- The new site can be found at www.mycabbage.com
- You can upload all your deals from sites like Groupon or LivingSocial and have them all in one site. If you're like me, and you buy crazy numbers of deals all the time, this can be really helpful for two reasons.
- You can see which ones are expiring.
- You can share with your friends and plan events.
- They're no longer charging a fee to sell your deals.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
DealsGoRound Changing Their Look
I haven't explored too deeply yet, but, essentially, here's what I've learned.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Sea to You Sushi in Brookline
The Deal: $30 for Sushi-Making Class.
This deal runs every couple of months. The link is to an old page, but the deals are available frequently. Essentially, for $30, you can go to this place in Brookline, learn how to roll your own rolls - regular, inside-out, and jumbo rolls. We also learned how to do fancy cuts, which means impressing your friends (and charging more, in restaurants). You can eat as much as you want while you’re there, and you can take more home with you. Bring tupperware - they’ll give you a plate with some plastic wrap, but I had way too much to effectively take it home that way.
There are two classes on Saturdays, at 1 and 3 pm. I paid $3 for avocado, because I don't like cucumber and didn't want to end up with a bunch of rolls with nothing but tuna in them. I didn't really need to worry - they also had sweet potato and carrots, in addition to the cucumber - and fish. We had crab legs, cooked tuna, cooked salmon, and, as a special treat, raw tuna. There was spicy sauce, eel sauce, and sesame seeds to top off the rolls.
This is better than the average lunch or dinner deal, because it was interactive. We got the food, which was yummy, but we also now know how to make sushi, which should come in handy at my dinner club next month. I would highly recommend this deal to anyone who likes sushi and/or cooking/entertaining. It was a really good way to spend a Saturday afternoon (and I’m still eating the leftovers).
Cost: $60 (I bought two)
Value: $120
Savings: $60
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,284.92
This deal runs every couple of months. The link is to an old page, but the deals are available frequently. Essentially, for $30, you can go to this place in Brookline, learn how to roll your own rolls - regular, inside-out, and jumbo rolls. We also learned how to do fancy cuts, which means impressing your friends (and charging more, in restaurants). You can eat as much as you want while you’re there, and you can take more home with you. Bring tupperware - they’ll give you a plate with some plastic wrap, but I had way too much to effectively take it home that way.
There are two classes on Saturdays, at 1 and 3 pm. I paid $3 for avocado, because I don't like cucumber and didn't want to end up with a bunch of rolls with nothing but tuna in them. I didn't really need to worry - they also had sweet potato and carrots, in addition to the cucumber - and fish. We had crab legs, cooked tuna, cooked salmon, and, as a special treat, raw tuna. There was spicy sauce, eel sauce, and sesame seeds to top off the rolls.
This is better than the average lunch or dinner deal, because it was interactive. We got the food, which was yummy, but we also now know how to make sushi, which should come in handy at my dinner club next month. I would highly recommend this deal to anyone who likes sushi and/or cooking/entertaining. It was a really good way to spend a Saturday afternoon (and I’m still eating the leftovers).
Cost: $60 (I bought two)
Value: $120
Savings: $60
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,284.92
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Evolve Fitness in Cambridge/Framingham
The Deal: $20 for 20 visits to Evolve Fitness in Cambridge.
So, I admit it. I screwed up this deal. Groupon was offering two options - 20 visits for $20 or 30 visits for $30. I took the 20 visits, because I travel a lot and wasn’t sure I’d make it to the gym 30 times before January (Yes, you read that right - I wasn’t sure I’d make it to the gym 30 times in more than six months, starting when I bought this in June. Bite me.). Now, having been to the facility a couple of times, I really wish I’d gone for the extra 10 visits. It’s really nice. I want to go more, but I’m not prepared to spring for a membership right now. (For an overview of their sales techniques and how I felt about them, check out my Yelp review.) Also, they have two facilities, even though I've only been to the Cambridge one. But it could be convenient, even if you're not near Cambridge. They run these deals all the time - I found three within the past year or so, so it's not too late to find another one.
The main issue here is that you have to listen to their sales pitch before the workout, and sometimes when you leave. My last visit there was in the middle of the day, and everyone left me alone. Did they see my review? I don’t know. But I appreciated just being allowed to work out in peace. The upshot is that I really could, if I wanted, use my Groupon to take weekly spin classes for four months, for $20. I could even go twice some weeks. It’s an awesome deal. I’m sure I’ll use all 20 visits before January, but, if I wind up not having time, I’m confident that I’ll get my money’s worth.
