Author Topic: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal  (Read 28475 times)

arebelspy

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #50 on: October 24, 2016, 07:55:55 AM »
Love the review, radram.  Thanks for posting the extensive details!

Arebelspy,

I have to ask: How in the world did you find a 2 week old post?

Updating this a.m.
Sadly, in FIRE, I have much less time (interest?) for visiting the forum, so I sometimes go a few weeks or more only reading and replying to threads I'm subscribed to (or reported to mods), and then will do a big catch-up, which is where I end up reading posts that are a few weeks old (and some no longer still relevant, so I don't comment) but new or updated for me.  :)
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

radram

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #51 on: October 24, 2016, 09:34:07 AM »
Just finished week 3. Time for an update.

As you might imagine, I did not go 3 times a day for 21 straight days.  Total trips was not 63. It was 15 trips in 21 days, for an average of about 1 trip every other day.

COSTS
The 15 trips have totaled $162.  I was alone for 11 meals, with my youngest daughter for 2 trips, and with my wife for 2 trips.

My daughter had only soda, while my wife also had a meal.  Figuring $17 for 13 meals, plus $27 for the 2 meals with the wife, the Olive Garden rung up about $275 in purchases for the $162 I have paid.

My wife also had a meal each time, so that does increase the costs for those 2 trips.  They have a nice lunch special here, and it looks to be a regular price and not a special.  For $6.49, you get bread sticks, plus unlimited soup or salad, plus a small sandwich and fries.  She does as I do, filling up on soup or salad, and taking home the sandwich.  It is still a pretty good value for what you get, but each time we do this, that trip costs $11.50 instead of $3.00 for going alone.  We joke that she is an expensive date:)  She was not all that up to the idea on waiting while I eat, since she get to have soda whenever she wants to.  She also understands that if she went as often as I do, the pass would not be worth the additional cost. I am sure we will continue to go together about once a week.

As before, I value my pasta meals at $13 each, and my wife's meals at face value of $6.50, or $208.00 of "going out food value".  My card has also paid for itself in going out value.

As far as ingredients, still using $7.00 for each of my meals, and $5.00 for each of my wife's, I have received $125.00 in food value.  I should reach my costs in the next 2 weeks.

Most of these trips were piggy backed on other errands, but some were just for the sake of OG.  I am not counting gas, though I probably should.

TAKE HOMES
It gets hard to calculate, since there is so much food, especially one time in a story I describe below.  I estimate that each take home is 3 meals, plus the meal as I eat it, plus 2 meals for each time my wife goes for a total of about 64 meals for $162.

If we eat 2 meals a day, the family has had 168 meals in that time, or about 1/3 of them Olive Garden.  They are not yet saying "no more".  We'll see after a few more weeks.

EXPERIENCES
By far the best experience so far was with my 10 year old daughter.  She loves the idea of the free soda, so we went after her gymnastics class.  I brought that day's lunch with me so she could eat on the way, and she seemed to like that.  She wasn't at all hungry while she was enjoying the soda.  The waitress brought a plate and told us she could also enjoy the salad, but that did not feel right with me.  She did pick through some of the cabbage pieces and is now very good at telling the difference between red cabbage and a red onion :).  We will make this a scheduled weekly trip until the end of the pass program.

We make a game out of using the table screen to select menu items the other needed to find.

While we were there the first time, the waitress was having a tough time.   She received an 8 top just after we sat down.  She was still very much on top of us with salad and soda refills, but there was some sort of delay in getting the pasta.  She apologized profusely, and placed another order.  Just out of curiosity I was able to look up the bill to see that the order was indeed in the system before she reordered it, so I do believe the mix up was in the kitchen. A few minuted later, she came with my pasta, but it was not what I ordered.  I did not have the heart to tell her, so I just asked for a reorder of what I ordered the first time.  About 2 minutes later, my original order arrived, so I now had 2 FULL orders of pasta, plus I just placed a reorder which is a half order. I was looking for my server to cancel my reorder, but she was serving the 8 top and I did not want to interrupt her.  By the time she came to my table, the reorder was coming to the table right behind her.  She again was so very apologetic for giving me SO MUCH FOOD for me to take home and eat for the next 3 days.  My daughter and I had a great discussion about how those mistakes will often cost the server money, and how very often people get upset when mistakes happen. We were having so much fun with our game, I actually enjoyed the delay.  It made our game last longer:)

After going with my younger daughter, my older daughter is again expressing interest in going with me.  She has been busy with ACT prep and college applications, but those mostly conclude next week so there will be some time to go.  We might go tonight before a meeting we are going to.  She is also interested in planning a soda party with her friends.

