2011 Entertainment Book | Save Money on Restaurants, Attractions, and More

Some folks say that you’ve got to spend money to make money.  I’m not sure how true that is, but sometimes it is a good idea to buy products based on value (even if they are more expensive).  In other words, there are some things you can buy that offer you more value (or return) than what you pay.

As many of you know, I live in Papua New Guinea.  Now, what I’m about to say will sound really funny to you.  There are a lot of things I miss about living in the U.S., and one of those things is the opportunity to get a good deal.

One of my personal forms of entertainment is finding amazing deals.  In Alotau (my current home city), items only go on sale for one reason – they are damaged.  Usually 250 grams of cheese costs about $5 USD.  I saw some this week for $1.95.  Want to know why it was on sale?  It was going to expire in a day or two.  When you see grocery products on sale, you know they are within a week of expiration.

I hate not getting good deals.

When we lived in Houston, I used to anxiously wait for the first kid who would sell the Entertainment Book as a school fundraiser.  However, I shamefully couldn’t wait one particular year, and I bought a copy at our local credit union.

I miss all the coupons from the Entertainment Book.

In 2009, our family was going to be spending 5 days in Los Angeles for a family vacation.  Want to guess what we bought?  Yup.  When we purchased our plane tickets and hotel, we also snagged an Entertainment Book.  I knew that in those 5 days we would use enough activities coupons (usually 2 for 1) and dining out coupons (2 for 1) that it would more than justify the cost of the book.

However, we ended up canceling the vacation because of a medical issue.  We never went to Los Angeles (other than an overnight layover).  But, we rented a car a few weeks later and used a coupon from the Entertainment Book and still paid for the price of the book.

What is the Entertainment Book?

The Entertainment Book is a book that is full of coupons and discount codes.  Since we used to live in Houston, I’ll use Houston as an example.

The 2011 Houston and Surrounding Areas Entertainment® Book  is Packed with over $15,100 worth of local coupons:

• 501 Restaurant Coupons
• 226 Attraction Discounts
• 257 Shopping Coupons Castillo de Cocentaina

• Over $15,000 in Travel Deals
• Movie Ticket Discounts
• And Much More…

Here’s a sample of the restaurant coupons:

Dave’s Rib Shack
50% OFF
Clementines Restaurant & Banquet Facility
UP TO $13.00 VALUE
Swanny’s Grill
UP TO $10.00 VALUE
Pirate’s Seafood Boat
UP TO $9.00 VALUE
Norton’s Texas Grill & Pub
UP TO $8.00 VALUE
Indian Wok
$5.00 VALUE
Raoul’s Italian Grill
UP TO $9.00 VALUE
Little Jamaica
50% OFF
iT’Z
UP TO $8.00 VALUE
Saltgrass Steakhouse
$5.00 VALUE
Fat Mikes
10% OFF
Mango Tree Thai Bistro
$5.00 VALUE

Now the cost of the books vary from city to city based on the value of the book.  The Houston book retails at $35.00.  However, until November 14th, 2010, you can get all Entertainment Books for $5 off (and free shipping too).  So right now the Houston Entertainment book would cost $30.00.

Our Entertainment Book Use Strategy (during the yesteryears)

Yes, you are really a geek when you have an Entertainment Book ‘strategy’.

My wife and I sort of have a habit of getting into ruts and doing the exact same things over and over.  However, when we had the Entertainment book, it forced us to check out some new places.  When we would go out to eat, you could expect to see us at Chili’s or Olive Garden.  Once we had a whole stack of coupons, we would find a good money saving coupon and try a new restaurant.  We’d almost always go to a new restaurant that we had a coupon for.  Perhaps we’d want to try a new movie theater or mini golf.  We’d always find a place where we could get a 2 for 1 special.

Ah, one last tip.  We kept the book in our car.  You never know when you’re going to be somewhere and want a coupon.

If you want to purchase an Entertainment Book, just click here and you can get a copy for $5 off and get free shipping too.

Affiliate link disclosure: The Entertainment Book links in this post are affiliate links.  That means I get a small commission if you buy the book from this website.

Other Great Articles:

1. 10 Ways to Save Money at Restaurants
2. Your Money or Your Life: Book Review
3. 10 Ways to Save Money at the Movies