The class schedule is really nice - they have a variety of classes, both in the mornings and the evenings. You’re allowed to call and schedule a place in the class up to 24 hours in advance, so you never have to worry about showing up and not being able to get in. There are also different types of classes - cardio, weights, a combination, spin, yoga… I even saw a note about capoeira classes on Monday nights, which I really want to look into. The parking lot is a fair size, and they have agreements with other businesses in the area to use their parking lots during peak gym hours. There’s a list at the front desk. The place is clean, and they have TRXs, which I like.
So, essentially, I moved to my new place a year ago, I’ve been able to work out every single time I’ve ever wanted to (unless I actually go kamikaze and go to the gym 18 times in the next 15 days), I’ve managed to visit several different facilities, I haven’t had to sign a single contract, and I’ve spent less than $100. Awesome.
Cost: $20
Value: $175
Savings: $155
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,224.92
So, I admit it. I screwed up this deal. Groupon was offering two options - 20 visits for $20 or 30 visits for $30. I took the 20 visits, because I travel a lot and wasn’t sure I’d make it to the gym 30 times before January (Yes, you read that right - I wasn’t sure I’d make it to the gym 30 times in more than six months, starting when I bought this in June. Bite me.). Now, having been to the facility a couple of times, I really wish I’d gone for the extra 10 visits. It’s really nice. I want to go more, but I’m not prepared to spring for a membership right now. (For an overview of their sales techniques and how I felt about them, check out my Yelp review.) Also, they have two facilities, even though I've only been to the Cambridge one. But it could be convenient, even if you're not near Cambridge. They run these deals all the time - I found three within the past year or so, so it's not too late to find another one.
The main issue here is that you have to listen to their sales pitch before the workout, and sometimes when you leave. My last visit there was in the middle of the day, and everyone left me alone. Did they see my review? I don’t know. But I appreciated just being allowed to work out in peace. The upshot is that I really could, if I wanted, use my Groupon to take weekly spin classes for four months, for $20. I could even go twice some weeks. It’s an awesome deal. I’m sure I’ll use all 20 visits before January, but, if I wind up not having time, I’m confident that I’ll get my money’s worth.
The class schedule is really nice - they have a variety of classes, both in the mornings and the evenings. You’re allowed to call and schedule a place in the class up to 24 hours in advance, so you never have to worry about showing up and not being able to get in. There are also different types of classes - cardio, weights, a combination, spin, yoga… I even saw a note about capoeira classes on Monday nights, which I really want to look into. The parking lot is a fair size, and they have agreements with other businesses in the area to use their parking lots during peak gym hours. There’s a list at the front desk. The place is clean, and they have TRXs, which I like.
So, essentially, I moved to my new place a year ago, I’ve been able to work out every single time I’ve ever wanted to (unless I actually go kamikaze and go to the gym 18 times in the next 15 days), I’ve managed to visit several different facilities, I haven’t had to sign a single contract, and I’ve spent less than $100. Awesome.
Cost: $20
Value: $175
Savings: $155
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,224.92
Monday, July 23, 2012
Davide Restaurant, the North End
The Deal:$14 for $35 at Davide Restaurant.
I’ve been meaning to try Groupon Now for awhile now, but I usually have a place in mind when I’m going out to eat, or I’m in an area where it’s not available. Tonight, I found myself downtown, wanting to eat out with a friend, with no idea where to go. So, I pulled out my phone to see what I could find. Davide is on Commercial Street, near the water, so it was a nice walk on a hot summer night.
Groupon Now is an interesting idea. You pull up deals near your physical location, and, once purchased, you have until a specified time to use them (this one happened to expire at 9:00 p.m. I think it’s usually at closing.). If for some reason you aren’t able to use the deal by the end of the day, Groupon automatically refunds your money. So, you can change your mind and not lose anything.
First, and this is important - you cannot access your voucher on your phone once you get to the restaurant. It’s in a dead zone. Pull up the voucher first and take a screen shot so you can give them the number, because your phone won’t work there. Mine didn’t, and this apparently happens often. Luckily, they offered to take $35 off, and they allowed me to call with the voucher number once I got to a place that had service. (If they hadn’t, Groupon would have refunded my $14, but that’s not the point - I chose to eat there because of the deal).
The place is downstairs, and it’s very nice. The atmosphere is rather intimate, yet there’s peppy music playing. It was a little incongruous, but I liked it. Our bread was a little burnt, as was the bruschetta. Honestly, the bruschetta tasted mostly like olive oil. The salad was fine - but it was literally field greens with a bit of vinaigrette for $9. I know, I know - what else do you expect from a “field greens” salad on the menu? Some tomatoes or nuts might have been nice. Maybe some red onions. I don’t know. The entrée was very good, though - I got veal scaloppini with prosciutto and fontina, on a mountain of polenta (which looked like mashed potatoes, so I had a bit of surprise when I took a bite), and sautéed spinach on top. It was all very well prepared. I don’t know if I’d want to pay full price, but the end result was that we got a tasty meal for about half the normal cost, so this deal is definitely worth using, if you’re in the area.