My older daughter is on a robotics team, and they are also following my pass journey.  We have a demo right around the corner of an Olive Garden next month, so I am trying to get a soda party planned with them.   

My oldest goes to lunch at school, and say's "guess what I have for lunch today".  Her friends all say "Olive Garden".   Another priceless memory.

My waitress yesterday had not seen a pass yet, though there were several at that location in the past weeks.  This makes me realize how rare these really are.  I am very much enjoying this little experiment.

DISADVANTAGES
I love to cook.  I have not made very many meals this past month.

I had a $.99 head of lettuce spoil in the fridge since my salad is consumed at OG.

We make our own bread.  The last loaf is 10 days old and we most likely will not eat it before mold grows. Zero lunch sandwiches in 3 weeks will do that.

WEIGHT
The first 2 weeks, I lost exactly 2 pounds each week.  As of 2 days ago, I was actually UP about .3 pounds for the week.  By this mornings weigh in I was also at a 2 pound loss for the week.  I put a * on that one, since I skipped a meal or 2 to make weight.  So 3 weeks, 15 trips and 6 pounds lost.

I did not go again 3 times in a day, but I did go 2 times in a day on 2 different occasions.  When I go 2 times in a day, I eat very little of the pasta and focus on the salad and soup.  When I go 1 time, I can eat about 1/2 to 1/3 of the pasta and still have calories for a nice dinner.

BONUS
As an added bonus, I told my brother about my pass, and he pulled out a $50 gift card from his wallet.  He said he never goes, it was a gift to him, and he did not want it so he gave it to me.  So I have over 16 future solo trips that will cost me $0.  I will still include them in my cost totals, but by one estimate, the card has paid for itself in raw food purchases already.  Thanks Bro!

That's it for now. Time to go out and enjoy one of the best Fall days so far this year.

Debts_of_Despair

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #52 on: October 24, 2016, 10:20:39 AM »
What is a soda party?

radram

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #53 on: October 24, 2016, 10:59:46 AM »
What is a soda party?

Everyone at my table gets free soda with the card.  Some will order food, but some will not.

SnackDog

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #54 on: October 24, 2016, 11:20:42 AM »
Thanks for the detailed update!  Fantastic.  Post some photos of what you are eating!

radram

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #55 on: September 25, 2017, 10:22:02 AM »
This years pasta pass is a little different then last years. You no longer get soda included. It is 8 weeks instead of 7 weeks. They also introduced a pasta passport for $200 that included the pasta plus an all expense trip for 2 to Italy for a week. There were only 50 of these trip passes issued.

We had a great time last year so we decided we would try for another one this year. Without the soda included, I would no longer be able to convince my daughters to join me, but we still decided to try to get one.

We had 3 computers trying to get the passes. We decided to try to get a passport with 1 computer, while trying to get the pasta passes with 2 computers. We did not get the passport, but we were able to get TWO pasta passes. We decided to buy them and then decide whether to use them or sell them.  We decided to keep them, so my wife and I will both be going starting today. Both daughters were very interested in the leftovers. Oldest is in college now, so we will make a few trips with a food drop-off in the coming weeks.

This year my plan is not to get a good food value. It is just to have some nice "away time" with the wife. Not going 3 times today. Just a late lunch.

SnackDog

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #56 on: September 25, 2017, 10:44:08 AM »
Very impressive.  Well done to getting passes again.  Let us know how it works out.

okits

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #57 on: September 25, 2017, 10:49:42 AM »
I saw this thread pop up and thought, "has it been a year already?!"  Let us know how you enjoy the passes without driving hard to optimize them financially.  We often need a push to go for date night so I can see the value of having them just as a prompt to go spend some time together, kid-free.

PizzaSteve

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #58 on: September 25, 2017, 11:10:29 AM »
Quote
I guess the more you eat the more you save.   

False economy though if it causes you to significantly overeat and then pack on unnecessary weight.

That was one of the harder pieces of fatlogic to part ways with when I finally committed to losing weight. You aren't saving anything if it keeps you fat with all the problems that come with that.
+1, though there was a very interesting thread about the unlimited meals and someone who optimized it. 

