If you have some romantic date ideas, but your budget doesn’t allow you to go through with them, planning dates can be tough. No one wants to come off as cheap when planning dates, and no one wants to sit at home all the time just because you can’t afford it. If this sounds like your constant struggle, we’ve got the solution for you: planning cheap dates with Groupon.
With Groupon.com, you can get access to deals and discounts on things you would already do in your local area! It’s a great resource for planning dates, and can help you save a few bucks along the way.
In this article, we’ll help you learn:
- What Groupon is and how it works
- How to do a local search for deals in your area
- Steps to planning a cheap date and how to know you’re getting a deal
- Type of items Groupon often offers deals for
Read on to start looking like a date-planning wizard – without blowing everything in your wallet. If you’ve never used Groupon before, try skimming our free course that teaches you how to use it first!
What is Groupon and how does it work?
Groupon is a website that offers exclusive discounts and deals on activities, events, restaurants, lodgings, and other fun things. Simply browse through the website, create a free account, and then find deals you want to use. You often pay right on the website, and then redeem your coupon in person.
Groupon is able to offer these deals by partnering with businesses. These businesses make Groupon aware of deals they are planning on offering, so Groupon can offer fair prices. They offer exclusive deals to Groupon users, as Groupon brings business to them that they otherwise would not have gotten.
All you need to do is create a Groupon account, and you’re on your way to planning a cheap date! If you know where your date with take place, follow the instructions below to find deals on Groupon.
How to do a local search in Groupon
- Visit www.Groupon.com in your web browser.
- Click in the location bar at the top-right, and type the name of your city.
- Click the magnifying glass, or hit “Enter.”
- Look through the results, or filter with the categories in the left menu.
- Click the green Buy button once you find a deal.
Steps to planning a cheap date on Groupon
If you’re ready, and have a feel for the site, consider working through our steps below to getting a good deal for your date.
1. Browse through the Groupon website well in advance to get the feel.
Make sure you check out the site in advance of your date to get a feel for the site, and see what kinds of deals and promotions are generally available. That way, when it comes time to actually selecting something based on your date’s interests, you’ll be able to pull off the perfect date without a hitch.
You can even customize your deal preferences to finding suitable activities for dates by adjusting your settings on Groupon.
2. Sign up for daily email notifications at least two weeks before the date.
A great way to make sure you find the best and cheapest deal possible is to sign up for their email newsletters. They send daily notifications of great deals in your area, and other things that are trending on the site right now (which means many other people are finding good value in a particular deal).
3. Use Groupon.com to get a discount/deal and pay for your outing.
Using the local search (instructions above) look around what’s going on in your city. We would recommend starting your search by location rather than by the type of activity you want to do, for two reasons:
- If you don’t do location first, you might fall in love with an idea that you later realize is only eligible in places that take hours to get to from where you live.
- Sometimes, you might not think a particular category will provide a good date activity, but it will! So, searching by location and then browsing what is available will expose you to a lot more ideas overall.
Once you find something you like, it’s easy to buy. Make sure you’re signed up for Groupon, and then click the Buy button. If you already have an account, you can save your payment information. If not, simply fill out the payment details, including your credit card information.
4. Redeem your coupon where the actual date will occur, which may require pre-planning.
Remember, you’re paying for your outing on Groupon, but that does not mean you can simply go do the activity whenever you want. Pay attention to expiry dates, blackout dates, and any other kind of restrictions that may come with your purchase. You also want to make sure to read any fine print, and see what else is required of you.
You may need to contact the business you are actually doing the activity with, and see if appointments or reservations are necessary.
What deals can I get on Groupon?
Here are some of the main categories of deals offered on Groupon:
- Automotive
- Beauty & Spa
- Food & Drink
- Health & Fitness
- Meal Prep & Wine Delivery
- Online Learning
- Personal Services
- Retail
- Things to Do
If you’re planning a date, the “Things to Do” category will probably be your best friend. However, other deals for retail, food, or even things like spa days can be great for dates.
And that’s what you need to know about planning cheap dates with Groupon. If you feel like these kinds of websites are great for planning a cheap date, but you’re not the biggest fan of Groupon, try out one of its alternatives!
