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With covid-19 wave 2 upon us, I’m going a bit batty. The first wave was already cray cray but the second wave is so much worse.
For example, here’s what happened the other day.
One of my Chautauqua friends taught me how to properly maximize value out of Uber Eats and in true FIRECracker fashion, I drove that strategy straight into the ground, turning it so competitive, it was no longer fun.
At 9:30pm, I realized I had a big, juicy $50 Uber Eats coupon I forgot about, and it was going to expire in precisely 30mins. Most people would shrug and say “Oh well. whatever,” but not me. Because I’m crazy.
So, I frantically scrolled through the restaurants that were in my area, finally settling on a sushi place called “Kibo” that was, thankfully, still open.
While googling “sashimi refrigeration” and frantically trying to optimize the total to exactly $50, I looked over at Wanderer, watching Netflix with his feet up on the couch, blissfully unaware of my rising panic.
“4 miso soups or two edamame appetizers?” I demanded, without giving any context. “Which one has better value?!”
“What?” he stared at me, eyes shifting between my sweat-soaked face and the cell phone I was aggressively tapping. “Why are you ordering food? We already ate dinner—”
“SHUT UP! THERE’S NO TIME!” I screamed, jabbing the “complete order” button as hard as I could, after desperately throwing four soups and a giant sushi boat into my cart.
“Okay, we gotta go NOW!” I said, yanking him off the couch.
“OW! What the Hell?! Where are going?”
But I was already out the door, sprinting through the darkness toward Kibo sushi. I was a woman on a mission. A very delicious, can’t-afford-to-waste-this-coupon mission. I was going to get my free sushi, damn it, and no one was going to stop me.
After huffing and puffing our way to the restaurant, we arrived to claim our order…which they couldn’t find.
In my panicked state, I hadn’t realized the restaurant was a franchise, and I’d picked the wrong location.
So, then we had to sprint home, so we could drive to the other location. When we got there, I practically slid under the door, one minute before closing time, Indiana Jones style.
Free sushi in hand, I finally got home and collapse on the couch, exhausted but happy. It was only then that Wanderer thought to ask, “Um, which credit card did you use to pay for the taxes?”
“What now?”
That’s when we found out that in my panic (a recurring theme tonight), I hadn’t bothered to check the credit card it charged to, so the Canadian taxes accidentally got charged in American dollars.
And that’s the story of how we got $50 of free sushi, despite picking the wrong credit card, the wrong restaurant, and giving Wanderer several heart attacks along the way.
I regret nothing.
Now, there are two types of reactions you could have to this story.
One: “Oh God, you’re insane! I’m so glad I’m not married to you.”
If this is you, stop reading.
Two: “Wow, FIRECracker’s a genius! How can I get in on some of this sweet sweet competitive couponing?”
If this is you, keep reading. You have come to the right place, my friend.
If you want to use UberEATS so well that, at the end of your order, somehow Uber owes you money, follow these easy steps:
1) Download the UberEats app and sign up. If you’re in Canada, use “CA30” to get $30 off your first order. If you’re in the US, use “USEATNOW”. If either don’t work or are expired, use our referral code “eats-brycel2582ue” to get $10 off your first $20 order.
2) Use the referral code above and/or wait for a special promotion like “$50 off your first order”, “30% off a $20 order” or “$10 off.” You will receive e-mails about these deals and they will also show up in the “promotions” section in your account.
3) Look for restaurants that are easy for you to get to and find the ones that say, “Buy 1, Get 1 Free.” Combine with coupon above to maximize value.
4) Instead of waiting 40min + for your order to be delivered, and to avoid delivery fees, click on “Delivery” at check out and select “Pick up” instead, and click “Done”. This will zero out the delivery fee in the total.
5) Click “Add Promo code” and enter the code to get the discount. You will only have to pay taxes after that. Scroll down and click “Place Order” (You won’t be able to go back and change things after this so make sure you pick the right location and credit card!)
6) Repeat steps 1-4 for your spouse if you’re married, or if not, create additional accounts using google voice numbers.
Voila! Enjoy enough food for 4 people while paying only $6.50 in tax!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have something very important to do.
*opens UberEATS, selects coupon, randomly orders a wedding cake*
“Wanderer, we have to go NOW!”
Wanderer: *drops TV remote* “God dammit!”
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So, I haven’t had sushi since friggin’ FEBRUARY and need to live vicariously through your tale. Did you refrigerate it for the next day, or have a crazy stuff-your-face midnight sushi extravaganza??