Someone good with searching should link it.  I think the deal allowed salads with meat choice, and pasta was taken home and frozen for many follow up meals at a more reasonable caloric level and it was a reasonably healthy strategy.

ThriftyStashMan

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #59 on: September 25, 2017, 11:32:48 AM »
Day 1. Bloated at work. I told myself I will go heavy on the salad and light on the bread sticks and pasta this year. Clearly, I have food boundary issues!

There were 4 others near me who had passes. I might see if they want to work out together before breakfast everyday. I'm thinking the guy who told the server he plans to come everyday for lunch and dinner and then eat leftover bread sticks for breakfast might make me fell good about myself in the gym come November.

Cassie

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #60 on: September 25, 2017, 01:20:32 PM »
I just looked and it said they sold out in 1 second. How do you even know when the sale will be?  I have never seen it advertised.  It also said they inscribed the person's name on it so they could not be sold.

radram

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #61 on: September 25, 2017, 05:59:31 PM »
I just looked and it said they sold out in 1 second. How do you even know when the sale will be?  I have never seen it advertised.  It also said they inscribed the person's name on it so they could not be sold.

Last year I found out just by reading the news online. I heard about it about a week before they sold. This year, I only heard about the sale about 4 hours before it started. In fact, I checked OG's website the week before, and there was nothing.

The names are not new. They were on the passes last year. I was never asked for ID last year. This year I was not asked for an ID today(first day). What some people did was to put a phrase that was clearly not a name, and then put the pass up for sale. When you get a buyer, you go back and change the name before printing to the name of the buyer. Still others just sell them with whatever name and state they are not responsible if they do not honor them.

ThriftyStashMan

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #62 on: September 27, 2017, 10:37:16 AM »
I have used my card 5 times now. Never have I been asked to show ID.

The one tactic I am using this year is to not take leftovers home.

radram

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #63 on: September 28, 2017, 05:39:00 AM »

The one tactic I am using this year is to not take leftovers home.

I do not understand the purpose of your tactic of no leftovers. To me, that is the only thing that makes the pass worthwhile.

ThriftyStashMan

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #64 on: September 28, 2017, 12:16:26 PM »
Last year I gained 8 lbs and napped accidentally at work several times in the afternoon.

When my son is home, which will be next week, I will bring home leftovers everyday. He'll enjoy them at school for lunch and perhaps as a snack between lunch and dinner (in place of an entire box of cereal, dry).

radram

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #65 on: September 28, 2017, 05:33:30 PM »
Last year I gained 8 lbs and napped accidentally at work several times in the afternoon.

When my son is home, which will be next week, I will bring home leftovers everyday. He'll enjoy them at school for lunch and perhaps as a snack between lunch and dinner (in place of an entire box of cereal, dry).

Can't you give it to friends, family, anyone?




ThriftyStashMan

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #66 on: September 29, 2017, 10:34:15 AM »
Wife is on a diet and doesn't want the bread sticks of Satan tempting her dieting soul.

Son will eat everything I bring home starting next week...including the 2 mints from each meal.

SnackDog

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #67 on: July 06, 2018, 06:12:28 PM »
How did last year work out???

GuitarStv

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #68 on: July 07, 2018, 12:33:49 PM »
No further posting = Death by carb.

radram

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #69 on: July 08, 2018, 10:14:26 AM »
No further posting = Death by carb.

LOL. Still alive and well. Just enjoyed a wonderful trip with family, and am getting back to leisure reading in the a.m.

radram

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #70 on: July 08, 2018, 10:33:17 AM »
How did last year work out???

It was great, though very different than the year prior. Not getting the soda made a big difference, not for me as much as not being able to invite others to join us and get some benefit.

We went far less frequently, but did enjoy the inexpensive noon "dates" together. College daughter ate almost all of the pasta after freezing them and delivering them about 3 weeks later. She still does not request spaghetti for dinner now that she is home for the summer:)

I remember at the end of the pass thinking we would not be interested in repeating the experience again if given the chance this year. We, in fact, found an even cheaper date lunch-time experience. In January, we purchased 2 Moviepass cards for $95 each. I bet I saw about 4 movies total in a theater the past 5 years prior to getting the pass. Have seen about 30 since January. The pasta pass required continued outlay in the form of gratuity, while the movie pass has no additional ongoing costs if you commit to never buying food. We get free popcorn on Tuesday's, and we earn points toward food credits for an occasional free treat.

