Whats your Groupon??

I'm not afraid to say it, I'm a bit of a Groupon junkie. And maybe just a teeny bit of a LivingSocial junkie too, although I don't partake of their deals quite as often as I do Groupon.

My favorite Groupons are the beauty deals (duh!). Some of the deals I've gotten in the past include mani-pedi combos, facials, massages, haircuts, etc.

I love facials, but don't always love the 100+ dollar price tag. So Groupon has been my savior when it comes to facials.

I've been able to get some great facials for well under $100. In fact, I'm scheduled for a facial/massage combo next week-and I only paid $60 for it!!! Nice!!

I was looking through all the Groupons I've used, and in addition to tons of beauty deals, I've grabbed a few great restaurant Groupons, as well as kid activity discounts on things like horseback riding, indoor water park tickets and local shows.

I've only had two bad Groupon experiences. One was a Groupon I purchased for a cut and color at a salon. I've been "between" stylists for over a year now (my stylist retired after a horrible injury while playing hockey-yep, us winter girls are hard core!) and thought it would be a great opportunity to try a new salon. I made my appointment a day before an event I was attending (because I'm brave like that). Unfortunately, the salon owner/stylist called me the day before and cancelled on me. First I was told she had birthday plans that day. Then I was told she was having surgery. Funny how the story kept changing, and I probably wouldn't have been so upset if they hadn't tried to shine me on. I find people trying to lie to me hugely insulting. Luckily, Groupon is AWEsome about crediting your account if you have a problem with any of the services you purchase. So I got a credit to my account, vowed to never go to THAT salon again, and happily used my credit for a Groupon elsewhere.

My other bad experience was with a facial. The girl I scheduled with was so nice, and I felt like she was doing an excellent job. She was doing so well, in fact, that I decided to ask her if she'd wax my brows too. She did and they looked awesome. Until later that night....

 My eyes would not stop hurting, and I thought initially it just must be normal pain from the wax. Then in the morning when I woke up, my eyes were horribly swollen and raw. The skin around my eyebrows had come off with the wax! I don't really know if it was the wax she used, if I had a bad reaction to the products she used on me, or what. And she seemed very nice and knowledgable. I didn't get an email address for her or I probably would have sent her a copy of this picture. Needless to say, I'd be hesitant to return.

Overall though, my Groupon experiences have been excellent! I love getting good deals, but even better, I love the chance to explore different places, new shops and giving my dollars to local businesses.

Oh and speaking of giving your dollars-don't be a crappy Groupon tipper! Remember that Groupon users are supposed to tip on the full price of the service. So if you get a $100 haircut for $50, you tip a minimum of 15 percent on $100! Right? Right!

More and more merchants are using Groupon as a way to grow their business, and it can be a very savvy way for both business owners and consumers to branch out. Businesses can get a whole new client base, and those clients can enjoy a new salon service or find that perfect esthetician!

Get your Groupon. Groups of you, grouping. Oh I could go on and on....