Both. 🙂
This is one of the money saving tactics that makes me worried about whether we in the FIRE community are FIREing responsibly. There’s no such thing as a free lunch and someone is definitely subsidizing these meals. The best case scenario is that the money is coming from Uber’s capital (supplied by investors in the hopes that Uber gains so much market share that it turns profitable later). The worst case scenario is that the individual restaurants are trying to drum up more business due to Covid limiting indoor business and the only way to stand out is to offer crazy discounts. Given Uber’s track record on risk sharing with its partners/employees, it’s far more likely that it is the latter scenario.
i feel the same – restaurants lose money on uber eats…it’s like the old groupon model, vendors sign up hoping to create customers but we all love a deal so it’s really a one-time deal for the consumer at a losing price for the vendor…conundrum!!!
Agreed. I won’t use coupons at any restaurant currently. Most are hanging on by a thread. Compassion first.
Fully agree
100% agree with you. And to take it further, I don’t support Uber Eats because it makes money off the backs of restaurants which have thin margins (at best) – taking a huge cut of their profits – and “employs” (Uber says it’s by contract so they aren’t entitled to things employees are entitled to) workers who work for peanuts.
I haven’t ordered from Uber Eats (or used Uber) in three or so years and I have no regrets. Perhaps I have spent more money by not going through Uber Eats and by using taxis, but I sleep better at night knowing I’m not supporting a predatory company like that.
Nope. It’s paid for by Uber not the restaurant. There’s no way it can be paid for by the restaurant since they wouldn’t even know ahead of time which restaurant you would pick when you get the coupon. It’s not like Groupon, when you actually get the discount directly from the vendor.
Ubereats helps local business stay in business since it gives them a way to do takeout easily via the platform. Without Ubereats, I’d never order in and cook all the time.
HAHAHA! You are crazy.
But in this same vein, I’ve been cancelling flights and in some cases got vouchers for future travel. When I tried to use one voucher (on Avianca) the cost of the surcharge was higher than buying the ticket with cash. So, I figured that voucher would be worthless.
Until, Rappi (like a mega Ubereats in Latin America) sent me a promotion to cash Avianca miles into Rappi pesos. So now my restaurant meals delivered can be paid with this credit. One more thing to watch for!
Oh interesting. Did not know you could convert miles into restaurant meals. I still have a voucher with Jetstar that I can’t use since it’s for a flight from Bali to Perth. Wonder if there’s a way to convert so that I can use it for something else.
That’s awesome. Haven’t tried Uber Eats yet but I’ve seen those sweet deals posted online occasionally.
We used Grab Food and Food Panda quite a bit in Southeast Asia and they really loaded us up with free coupons, % off discounts, and $ cash discounts. Basically every meal had some kind of discount attached to it.
Yeah, Grab is pretty amazing. Never got a chance to try Grab Food when I was in Thailand so I might explore that the next time we go back (if borders ever open again. *sigh*).
Grab Food was the jam. We stayed a bit away from convenient restaurants in Chiang Mai and it was nice to order takeout when it was pouring rain or we were lazy 🙂
I immediately chose: “Oh God, you’re insane! I’m so glad I’m not married to you.”, but then, I have to admit, I am also curious: how?
What I learn and admire about you, FIRECracker, is your determination. From this story alone, it’s at least 10x mine, ha3x….
Gotta out crazy everyone. That’s what I do best 🙂
Come on, this is more about how firecracker can get her next ubereats meal for free. We all know that when someone uses her referral code she gets credit for it. There are better coupons for first time users out there.
I think they ran out of money.
Oh please, why would I need your referral credit of a measly $10, when I can make way more money writing sponsored posts promoting shitty credit cards and mutual funds? Oooh Uber eats referrals, that’s where the money’s at. Do me a favour, don’t ever try to make money blogging. You will fail.
That’s the best response ever! I love it! 👏 That’s why I like this blog.☺️
Wow, what a story, but the main thing is that the goal is achieved and it’s cool. Thank you for the detailed explanation on how to use the discount.
What was Wanderer watching on Netflix, and would he recommend it?
The Great Hack and The Social Dilemma. Have you watched them?
On my “To watch” list! 🙂
Yep, I’ve watched them both. I was very disappointed with Netflix when they rejected ‘Playing with FIRE: The Documentary’.
I agree with Noah, et al. Someone’s paying for this, and I’m not willing to risk that it’s the restaurant during already hard times. But Uber Eats’ business model was already one that took advantage of small businesses and I wasn’t comfortable supporting.
What you did FIREcracker is extort a loop hole, something couponers do all the time. It’s embarrassing that people are proud to publish this sort of bullshit. Having worked in restaurants for 15 years and ones in recent years with Uber Eats I promise you the restaurant paid for your “free” food. Maybe free for you. I am not impressed. Also if people are not willing to put their real name behind something it’s not really possible to take it seriously. FIREcracker and Wanderer…..maybe but you money where your mouth is by revealing your identity.
