Still Don't Get The Daily Deal Thing? Here's Help

I have had several emails lately asking me how Groupon and the other Daily Deal Sites exactly worked, and if the deals had any catches, etc.  Friends and Family have also been asking lately.  I think with Groupon and other sites, hitting the New Stations, people are curious.  The only problem with the news coverages, they don't really go over the logistics with any sort of detail.  So, with that, here are the Daily Deal 101 facts. 

Fact 1.  Daily Deal sites can save you up to 90% on local area and online merchants everyday.  Each day a single deal is listed.  All the details are written below the deal, for instance how many of that offer you can buy, how long the offer is valid for, and whether or not the deal is accepted online. 

Fact 2.  Just because a deal is listed, doesn't mean you will get it for that price.  Huh?  Wait there's more.  A deal will only be honored if a certain number of people purchase that deal.  This is where it's better to be a member of the larger sites, like Groupon, Save More, EverSave, Deal Pulp, City Deals, and the like.  With the larger sites, you can pretty much guarantee that a deals activate number will be reached.

Fact 3.  Signing up friends and family will build up your own credits.  When you refer members, and they purchase a deal, often times, that daily deal some sites will also give you your deal for free if you get 3 or more people to buy the same deal that you bought!  You can earn cash credits on each site, that you can save for a purchase on a future deal, sometimes as much as $10 for each referral. 

Fact 4.  Daily deal sites run different deals each day.  When you're a member of these sites, you are never obligated to buy a deal that doesn't interest you, you only purchase the deals you want.  You can sign up for 1, 3 , 5 or all of them.  You will however receive emails each day from the daily deal sites that you are signed up with.  How do you decipher through all the emails?  Do what I do, and set up email filters, and check off the email addresses from each of the daily deal sites, and have them sent directly to a folder.  This way, the emails will stay out of your inbox, and you can go through them on your own time.  Just remember daily deals are just that, DAILY.  make sure to check your folder each day, or clear them out each day. 

Fact 5.  These deals make for great budget conscience gifts, without the recipient knowing you didn't spend a lot!  Not only can you purchase items for gifts, but you can also purchase medical type deals, like $99 for teeth whitening services, or $199 for $700 worth of laser hair removal, etc.  The deals are endless, and often times a steal! 

Fact 6.  There are HUNDREDS of daily deal site out there right now, and new ones popping up all the time.  Some are geared towards parents of little ones, others are geared towards the fashionista, and others still are geared towards the restaurant connoisseur.  You can easily close your account if after a few weeks, you see that none of that particular site interests you. 

Hopefully, I have cleared some misconceptions up for some of you.  With all that said, here's a huge list of some daily deal sites that offer some great discounts. 


~ Groupon

~ Deal Pulp

~ EverSave

~ SaveMore

~ Zulily (Moms & Babies)

~ Totsy (Moms & Babies, Young Children)

~ One Kings Lane ( High End Decor, Home Goods)

~ HauteLook ( Fashionistas)

~ City Deals ( lots of restaurants)

~ 1 Sale A Day

~ Cow Boom

~ Daily Squawk

~ Eject It

~ Loco Deal

~ Mama Bargains

~ Midnight Steal

~ My Daily Steal

~ One Tool A Day

~ Outdoor Daily

~ Red Tag Crazy

~ Shirt A Day

~ The Deal Today

~ Buy With Me

~ Family Finds

~ Sharing Spree

~ Ideeli

~ Living Social

~ Mamapedia

~ No More Rack

~ Gilt

~ MooLaLa

~ Social Buy

~ The Mini Social

~ Tippr


Some of these sites are buy invitation only, so be sure to use the link provided.