the happiness project

30 Days at a Time project: How to live off of daily deals for an entire month

Austin dances at CultureMap's free concert at the Long Center
Kevin Benz
Author Shelley Seale and Keith Hajovsky attend the ACL Music Festival on adiscount.
Photo by Shelley Seale
Author Shelley Seale (right) with Keith Hajovsky and Jam Sanitchat of Thai Freshafter a cooking class.
Photo by Shelley Seale

Has the economy got you down? Finding it hard to afford those $50 haircuts and dinners out? Cranky from foregoing massages and high-priced, exciting events?

Me, too. But I've got a little secret to share: It's not that hard to live well for less money—in fact, a lot less money. With a little creativity and planning, and armed with email subscriptions to a number of discount websites, you can get all of these things and more at savings of 40, 50, even 80 percent.

I know, because I did it. As part of my 30 Days at a Time project, where I take on a new lifestyle experiment every month in 2011, I recently completed 30 days of living on a discount. I figured if a guy like Josh Stevens could live off Groupon for an entire year, I could do it for a month. And you know what? It wasn't that hard. Due to the wonders of modern technology, all it took was a couple of hours of setting things up, and I was rocking and rolling with paying way-less-than-retail all month long.

For my particular project, my rules were that I exempted certain fixed, non-negotiable expenses such as rent, utilities, insurance, gasoline and groceries. For everything else, I could only buy something if I was getting a discount of at least 30 percent—that included eating out, shopping, gifts, happy hour, recreation, activities, salon services and more.

And even though I exempted groceries because you're not always able to use a discount or coupon, I was still able to save money many times at farmers markets or the grocery store. I was even able to score tickets to the ACL Festival for more than half off!

Here's how I did it.

Part 1: Sign up for the Deals

This is the most time consuming part, but I'll let you ride the coattails of my previous research. I had already used, pretty regularly, services like Groupon which offer amazing deals at 20-80 percent savings off retail. All I had to do was find as many similar types of services as I could, and sign up for their email lists so that I could get daily notifications of what deals were out there. Many of them also have smartphone apps, making it even easier to scout the discount. Here are the major ones that I used:

And to keep up with them all, a handy service called YipIt.com will track and email you an aggregated list of all the daily deal sites. If you don't want to receive emails from so many sites, I would recommend installing the phone app for several of the big ones and then subscribing to YipIt.

Part Two: Watch for deals you want and will use regularly

I had a two-pronged approach toward using my deals, which was very effective. First of all, when I would see deals that I knew I would use, I would buy them on the spot. Discounts for my favorite restaurants or ones I wanted to try, for the massage I felt overdue to get, movie tickets, oil changes for my car.

The second approach was to look for and buy a deal after I had something in mind I wanted to do. Throwing a baby shower? Why, there's a half-off cupcake bakery offer. Looking for a new yoga studio to check out? Yes, there's several of those too. This was surprisingly easy to do. For example, one weekend my boyfriend had booked us in a Hill Country retreat outside Spicewood for the night, for a little relaxation getaway. Because I was bound by the parameters of my experiment, if I wanted to contribute anything such as treating him to dinner, I had to find something that fell within the deal guidelines. I got onto the Restaurant.com website and sure enough, found $25 gift certificate for a restaurant in Spicewood that I paid $2 for. Ca-ching!

Some technologies make this a lot easier than others. For example, Groupon has a service called Now! Deals, where you can find all sorts of deals that are available to use that day, usually within three to six hours. From restaurants to shopping, spa services, museum tickets, local tours, golf lessons, smoothies and coffee shops, dozens of special deals are available. Rather than buying up front, you just buy it when you want it for that day and can even buy it on the spot just before you use it. In fact, if you buy a Now! Deal that for some reason you don't end up using before it expires that day, Groupon will automatically refund your money.

Scoutmob is another service I used a lot for last-minute deals. You don't buy anything directly from Scoutmob; rather, they have an ongoing offer of many 50 percent off certificates to restaurants and food trailers around town. Just pull it up on your mobile device when you're ready to use it!

I used these methods to buy a lot of fabulous things during my discount month. In addition to fantastic meals, I scored the ACL one-day tickets by using a KGB Deal for 50 percent off event tickets through SuperStar Tickets, and then signed up for a trial there to get another $25 rebate. Total net cost for the Sunday ACL pass was $26 including shipping - a savings of two-thirds.

Part Three: Take advantage of local free and low-cost offerings

Not everything has to come from a coupon or discount deal, however. When you're paying attention, you'd be surprised at how many free and low-cost things there are to do around town. One night, my boyfriend and I took advantage of a free Grupo Fantasma concert at the Long Center, co-hosted by your very own CultureMap. We also enjoyed the thrilling and innovative Trash Project performance created by Forklift Danceworks, also presented for free (we did make a donation to the worthy organization at the event).

I won two free tickets to a preview movie screening of The Debt from the Austin Chronicle, and took my nephews to see a free movie at Alamo Drafthouse courtesy of the Alamo kids club that offers free summer movie screenings. I enjoyed several yoga classes during Austin's semi-annual Free Day of Yoga on Labor Day. We were even able to participate in a fantastic cooking class at Thai Fresh, through the Sustainable Food Center foodie group. Tickets were $35 through SFC, a savings of nearly half of what classes at Thai Fresh regularly go for.

