Sticking to a budget is just like going on a diet. If you deprive yourself, you’ll just end up binging on an entire tub of ice cream, or similarly find yourself impulsively shopping at the mall. That’s why you need to allow yourself to indulge in small ways every once in a while, otherwise you’ll find the scale creep back up and your bank account depleted. Below you’ll find my absolute favorite sites that offer coupons, deals, and discounts for savvy shoppers looking to pamper themselves without breaking the bank.
Groupon
This site features a great deal each day on the “best places to do, see, and eat” in your area. Groupon personally negotiates with local businesses and offer users a coupon based on a minimum amount of purchasers. Simply click on “buy” before the offer expires at midnight, and you’ll be sent a link to print out your coupon. If the bargain doesn’t attract the minimum threshold of people, then your card won’t be charged. This is what Groupon calls “collective bargaining power.”
Each coupon is accompanied by a description of the business with selections from Yelp, CitySearch, OpenTable, TripAdvisors and other mass review sites. This is incredibly helpful since most of their deals are based on service packages, rather than products.
The only drawback to this amazing site is that deals are only available in select areas, most of which are large cities.
Sample Deals:
$150 for an ocean-view room, wine-tasting tour, and bottle of wine at SeaCrest Resort (Discount: 65 % on a $424 value)
$50 for three services at Lux Aveda spa (Discount: 73% on a $188 value)
One Way Shopping
Onewayshopping.com boasts that it makes “comparison shopping easy” by providing users with several links to similar products, helping you get the best deal. While the site does not provide or negotiate bargains on particular items, it helps you avoid making a purchase only to realize a little while later that it’s on sale at another site.
Spreezio
Spreezio.com works like the “google” of bargain hunting. Type in your zip code and the item you’re looking for, and the site will find deals in your area that match your information.
Sample Deals:
$14.00 for a Merkury Innovations iPhone case (Discount: 40% off a $24.99 value)
$300 for a 32” HD TV (Discount: 25% off a $400 value)
Share My Deal
ShareMyDeal.com is user driven, allowing members to post deals, coupons, and promotional offers to share with others. Members are also given the incentive to share their deals by getting cash back on certain items.
Sample Deals:
Free shipping on any Lancome order, 3 free samples with a $35 purchase, and 4.5% cash back
60% all Oakley eyewear and apparel at 6pm.com
Retail Me Not
If you’re big into online shopping, then you should definitely check out RetailMeNot.com. The home page features a compilation of the top bargains of the day, and it’s a great alternative to having your inbox flooded with e-mails from your favorite online stores.
Retail Me Not also allows you to search for deals and bargains in your area and includes an extensive grocery coupon database, combining several useful features into one comprehensive site.
Sample Deals:
20% of all items at www.Asos.com
Free shipping on orders more than $40 at www.Forever21.com
