There has been a lot of buzz about Groupon lately, with the the rumors ofGoogle buying Groupon for at least $2.5 billion . Groupon is a great resource for finding deals specific to your location. You simply sign up for the Groupon e-mails, and each day, you get a new deal available to buy only that day. Groupon may be one of the bigger names in the deal-a-day to your e-mail craze, but there are many, many more sites just like it. Of course, most of these sites only feature deals for major cities, but it's worth checking them all out to see if your city is included.
We rounded up a list of 10 Groupon alternatives to help you find the best deals in your city. Check them out:
1. LivingSocial
Just like Groupon, LivingSocial sends you a deal each day to use at a local business. You purchase the deals, and then receive a link to your voucher within the next business day. After you buy the deal, you'll get a unique link to share. Then, if three people buy the deal using your link, your deal is free. Deals vary widely in category, from restaurant discounts, to spa treatments, to pottery painting. Plus, right now until December 13, you can get buy-one-get-one-free deals on many LivingSocial deals. LivingSocial also has an iPhone app to get deals sent straight to your iPhone.
2. BuyWithMe
BuyWithMe is along the same lines as Groupon or Living Social, but unlike those two sites, BuyWithMe isn't necessarily a one-day-only type of deal. You usually have a few days to buy the deal, which is nice since you don't have to make snap decisions. The site is unique in that each deal requires a minimum number of people to sign up before the deal expires in order for it to go through for everyone. So, if the minimum isn't reached, you're not charged for the deal that you're not getting.
3. Tippr
Another collective buying site is Tippr . The model is the same: subscribe to the e-mails by selecting the daily deal newsletter for your city. Ulike Groupon and LivingSocial, you'll get three deals a day from Tippr instead of just one. The site stands out from other collective buying sites because as more people buy a deal, the discounts get larger for everyone who buys it. So, a deal you think you're getting for $25 can go down to $20 by the time the deal-buying window has closed. Once it has closed, you'll receive a voucher via e-mail. Another of Tippr's unique feature is that it provides a 100 percent price guarantee, so you can feel confident that you're getting the best price when you buy a deal from Tippr.
Another collective buying site is Tippr . The model is the same: subscribe to the e-mails by selecting the daily deal newsletter for your city. Ulike Groupon and LivingSocial, you'll get three deals a day from Tippr instead of just one. The site stands out from other collective buying sites because as more people buy a deal, the discounts get larger for everyone who buys it. So, a deal you think you're getting for $25 can go down to $20 by the time the deal-buying window has closed. Once it has closed, you'll receive a voucher via e-mail. Another of Tippr's unique feature is that it provides a 100 percent price guarantee, so you can feel confident that you're getting the best price when you buy a deal from Tippr.
4. DealOn
DealOn sends you daily e-mails with a deal for you to buy within 24 hours. Like Tippr, DealOn gives you the day's lowest price after the deal window has closed. For example, today's deal started at $35, but is now down to $33. The lowest price it will go to is $31, but the deal has a value of $70, so you're saving over 50 percent already. The goal with both DealOn and Tippr is to share the deal with others to help drive down the price.
Check out the rest of the Groupon alternatives after the jump!
5. kgbdeals
Saving anywhere from 50 percent to 90 percent on activities, clothes, and food is something you can't pass up. Kgbdeals offers a handful of bargains each day. Right now, there are seven deals being offered on the site. Every day brings a new deal, but some expire quickly or are a limited quantity, while other deals are held open for several days. Typically, deals end at midnight.
6. HomeRun
HomeRun is very similar to Tippr and DealOn in the group buying aesthetic. The more people that buy the deal, the more the discount. HomeRun offers new deals each day, and sends a daily e-mail to inform you of the fresh offers. There are currently three deals for sale on HomeRun's site. It covers all areas, such as spas, salons, restaurants, events, and more.
7. BloomSpot
BloomSpot is slightly different from the previous sites mentioned. BloomSpot offers exclusive deals on luxury restaurants, spas, weekend getaways, and more. You're going to be spending a little bit more money on these deals. For example, you can buy classic European bikes starting at $396, a stay in the Equinox Resort in Vermont -- starting at $117 per night, and going up to $552 a night--, or a New Year's Eve champagne cruise under the Brooklyn Bridge for $599.
8. ScoutMob
And now for something completely different. There are sites like ScoutMob that basically give you the same discount you would get from buying a deal, but you can get the discount for free. Here's how it works: You sign up, get a daily e-mail with a discount to a restaurant in your city (usually 30 percent to 50 percent off), and click the "Get It Free" button. You will then have the option of having the coupon code sent to your e-mail, or to your phone. So, instead of, for example, paying $20 for $40 worth of food via Groupon, you're getting the 50 percent off coupon to spend as much as you want at the restaurant. Kind of a nice change of pace from the style of the previous deals.
Scoutmob is available in select cities, including San Fransisco, New York, and Atlanta, but it will soon be offered for Seattle, Los Angeles, Springfield, Denver, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Nashville, Washington DC, and Boston.
9. Blackboard Eats
Similar to ScoutMob, Blackboard Eats delivers exclusive deals for top restaurants and on artisanal culinary products. Restaurants and merchants cannot and do not pay to be featured on BlackoardEats like they do on the other sites mentioned. Instead, according to the site, "Featured restaurants and products are selected by our seasoned food editors and reviewed anonymously by writers from publications including Gourmet, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, Saveur, and Zagat. To maintain objectivity and honesty, BlackboardEats pays for all of its writers' meals, and never accepts comps." The site tells you what you must try at each restaurant, a price range, as well as other helpful information. Simply sign up, get the e-mail, click "Get This Special," and the passcode will be sent to your e-mail. Some restrictions apply, so check each deal carefully.
10. Deal Aggregator Sites: The Dealmap / Dealery / Yipit
As you can see, there are a ton of these group-buying sites. It can be a little overwhelming, and your e-mail inbox can look like mine (with 20 different deal e-mails waiting for me each morning). If you want to clear the clutter, there are sites like Dealery , Yipit , and the Dealmap, that round up all those offers flying around your inbox.
The Dealmap is special because it lets you view deals on a map, or list, across the US. You can filter results by 10 different business categories, or eight deal types. For example, you can search for only deals on health and beauty, or deals specifically for restaurants. The "types" of deals you can view include things like daily deals, printable deals, over 50-percent-off deals, romantic deals, kid-friendly deals, etc. The site also has an app for iPhone and Android.
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