Here are a few resources that can help you find such awesome local offerings:

So why pay retail? You can live large for much less.

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Father's Day Weekend Events

9 grilled, chilled, and oddity-filled events on Father's Day weekend

guests with exhibit at Thinkery21 at The Thinkery

Photo courtesy of The Thinkery Facebook

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With all its events and activities, Austin is always a good place to spend some time with dad. But this Father's Day is even more packed with opportunities to celebrate fathers and father figures with the gift of an unforgettable experience. Connect with family and loved ones June 16-18 in local-approved style.

Keep things traditional by breaking bread with your old man at brunch day parties and with special dinner menus. For the dads who prefer a bit of spontaneity, live concerts and curiosity collections on display offer up alternative ways to create memories during this family-focused holiday.

Check out these nine cool things to do with your dad this Father’s Day Weekend, and come back for more ideas as we hear about them.

Friday, June 16

Oblivion Access Festival
This local Austin indie music festival is the perfect experience gift for all the dads who rock. The four-day event will occur at various venues across the city, including Mohawk, Valhalla, and Empire Control Room & Garage. More than 60 bands and musicians pepper the setlist, with Faust, Duster, TR/ST, Tim Hecker, and Godflesh as some of the headliners. Get a full schedule of events and tickets at oblivionaccessfestival.com.

Saturday, June 17

Lake Austin Spa Resort's Father’s Day packages
Give Pops the gift of indulgent relaxation with the help of Lake Austin Spa Resort’s newest father-focused packages. Gift cards are available for Dad to use on his own, or couples celebrating together can try the “My Guy and I” package, which includes a massage for two, lunch from the spa’s Aster Cafe, a pool cabana rental, and more. Guests can also take advantage of a 60-minute facial experience featuring a range of products from the luxe Swiss skincare line, Valmont. Visit lakeaustin.com for booking details.

Oddities & Curiosities Expo
Tap into you and your Dad’s shared inner quirkiness when you explore all things strange and unusual on display at the Palmer Events Center. The expo will showcase oddities from 150 vendors offering wares including taxidermy, Halloween-inspired artwork, skulls, antiques, and more. Guests can also enjoy photo ops, tarot readings, concessions, and sideshow performances. Get more details at odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com.

Sunday, June 18

Meanwhile Brewing Co. presents a Father’s Day Party with Thinkery
Meanwhile Brewing Co. welcomes fathers and their kiddos to the brewery morning of family-friendly fun for all ages. Thinkery will host two STEAM-inspired children’s projects while parents enjoy their own age-appropriate activities in the taproom. Food trucks on locations will serve lunch and brunch menu offerings to fuel the creative process. Admission to this event is free and open to the public with reservation. RSVP on meanwhilebeer.com.

Mozart Coffee Roasters presents a Father's Day Cherry Pie Eating Contest
Encourage your father’s sweet tooth with a side of friendly competition at Mozart's Coffee Roasters. Participants will have eight minutes to eat as much cherry pie as possible, with the winner being the person who eats the most. Prizes include Mozart's coffee, swag, gift cards, and a sunset boat ride on Lake Austin for the 1st place winner. Admission is free and open to the public. Get more information on how to enter the contest on Eventbrite.

EncoreATX presents a Father's Day Brunch + Day Party
Party with your parents at this lively XO Nightclub Austin event. Highlights of this midday bash include a full bar, a brunch menu featuring chicken and waffles, greens, mac and cheese, yams, and DJ sets. In addition to brunch, the venue makes a slight departure from its usual hip-hop soundtrack, promising "RnB vibes." Large parties are welcome, so the whole family can get in on the fun. Get tickets and more menu information on Eventbrite.

Father’s Day at Perry’s
Elevated Texas steakhouse Perry’s invites fathers and their families to a culinary experience of dad-approved fare. Dine with Dad early for brunch and enjoy a variety of specialty, off-the-menu cocktails. Evening menu items include a three-course pork chop supper, a 22-ounce, bone-in prime rib steak, and other decadent dishes suitable for a king. Reserve a table and get additional menu information on perryssteakhouse.com.

William Chris Vineyards presents its Annual Hog & Goat Roast
Venture out to the acclaimed William Chris Vineyards and give your dad a day off from manning the grill. Guests to the annual roast can feast on slow-cooked hog and goat prepared by the winery’s on-site culinary team, while taking in views of the vineyard and the Texas Hill Country. Wine specials will also be available throughout the event. Purchase tickets to the roast at shop.williamchriswines.com.

Sway presents a Father’s Day Grill Out
Swanky Austin Thai eatery Sway brings "an interactive grill station" to its patio for a family-style culinary experience with Father’s Day flair. Special dishes include smoked meat options, the restaurant’s first-ever burger, and a Thai coffee ice cream sandwich. If a day at Sway sounds great without the grilled options, the regular menu will still be available. Make your reservations on swaythai.com.

Father’s Day Lake Austin Spa Resort Meanwhile Brewing Co.Mozart Coffee Roasters Perry’s Thinkery William Chris Vineyards Live Concerts weekend events things to do in austin

the happiness project

30 Days at a Time project: How to live off of daily deals for an entire month

Father's Day Weekend Events

9 grilled, chilled, and oddity-filled events on Father's Day weekend

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