for me that won't leave me steaming. :biggrin:
 
Sueshore said:
Just checking...I knew you wouldn't whine for long!
Click to expand...

No need to whine when there are people here who can think on their feet. ;-) Although sometimes I do wonder about myself, that some solutions are so obvious and I'm too obtuse to figure it out. Maybe I have other things on my mind. :roll:
 
Mermaid, I share your chagrine that even the simplest meal in a good restaurant runs $100+. We often go just for appetizers and a glass of wine because the entree portions are usually too large and we are not fond of doggy bags. I cannot count the times I've asked the restaurant to box half my meal, then walked off and left it on the table. Restaurants just give us too much food, I guess to justify those high prices.

We are not keen on giving money as a gift. I know it is usually appreciated, but it feels impersonal to us. My husband still remembers his dad passing out $100 bills to the kids at Christmas because he didn't shop and didn't care for holidays. (Little M. did not even know what to do with a $100 bill! Always said he couldn't play with it on Christmas Day.) For people who help us throughout the year, we have been giving gift certificates to the movies. You get a break on the price and movies are something that practically everyone does, even if they pass the tickets on to the children. This isn't inexpensive, as you know, but everyone seems to really appreciate it. Guess they've been getting too much mediocre wine and fruitcake from others!

Always a challenge to find the right gift for each person, but every gift is a kindness.
 
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