You get the daily emails from Groupon and have seen the commercials. But there’s more than just Groupon for deals in the District. Here is a list of the best deal-sharing websites to help you cut the coupons and find the best sites to fit both your needs and your budget.
Best Overall: LivingSocial
It’s hard to deny the power of LivingSocial. They have combined all the best deals into one website and mobile app. Their extensive offerings include Daily Deals, Instant Deals, Adventures and Escapes. The daily deals can be anything from beauty procedures to movie tickets — perfect for a first date! The instant deals are helpful when you want to discover a new place to eat in the neighborhood. As for the adventures section, you can find deals for a package to Six Flags or an afternoon of horseback riding and wine tasting in Virginia. Trying to plan a spring break trip or looking for a getaway over fall break? Choose a packaged deal from their Escapes section. Their recent deal for Whole Foods sold 1,000,000 coupons, with $500,000 being donated to charity.
Best Luxury: GiltCityDC
Just like Gilt Groupe revolutionized flash-sales in the retail industry, GiltCity is changing the daily deals industry. Launched just at the end of this summer in DC, GiltCity provides a fashionista with the lifestyle they were born to lead — but on a budget, of course. Sales are launched every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:00 a.m. GiltCity curates unique experiences for their members, such as special concerts at the 9:30 Club, private mixology lessons from master bartenders and even tickets to special screening events both in theaters and online. This past week alone, I bought tickets to the rooftop party at Eden for $20 and gained a free private access code to watch the new ABC show “Revenge” a week before it aired. Their amazingly luxe, yet affordable, deals can also be found on their mobile app for cities across the US, such as New York, Miami, LA and Boston.
Best Deals You Don’t Have to Buy: ScoutMob
Most deal websites work the same way. You see one you like, and you buy it that instant, whether online or through the mobile app. ScoutMob is different. The daily deals on this website are actually free coupons to restaurants that locals frequent. You just have to download the deal to your phone, show the coupon when you are ready to pay, and voila! an instant discount on your meal. And don’t feel pressured to use the coupon that day, since most of them won’t expire for a few weeks. Their website also offers coupons for major cities and some smaller markets like Charlotte, Portland and Minneapolis.
Honorable Mentions: What’s The Deal, The Capitol Deal, and Bloomspot
Once you sign up for these sites, you can send out your personal link to invite all your friends to share in the deals. Many, if not all, feature some type of incentive to get you to share the link. Sign up today and start saving!