If you like Chipotle at all, have you made your deposit at the Burrito Bank? Yes it's a good deal, assuming you can make it back once this year to claim your deposit, and you'll spend $25 there within the next 4 years. For a financial comparison, we'll say the interest on the investment is the free burrito - lets price that at $5.50. That makes the interest on the term of the investment 22%. If you instead put the $25 in a high-yield savings account (a reasonable comparison for the term over which $25 in Chipotle bucks will last, not the resulting calculated comparison term), at 5.05% APY (real current rate, 4.93% APR compounded daily, assume no rate changes over the term), it would take 1473 days to achieve the same return. That's 4 years, 12 days (there's a leap year in there). At that length a more likely investment would be a CD at 5.20% APY, which would shorten the term to around 3.79 years. So unless you won't buy 5 more burritos within around 4 years, you should go attempt to make your deposit at the Burrito Bank.
Today was bring the church announcement bulletin into Chipotle (or actually just the "coupon" part), and get a free burrito (or other entrée) day. Couldn't argue with that, especially as I was debating it anyways. The line of course was out the door since it seems the entire church went, but it was free lunch. Well, other than the buying a drink to chip in a bit to support them doing cool stuff like that. Chipotle seems to go way beyond what I've seen other local restaurants do to, with stuff like this and the annual hunger awareness days and stuff. They must realize that goodwill to people makes up for all the free food they give away.
In the words of Rotach when he pointed it out to everyone during announcements, "Some may call it advertising; I call it free lunch."
Copyright ©2000-2008 Jeremy Mooney (jeremy-at-qux-dot-net)