Here's another great post from guest contributor VikingKitten, letting you know where to find the best deals online!
It’s smart to save money, especially in this economic climate, and “group-buying” seems to be the newest way to do so. Amazon’s June 30th announcement that they will acquire Woot.com, along with the recent news of the purchase of FreshGuide by Sugar, Inc (an online publisher focused on women’s media), indicates that the group-buying phenomenon has become more popular than ever.
Group-buying websites typically work like this: online shoppers indicate their desire to purchase a particular featured “deal of the day.” If enough people agree to buy the deal, they get it at a significant discount.
Here’s a quick comparison of our favorite group-buying sites:
| Site Name | # of Cities | Main Type of Merchandise | How It Works | Rewards for Referrals | Other Notes |
| BuyWithMe | 6 | Restaurants, retail, entertainment | Minimum number of buyers needed to get the deal | N/A | Includes a handy “how close are we?” bar to show how many more buyers are needed to get the deal |
| DealOn | 11+ | Restaurants, retail, entertainment | The more buyers who join in the deal, the lower the price goes | $10 credit for each person who clicks on your referral link and buys a deal | Shows the starting price of the deal, the current price, and the amount of savings from retail price |
| FreshGuide | 4+ | Restaurants, events, entertainment | Minimum number of buyers needed to get the deal | $10 credit for each person who clicks on your referral link and buys a deal | Currently trying to expand into several cities |
| | 1 | Fashion, events, restaurants, entertainment | Deal can be purchased until it sells out. | $25 when a referral makes a first purchase | Deals often sell out—so act fast! However, you can be added to the “wait list” for a sold out deal, so all hope is not lost |
| Groupon | 93+ (incl. non-U.S.) | Restaurants, retail, entertainment | Minimum number of buyers needed to get the deal | $10 credit for each person who clicks on your referral link and buys a deal | Includes discussion boards with helpful staff members answering customer questions; Hilarious “Groupon says” section of each deal |
| LivingSocial | 26 | Restaurants, retail, entertainment | 1 deal/day. No minimum number of buyers required | If 3 people buy the deal using your referral link, you get it free. $5 to a referral for signing up, and $5 to you when your referral makes a first purchase | Features a section of “365 things to do” in your city of choice. |
| SteepandCheap | online | Outdoor gear and clothing | 1 deal at a time until the item is sold out; then another deal immediately begins | None | Has a neat feature where you can see the current number of people viewing the page; For apparel, the number of items remaining is broken down by color/size |
| Tippr | 9 | Restaurants, events, entertainment | 3 deals/day. The more buyers who join in the deal, the lower the price goes | $5 to a referral for signing up, and $5 to you when your referral makes a first purchase | Can log on automatically though Facebook |
| Woot | online | Electronics | 1 item/day until it sells out or the day ends. Does not reveal the number remaining or the retail price of the item. | None | The management claims that there will be no change to Woot’s ways in light of Amazon’s acquisition—it will be interesting to see if this is true |
Yipit.com is another helpful site, which essentially aggregates group deals from various group-buying sites, organized by city. Readers, are there other sites where you go to shop for bargains?