Cost: $14.00
Value: $35.00
Savings: $21.00
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,069.92.
I’ve been meaning to try Groupon Now for awhile now, but I usually have a place in mind when I’m going out to eat, or I’m in an area where it’s not available. Tonight, I found myself downtown, wanting to eat out with a friend, with no idea where to go. So, I pulled out my phone to see what I could find. Davide is on Commercial Street, near the water, so it was a nice walk on a hot summer night.
Groupon Now is an interesting idea. You pull up deals near your physical location, and, once purchased, you have until a specified time to use them (this one happened to expire at 9:00 p.m. I think it’s usually at closing.). If for some reason you aren’t able to use the deal by the end of the day, Groupon automatically refunds your money. So, you can change your mind and not lose anything.
First, and this is important - you cannot access your voucher on your phone once you get to the restaurant. It’s in a dead zone. Pull up the voucher first and take a screen shot so you can give them the number, because your phone won’t work there. Mine didn’t, and this apparently happens often. Luckily, they offered to take $35 off, and they allowed me to call with the voucher number once I got to a place that had service. (If they hadn’t, Groupon would have refunded my $14, but that’s not the point - I chose to eat there because of the deal).
The place is downstairs, and it’s very nice. The atmosphere is rather intimate, yet there’s peppy music playing. It was a little incongruous, but I liked it. Our bread was a little burnt, as was the bruschetta. Honestly, the bruschetta tasted mostly like olive oil. The salad was fine - but it was literally field greens with a bit of vinaigrette for $9. I know, I know - what else do you expect from a “field greens” salad on the menu? Some tomatoes or nuts might have been nice. Maybe some red onions. I don’t know. The entrée was very good, though - I got veal scaloppini with prosciutto and fontina, on a mountain of polenta (which looked like mashed potatoes, so I had a bit of surprise when I took a bite), and sautéed spinach on top. It was all very well prepared. I don’t know if I’d want to pay full price, but the end result was that we got a tasty meal for about half the normal cost, so this deal is definitely worth using, if you’re in the area.
Cost: $14.00
Value: $35.00
Savings: $21.00
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,069.92.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
New England Aquarium Whale Watch
The Deal: New England Aquarium Whale Watch - $22.00.
So, this deal didn’t really work out as well as anticipated. It’s not entirely Living Social’s Fault, or the New England Aquarium Whale Watch, but I still don’t feel that I necessarily got the benefit of my bargain. We did have a lovely time, though.
First of all, you are supposed to be able to show the voucher to redeem the deal. What no one tells you is that you need to give the Aquarium the number off your voucher to schedule your reservation. As soon as you do that, the voucher is marked as “used”… and you can neither print it to bring it with you nor use the app to pull it up on your phone. This was a problem, because no one mentioned it before we made our reservations. So, if you want to use a similar deal in the future, do yourself a favor and print the voucher in advance.
Second…. in retrospect, perhaps I should not have purchased a deal that was 100% dependent on having nice weather in New England. The vouchers expired June 15. We scheduled a whale watch for June 2. It poured all day. The weather was terrible. We got a call, after we were about halfway there, that the watch had been cancelled. (All was not lost, though, because we had free passes to the Aquarium.) At that point, there was only 13 days left to use the voucher, and I was scheduled to be out of town for the only intervening weekend. Luckily, they told us that we could have until the end of June to use the vouchers. So, we schedule another watch for June 16. Annnnnnnnnnnnnd - the weather sucked on June 16. We couldn’t go.
Most people who had scheduled whale watches for that day were issued refunds. We couldn’t get a full refund, obviously, because we hadn’t paid full price. We also couldn’t reschedule because, well, it’s summer, and we’re busy people. We won’t both be in town again between June 15 - June 30, which is the absolute last day we could use the vouchers for $22. So, they gave us the option of doing the Harbor Tour instead. But not at half price. We didn’t have to pay for it, but the Harbor Tour usually only costs about $24. So, we saved $2 each. Not really the deal I was hoping to get.
Don’t get me wrong. The Harbor Tour was lovely. We had a really nice time. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see any whales. And it wasn’t quite the awesome deal I expected. So, if you want to ever do a deal that depends on nice weather, make sure all necessary parties will be in town to actually use it before it expires. (Or maybe considering not living in New England…)
Cost: $22
Estimated Value: $24
Estimated Savings: $2
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,048.92.
So, this deal didn’t really work out as well as anticipated. It’s not entirely Living Social’s Fault, or the New England Aquarium Whale Watch, but I still don’t feel that I necessarily got the benefit of my bargain. We did have a lovely time, though.
