Half-price massages! Discounted movie tickets! Eighty-percent off sky diving! Groupon, LivingSocial and other “deal of the day” sites have taken the Internet (and our inboxes) by storm over the past year, with millions of people getting great deals on everything from services to entertainment to locally grown alpaca fur. While sky diving on the cheap might not be the best idea (does that make anyone else nervous? Gym Buddy Allison has done it!), these sites can be the perfect way to try out something you might have otherwise missed without investing a lot of cash. And nowhere is this more true than in the area of fitness. 7 Tips to Scoring a Deal on the Hottest New Workout Trends (Shape magazine)
Other places around the ‘net I’ve been writing this week!
Which Diet and Exercise Fads Actually Work? (An interview I did with Man of the House about things I’ve learned from my Experiments besides how to publicly humiliate myself.)
10 Unconventional Ways to Get Some Mommy-Alone Time (Bathrooms: not just for pooping anymore!)
Should Expected Children Go On Your Facebook Profile? (Better yet, should the fetus get his or her own Facebook page?)
Back to School Trend I Hate: Obnoxious Boys’ T-Shirts (Chemistry, a class where you have permission to blow stuff up, is NOT boring!!)
Should Your Child Be Reading Before Kindergarten? (Quick, everyone panic!)
10 Tips for Saner Back-To-School Shopping (in which Jelly Bean strips naked and streaks through Target in nothing but her tie-dye sandals and a smile!)
Are You Excited or Sad When Your Kids Go Back to School? (Both??)
Have you ever used a daily deal site to buy a fitness class? Would you make your unborn baby their own Facebook page?
I’ve found that Groupon is awesome for trying out new fitness trends. Just this summer, I was able to try out rock climbing, aerial silks, get a year membership on various dance classes, go kayaking, and try stand up paddle boarding! Not to mention the roller skating, horse back riding, and a Ke$ha concert (alright, that last one has nothing to do with fitness, but it was a pretty sweet Groupon find).
The only downside is that you definitely need to read some of the fine print and pay attention to expiration dates!
Groupon helped me pay $99 for one yoga class. Boo. Make sure you check out the details – my “yoga studio” was a cramped room in a corporate office building gym for which I had to pay $12 for parking. Not a “deal.” Back to the mat – in my bedroom.
I think these sites are awesome for trying new things. I’ve tried kayaking and an aerial dance class through groupon/livingoscial and I really love them and would go back. Mostly I use those sites for occasional date nights or getting my hair done. Today I’m getting acupuncture and going to the Toby Keith concert thanks to groupon 🙂
No fetus facebooks for me. I’m not sure if I would eve. “friend” a friend’s fetus. I would friend their dog though.
I’ve never used Groupon before but I am a huge P90X fan as far as fitness fads go! 😀
I’m still nervous that my kids pictures are on my Facebook profile, so giving them their own profile just ain’t gonna happen.
I haven’t finished reading all the articles yet, but BOY HOWDY people have strong opinions about the t-shirts! We get our son shirts that say things like “I do all my own stunts” and “Dirt Magnet.” They’re cute and funny without insulting anyone.
And as for groupon, I did get a nice deal on coupons for a bouncy house for my son’s birthday. That’s the only time I’ve used it.
Charlotte, you’re in my brain! I just had two discussions related to that Facebook article. My boss and I were joking about people crazy enough to start a Facebook page for their kids (and wondering if that really existed), and my husband and I talked about naming your kids after the place they were conceived (note to parents: that’s disturbing! Do YOU want to think about where you were conceived…ever?!).
There is some crazy stuff out there! I will echo a couple of your other readers – Groupon, definitely read the fine print. With the tough times, even the break on some of these things, I still can’t try it but I sure would like to!
I have never done any of that….but I do have a friend that made her son a facebook page (before I deleted my account) posting daily his movements in the womb and what he reacted to. You know being pregnant right now I can hardly keep myself awake during the day let alone find time to build a facebook page for my unborn son, (Who is due this Nov/Dec) I suppose it’s just something people are trying to do to connect to others? But I want to keep my little guys kicks and strange alien like movements all to me and my hubby.
Never used internet deals but I’m very much tempted by them and then I remember that the gym on base are free and the fitness classes are free…..
I’m a bit addicted to Groupon and Living Social. I’ve mostly used the site for entertainment deals so far as my town hasn’t had a huge range of fun activities (I wanna rock climb!!). If you’re going on a city break its worth signing up for deals in your destination a few months before you go… We’ve already scored half price theme park tickets, and there are always restaurant deals about. Makes your budget go further AND gives you good ideas for activities!
Px
I am behind the times on this “groupon” thing…your post and all of the comments have motivated me to give it a try!