$1,626,770.00
...has been saved by our readers. How much have you saved?
IHOP has FREE pancakes today:
On February 28, 2006 from 7 AM to 2 PM IHOPs across the country will celebrate National Pancake Day (also known as Shrove Tuesday) by offering our guests a free short stack of pancakes*.
If you’re wondering how this is at all relevant to a blog about personal finance and personal entrepreneurship, I have no clue. But I’m traveling until Thursday, so cut me some slack.
Umm … anything that has to do with being able to save an extra $3 in my high-intrest savings account is very relevant to my personal finance. It’s also very relevant to my enjoyment of the day. Thanks Ramit. It’s the little things in life …
What’s with the asterisk*?
*something?
Yeah, there are a couple of basic requirements, like you have to dine in, etc. Check out the site for details.
I have actually been thinking about the value of such deals. Now, from a vendor standpoint, why would they want to give something away free? Actually, its never free, you do end up spending more than what you probably saved. I havent read the * (basic requirements) but I am guessing that this will be the case.
I love iHOP. Unfortunately, there are no iHops in Columbus, Ohio. Everytime I travel I stop in for breakfast. Their breakfast is the best.
IHOP is doing very well off this promotion. For starters, it got me thinking about IHOP, which I haven’t done in about 2 years. Secondly they encourage people to make charitable donations in exchange for their free short stack. Thirdly, the old loss-leader. You can go in there for a free short stack, but can you honestly not order OJ, or coffee, or sausage or hashbrowns? Myself and 3 other friends went in for free pancakes, when we walked out we had amassed a 25 dollar bill! I think they more than made their money back on me and others like me, but i was happy because I got something for ‘free’
It’s called free publicity. Get millions in advertising for the price of a couple of thousand dollars worth of flour. Just hearing about the promotion makes me hungry.
Hey Ramit. I just saw you speak today. I am one of the teachers at Miss Porters. The talk rocked. I am just out of college and one of the stupid ones that fell into debt during it (thankfully i realised it quick and fixed my finances before it got out of control) and even tho you were talking to high schoolers everything you said applied to my own finaces as well. To bad I wasn’t part of the group that got to hear more. But the hour long talk was a good kick start to find out more about investing and budgeting. Thanks a ton! and hope that the audience got as much out of it as i did (My freshman advisees loved the talk and were really into it)
I'm the New York Times best-selling author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich. I co-founded PBwiki and graduated from Stanford.
