Got The Rent-Money’s-Due Blues? Try Social Coupons To Have Fun On A Budget

June 30th, 2011 by Crystal Beran| Posted in Apartment Guide, Apartment Life 2.0, Apartment Living, College Housing, Off Campus Apartments, Saving Money, Technology, Tips & Tricks | No Comments »

As the housing market goes down so the rental market goes up. Those of us who are renters have watched the prices for new homes go down, the number of jobs out there diminish, and the amount our hard-earned money is worth sink, as inflation, the price of gas and the cost of rent all rise. A poor economy can be particularly hard on renters because the competition between renters can drive prices up even as our wages don’t rise to meet the new cost of living. High rent can make it seem hard to go out and spend money on entertainment but there are a number of websites out there that can make the fun stuff more affordable. If high rent has got you down, check out some of the niche coupon sites to get great deals that can help you feel like you’re on top of the world again.

Niche Coupon Sites?

That’s right. There are a number of sites out there that have partnered with businesses in your area to get you huge discounts. Sites such as Groupon, Living Social and Bloomspot offer daily or weekly deals for various companies and stores in many cities throughout the nation. All you need to do is provide your e-mail address and zip code and the site will provide you with a number of coupons for nearby businesses. New deals are posted frequently on these sites which makes it possible to find coupons for many of the activities you’d do anyway. The site Yipit also searches through a number of different coupon sites in order to deliver coupons for things you’re most interested in.

What are the Coupons Good For?

Niche coupon sites offer deals for many different businesses. Restaurants, day spas, gyms, retail stores, nightclubs, theatres, sporting events—basically if it’s going on, you can get a discount on it. Saving money on activities that you usually pay full price on can go a long way towards offsetting the high cost of rent.

How Much can I Save?

It depends on the business, but many coupons available are for somewhere between 10 and 50 percent off. In some cases, special deals are available that can help a person save even 90 percent on a purchase or activity!

How Do I Use Them?

Simply sign up for e-mails or log into the site to see what kind of deals are available for the day. Coupons can be printed at home and brought along in order to get the discount. Remember though, saving money isn’t just about getting a good deal, it’s about getting a good deal on something you would normally pay full price for. If you go out to dinner with a friend every Thursday, pick a restaurant that you have a coupon for. If you need a new haircut, print out a coupon before you go. If you didn’t need a new pair of pants, getting them on a discount won’t help your bottom line.

Shop smart and get your deal on!