Now that the kids are home from school, we go much less often, since we would have to pay for their ticket. I know there is a risk Moviepass will go bankrupt, but we rolled the dice and have already considered the cost "worth it".

We are thinking about getting pasta passes again, doubling our dates to lunch and a movie. We will see.

soccerluvof4

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #71 on: July 08, 2018, 03:04:18 PM »
you could easily make pasta , soup or salad and breadsticks at home even healthier  for under $1.50 a day and even healthier at home but like others have said , get sick of it pretty quick.

thisisjeopardy

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #72 on: July 21, 2018, 06:16:18 PM »
I'd like someone to post their blood test / lab work before and after this. The pure amount of sodium in everything is absolutely bonkers. Oil, yes, even olive oil, is not healthy. It has zero nutrients or even fiber, just pure fat - to which is proven to cause lesions an blockages in the arteries.

Pizzabrewer

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #73 on: August 23, 2018, 07:01:44 AM »
This year's pass goes on sale today at 2pm.

SnackDog

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #74 on: August 23, 2018, 07:58:27 AM »
Yes and this year they have a new pass.  365 days of unlimited pasta, soup, salad, and breadsticks for $300!  You can eat three squares a day (or more!) for a whole year.  Holy cow. 

Last year all the passes sold out in less than one second, so be ready!

katsiki

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #75 on: August 23, 2018, 08:00:27 AM »
You will die prematurely.  That is all.

:)

coldestcat

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #76 on: August 23, 2018, 09:03:11 AM »
I hope someone gets it and continues this thread.

GuitarStv

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #77 on: August 23, 2018, 10:10:54 AM »
I feel like people should give out these passes to the homeless.

Pizzabrewer

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #78 on: August 23, 2018, 12:09:21 PM »
Don't know if I'll get it or not. In my haste to enter payment info I mis-typed my last name. I assume the cc company will reject the transaction.

kpd905

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #79 on: August 23, 2018, 01:01:33 PM »
If anyone gets it, please do a weigh-in before and after.  For science.

Pizzabrewer

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #80 on: August 23, 2018, 05:52:55 PM »
Looks like I might be good.  No cancellation notices and the charge is now showing as pending on my cc account on the app.

I must admit I was half hoping it would be declined.  Buyer's remorse and all that.  Do I really want to eat at Olive Garden often enough to make it a good deal?  I guess I'll have to see.

So, YAY!  I guess.  :)

radram

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #81 on: August 23, 2018, 08:18:46 PM »
Guess who got an 8 week pass. I DID!!!!

Guess who got a 1 YEAR pass. I DID!!!!

We were trying to get 2 8 week passes, and 1 year pass. Had we gotten them all, we would have sold the year pass. Now we will probably keep it. 8 weeks of cheap afternoon "date night" with the wife, paired with our movie pass that expires in January(or when they are out of business, boy they really messed up that deal). 8 weeks of dinner and a movie for $5 per trip, including tip, with at least 4 take-home meals . We will see how many times we do it to see how that averages out after the cost of the passes. Maybe we will try to sell the annual pass for face value after the 8 weeks.

To add to the experience, each of our 2 daughters had a friend over as we were getting the passes. We were able to brag to our daughters, in front of their friends, that we got 2 passes. I even said I had to give them their Christmas present early in the form of pasta:) They were not amused, lol. In front of their friends, one daughter was less enthusiastic, but I could tell she still wants the pasta when at college (and the chicken Gnocchi soup).

Up-thread I have some posts with calorie counting, and my experience the past 2 years. This will be the third year in a row the radram family had a pass. The first 8 weeks will be like last year(my wife and I each have a pass), then afterward it will be more like 2 years ago, when we only had 1 pass. As far as the health of it, the way I use the pass it is not actually that unhealthy. I am sure a lot of salt though.

This is clearly no longer an experiment in frugality, but a bunch of little adventures close to home.

Last years bonus card was the one to get. It was the pasta passport. Pasta for 8 weeks, and a trip to Italy. That pass was $200 and their were only 50 of them. Hope they do that again.

