Entertainment Books

[Mrs. H]

Per a search - I haven't seen anyone post about this - so here I go:

Entertainment Books are coupon books that you buy in order to get discounts. Although, buying coupons may seem odd to some - the savings are immeasurable.

The books can be found at entertainment.com and you buy them for your specific area. In this way, the discounts are local to you. There are some discounts that can be used nationwide and hotel and car rental discounts, too.

I just looked on the site and they're going for $9.99 each right now. Keep in mind that they're only good from November through to the next November. Also, please note the locations where the coupons in the book can be used before you go.

No, I don't work for them and I'm not getting any kickback. (I wish!)

Anyway, I hope someone out there can use this info. We get one every year - the price drops from $30+ to the $9.99 and then we go for it! You can recoup the cost of the book in one use literally and then save hundreds of dollars at grocery stores, eating out, car washes, etc., etc.

It has coupons for buy-one-get-one (BOGO) free dinners as well as a card that you activate online. The card is used at upscale restaurants for BOGO dinners. Sometimes, if you dine alone, a discount is offered for that as well. They have offers that you can print from online, too.

If you live in NJ - or in some other places - several books may cover your surrounding areas (like we have to pick South Jersey instead of Central Jersey or otherwise) - so please choose carefully!

Be well,
Mrs. H.

[Minnymouth]

Each year our local school systems offer "coupon books" for discounts at local merchants...... proceeds help sponsor school activities....

Excellent coupon books, for food (pizza, burgers, fish - good restraunts), oil changes, 10% discounts on lots of things, clothing, etc and lots of buy one get one free food......

Well worth the investment......saves us a bundle on lunch in our office when we order out.....

I buy one every year and use the daylights out of it........ saves me a lot of cash eating out.....

The cost - $10.00 for one book....... well worth it....................

[arkienurse]

Each year our local school systems offer "coupon books" for discounts at local merchants...... proceeds help sponsor school activities....

Excellent coupon books, for food (pizza, burgers, fish - good restraunts), oil changes, 10% discounts on lots of things, clothing, etc and lots of buy one get one free food......

Well worth the investment......saves us a bundle on lunch in our office when we order out.....

I buy one every year and use the daylights out of it........ saves me a lot of cash eating out.....

The cost - $10.00 for one book....... well worth it....................

Our local schools used to be big on "Spirit Cards". Same principle. as the coupon books. Just present the card and get whatever was offered. Like Churches Fried chicken offered a free medium drink with a certain dinner box purchase, the tuxedo rental place gave a $5.00 discount on tux rental, etc. We used to buy them every year just because our favorite chinese place offered a 10% discount on each purchase when you show the card. Only took like 3 visits to pay back the cost of the card. Haven't seen any in the past few years, but my coworkers all have kids grown up now.

[Minnymouth]

Yep, on the "spirit card"...... I have one of those too thru our school system.... LOVE EM......

Some of the best eating places, Subway, Sonic, Pizza Hut, Arbys, Captain D's, etc all offer freebies, or buy one get one free with it.....

We use it a lot also, not much on it that I don't use.....

Why pay full price when two can eat the same price as one!!!

Works out well for all of us.............

[lrprn]

We love these entertainment books too! Luckily our neighborhood still has a fair number of kids selling them every year.

We tear out the coupons we know we will use, then donate the rest to our local Ronald McDonald House. They love getting the coupons for the parents of sick kids staying there who are often on very tight budgets!

[pageturner]

My best friend has used them for years. I have my first one this year. Love it.

[WharffRat]

My 2009 book has already paid for itself and the year has not started yet

[Intoodeep80]

My 2009 book has already paid for itself and the year has not started yet

Same here!!

I did a total OCD thing, my friends tease me.... LOL.. but I will share it with you.

I taped a piece of paper on the inside cover of my entertainment book. I write down the date, the place, and how much I saved everytime I use an entertainment coupon

It paid for itself in 2 weeks (my 2009 book). I was able to buy it for $20 at my credit union. ALSO if you register online with entertainment, you can print out extra coupons if you've used the ones in your book already!! Not all places participate with the online extra coupons, but some do. Check it out.

Oh, me and my co-worker do a trade off. I trade her some restaurant coupons and in exchange I give her my oil change and car maintenance ones ( I do all of my own car maint.). Its a win-win.

[Flamingo]

What a friend of mine discovered is that a lot of these services (or other places you may frequent with your business) also provide the same coupon or discount online on their website. Look them up online and see if they have a "coupon" section - you'd be surprised at what you can find.

[wonkettegirl]

I found that with the Entertainment book it was easier to go out when otherwise I would have stayed in, easier to order an appetizer if, say, one meal was going to be free, etc. etc. In the long run, I probably didn't save any money, mostly because it was tempting to go out and "save" instead of staying in and cooking.

Tehre are a couple of coupons I use every year, though - to the local amusement park. I found that by posting a "wish" on our local freecycle board, many generous souls are more than willing to mail me those coupons because they don't use them.