In a nutshell: If you’re the type of person on the lookout for bargains, points, and freebies from SM, this blog entry may be both informative and entertaining.
The other day, Cathy and I were at SM North EDSA on a midweek date when we decided to watch This Is It, Michael Jackson’s last movie. The SM IMAX sells its tickets for PHP351 each; the regular tickets are around PHP150 each, I think. (Quick movie budget tip: You can get a free movie ticket from Citibank with a PHP1500 purchase anywhere; you can also get a free SM movie ticket with a Php500 purchase of Walker underwear items.)
After the movie, which was phenomenal, we went to eat at Tokyo Cafe. No bargains there, but purchases made with a JCB Credit Card, which we used, quality for a Good Times, Japanese-Style, raffle for a 4-day, 3-night Japan vacation. Also received a coupon for free onion rings (PHP195 value) at Gumbo for a PHP300 purchase. (Didn’t use it though.)
Cathy and I then found that Warner Music Philippines imported three SS501 CD/DVD packages from Taiwan. Cathy loves SS501, so we bought two copies of each CD/DVD available (one for her and one for her friend). I can’t emphasize how important it is that Cathy got these CDs/DVDs: if she’d ordered them from overseas, she would’ve spent in the thousands. Here, they were available for PHP650 each.
I basically begged Cathy to get me the new Givenchy Play Intense limited edition fragrance for men, which smells spectacular. The fact that Justin Timberlake endorses it is a pro or con, depending on whether or not you like him. We do. (It’s a birthday, Christmas, and anniversary present in one; the gentleman at the counter gave me a patent leather passport case with it.)
We then learned from the cashier that if you make a single receipt purchase above PHP5000 with MasterCard, you earn you five times their loyalty points. SM also has a 0% interest package for six months of which you can avail if you make that purchase. If you have an SM Advantage or Prestige card, you also earn points from that purchase; your Prestige card also earns you a free parking ticket if you purchase over PHP1,500, as well as space at their Prestige Lounge where you can rest after a long day of malling. There’s also a SM Halloween promo: if you spend PHP1000, you get a free photo from their photo booth.
By the end of our date, we had seen two memorable movies (This is It and 500 Days of Summer), Cathy had three CD/DVDs of her one of her favorite Korean boy bands, I had a fragrance I’d been eyeing for months, and we went home immensely happy with our date.
