Groupon? Never heard of it.
This article was about Groupon and other similar "money saving" web sites. MMM agrees that the coupons save you money but they're saving you money on things you do not need. It makes you want what you didn't have before. Groupon isn't the only advertisement company that does this, all advertisements do. Even magazine catalogs that are sent to your house are tempting to order from. MMM says we shouldn't buy new "stuff" until our old "stuff" is broken and odds are most of our old stuff will never break. He concludes this article saying how he called up the magazine companies getting off of their mailing list.
This was very ironic for me to read actually. I was sitting on my computer today going through all my emails unsubscribing from stores I shop at sending me daily/ weekly deals. I thought to myself that I don't need to be reminded of things I can't afford right now or those emails were just getting annoying, so I clicked the unsubscribe button. I also was a member of Groupon before and did notice that most of what they offer coupons for I didn't even use. MMM definitely has a point on this one.
I agree with you on saying that MMM is right about these kinds of deals. I think they are a waste of money because they aren't ever for things you need, just luxuries. Plus these deals can often expire before you get around to using them. Overall, they aren't worth it.
ReplyDeleteI think Mr. Money Mustache makes a great point here. Personally, I find that my own mother makes extra purchases when grocery shopping just because she has a coupon or discount... and she doesn't even need what she purchases! I know a lot of people her age that spend extra time online trying to find ways to save money. But is all the effort and time spent actually worth it?
ReplyDeleteAghhhhh! that is so weird i was doing the same exact thing on my email today! Companies like groupon definitely do target unique markets and niches. an argument could be made that most of their deals cost more money. for example, buy three yankee candles and get the fourth half off. and.......abra kadabra...... before you know it you just spent a hundred and thirty dollars worth of candles you don't need. or if you buy three movies tickets i get a free large popcorn. my lips usually end up swelling up from the salt half way through the bucket.
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