The Beauty of Being Home

 I love being home because I get to hang out with my family (who are awesome) and my friends from HS (who are also awesome), but mostly I love being home because I end up out of the house more often than I end up inside of it. And that means that I'm out of the house buying things, which isn't typically something that makes me happy (especially with my W2s on the kitchen counter showing me how much money I earned last year and how little of it I have left), but I do have a new batch of receipts which can only mean one thing: more surveys!!

I did fill out a survey for the Dollar General receipt that I found in my wallet (I had to buy garbage bags to clean out my car before I left campus), and Subway has graciously given me another free cookie coupon for filling out their survey (irony in this case is that I went to Subway and bought Amanda a cookie for her birthday and a gift card that equals the price of two cookies, and now I have been given a FREE cookie -- Subway = best ever).

But since being home I've been to Jack in the Box and to Panda Express -- and I had two surveys to complete! Off to talktojackinthebox.com to see what I can win :) Well, apparently I've been entered into a drawing for 1 of 10 $100 Jack Cash Cards or I could win $10,000 !!!! (hopefully not in "Jack Cash" because that would be a lot of Jack in the Box... then again, I do love Jack in the Box...) They will contact me by phone (so I'll keep you posted).

Panda Express has a sort of Subway-type mentality with their surveys. Fill out a survey, and you get a free entree with the order of a two entree plate :) Now, for those of you who have never been to Panda Express, you must understand that their portion sizes are RIDICULOUSLY huge and so an extra entree beyond two entrees seems a bit excessive... unless, however, you are out to lunch with your sister and you are trying to figure out how you can all get the foods you want without paying extra (lunch for me and Audrey today came to about $18 so you can understand the desire to pay less), then this is a major windfall :) So it seems that before the week is out (I go back to school on Thursday morning) that Audrey and I will be returning to Panda Express -- or at least, she will be returning to Panda Express at sometime in the near future to get her FREE EXTRA ENTREE (with purchase of a two entree plate :P )

Then, when I logged onto my computer to take these surveys, what should I find but this:

Potential winnings? Nothing :( BUT -- apparently they know that I'm game for a survey wherever, whenever... Uh oh, I just realized that with the elections coming up I may be getting more than I bargained for with the whole taking surveys thing -- does this compel me to vote in the primaries? Hmmm we shall see...



Surveys: 30

Winnings: THREE free cookies from Subway, a free entree at Panda Express, $10 off at Old Navy, free donuts from Dunkin Donuts, and an expired coupon for Victoria's Secret!

ps- Subway = the best at rewarding survey-taking... even when this year is over, I think I will be going back for free cookies :P

Shopping Spree!!

I'm on the Monday end of an AWESOME weekend! I drove out to Boston to see my sister for her birthday (which is today, coincidentally), and my mom flew out and stayed in a hotel that was right across the street from the Galleria Mall in Cambridge :) So, of course, we went on a shopping spree in honor of Maggie's birthday, and then, of course, I got all of the receipts!!!!!!!!!

Namely: Sears, Old Navy, Bertucci's, and Shaw's

Sears, Bertucci's, and Shaw's were all entries into contests... and I even got this awesome thank you note from Sears :) Woohoo!!!!

Old Navy gave me some discount coupon that I officially re-gifted to my sister for her birthday present! Well... I mean, I'm getting her more than just that coupon for her birthday... but since I never shop there, she can probably actually use it :)

Surveys: 25

Winnings: Three contest entries, 10% off old navy, donuts, two free cookies from Subway, an expired $10 off $50 at Victoria's Secret

All Hope Is Not Lost!!

Just in case you were thinking this was a "8 days into the new year and then quit" type of new years resolution, this quick recap is going to set your fears to rest!

On the way back to school (from home) I filled out a survey about the shuttle service from the airport to the parking lot (thoroughly wonderful--I love it when people load my bags for me!). Then, at the hotel I stayed at for a wedding that weekend, I filled out a survey that let them know that the iron in my room seemed to be malfunctioning :)

After that there were mostly online surveys -- and the one from Chevy's was hilarious :)

Then were the fast food ones -- I've yet to win anything from my repeated trips to Taco Bell (one entry every 6 weeks = two more entries and I'm not even a weekly finalist). I haven't won anything from Five Guys the two times I entered (I hope they were once a month entries, because that's how I saw them), or from Applebees.

WINNINGS, however, came in the form of two "one free donut with the purchase of medium or large beverage" coupons from Dunkin and one free cookie from Subway :)

Loss of winnings because I didn't take advantage of the VS coupon so it expired :(

Surveys: 21
Winnings:  Two free donuts with purchase of two "medium of large beverages" from Dunkin, a cookie from Subway, and an expired $10 off $50 purchase at VS

Catching Up!!

