So, we've been accumulating "Thank You" points with Citibank over the past 2 and 1/2 years. Until recently, though, the number of points had been a mystery.
It turns out we've got about 11,000 points, which means we've got just more than enough to get a $100 gift card to a number of different places: Circuit City, Target, Pottery Barn, Bed Bath & Beyond, JC Penney, Sears, and a number of different restaurants (to name a few).
Herein lies our dilemma.
Do we get a practicle gift card? One that'll replace income we otherwise might've spent in one of our budget categories -- like clothing or household items -- thus improving our circumstances by $100? Or do we follow our hearts and just get a $100 gift card to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse?
We're both inclined to get the Ruth's Chris card. Fantastic, insanely expensive steak, that we'd all but given up hope of ever tasting again.
And yet...the pull to be practicle keeps giving us pause. We're careful enough in monitoring our monthly budget that we'd notice the impact if we went the practicle route. We'd never spend "real" money eating out at Ruth's Chris -- so score 1 for getting the card -- and yet the possibilities here seem close enough to real money to make us feel some sense of obligation to treat it as such -- score one for the budget (sigh). Furthermore, Clark family rule #15 firmly states: never eat at Ruth's Chris unless someone else is paying.
So, please, for the sake of the happiness of our tastebuds, give me your best reasons we should get the Ruth's Chris card anyway.
8 comments:
Because someone else is paying!! (And I love good food).
I say go the practical route. While the experience of good food may linger it won't last as long as something practical. I am glad I'm not face with your dilemma.
I had a friend who used to say that when you find a dollar bill in your pocket that you didn't know was there, it's a gift from God and He intends you to spend it as quickly as possible. Perhaps the sudden revelation of your Thank You points balance is similarly a sign from heaven that you are to spend it on something that you wouldn't otherwise spend money on. You wouldn't want to anger the Almighty, would you?
Ah Jamin,
I'm not looking for advice on going the practical route. I specifically only requested advice that would lead me to Ruth's Chris. No indeed. The decision has been made. The rest of you just need to help me justify it.
Furthermore, while the good food won't linger, the memory of it will -- much longer, in fact, than the memory of any sundry items I might otherwise purchase. This is a lesson you should have learned from our legendary 5 hour round trip Slurpee run.
I couldn't help myself. Something inside me said go the practical route and be a $100 richer. Good point about the Slurpee run. Good times!
you're not going to really notice whether or not you have $100 in your account, but you will notice the taste of a mouth-watering piece of perfectly done re meat in your mouth. And you both look so skinny these days--you NEED those calories to make the rest of us feel better about ourselves!
Even if I am too late, I will make this comment because you can use it in the future. We use thank you points too and we always get gift certificates from Lands End because they give you a better bang for your points - 9,000 for $100 instead of 10,000 points. And we love their shoes, jackets, and other things. There are a few other stores on the network that do the same thing. Look at that, we even stress about getting the best deal when it is "free". How embarassing.
I just spent the last three years of my life living two blocks away from a Ruth's Chris in San Francisco. I could walk there at will, and did...to eat twice. Please, please eat a steak for my sake.
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