Hey Jennie… sorry, but these two are far from anonymous! They have been active on the FIRE scene for a long time, and are well-respected. And you do realize that they published a book under their own names, right? Have a look at the top of this page, it’s called Quit like a millionaire, and their real names are under the title. By the way, the book is an excellent introduction to the principles of saving and investing, I gave it to my teenage daughter for her birthday, she can’t wait to open her first investment account when she turns 18 in December. 🙂
And yes, FIRECracker (Kristy) is a mega optimizer, but this post is meant to be humorous, she is not bragging about screwing restaurants. I would encourage you to read a few more articles, her writing style is really hilarious and you will learn a ton, no doubt. Peace!
FIRE friends need to smoke a bowl and relaxxxxx. Getting your undies in a wad over this post, lol. Good buying opportunities as COVID exerts downward pressure on all markets. Laughing at these critical posts. Thanks Firecracker!! 😉
Seems like your version of “relaxing” is acting without ethics or compassion, just me me me, who gives a crap about restaurants and other small businesses losing money as long as I save money when using their services. No thanks.
Hi Kristy,
You make me laugh! You’re so funny. I understand why some people don’t use UberEats, but your post provides useful and practical information. Thank you. Please don’t let the haters ruin your spirit. Furthermore, I love your books. I read Quit Like a Millionaire first, then I read Little Miss Evil (so FUNNY and entertaining for adults and kids alike).
I used Uber Eat for the first time this week because I got a $30 coupon. I didn’t know about the pick up option! Wasted $15 on delivery/tips! Ugh! Oh well, next time.
I discovered the pick up option recently too and have been combining with my 30% promo code for a true discount. For those wondering if this will hurt the restaurants…the 30% discount usually equals to the delivery fee and Uber fee plus the tip for the delivery person if you pay 15% tip. Selecting the pick up option usually just mean you are not paying the extra fees by moving your own legs instead of lying on the couch. I suspect the restaurant pockets the same amount regardless.
Friends who own restaurants tell me they list their restaurants on multiple delivery platforms, some charges more than others depending on their market share. With COVID, these delivery platforms are actually helping the restaurants stay afloat. Many people will not be ordering/eating out otherwise.
This blog used to be something I used to look forward to and respect, and Quit Like a Millionaire is a really good book. However, I’ve been really put off by the blatant narcissism flowing from both writers of the blog. I know this criticism won’t be taken constructively, which is unfortunate, as I believe both Kristy and Bryce have great things to offer in regards to finances and FIRE. But, something has changed with them, and it’s no longer pleasant to read their posts. Check your egos, think about how your writing impacts others. It’s not just about the crap you can spill and think you have it all figured out. Grow a little bit, and think outside of your seemingly witty, but really entitled selves.
I hate to speak ill of strangers who’ve done nothing to me but provide me with useful information and a venue to express my opinions, and they’ve clearly accomplished far more than I have, but I have to admit that you’re not wrong. I say this only with the hopes of being constructive, but the posts of the past year or so are not nearly what they were in the beginning.
This post in particular rubs me the wrong way. Maybe this couponing stuff hurts only a big faceless corporation (and I hope so!), but surely millionnaires can pay for their own sushi when they have a hankering for it, and I definitely expect such intelligent, driven people to have more important things to discuss than the money they saved on their fancy meal.
We all know the feeling of being extorted by the wealthy. I’d think that the goal when we actually do become wealthy is to not be “that guy.”
But it’s their successful blog and we can always go start our own if this one isn’t to our liking.
Hmmm… During COVID, when ordering takeout instead of trying to get discounts I’ve been giving 50% tips and donating to charity. As an early retiree reaping the rewards of the COVID stock market bubble, it feels like the right thing to do.
Haha, we go crazy playing this game, too.
Though for us, it’s usually with DoorDash and/or Grubhub since UberEats doesn’t seem to have quite the level of availability.
When I see those BOGO or 50% or $5 off $10 promos for the services, it’s straight to pickup food options within walking distance.
It’s practically just an excuse to try a different place and go for a walk.
I kinda love it.
But I can also see how it could be a little bit of a time-waster and potentially frustrating for your partner 🙂
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Who ‘eats’ the $30? Uber or the restaurant. If the restaurant, I would never use this. They are suffering enough already
Revenue Model vs. Business Model
A revenue model and a business model are so closely connected that many business owners and advisers use the terms interchangeably.
However, they are not precisely the same.
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