Using Groupons on Vacation

This week I’ve been posting a lot about how Groupons can help you stay economical while exploring unknown locations.  But you don’t just have to stick to using Groupons in your own neighborhood… you can use them even when you take a trip.

Here’s a look at my sister-in-law’s Groupons settings right now.

 

Of course she has Groupons set for South Florida, but she also gets Groupons for the west coast… of the United States.  That’s because last year, she planned her honeymoon in the San Francisco area, complete with Groupons.  And wouldn’t you know, she found discounted Groupons for this.

 

Now, truth be told, she didn’t actually by the Groupon because she was afraid to commit to something she knew so little about so many thousands of miles away.  But you shouldn’t be.  Look how much it could save you:

 

Buying a Groupon for $139 per person, from 3,000 miles away, will save you about $231.  To make sure the company is legit, I’d check it out on Trip Advisor before purchasing (this is not that Groupon that Colleen saw... this particular Groupon did get some bad reviews, so you have to check around).

Next time I take a domestic vacation, I’m definitely going to add the city to my Groupon setting (and Living Social!), but I already include several different cities in my settings.

 

Since I live in South Florida, I figure if I stumble upon a great Groupon, I’ll travel to Miami.  I also spend a lot of time in Ft. Myers, so I include that in my settings as well.  My friend Amy has her settings to include basically the entire state of Florida.  That’s how we ended up with an awesome Groupon to Zoo Miami even though she lives in Ft. Myers.  She also bought a Groupon to Giraffe Ranch in Dade City (north of Tampa) where you get up close to rhinos, zebras, warthogs, and, of course, giraffes.  You also get a ride a camel without going to Africa.

 

For the whole animal experience, Amy paid $150 as opposed to
$300.  She also got to take a little vacation about three hours
from her house.

 

Total Cost: About half off the regular price (example: $150 for Giraffe Ranch instead of $300; $139 for a hot air balloon ride instead of $370)

Best Deal: Not paying full price in a new city!

Have you ever used a Groupon while on vacation?

Zoo Miami Review

My Groupon experiences just keep getting better and better.  A few weekends ago, my dear friend Amy took me on a Groupon to Zoo Miami.  And check it out…

OMG!  I got to feed a giraffe!  And his tongue was super crazy!  It was purple and rough, and if you can’t tell, it surprised me greatly!

 

I would never ordinarily feed the animals at the zoo.  Even though I’m a vegetarian, I don’t even like animals.  And I especially wouldn’t pay the $3 charge.  But the giraffe feeding was part of the Groupon Amy purchased.  That Groupon was just $15 a person, a price I thought was well-worth it to get up close and personal.

Amy is a pro at this!

 

We also got a “professional” picture with the giraffe, normally $5.

At this point, I am unaware of the crazy tongue coming at me!

 

Our Groupon also included a bird feeding (traditionally another $3), and if anyone knows me, they know I love birds.  I once had a bird, a female cockatiel named Mr. Bojangles.  On Christmas Eve one year, I opened the front door and she flew out.  I had never seen her fly before and I feel like maybe she flew right to this zoo.

Mr. Bojangles, is that you?

 

Now, I’m no zoo-guru, but Amy is, and she says this is the closest she had ever been to a jaguar.

 

We’re just lucky it didn’t claw our eyes out, look at this ferocious thing.

It's probably a little sedated, actually.

 

One thing that really hit home while I was at Zoo Miami was how much gorillas and monkeys look like humans.

If that doesn't look like a bunch of homeless men under an
interstate, I don't know what does!

 

And this monkey was astute enough to put a box over his head when it started raining.

 

Clearly quite evolved, even the humans didn’t have a box to put on their heads!

We did have one poncho between two people, though. 
We're half as smart as a monkey!

 

My favorite animal of all time though is the otter.

I've read that otters are mean, but I don't care, I still want one as a pet!

 

Not everyone at the zoo is so ambitious.

These lemurs are just lazy.

 

We, however, were not as lazy as the lemurs.  We also redeemed a trip on the monorail (normally $3) and a souvenir cup (worth $3.95) under our Groupon.

And we got to see this cute little guy!

 

Under normal circumstances, these are the zoo prices:

Admission: $15.95

Giraffe feeding: $3
Picture with giraffe: $5
Bird feeding: $3
Monorail: $3
Souvenir cup: $3.95
Total: $33.90/person

Our Total Cost: $15/person (with Groupon)

Best Deal: Sticking my head in an elephant’s butt

 

What’s your favorite part of the zoo?

