Groupon

The Groupons and the Woots of the world have been feeding Black Friday-caliber deals to consumers throughout the year. Have they created a subculture of deal "addicts" who scoff at discounts less than 50% off? Will retailers need to go even deeper to make Black Friday deals attract these hard core deal shoppers? While not all consumers are obsessed with finding the absolute lowest price, this latest Gadgetology study discovered a class of shoppers who buy lots of things through deal sites and they expect deep discounts on what they buy.

Profile of a Deal Addict
Take a look at that collection of shoppers seated in their folding chairs in the cold and rain outside the local Kmart in the predawn hours of Black Friday. Now think about the fact that many of those hard core Black Friday deal hunters are also members of a deal sites like Groupon. In fact, almost three quarters of last year's Black Friday shoppers (70%) say they are members of deal sites. At the same time, almost the same percentage (70%) of members of deal sites shopped on Black Friday. Furthermore, one of three of those deal site members say they buy most things or almost everything on discount regardless of whether it's from a deal site or not. We look at that intersecting group as an emerging consumer subculture who are addicted to deals and only buy things if they are deeply discounted.Read more

In celebration of National Coupon Month this month, ILoveCouponMonth.com--an online source for coupon information, statistics and savings tips--shares 30 tried and true, plus some unexpected, places to find coupons for a month-long of savings.

Founded by the Performance Marketing Association in September 1998, National Coupon Month recognizes the impact coupons have had on consumer buying habits. Happily, coupons have become even more pervasive since 1998 and are now available just about everywhere you look, whether it be via the Internet, social media, smartphone or bank statements.

In fact, such digital coupons are galloping to the fore. According to research released June 1 by eMarketer, 88.2 million consumers will use digital coupons as an important part of their shopping experience in 2011. That's 47 percent of adult Internet users, a statistic that's destined to rise in the near future. The study also revealed 92.5 million adult Internet users will use online coupons in 2012, versus 96.8 million in 2013.

Whether you are new to the coupon game or a skilled clipper, ILoveCouponMonth.com is the ultimate destination for coupon-lovers featuring data, 30 days of savings tips, and much more. Helping shoppers save even more money during National Coupon Month, here are 30 places to find coupons for 30 days of bargains. Read more

After the first social media frenzy you'd think/hope people learned so things won't go wrong this time around. If understanding is overpowered by greed, things won't go wrong…they'll go seriously awry. Screenshot – "The Hangover Part II," Warner Bros (2011)

A friend recently gave us a flyover of the island he owns out in the middle of the ?????

Another's son took us on a tour of his farm complete with cows, chickens, pigs, tractors and a horse out in the middle of ????

It was fast, simple, easy…they just went to SecondLife, Farmville respectively and showed us around.

You may think it's the virtual world, but they paid real money for their property and improvements.

The new round of online, social media fervor/fear is as interesting as the stuff we saw in the 1995-2000 dot-com bubble.

Could it happen again?Read more

Attention streaming movie marathoners: There are major changes coming your way. This month Netflix announced they'll be increasing their plan pricing. The trend of rising prices for streaming content is a growing one. Cell phone providers like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are all planning to eliminate unlimited data plans in favor of tiered pricing. With experts predicting most cell phone users won't be hit by the changes for a few years, Netflix is taking most of the heat.

The Netflix Changes
Here are the basics of the Netflix changes. Instead of having DVD rentals and streaming movies priced together, each portion will be priced as a separate plan. For most users, this will increase the monthly bill by $6-10. Price changes will take effect September 1.

Customer Backlash
Understandably, cash-strapped consumers are not thrilled about price increases. The official blog post announcing Netflix's changes has generated more than 12,000 comments. Most appear to be current subscribers pledging to cancel their subscription.

More Than the Price
On the surface, $6 doesn't seem like an outrageous amount, but customers are hurt about more than the money. Many who've been with Netflix from the start feel their loyalty has been betrayed. Disgruntled loyalists would like prices to stay as they are for current subscribers with increased rates only for new subscribers. Read more

While summer is always the big travel season in the United States, Americans are changing the way they take vacations. For example, look at the new partnership between Groupon and Expedia. They're following the increasingly popular deal-of-the-day model and offering significant discounts on travel packages that can include airfare, hotels, activities, car rentals and more.

That's not the only way to get to your destination for less, though. Try using these 9 thrifty travel tips to save some money on your next vacation.

1. Discover Off-Peak Destinations
With nearly four-million square miles of land area, the U.S. is a big country. This means there are nearly unlimited places to travel. Destinations in California, like Los Angeles and San Francisco, are some of the most popular spots, but they're also the most expensive. If you think outside the box, you'll find some really cool locations to have a unique vacation without the crowds.

2. Shop at Auctions
Is your heart set on luxurious accommodations, but your bank account doesn't match up? The auctions at travel sites like LuxuryLink.com can help you find accommodations, spa credits, meal vouchers and free drinks for as much as 65 percent below the typical retail price. Auction king eBay also offers a variety of discount vacation packages in their travel section. Read more

Group-buying coupons are everywhere, from the monolithic Groupon to sites that service just one or two cities. Some of the coolest coupons are for stuff you never imagined doing, like skydiving. Others offer deals on movie tickets and -- most popularly -- spa services.

Groupon, which recently was heavily courted by Google, is coping with competition from Living Social, which is backed by Amazon.com. Facebook recently launched its own daily-deal program for five markets, and rebuffed Google is now going at it alone in several test markets.

With all this competition, many offers seem irresistible, but how do you know when it's truly a good deal? Here are eight ways to get the most out of your deal-of-the-day. Read more