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Groupon. It's not a fish you eat for dinner. It's not some new New-Age therapy or an high-impact exercise class. It's about shopping.
Groupon was one of the first to bring the group-buying concept to consumers, but now there are loads of them. If you're not in on the deals, you could be missing out on some really big savings. These sites post daily deals for stuff or services in your area, often discounted 50 percent. But enough people must sign up for the deal to be on. You usually pay up front and have a limited amount of time to redeem the offer.
In addition to Groupon, check out LivingSocial, Socialbuy.com, and BuyWithMe. New players include DealOn, which offers luxury goods for less, and the deals get sweeter the more people sign up; Mamapedia, which focuses on family-friendly meals and deals; HomeRun, where you'll find progressively cheaper Avalanche deals; Scoutmob, where you download the deal to your phone and show it to the business (mostly restaurants); and Tippr, which gives you three daily deals instead of just one. And Groupon now offers more customized deals and neighborhood specific offers.
Tip Don't buy more deals than you'll use before they expire. And be aware that popular offers might be tough to redeem—for example, a mom-and pop carpet cleaner might book up quickly, so it might take a few weeks before you can get an appointment for your rug cleaning. Even if you choose not to get in on the action, the daily e-mail messages can be a great way to find out about local merchants and services.
This article appeared in Consumer Reports ShopSmart magazine.
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