It’s no secret that New York is one of the most expensive cities in the world. When it comes to food, the most cost-effective way to get by is to prepare your own food. But who wants to do that? I’d rather spend my time out and about exploring New York City than behind a stove. What was a girl to do? An online search quickly revealed a solution to my dilemma. Enter Groupon, Social Living and Amazon Local (has since been discontinued). I used these websites to purchase nearly all my lunches and dinners during my trip to New York City. And you know what, it worked out great!
Why you should use daily deal websites
- There is this common misconception that eateries that use sites like Groupon and Social Living have low quality or mediocre food. I found this to be completely untrue!
- In fact, it’s all about the food! All the restaurants I visited were good, none of them bad and some of them were even great (I went back for seconds, happy to pay the full price).
- You save a ton of money! The meals are usually discounted at least 50% off the original price. And the vouchers are easy to redeem!
- For the diversity! In the mood for authentic American food? Or perhaps Indian, or Japanese or Italian? Any cuisine you can think of. Chances are you will find a deal for that cuisine.
- Travelling to these restaurants took me to neighbourhoods in NYC I probably never would have seen.
Important information before you purchase a deal
- Be mindful of the location of the restaurant. NYC is huge, so carefully select a restaurant in the vicinity of where you plan to be.
- Check out the menus and reviews of the restaurants online prior to your purchase. Make sure there is something you want to eat.
- Always look at the fine print of the voucher. There might be restrictions attached to the deal, for example: you may not be able to use the voucher on weekends or public holidays.
- Check the expiry date. This is especially true when you purchase the deals in advance. Make sure the vouchers do not expire before your trip.
- Don’t purchase too many deals! Leave a little room for discovery and spontaneity. Remember, you only save money if you actually use the vouchers.
The best time to purchase a daily deal
- When you purchase a daily deal, you are already saving a lot of money. However, websites like Groupon regularly run promotions with discount codes where you can save an additional 30%. This is the time to purchase your daily deal!
Using daily deal websites is easy and convenient and I saved a lot of money!
I did encounter one problem. One of the restaurants was closed for renovations exactly during the time of my trip. These things happen. Just contact the daily deal website and ask for a refund.
Enjoy eating your way through New York City at a fraction of the cost!
