Save Money with Groupon Coupons

I haven't really been into couponing until this year when our family has started buckling down financially, but finally within the last few weeks I bit the bullet and started clipping ads from the weekly paper and searching for great deals online. Groupon popped up on my Facebook Ads list once again, and this time I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

What is Groupon?

Initially I equated Groupon to a coupon site similar to Coupons.com, Couponmom.com and other sites dedicated to collecting manufacturer coupons all in one place. I couldn't have been more wrong though; Groupon isn't about saving money on milk, eggs and diapers. It's geared towards helping you to indulge in a little "me" time without the guilt of spending more than you should.

Groupon offers a "Daily Deal", typically one or two at a time and not hundreds of discounts in tandem. Discounts are steep, and are for items that you've probably written out of your monthly budget for being frivolous, expensive and difficult to justify in a down economy. I'm not talking about trips to the mall... I'm talking about Massage, Tanning, Sailboat Tours, Manicures and Pedicures, Fine Dining, Hotel stays and more. Much more.

How does Groupon work?

Just because a Groupon is offered, doesn't mean that it's automatically available. The way that the offers work is that businesses create an offer and then set a minimum number of purchases before the offer stands. So, for example, today's Groupon in my area is for 50% off an Express Manicure or Express Pedicure by Skin Deep & Beyond Day Spa. The Groupon had a minimum buy-in of 50, and luckily for me 203 people have already pounced on the deal so the discount is definitely on!

If a Groupon deal hasn't met its minimum by the end of its offering time, then no one gets the deal and no one gets charged. All the more incentive for users to tell their friends about the offering and keep checking back on the Groupon page for updates. The system seems to work really well; I haven't seen a Groupon not meet its minimum in the month I've been following the site although I am sure that it does happen from time to time.

What do I have to do to get a Groupon?

Signing up is simple, and getting Groupons in your e-mail is as easy as entering your city and e-mail address and clicking "Subscribe". There is no cost to join, and Groupon doesn't flood your e-mail box with spam like some websites will.

When you get your e-mail it is direct and to the point; there's no hunting through lots of information you don't care about to find the daily deal. If you aren't interested in the deal simply delete the e-mail, and if you find that Groupon just isn't for you it's simple to unsubscribe directly from the e-mail without having to go to the site.

How do I sign up?

Go to www.Groupon.com and click "Get the Daily Email at the top of your screen. When you find something you like, simply click "Buy" and you'll be taken to a standard checkout screen and given the option to create an account that you can log into for future purchases.

Groupon is a fantastic way for you to save money on a variety of goods and services, great for travel on a budget (you can look up Groupons in other cities) and even if you never buy a discounted item will help you to be more aware of activities in your city that you may never have been aware of before.

I know I'm going to keep the Groupons coming and sample what my city has to offer, one Groupon at a time.

Want to read more like this by Denise Kawaii? Just click the links below:
Free Things to do in Portland, Oregon
Guilty Pleasures: What Do Yours Reveal About You?
The Positive Recession