Frugal Victoria in the Globe and Mail

Last week, I was contacted by a reporter from the Globe and Mail. The story is up today (if you buy the Globe and Mail, it's in the Life section) and you can read it online: Extreme Frugality: Can you outcheap them all?
Comments are already stacking up online, what do you think? Does the story make frugality seem reasonable or ridiculous? If someone asked you, "What's the most extreme thing you've done to save money?" what would your answer be?

Group Coupon Deals: Pros and Cons

It's been almost 6 months since Groupon burst on to the Victoria stage, followed shortly by Couvon, SwarmJam, ethicalDeal, TeamBuy, Wagsta and WagJag. In that time, I've bought eight deals (all from Groupon) and cashed in only two; so far I haven't let any expire. Full disclosure: I have also made $40 in referral bucks (which I have used to further subsidize those deals).

While some of the sites have tried to carve out niches (e.g. ethicalDeal's green & fair trade businesses), others are carbon-copies of Chicago-based Groupon's original idea, and yet, the market seems to still be holding.

Walletpop suggests "11 Ways to Resist Wasting Your Money on Groupon and Other Deal Sites" but most of the advise should be common sense to frugal living folk -- starting with it's not a deal if you wouldn't have otherwise bought it. These are bigger deals, for sure, but it's the same tactics as store or manufacturer coupons -- including some very sneaky non-deals from big players like FTD floral delivery.

For each offer, here's what I consider:

1. Have I heard of this business before (if not, why not?)
2. Have I shopped there before or known others who have? (I am more likely to buy if I am familiar and comfortable with the service or product offered)
3. Is it a product or service I will use? (cupcakes, yes!; haircut, maybe, depending on the salon; golf lessons, not likely.)
4. Is the deal a good value? (always ALWAYS check the company's website first)
5. Is it a deal I can share? (e.g. dinner for two)
6. When does the deal expire and will I use it before then?

What about the business side of the equation? The Boss of You asks, "Should Your Small Business do a Groupon?" -- short answer is maybe. There are plenty of pitfalls -- check out the experience of Posie's Cafe in Portland -- but there are some benefits if you carefully plan your deal and are prepared for the big business bump.

When redeeming a group buy deal, remember that in the first few days, a business may be overwhelmed with new customers, especially if the deal was too good to pass up! That said, if you have a bad experience, talk to the manager and if it's not resolved, talk to the sales site too. In a number of cases, there have been refunds for deals that just didn't work out.

Have you been using group deal sites? I'd love to hear your experiences positive or negative, customer or client side!