groupon

I wonder if I'm the last person to discover groupon.

In any case, it's great! In case you haven't heard of it, either, individuals buy a coupon (good for a year, usually) until enough people (50, for example) have gotten it, and then, everyone gets the deal. From restaurants and massages to oil changes and boat tours, you get a different discount every day. Oh, and most deals are only good for 24 hours, so you have to be pretty spontaneous. Which isn't a bad thing.

Most major cities in the US have groupon offers, and it's in quite a few other countries in Europe and South America, too. It's a bit like restaurant.com, which I also love, but with more variety.

So, whether you're looking to explore your own turf or heading to Santiago, Santorini or San Francisco (and it doesn't matter if you're into strawberry shortcake, supperclub or both), chances are you'll find something fun on groupon.

The most addictive part is finding out what the deal of the day is. Today's offer in L.A., for example, is Malibu Winery's tasting, two wine glasses and a bottle of wine for $35 instead of $80. But, of course, you then have to go check reviews on yelp to make sure the place is worth spending your money on, etc., etc., etc.. It's a great way to lose way too much time "researching your opportunities"-- and just ruinous for productivity. Work? What work? I'm busy researching whether this dinner cruise is worth the 75% discount...

Right. So, have fun finding your perfect groupon-- but don't say I didn't warn you...