One more great interaction story with my children:
After I just paid $400 for the 2 passes, my youngest said, "Dad, you could have bought a TV for only $300(they have been looking for months for a second TV for upstairs). I then had my oldest help me change the coils and plugs on my Fit, taking about 1 1/2 hours and saving, you guessed it, about $400.

Pizzabrewer

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #82 on: August 24, 2018, 02:43:51 AM »
It looks like they go for about $200 on eBay.  Hmmmmm.....

tj

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #83 on: September 14, 2018, 07:14:03 PM »
Damn, I missed it. Commenting so that I see it in my unread posts next year.

Pizzabrewer

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #84 on: September 15, 2018, 05:43:38 AM »
Here's what I ended up doing. I sold 6.5 weeks of my card on eBay for $99.99. I'll use the card for one week then mail it to the buyer. I think one week of unlimited OG is about my limit.

SnackDog

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #85 on: September 15, 2018, 09:51:09 AM »
I like that idea. Maybe next year 8 of us could buy one shared card for $12.50 each and mail it to each other after a week each!

Pizzabrewer

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #86 on: September 26, 2018, 12:48:15 PM »
I've been twice now and am happy I sold the remaining 7 weeks. I don't think I can do much more than that.

The salad is good but has way too many croutons and onions. The dressing is a little "hyper-charged" for my tastes though. I haven't asked if there are other dressing options.

My surprise favorite sauce is the creamy spinach/artichoke. It's not too heavy like the alfredo sauce. I didn't care for the cheese marinara but the regular marinara and the meat sauce are decent.

My favorite topping is the grilled chicken. I found the shrimp was too fried/MSG-batter tasting. The sausage is a bit mushy and I thought the meatballs were gross.

Of the pastas I prefer the angel hair.

Overall it's been a mixed bag for me. I'll go one or 2 more times then mail the card off with no remorse.

tj

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #87 on: September 30, 2018, 12:46:32 AM »
This may be of interest to others.

SmashBurger has - a SmashPass 100 days for $100. Good from 11/5/18 tp 2/1419 minus Thanksgiving & Christmas I just ordered one. =)

https://smashburger.com/smashpass/

What entrées are included with a Smash Pass™? All signature beef burgers, chicken sandwiches, turkey burgers, black bean burgers, and salads. The base Craft Your Own sandwiches are included, but all premium add-ons will be charged at regular price. The base salads are included, but protein and premium add-ons will be charged at regular price.
What’s not included with a Smash Pass™? Add-ons, salad proteins, sides, and beverages are not included with the Smash Pass™.

ACyclist

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #88 on: September 30, 2018, 09:22:39 AM »
If you stick to the salad, and really limit the pasta intake...cause that much pasta, you're could get type II diabetes.

SnackDog

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #89 on: October 01, 2018, 06:37:01 AM »
Red Robin did a year of Yumm in 2017 which was interesting.  RR has fabulous burgers, if you are into that sort of thing.   I wish my favorite local cafeteria would so some sort of meal plan. I know there are people who eat there almost every day.

Pizzabrewer

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #90 on: August 07, 2019, 02:02:45 AM »
It’s back!  Pasta Pass goes on sale August 15.

They are also doing some kind of online mystery-solving-thing for unknown BIG surprises. Check out their Facebook/instagram/twitter. There’s lots of speculation...

GuitarStv

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #91 on: August 07, 2019, 09:11:24 AM »
Has radram survived his last experiment?

zoochadookdook

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #92 on: August 08, 2019, 08:58:17 AM »
To chime in.

I've had one the last few years. A few things to note:

You have to tip. Well....you don't have to and this is a forum of frugality but honestly-if you show up every single day for 8 weeks to a year and take up an actual tipping position in a restaurant/have someone wait on you and you don't throw them a few bucks......like have some humanity. If they allowed you to order a to go it'd be different but they don't.

It all tastes the same after a while. The sauces are sodium heavy. The bread is ok. The salad dressing/croutons pop up the calories. In no way, shape or form is it fun nor healthy to eat every single day.

I'm a wrestling instructor. I gained around 20 pounds eating there 8 weeks. I worked out frequently. I got stronger. Cardio suffered despite upping interval work. My metabolism is good. A lot was bloat/considerable body fat. This was doing cardio and strength training every single day at ages 25/26. God help someone middle aged without an insane metabolism.

