Are restaurant.com certificates an okay gift?

[kokotg]

For those of you familiar with restaurant.com, would you give certificates to someone as a gift? My dad and stepmom have had a tough couple of years financially, and I know they don't get to go out to dinner that often. My stepmother is completely computer illiterate (she doesn't even have e-mail!), so I've told her about restaurant.com before, but I'm pretty sure she'd never get on there and figure it out for herself. My Dad knows plenty about computers, but isn't the type to look up great money saving tips online, you know? We haven't been exchanging big gifts the past few years; last year they got my kids something small and nothing for me and my adult brother. I think we made them cookies and gave their younger kids something small. So there's no big obligation with gift giving, is what I'm saying.

 

All of that said, I thought a rest.com certificate might be something inexpensive I could give them that they would enjoy. But is there something...weird or tacky about giving restaurant.com certificates as gifts? They're still going to be out of pocket at least $10 + tip, and there are all the restrictions to figure out--is it more trouble than it's worth? Am I overthinking this? I usually am ;)

[jujsky]

I haven't used those, but if they're difficult to figure out I'd skip it and get them a gift certificate to a local restaurant. We love restaurant gift certificates :D

[Whereneverever]

I think with the OOP and restrictions it's not tacky, but it's also not super useful for someone with a really restricted budget.

[kokotg]

I haven't used those, but if they're difficult to figure out I'd skip it and get them a gift certificate to a local restaurant. We love restaurant gift certificates :D

 

Right, but I'm not planning on spending that much on a gift for them (because my stepmother usually pre-emptively talks to me about it and we decide together not to exchange expensive gifts). It's not really a choice between this and another kind of gift certificate; it's a choice between this and a couple of jars of homemade jam (okay, probably we'll still give them the jam either way). With restaurant.com, I could get them a $25 gift certificate for just a few dollars with a coupon code. They're not really that complicated (there are restrictions like that you can't use it for alcohol or tip, usually); the main thing is that it wouldn't cover the entire cost of the meal--usually the way it works is you have a $25 gift cert. and you have to spend at least $35 total--so they'd still spend $10 plus tip.

[kokotg]

I think with the OOP and restrictions it's not tacky, but it's also not super useful for someone with a really restricted budget.

 

Very good point, but I don't think their budget is that restricted. Actually, their budget looks downright extravagant compared to mine, but we prioritize things differently, and eating out is something that gets cut out of their budget faster than it would out of ours. I don't think the money they'd be out of pocket would be a hardship for them at all...although it's possible they would see it as unnecessary spending. Hmm....

[Julie in Austin]

I would avoid it because it requires people to spend their own money on something they might not choose.

 

You could do groupon or one of those--still a good deal for you, but wouldn't require any money out of pocket from them.

[Hathersage]

Are these the types of people to actually USE gift certificates? Some people no matter how useful the GC may be never get around to actually using them.

Edited November 8, 2010 by Hathersage

[Brenda in FL]

I think it sounds ideal for your situation! Especially if you can find one to a restaurant that you know they enjoy.

 

We've been loving the idea of restaurant.com and have used them a couple of times - you can't beat it with the coupon codes!!

[MaMa2005]

We've given restaurant.com a number of times as gifts since they are such a great deal with the coupon code. However, since your parents don't seem to use the computer that much, I would go with Groupon, Living Social or Half Off Depot. Just as easy and it takes out the guess work for them.