Here are some of the deals that I recently took advantage of at Groupon.

• L.A. Times  – The deal was a year of Sunday papers for $10, that’s less that 20 cents per week.  I have seen “deals” online for about $1.00.  Now a buck always seemed a bit steep for news that I read the previous evening online, but the Sunday paper is about more than news.  There are crossword puzzles that I might do one day if I have absolutely nothing to do.  There is a calendar section to give me ideas on how I can avoid the crossword.  Most importantly, there are coupons.   I don’t normally cut coupons, but I made it a point last week to do so and I’ve already paid for the subscription.  We’ll just go ahead and call this Groupon a freebie!!
• Saddle Ranch – Like Hugos last year, Saddle Ranch is a place that I can walk to.  It didn’t make sense NOT to get the $30 certificate for only $15…so I bought two.  I already used one to take my friend out to dinner before I took her to LAX to get on a plane to start a new life in Bali.  We handled the EAT, she’s working on the PRAY and LOVE on her own.
• Malibu Wine Tasting – This was a great one!  It was $35 for Wine Tasting for Two (2 flights each), a take-home bottle of wine and two wine glasses at Malibu Wines.  I’ve actually been here before and it’s a lovely setting there at Saddlerock Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains with ocean views.  My only concern here is that some woman might take advantage and use me for my Grapeon…I mean Groupon.
• Luna Park – I discovered Luna Park a couple of years ago and I enjoyed myself.  I think I might enjoy myself even more the next time b/c I’ll have my $40 Groupon that I only paid $20 for.  Umm hmmm…the lucky lady that accompanies me won’t think I’m cheap, she’ll imagine being with a man that makes sure there’s always enough money in the account for another pair of shoes.
• Millions of Milkshakes – you’ve heard of it. It’s the celeb magnet where they specialize in “gourmet” milkshakes.  JD’s getting back to warrior diet won’t like it, but I had to grab the $5 Groupon for 2 small milkshakes with 2 toppings each.  Yeah, that’ll cost me an extra mile on a hike.
• Little Ethiopia – I had never had Ethiopian food.  In fact, the only correlation between Ethiopia and food that I knew about was they didn’t have enough.  No, our server was not Sally Struthers who took Polaroid’s of us and showed our pictures to the cooks, begging them to give us food.  Nor did the ceiling open up to United Nations helicopters dropping cheese and rice.  What did happen was that I got a $20 Groupon for only $9 bucks and enjoyed a new experience and some good food.

I know, I know…I have a problem, but the Groupon experience isn’t just about saving money, it is about sparking the adventurer in you to explore your city.  It allows me to have new things to do all the time without going bankrupt.

This weekend they are selling tickets for future shows at The Roxy on the Sunset Strip for $10 each.  So for me, it's just another day, another Groupon (or a quantity of 2, in this case).