Anyways this year I'm considering actually documenting/running blood panels before/during after.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2019, 09:00:17 AM by zoochadookdook »

radram

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #93 on: August 12, 2019, 09:47:14 PM »
Guess who got an 8 week pass. I DID!!!!

Guess who got a 1 YEAR pass. I DID!!!!

We were trying to get 2 8 week passes, and 1 year pass. Had we gotten them all, we would have sold the year pass. Now we will probably keep it. 8 weeks of cheap afternoon "date night" with the wife, paired with our movie pass that expires in January(or when they are out of business, boy they really messed up that deal). 8 weeks of dinner and a movie for $5 per trip, including tip, with at least 4 take-home meals . We will see how many times we do it to see how that averages out after the cost of the passes. Maybe we will try to sell the annual pass for face value after the 8 weeks.

To add to the experience, each of our 2 daughters had a friend over as we were getting the passes. We were able to brag to our daughters, in front of their friends, that we got 2 passes. I even said I had to give them their Christmas present early in the form of pasta:) They were not amused, lol. In front of their friends, one daughter was less enthusiastic, but I could tell she still wants the pasta when at college (and the chicken Gnocchi soup).

Up-thread I have some posts with calorie counting, and my experience the past 2 years. This will be the third year in a row the radram family had a pass. The first 8 weeks will be like last year(my wife and I each have a pass), then afterward it will be more like 2 years ago, when we only had 1 pass. As far as the health of it, the way I use the pass it is not actually that unhealthy. I am sure a lot of salt though.

This is clearly no longer an experiment in frugality, but a bunch of little adventures close to home.

Last years bonus card was the one to get. It was the pasta passport. Pasta for 8 weeks, and a trip to Italy. That pass was $200 and their were only 50 of them. Hope they do that again.

One more great interaction story with my children:
After I just paid $400 for the 2 passes, my youngest said, "Dad, you could have bought a TV for only $300(they have been looking for months for a second TV for upstairs). I then had my oldest help me change the coils and plugs on my Fit, taking about 1 1/2 hours and saving, you guessed it, about $400.
I am still here. Thank you @GuitarStv for the shout-out. COOL. My one and only groupie lol.

Our movie passes ended up being worthless soon after the post I replied to. I still think they were worth the $95 or so we paid for them before moviepass went belly up. They were nowhere near the value they advertised. I see after they went belly up they tried to roll out another unlimited pass, and it too was met with troubles. Turns out, they were changing the passwords of heavy users in order to slow them down on using the passes. Based on my first experience, I was fine waiting to see how they did before getting in. I am glad I waited. I will not be buying the new moviepass.

My wife and I very much enjoyed our 8 weeks of lunch dates. It was no where near the "value" I tried to get out of my first pass. You can read about that up-thread. We went about 2 times per week or so, so each visit was about $8 each, after the cost of the 8 week pass, my 8/52 portion of my pass, and tip per visit. That left me with a cost of about $200 and about 44 weeks remaining to use it.

For the rest of the NFL season, it was fantastic. I do not have cable, so I do not get Monday Night Football at home. I played volleyball 20 minutes from home every Monday, and then went to Olive Garden to eat and watch the rest of the game. My daughters continued to enjoy the left-overs, and I very much enjoyed seeing some "extra" football. My wife taught lessons at home on Mondays, so I lost no time with my spouse.

Volleyball continued until the end of May. I still went weekly, though not with as much excitement. The kids were tired of the pasta, and watching the NBA just wasn't the treat the NFL was for me. I decided around mid may to try to sell my pass. At that time, I noticed that a few passes sold for face value in late February. I got greedy and  made the opening bid the $300 face value. After a couple of weeks with no bites and a few price changes, I found myself still holding the pass in early June on my way to a 2 week trip to Ireland with my family.

My garden started producing on my return, and I found the unlimited salad at OG to be worthless, since I was getting unlimited salad for "free" at home. I ended of using the pass only a couple of times this entire summer.  I decided I will wait until volleyball starts again in the fall, and retire the annual pass with 4 weekly visits in early fall.

Looking back, I should have sold the pass in late February at close to face value. That would have been about 5 months of "free" pasta, with only the tip per visit as payment.

I see the 2019 "bonus" pass is that they are selling 50 LIFETIME passes for $400 each.We have already decided we will only try to get the lifetime pass, and will not try to get the 8 week pass. If we get one, I will either keep it, or try to sell it on ebay for about $5,000. If you sell it immediately, you can have the buyers name placed on the pass. I think that was the major sticking point of trying to sell my annual pass with my name on it.

