Every time I go on holiday have a very bad habit of throwing down the credit card and saying to myself “˜but I’ll only be here once’. Once in a lifetime purchases and experiences are hard to say no to. So instead of eating tuna from a can after your holidays are over, treat yourself. Do some research and enjoy some of the finest restaurants, spas and adventures the city has to offer for half the price.
With almost 20 group buying websites in South Africa, group buying is the new coupon clipping. These sites use the strength of numbers to secure a discount between around 20% to 90%. The deal only kicks in when enough people buy it, and the deals are generally offered for a finite amount of time. The deals arrive daily in your inbox, pop up on twitter or on your friends feed on facebook. It’s very easy to buy a restaurant deal every day by convincing yourself it’s simply impossible to prepare a gourmet meal for two, drink fine wine and indulge in dessert at home for less then R200.
Instead of setting up your profile for your hometown, consider your next holiday destination. Groupon is the biggest player in the industry and has operations around the world as well as across South Africa. If you are spending the Easter break in Cape Town, a quick look on Groupon’s South African site can save you 50% off surf lessons, opera tickets and dinner.
The key to group buying sites is patience, research and reading the fine print. Here are some tips for saving on your next holiday:
- Sign up about a month before your holiday. You can get the best deals and avoid being overwhelmed. Remember to unsubscribe when you return to avoid those post holiday blues.
- Don’t end up empty handed. Many deals are only valid for 24 hours, so when you see it, buy it.
- Shop around. There are heaps of group buying sites on the web, so be sure to dig around for the best deal. Don’t just look at the big players like Groupon and Living Social, most cities have their own small group buying sites as well.
- Instead of filling your inbox or newsfeed with deals, subscribe to sites like daddy’s deals, which delivers all the deals in one pretty little email.
- It’s always the fine print. Most deals I’ve come across have been valid for three months, but read closely to ensure the deal doesn’t have holiday clauses.
Group buying site in South Africa
Photo by: Marylka Yoe Uusisaari
