If you like to spend money on services and goods, then a deal aggregator can be a great tool.
Instead of signing up on individual sites like Groupon, you can sign up with one deal aggregator and get all the discounts and deals delivered regularly to your email inbox.
Here’s what they do: Working with partners such as Groupon, eBay, LivingSocial, Google, Netflix, eBay, Travelzoo, and many more, these companies find and collect (aggregate) deals based on your location.
To be honest, I think the better way to save money is not to spend it. (Who knew?) And the time I might spend searching for a way to save $10 on something that costs $20 might be better spent reading a book, cooking something from scratch, or spending time with friends or family.
Still, a good deal aggregator can do a lot of the footwork you when you are looking for everyday products and services, as well as extras like entertainment and travel deals.
There are easily a couple dozen sites in the U.S. alone and more worldwide. However, deal aggregator sites tend to come and go every couple of years.
So we chose just a few major players that are more likely to be around when we review and update this information in about a year. But feel free to send us an email if you have a suggestion for other ones to include.
Popular deal aggregators
These online companies offer discounts and deals based on your preferences, such as zip code and type of service or product. Be sure to read: How to use gift cards to save money. This article explains how to get the most out of gift cards, using them to budget and stretch your hard-earned dollars, and information about gift card scams and how to avoid them.
- 8coupons finds deals based on one or more zip codes you specify and broad interests such as eat, play, and shop.
- Coupons.com has one of the widest selections of online coupons and is especially useful for grocery trips since they can be electronically added to your loyalty card for select stores, including Costco, Safeway, Target and other in the Seattle area.
- RetailMeNot offers sale items, promo codes, cash back offers, and gift card deals from popular national stores and brands.
- TechBargains has deals on all sorts of items, but particularly for tech products, including computers, phones, cameras, TVs, and other electronics.
The following are not strictly deal aggregators but they are Seattle companies that offer incredible deals:
- Amazon Today’s Deals offers deeply discounted daily deals from the Amazon online marketplace, which is an aggregate of many, many large and small retailers.
- Zulily is headquartered in Seattle and, like Amazon, offers deep discounts on a continually rotating variety of goods, including unique items and familiar brands.
More shopping savvy with coupons
The Ultimate Guide to Coupons is written by three “cheap” veterans from across the country who know the ins and outs of clipping coupons that save you money. They’ve compiled their considerable knowledge in this easy-to-read book, available in print or for download. For a review of the book, read my article Real men (and women) clip coupons to save money.
Here are a few more articles on saving money by using coupon, from our national site Living on the Cheap:
- Less extreme coupon strategies to find and organize coupons and then shop strategically to save the most time and money. (If you’re a guy, be sure to read “Real men use coupons“.)
- How to save money on food without using coupons
- Couponing for charity: How to use your coupon skills to help others