New Year's Eve I went shopping for an interview suit ("Where are you interviewing?" is the question that usually follows and the answer is "Nowhere... yet?"), and at Nordstrom there was a stack of surveys asking for comments and suggestions. I wrote about how our saleswoman had helped us in multiple departments because she had only recently been moved to that department. I suggested that it might be helpful to have the employees all trained on more than one area. It wasn't the greatest suggestion I've ever made, but I was pressed for time.

Surveys: 3
Prizes: 0

For Christmas, Audrey and I got Victoria's Secret gift cards from our Aunt Debbie, so we trotted off to VS for an hour and a half and trying on unmentionables and then got our receipt! Complete with a small section at the bottom of the receipt asking for us to call and give our opinions!! So, of course, I did. But guess what?! They only asked two questions!! What did I think of the experience overall - 1 to 5- and what did I think of the cleanliness- 1 to 5? Easiest $10 off a $50 purchase I ever got!!

Surveys: 4
Prizes: $10 off a $50 VS purchase!

Survey #2 -- The Crazy Jewelry Van

I was driving to lunch today (from work in Cupertino to the Panda Express in El Paseo) and as I was driving through the maze of streets that is the Apple complex, a strange van pulled out from the curb, then slowed, then sped up, then stopped. So I slowly accelerated to go past it... only to have it pull out quickly and cross into the lane in front of me, cutting me off! I saw on the back of the van that there was a sign requesting feedback about the van's driving.

Hooray!!

I ended up following the van to the red light so I was able to see the phone number and the van's ID number (022WA). Since I couldn't call while driving, I locked that number away in my brain so I could call later. As I was heading to the freeway, the van sped ahead (maybe 15 or 20 miles over the 40mph speed limit), swerving through multiple lanes without using a turn signal. It was really just weird.

When I parked at El Paseo, I called the number (1888-550-SAFE) to report about him, but turns out it was a LIVE Operator!! I was thinking I could use a 1 to 5 scale to rate that driver as AWFUL, but instead I got to tell the whole story to the woman on the other end of the phone. I don't know if it still counts as a survey then, but I did call because I was asked for my opinion... so it counts! Hah!


It's still not 2012 though...


Sarah Kane
Driver Reporting Queen

2012 -- just around the corner

Well, 2012 is sneaking up on us and that means it's time for a new New Year's Resolution! In 2010, I resolved to only drink soda on weekends (which became Fridays and Saturdays, but it was still 2 out of 7), and in 2011, I resolved to always obey the speed limit (which has not been easy, let me tell you...). This year, if you can't tell from the blog title, my resolution is to make this the "Year of Surveys!"

I, Sarah Kane, resolve to fill our every opinion survey that I am asked to complete, whether online, on a receipt, in person, in the mail, or over the phone AS LONG AS it is at no cost to myself.


And, being me, of course I was a little over-hasty and started today... so here's how it went!

I'm currently working at my mom's office so I stepped out to go get us some lunch at Taco Bell! (my favorite!) There was literally NO line at the drive thru (at 12:15pm no less!) and the girl working there (Dakota) was smiling and happy and really helpful (I should mention that my order is complicated... and she was still smiling and happy). AND, as much as I love Taco Bell, I am aware of their usual difficultly in delivering what I actually order to me, but this time my order was perfect!!


With such great service, how could I not tell the YUM corporate office about it? Plus, on a completely selfish note, I have YUM stock so I figured if they get really good customer satisfaction surveys their stock might go up (obviously, I have no idea how that really works, but I can dream!) So I checked out my receipt and headed to www.opinionport.com/yum -- "SAY & PLAY," the receipt beckoned, "For aChance to Win $1000" The catch? "Limit 1 entry every 6 weeks" :(

The website recognized the store code as a KFC/Taco Bell (which it is) ... and then proceeded to ask me all of the questions ABOUT KFC!!! Needless to say, I was sad that I couldn't give the Taco Bell 1/2 of the store a raving review, but I did mention Dakota (the super-cheery drive thru lady) so hopefully that does some good... ah well.


Anyway, The purpose of this blog is so that I can keep track of all the surveys I take this year and all the things I do or do not win. For example, today I did not win $1,000 :( I wasn't even a weekly finalist :( but in 6 weeks I can try again! So on February 7th I am definitely eating Taco Bell!! or KFC... hmmmmm...


Surveys Completed: 1
Rewards: 0

Sarah Kane 

Survey Queen