Daily deals websites are popping up everywhere. The success of some of the major, national ones are prompting the development of smaller, local ones. No matter where you live, you can probably find at least one site that serves your area.
These sites are places consumers can go online to find coupons and offers for businesses in their area. You must sign up for a membership in order to be eligible for the offers. However, membership on most sites is free. You simply have to provide your name and email address.
When you sign up, you are eligible for two things:
1) Free coupons: You will be able to peruse the cache of free coupons on the site. If you find one you like you simply download it and print it on your home computer. You can take as many of these as you like. (You may only be allowed to use one per visit, depending on the terms of the offer.)
2) New deals every day: Members get offers mailed into their email boxes each day. These offers typically have a cost attached. The daily deals can be almost anything: restaurant meals, spa visits, car detailing, pet services and more. These offers are usually the best available (which is why they have a price tag).
Since signing up is free, you don't have much to lose. You aren't obligated to purchase anything. However, you'll still have access to all the free offers.
Many of these deals, though, are often worth buying. Here is what you should understand when it comes to those daily deals:
* There are only limited numbers of them available. That means if you like an offer but wait too long to purchase it, you might miss out. The available numbers depend on the business that offers the bargain.
* You have a limited time to purchase them. That's why they're called "daily deals:" they're here today and gone tomorrow. Most are available for purchase only for 24-48 hours.
* They may come with specific terms and conditions.
So how do you decide if an offer is worth paying for? These tips will help you decide whether you should buy that Swedish massage or the week at doggy daycare:
* Do the math. Obviously a coupon is only worth paying for if your savings are greater than your fee. Usually this is the case with daily deals (or they wouldn't be able to sell them). However, let's say that you find an offer for five yoga classes. It's a fantastic savings and the price is right.
However, it might not be worth it if you end up attending fewer than five classes. Figure out your price-per-class. Factor in the possibility of missing one class. Is it still a bargain?
* Make sure that you understand the terms of the offer. One of the reasons businesses can afford to offer deep discounts is because they come with stipulations. They often have "strings" attached.
They might be limited to being redeemed only on certain days of the week. They may expire quickly. The issuing business has the right to attach any stipulations they like. So be sure that you read all of the fine print before you click on "buy."
* Think about whether you would buy the same product or service if it was not being discounted. It might be tempting to purchase these offers just because they seem cheap. (Who doesn't like to get 80 percent off retail?) However, if you wouldn't enjoy it at full price, you probably won't enjoy it even at 80 percent off.
These sites are places consumers can go online to find coupons and offers for businesses in their area. You must sign up for a membership in order to be eligible for the offers. However, membership on most sites is free. You simply have to provide your name and email address.
When you sign up, you are eligible for two things:
1) Free coupons: You will be able to peruse the cache of free coupons on the site. If you find one you like you simply download it and print it on your home computer. You can take as many of these as you like. (You may only be allowed to use one per visit, depending on the terms of the offer.)
2) New deals every day: Members get offers mailed into their email boxes each day. These offers typically have a cost attached. The daily deals can be almost anything: restaurant meals, spa visits, car detailing, pet services and more. These offers are usually the best available (which is why they have a price tag).
Since signing up is free, you don't have much to lose. You aren't obligated to purchase anything. However, you'll still have access to all the free offers.
Many of these deals, though, are often worth buying. Here is what you should understand when it comes to those daily deals:
* There are only limited numbers of them available. That means if you like an offer but wait too long to purchase it, you might miss out. The available numbers depend on the business that offers the bargain.
* You have a limited time to purchase them. That's why they're called "daily deals:" they're here today and gone tomorrow. Most are available for purchase only for 24-48 hours.
* They may come with specific terms and conditions.
So how do you decide if an offer is worth paying for? These tips will help you decide whether you should buy that Swedish massage or the week at doggy daycare:
* Do the math. Obviously a coupon is only worth paying for if your savings are greater than your fee. Usually this is the case with daily deals (or they wouldn't be able to sell them). However, let's say that you find an offer for five yoga classes. It's a fantastic savings and the price is right.
However, it might not be worth it if you end up attending fewer than five classes. Figure out your price-per-class. Factor in the possibility of missing one class. Is it still a bargain?
* Make sure that you understand the terms of the offer. One of the reasons businesses can afford to offer deep discounts is because they come with stipulations. They often have "strings" attached.
They might be limited to being redeemed only on certain days of the week. They may expire quickly. The issuing business has the right to attach any stipulations they like. So be sure that you read all of the fine print before you click on "buy."
* Think about whether you would buy the same product or service if it was not being discounted. It might be tempting to purchase these offers just because they seem cheap. (Who doesn't like to get 80 percent off retail?) However, if you wouldn't enjoy it at full price, you probably won't enjoy it even at 80 percent off.
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