First of all, you are supposed to be able to show the voucher to redeem the deal. What no one tells you is that you need to give the Aquarium the number off your voucher to schedule your reservation. As soon as you do that, the voucher is marked as “used”… and you can neither print it to bring it with you nor use the app to pull it up on your phone. This was a problem, because no one mentioned it before we made our reservations. So, if you want to use a similar deal in the future, do yourself a favor and print the voucher in advance.
Second…. in retrospect, perhaps I should not have purchased a deal that was 100% dependent on having nice weather in New England. The vouchers expired June 15. We scheduled a whale watch for June 2. It poured all day. The weather was terrible. We got a call, after we were about halfway there, that the watch had been cancelled. (All was not lost, though, because we had free passes to the Aquarium.) At that point, there was only 13 days left to use the voucher, and I was scheduled to be out of town for the only intervening weekend. Luckily, they told us that we could have until the end of June to use the vouchers. So, we schedule another watch for June 16. Annnnnnnnnnnnnd - the weather sucked on June 16. We couldn’t go.
Most people who had scheduled whale watches for that day were issued refunds. We couldn’t get a full refund, obviously, because we hadn’t paid full price. We also couldn’t reschedule because, well, it’s summer, and we’re busy people. We won’t both be in town again between June 15 - June 30, which is the absolute last day we could use the vouchers for $22. So, they gave us the option of doing the Harbor Tour instead. But not at half price. We didn’t have to pay for it, but the Harbor Tour usually only costs about $24. So, we saved $2 each. Not really the deal I was hoping to get.
Don’t get me wrong. The Harbor Tour was lovely. We had a really nice time. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see any whales. And it wasn’t quite the awesome deal I expected. So, if you want to ever do a deal that depends on nice weather, make sure all necessary parties will be in town to actually use it before it expires. (Or maybe considering not living in New England…)
Cost: $22
Estimated Value: $24
Estimated Savings: $2
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,048.92.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Fuji Steakhouse, Redux
Groupon is re-running their deal for Fuji Steakhouse in Needham. So, for the next 4 days you, too, have the option of buying a deal that will all you to enjoy up to $30 worth of delicious Japanese food at half price!
Click here.
Click here.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Deals on the Road - Denver
The Deal:15% off at the Table Mountain Inn
Well, I'm on the road visiting family, so I bring you this very special edition to talk about a slightly different kind of money-savings awesomeness - Yelp check in offers. Yes, I realize no one else can visit this place unless they're planning a trip to Denver, but the point is that Yelp check-in offers can be super useful.
I'm in an unfamiliar town, and looking for somewhere to enjoy a nice breakfast. So, I pull out my phone and open the Yelp app, looking for restaurants in the area. I then filter it further to weed out places that are not open at 8 am on a Sunday morning (my favorite filter, probably). And what do I see? The Table Mountain Inn, located a few miles away, gives me 15% off when I check in with Yelp while I'm there. They had exactly what I wanted for brunch (Eggs Benedict), at a reasonable price - plus I got a discount. That's wonderful! (I love Yelp check-in offers).
The food was pretty good. They have Eggs Benedict with shaved steak and a chipotle sauce, which was pretty good. The waitress never let my coffee cup get empty, despite having a ton of other customers to deal with. She was also very pleasant. I appreciate that brunch comes with a free cinnamon roll, and the fruit selection was pretty good. We got a pretty good brunch for three, for around $35.00.
Cost: The cost of brunch, pre-discount, was roughly $32.00.
Savings: $4.80.
Total Estimated Savings: $1,046.92.
Well, I'm on the road visiting family, so I bring you this very special edition to talk about a slightly different kind of money-savings awesomeness - Yelp check in offers. Yes, I realize no one else can visit this place unless they're planning a trip to Denver, but the point is that Yelp check-in offers can be super useful.
I'm in an unfamiliar town, and looking for somewhere to enjoy a nice breakfast. So, I pull out my phone and open the Yelp app, looking for restaurants in the area. I then filter it further to weed out places that are not open at 8 am on a Sunday morning (my favorite filter, probably). And what do I see? The Table Mountain Inn, located a few miles away, gives me 15% off when I check in with Yelp while I'm there. They had exactly what I wanted for brunch (Eggs Benedict), at a reasonable price - plus I got a discount. That's wonderful! (I love Yelp check-in offers).
The food was pretty good. They have Eggs Benedict with shaved steak and a chipotle sauce, which was pretty good. The waitress never let my coffee cup get empty, despite having a ton of other customers to deal with. She was also very pleasant. I appreciate that brunch comes with a free cinnamon roll, and the fruit selection was pretty good. We got a pretty good brunch for three, for around $35.00.
Cost: The cost of brunch, pre-discount, was roughly $32.00.
Savings: $4.80.
Total Estimated Savings: $1,046.92.
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