Assuming I do not win one of the 50 lifetime spots, this is most likely the end of my 3 year pasta journey. I can say that I DESPERATELY miss cooking pasta. I make a GREAT homemade spaghetti sauce from my garden, and have only made it about 5 times in 3 years.  I look forward to adding that back to my cooking. That said, I have countless memories that are worth far more than I paid for the passes.

Good luck to all that try on August 15th.

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #94 on: August 12, 2019, 10:14:19 PM »
I think we're missing the real tragedy of this entire thread, which is that you are stuck eating at Olive Garden.

Pizzabrewer

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #95 on: August 13, 2019, 04:06:03 AM »
Radram, the lifetime pass is being sold as an “upgrade” to the 9 week pass. 50 people will be offered the chance to upgrade (first 50 who sign up?  50 chosen at random?  IDK). So you’ll have to buy the 9-week pass in any event.

$5k on eBay wouldn’t surprise me.

EngagedToFIRE

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #96 on: August 13, 2019, 06:51:16 AM »
I think we're missing the real tragedy of this entire thread, which is that you are stuck eating at Olive Garden.

Right?!  I'd rather eat the $100 bill than Olive Garden for 9 weeks.

And again, TIPPING.  The lunches I bring to work cost me under $1.  The tip alone, if you are not a jackass, would be $5.  Plus the cost of the pass.  Figure putting you $7 - $9/meal.  That's not a bargain.  It's really no different than going out to lunch every day for fast food.  It's unhealthy, expensive, and in this case, you get the same garbage every single day.  Sounds both financially stupid and gross.

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #97 on: August 13, 2019, 10:22:05 PM »
I think we're missing the real tragedy of this entire thread, which is that you are stuck eating at Olive Garden.

Right?!  I'd rather eat the $100 bill than Olive Garden for 9 weeks.

And again, TIPPING.  The lunches I bring to work cost me under $1.  The tip alone, if you are not a jackass, would be $5.  Plus the cost of the pass.  Figure putting you $7 - $9/meal.  That's not a bargain.  It's really no different than going out to lunch every day for fast food.  It's unhealthy, expensive, and in this case, you get the same garbage every single day.  Sounds both financially stupid and gross.

Why would anybody pay $7-$9/day to eat at Olive Garden, when that's what I spend on special occasions to eat full steak dinners at home? It makes absolutely no financial sense whatsoever.

EngagedToFIRE

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #98 on: August 14, 2019, 07:22:53 AM »
I think we're missing the real tragedy of this entire thread, which is that you are stuck eating at Olive Garden.

Right?!  I'd rather eat the $100 bill than Olive Garden for 9 weeks.

And again, TIPPING.  The lunches I bring to work cost me under $1.  The tip alone, if you are not a jackass, would be $5.  Plus the cost of the pass.  Figure putting you $7 - $9/meal.  That's not a bargain.  It's really no different than going out to lunch every day for fast food.  It's unhealthy, expensive, and in this case, you get the same garbage every single day.  Sounds both financially stupid and gross.

Why would anybody pay $7-$9/day to eat at Olive Garden, when that's what I spend on special occasions to eat full steak dinners at home? It makes absolutely no financial sense whatsoever.

That's exactly my point!  And in order to get it to that price, you have to go virtually every day.  The potential damage to someones health eating that over salted processed food should also be factored in.  What's the price of a doctor visit and blood pressure meds?

radram

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Re: Olive Garden - eat for $1 per meal
« Reply #99 on: August 15, 2019, 10:50:22 PM »
Radram, the lifetime pass is being sold as an “upgrade” to the 9 week pass. 50 people will be offered the chance to upgrade (first 50 who sign up?  50 chosen at random?  IDK). So you’ll have to buy the 9-week pass in any event.

$5k on eBay wouldn’t surprise me.

I tried with 3 different computers, but no pass this year. So we had 1 8 week pass our first year, 2 8 week passes our second year, and 1 8 week plus 1 year pass our third year. Our streak has ended.

Maybe I will ramp up my visits for the last few weeks of my annual pass just for old times sake.

It looks like the 50 lifetime winners will be notified tomorrow. I wonder what they will sell for on ebay.