Caviar - Nope, Not the Fish Eggs

There's so many food deals out there that sometimes it's even difficult for me to stay on top of them. But thankfully for my friends, I have some new content for you guys!

Caviar is yet another food delivery service (in a previous post, we looked at Postmates). They deliver from restaurants in Atlanta, Brooklyn, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Manhattan, Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area (including East Bay & South Bay), Seattle, Portland and Washington D.C.

Food items on the website seem inflated and they tag on a bunch of service/delivery fees afterwards at checkout. But, right now they're running a promotion where you get $20 off your first order. So if you play your cards right, you could get lunch for $2.

I ended up ordering from Hot Kitchen, a Chinese Szechuan food restaurant. I didn't really want anything on the menu (surprise I know), so ordered as a last resort, soup dumplings, against my better judgment. All the soup had spilled out and the dumplings were ruined. This is what I get for cheating on my favorite soup dumpling place in Chinatown. I deserved everything.

Soup dumplings and spicy cucumbers for $2.26 from Hot Kitchen

How to get the deal:

1. Click here to go to Caviar. Enter your delivery address.
Note: I've linked my referral code so you are able to get $20 off your first order, but I will also get $20 account statement credit.. it's win win!

2. Take a peak at your selections! After entering your address, you'll be able to see "local deals" where you're eligible for a $1.99 delivery fee instead of the usual $4.99. Also, select the delivery time frame. There'll be more choices after 12pm. I ordered from Hot Kitchen :) Gotta love szechuan food.

3.  Time to decide what to eat! Try not to drool too much and ruin any electronic devices. Since you'll be getting a $20 off, my tip here to maximize the deal is to get as close to $16 as possible (you'll see later). It's like playing Blackjack! Except I'm much much better at this...

4. At checkout, you'll be given a breakdown of the costs and various fees. The most important part is the account credit, which should be -$20.00.

If at this point, you do not see a credit of $20, click on Have a promo code? and enter 1kzmze

The lowest amount you'll pay is $1.99 because the $20 credit does not apply to delivery fee. A total of $2.29 looks good to me! Put in your payment info and confirm your order.

5. Here's what it looks like

6. Patiently wait for your food to arrive. If you signed up for them, you'll be getting text message updates as well. Once the guy is downstairs, you'll get a call.

7. Enjoy!!

Baseball can be pretty cool when it gets me free Domino's

What's every New Yorker's favorite pizza?? Domino's!!! Just kidding, don't kill me.

But who can say no to a FREE medium two-topping handmade pan pizza from Domino's?

Long story short, whenever a pitcher throws a no-hitter this season, Domino's is giving away 20,000 pizzas to the first MLB.com users to sign up for the deal at 3pm EST. It usually runs out very very quickly so plan accordingly (cancel meetings, block off your calendar, turn your phone on silent, etc).

How to get the deal:
1. Click here to sign up for a MLB.com account. This way you're prepared when 3pm comes.

2. At 2:57pm EST, visit www.mlb.com/dominono and keep refreshing until 3:02pm. Or if you're not crazy like me, just visit the website at 3pm.

3. If successful, you'll be brought to a page where you can enter your email address and info. Submit as quickly and accurately as possible.

4. Now, just patiently wait for your email to come. It shouldn't be more than a few minutes and should look something like this the picture below. Also, don't try to be all sneaky and use this promo-code. It's from over a week ago and it won't get you pizza :P.

What to expect:

1. Don't be disappointed if you don't get free pizza even after following my instructions! There's a bunch of bots out there for people who are getting codes and selling them on eBay. And I highly doubt Domino's is actually giving away 20 THOUSAND pizzas. Plus, it's probably a sign if you didn't get a code right??

2. Make sure to use the code within 5 days. So I would say use it by this Friday, August 28.

3. This is valid for carry-out only.

4. Share the pizza, fatties.

Postmates Pinkberry delivery

Really didn't think I'd be writing a new entry this soon.. but deals take priority over sleep, work, etc. 

The picture above is a free small Pinkberry I got (okay, I had to pay tip). I put in there caramel, nutella, chocolate chip cookie dough, and mochi. I love nutella but not sure if I would recommend it was a froyo topping. It ended up being all chunky and I basically ate spoonfuls of nutella with a small coating of froyo. NOT that there's anything wrong with that :).

So anyway, this deal is via Postmates. Postmates is an on-demand delivery app that's available for pretty much anything. It's especially handy when you're craving food from someplace that doesn't deliver or if you're too lazy to wait in line for 30 minutes to get Shake Shack. The only downside is the delivery fee tends to be on the pricier side and is dependent on distance. BUT (you were waiting for it, weren't you?!), they occasionally offer promotions where you get free food but just have to pay for delivery + tip. With a $10 off first time delivery promo code, all you'll have to pay is tip :).

