Grouponing!

I have recently succumbed to pressure from friends to sign up for Groupon.  I hesitated at first. I am known for finding good deals, but have never used coupons before. I was wary of presenting a coupon at a dining establishment, and I was unsure that the savings would be worth the effort.

The 1^st Groupon I purchased was for Charmed Modern Thai. The cost was $15, but was worth $30 at the establishment. I coerced two coworkers into giving me $5 each and purchased it on my visa. The purchasing process was seamless, and when I checked my statement, there were no excess fees or taxes, just a straight $15 to Groupon. We ventured out for lunch on a cold rainy comfort-food type of day, and arrived at the restaurant which we didn’t even know existed. Our lunches were excellent, including Tom Yum soup and fried wonton for an appetizer, and we left feeling content, satisfied and in full agreement that the Groupon was $15 well spent.

I am new to this, so have only purchased one other Groupon. This is for Patrick's Hawaiian Cafe in Portland. Unfortunately, I was unable to use the Groupon on that specific day, as it was Mother’s day, and the not-so-fine print on the Groupon clearly stated that it was not usable on Mother’s Day. I was momentarily disappointed, but the remembered that I wasn’t overly concerned about the deal. The point of Groupon (the restaurant ones at least) , is to inspire me to try new places! My companion (who lives near the restaurant) had not tried Patrick’s Hawaiian Café either, and since we both love hawaiian food, I figured it was worth a shot! The food was awesome, the service was friendly, and the prices were reasonable even when paid at full. I will definitely go back, not only to get the $20 worth of food for $10, but also to try a couple different things on the menu that I was having trouble deciding between (mmm Pineapple Chicken…)

So far, my experience with Groupon has been great. I quickly got over the stigma around presenting a coupon for food. The restaurant owners welcome them, as they sign up for Groupon and offer these good deals to drive traffic into their establishments. Groupon users are also known to tip well, as we are usually getting at least 50% off of our meals, and of course, that practice is always welcomed. Service is usually excellent, as they see a Groupon customer as an opportunity to acquire repeat business. I have added the site to my daily morning internet routine, and the biggest effort on my part in all of this is to exercise will power! It is so easy to purchase things that I really don’t need or wouldn’t usually purchase because of the good deals! That reminds me, it’s time to check today’s deals!