Uptown Art Review - West Palm Beach

Alright, already, the title of this post seems dangerous.  Painting and drinking, while awesome together, can be a scary combination.  Just ask the guy who sat next to me after I stole his white paint (sorry, sir!).

Here’s an example… this is how the night started:

 

And this is how the night ended:

What the...?!?!  Not EVEN sure what's going on in this picture

Anyway, I purchased the Groupon to Uptown Art in West Palm Beach for my sister-in-law for her birthday (which is also my birthday, lucky Frank!  If he forgets either birthday, he’s in deep doo doo).  I thought I would give myself a present as well.  I paid $32 for a 3-hour painting class, regularly $70 – that’s more than half off!

 The week we were scheduled to paint, Frank kept trying to get me to bring someone else.  Once we started though, he was like Van Gogh, only without the whole cutting off the ear thing.



"I painted a blue duck because I've never seen
a blue duck before" - Billy Madison

Uptown Art is awesome because they give you the canvas, painting gear, and as much paint as you need.

I'm not sure about Colleen, but I went back for
seconds AND thirds... of the paint!  Also the wine.

 

The instructors are great, very knowledgeable, and they had tons of suggestions for Frank and I painting the same picture as a couple.  We could have upgraded to a larger canvas, so we could have worked on the same picture at the same time.  Or, they said they would help us split the picture into two different canvasses.  We opted to paint the same thing, but in different colors.

Here I am critiquing Frank's work... nah, I'm just drinking!

 

Our class was three hours, with about a half an hour break.  You’re allowed to bring as much food and wine as you want.

We thought three bottles per couple was reasonable.
For a three hour time period. Okay, our judgment
may have been a bit off.

 

The best thing about Uptown Art isn’t the free paint, the nice staff, or even the final painting.  It was hanging out and doing something different with the people I loved.

Frank's boat is orange and mine is blue... he
thinks he did a better job, but I disagree.

 

And when I look at the finished work on my wall, I will always remember that.

 

Total Cost: $32 for the Groupon and $30 for the wine

Best Deal: Making personalized art for half off the regular price

 

I had a great time at the class, but tell me the truth... If you had to sail off in a boat, would you pick the blue or the orange one?

Tips and Tricks for Using Groupons

I have been using some really awesome Groupons lately!  As a disclaimer, I am not a Groupon addict.  I buy one or two at a time and then use them.  I mainly use them to explore restaurants and attractions that I would not normally do in an economic way.  For example, I recently used Groupons for a painting/wine class and a zoo trip… both economical experiences coming soon on the blog, but here’s a preview:

  

I hear a lot of people complain, though, about two issues they have with Groupons.

1.      The Groupon offer expires before they can buy it.

 

As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, sometimes you just gotta put yourself out there and ask (for example, my friend Amy asked for an upgrade on her cruise).

Case in point, my husband wanted to buy a Groupon to learn how to kite surf (he claims that since I won’t let him get a motorcycle, he needs to kite surf.  I don’t get it).  He saw it online, but didn’t get a chance to buy it before the deal was no longer available.  He called the company offering the Groupon and asked if he could still have the deal… they said yes!  The way I see it, the company might be even more willing to sell you the product at the Groupon rate without going through Groupon because then they don’t have to give Groupon a cut.

2.      A customer buys the Groupon, but it expires before they can use it.

You already know that if your Groupon expires, you can still redeem it for the value you paid (i.e. if you paid $15 for $30 worth of food, you can always use the $15 you paid).  You probably got an email about it a few months ago from Groupon.

But, that promotional value may not be lost.  Again, you just have to ask.  My sister-in-law bought a Groupon for paddleboarding, but realized just before the expiration date she wouldn’t be able to use it before the due date.  She called the company and they said they would make an appointment for her in the future at a more convenient weekend… at the Groupon rate.

Ironically, my husband bought the same Groupon and didn't use it either!

More Groupon tips I’ve learned:

Most Groupons for restaurants say “one per table.” 

 

If you ask your server nicely, and promise a tip on the *full* amount, versus the Groupon amount, they might be willing to use two at a table (I’ve had luck with this!)

Groupon isn’t the only deal website out there.

I also use Living Social, GottaHalfIt,  Travel Zoo, Go Palm Beaches and Schwaggle pretty regularly.

I’m always astounded at the deals I get on these websites, but one of the best I ever purchased was:

 

Just $45 for a pool day at PGA National Resort and Spa.  That included swimming around in all of the pools, as well as two appetizers, two entrees, and a pitcher of margaritas. 

This was one of the best deals because I would never purchase it for myself for $92!

 
What was the best Groupon, or other deal website, you’ve ever purchased?