How to get this deal:

1. Download the Postmates application from the App Store (available in iOS and Android) if you haven't already.

2. Follow the steps on the screen to sign up.

3. Click on the Pinkberry promotion - Free Pinkberry On-Demand. I believe this offer is only valid during regular business hours at the Columbus Circle location (330 W 58th St, New York, NY).

4. Fun part! Choosing your flavor and toppings. Afterwards, click Add to Cart.

5. When checking out, your total should be $0.00. Then, click Check Out. 

6. At the check out page, make sure your delivery address is correct and that you put in payment info. Even though your total should be $0, it's still required before ordering. Plus, you'll need to tip at the end.

7. In order to get free delivery - Click on Enter Promo Code. Use promo code: liaxj 
Then click Get It Now.
Note: By using this promo code I will also get $10 off a future delivery. 

8. Postmates will try to contact someone to deliver your Pinkberry. Be patient.. this may take awhile. You may also have to try multiple times. If you change your mind, you can still cancel delivery.

9. Once your very own Freddie V has been assigned, you'll be brought to this page and also be notified via email. If you click on the "..." at the bottom of the screen, you have the option of calling or texting him..

10. Once "Tracking begins", this means your Pinkberry has been created and he is on his way over. There's also an ETA on the screen. You = red dot; Pinkberry = green dot

11. You will receive a call or text when delivery is downstairs.

12. As you're going back upstairs, go back into the Postmates app and select a tip for your guy and rate the delivery.

 

13. Enjoy your free, small Pinkberry!

The deal is supposed to expire at the end of the week. I'm not exactly clear on what that is and can only assume Sunday night.. so I'd use this deal ASAP just in case.

I do not receive any compensation or incentives as a result of this post.

Better late than never - First post! Lunchspread

After much support and encouragement from my loving friends, I've decided it's about time I get off my lazy bum and start a food blog. Well, this isn't any food blog. You won't find any recipes or HD quality pictures taken with DSLRs. I'm here to find you the best cheap or FREE eats around the city.

Eating out in NYC is costly. A typical lunch around midtown ranges between $9-12 and dinner with drinks at a non-fancy establishment ends up around $30 before tax and tip. Food is easily one of the highest monthly expenses, second only to rent. When we're left with such a measly amount after all these expenses, it's natural to feel discouraged and think the city is too expensive for you.

Good news is if you're willing to put in a little bit of work and provide some personal information, there are plenty of opportunities where you're able to benefit. But let me be clear, personal information should NOT include your social security number, passwords, bank accounts, credit cards, mothers maiden name, etc. If there's ever a situation where you feel uncomfortable - don't do it!

Formalities aside and onto the fun stuff!

First deal I'd like to share with you guys is Lunchspread.
http://www.lunchspread.com/

Lunchspread is a new startup that connects us and our coworkers to partner restaurants around our workplace. After filling out a brief survey of food and budget preferences, you're literally just waiting for your free food samples to arrive.

You can expect to see something like this:

Not bad huh?? I'll be honest when I saw these bags labeled "FREE FOOD" I couldn't help smiling ear to ear feeling like I just won the lottery.

How to get this deal:

• Go to http://www.lunchspread.com/ and click on "Get your samples now"
• Participation from 4-8 people, yourself included
• Have an office location between 14th and 57th street

What to expect:

• A sampling of foods from local businesses matched to your taste.
A week after signing up, we got an email from Andy @ Lunchspread to let us know when we should expect our samples and to confirm the best delivery time.

• Mid-afternoon delivery so plan for a small lunch or late breakfast!
The day of delivery, the restaurant owner of Piada called to confirm delivery time and our food preferences. Being primarily meat-eaters, my coworkers and I put "no vegetarian" for our dietary restriction (ha!). It was sweet that Piada called to ask if we would like vegetables in our sandwiches or if it's best to exclude them. The owner also called right as he was leaving and arrived promptly at the scheduled delivery time.


• Neatly packaged and labeled samples and personalized promo codes for your next visit
The sandwiches were labeled and menus were provided so it was easy to see what we got samples of. There was a handwritten note from the business owner and our very own promotion code for a 10% off the next visit. 

• Follow up survey from Lunchspread where you can provide feedback
Highly encourage everyone to fill this out so they're able to better match you for the next round of samples. Yeah you read that right - MORE SAMPLES ARE COMING.

Overall, 10/10 would do again. Communication with Lunchspread was quick and informative. The business owner was clearly invested in the idea and wanted us to have the best experience possible. The portions were ideal for a sizable afternoon snack. And the best thing is - it hardly required any work on our part.

Phew! That's it for now. Feel free to post any questions below :)

I do not receive any compensation or incentives as a result of this post.