One Great Deal and One Raw Deal...

If you're like most people, you're on the lookout for deals to help you enjoy your creative lifestyle. Recently, I came across two "deals" but only one worked for me.

1. The first deal was for a local brewery. They ran a full page ad in a local publication stating you can get a 22oz. "Ugly Mug" which they'll fill for you and you'll have one great story to bring home with you.

2. A colleague sent us all this link (at work...which I think was probably a no-no): http://www.SlickNewLaptops.com/get.cgi?sid=230159&cid=163674&e=w&k=1&mid=134108972
She then went on to explain you'll have to spend some time signing up for offers and it would cost you about $100 out of pocket and you might decide to cancel some (if not most) of the offers you sign up for, but in the long-run, you get the laptop you wanted. (She's gotten TWO Macs this way in the past two years.

Now, at first glance, offer #1 sounded like the best deal. I like hand-thrown pottery and "ugly" jugs and mugs are part of South Carolina art history. Even if I didn't love the beer, I thought I'd get the mug and have it to savor the memory of the night my sweetie and I went there.

The second offer sounded like a spam-filter nightmare, but since the notification came from a colleague who was upfront enough to let us know what work it would take to earn the laptop, and that two other people would also have to go through the process for it to ship, I thought I'd look at it as well.

The Raw Deal: Offer #1
Why? The advertisement for the brewery never said a few key facts: a. the price for a mug ($75!); b. that you can't pick up a mug there, but you must design it yourself, then wait for someone to make it; c. that all the mugs in the place, belonged to customers who had designed them for themselves (and that the mugs were supposed to remain at the pub). I was crushed. So much for making memories. The only good news for the night is the pint I did have was pretty good, as was the burger with homemade ketchup and pickle.

The Great Deal:
http://www.SlickNewLaptops.com/get.cgi?sid=230159&cid=163674&e=w&k=1&mid=134108972
Why? Because everything is spelled out up front. I know how much work it will take me to earn my laptop of choice and I know if I can't get two others to do this whole set of offers that I'll lose out...but there is no false advertisement, no omission of relevant facts, and I know where I stand up front. Maybe when I get my laptop I'll go to a potter who won't charge $75 for a cool mug, bring it to the public bench outside that pub, and drink sweet tea as I write my heart out on my new 'puter.

Until next time, keep being creative!
(And if you're looking for a laptop...my colleague was right about the investment, offers, etc. but I know $100 and some effort is a lot cheaper than a new Mac!)