Things Deals Sites Won’t Tell You

Do your homework before you buy.

Some vouchers, particularly travel packages, may be available for comparable prices—or even less!—on the vendor’s own website. For example, a promo may advertise that it includes a special breakfast, but a quick web search can reveal that every regular paying guest also gets the same deal.

Beware of overselling.

See a great deal for a haircut? If it says 100,000 are available and the coupon expires in three months, chances are, it’s going to be tough to redeem. No single salon can cut that much hair! Also be on the lookout for completely phony deals, like this unfortunate instance when a photographer offering vastly discounted photo shoots turned out to be plagiarizing her sample images.

Set a reminder for expiration dates.

No matter how great a deal is, it’s not worth anything if it expires before you use it. Twenty percent of Groupons go unused, according to a New York Times article. To avoid wasting coupon vouchers or frantic scrambling, follow this simple rule: As soon as you make a purchase, automatically set a reminder alarm on your calendar to go off a week before it expires.

Consider secondary markets.

Sites like CoupRecoup provide a marketplace in which buyers and sellers can trade coupons from sites like Groupon, Living Social, and Social Buy. So if you’re bummed you missed the window to snag great theater tickets before they sold out, or if you bought a hotel deal that you can’t redeem before it expires, try these sites.

Don’t expect the best service.

Unfortunately, there’s a downside of saving big. Many merchants might treat you differently when you come in toting a deal since they expect smaller tips or none at all. On that note: Remember to tip your servers based on what the meal or service would have cost pre-discount.

It's not just luxury purchases; you can save big on everyday items.

For a small handling fee (about 5 to 50 cents per coupon), choose from a selection of thousands of coupons on sites like Coupon Clippers to save big on name brands. When Reader’s Digest editors tested the site, our total outlay to the Coupon Clippers came to $6.64, including the cost of coupons, postage, and a 50-cent administration fee. The savings came to $61.75 when we redeemed the coupons at face value. Some stores will double coupons, creating a savings of $123.50!