Skip Boring Days Off, Save Big on Fall Excursions With Groupon
Our editors independently select the products we recommend. We may earn a commission on items bought through our links.
Spy.com may receive financial compensation from affiliate and advertising partnerships on this page and/or when you make a purchase after clicking through partnership links.
Today's Top Deals
Booking a plane ticket is not required to ease the restless, wistful melancholy that can drop alongside fall’s foliage. The leaves are changing, temperatures dipping, and the onset of winter can induce a sense of panic. A day trip to admire the leaves, or a weekend trip out of town can help, and there’s no better place to save than Groupon.
The menu on the left side of the Groupon homepage says it all. The most popular categories for saving are Food & Drink, Things To Do, and Beauty & Spas — any of which is likely to cure boredom. The site has thousands of deals, exclusive and local, and they’re constantly refreshing their library so everyone can find something they’re interested in.
The Groupon search tool reveals offers based on your location, so you’re not left grasping for ideas on your own, and many deals can be booked last-minute, so spontaneity is encouraged. Keep reading to hear more about Groupon’s planning-friendly tool and how to take advantage of the plentiful savings on the platform.
How Does Groupon Work?
The secret to Groupon’s success, and a huge part of its appeal, is that Groupon works hand in glove with local businesses. Groupon creates discounts and deals, and in return, they drive customers looking for new things to try, taste, learn, or do, to local businesses. Many of those customers become return buyers or regulars, which benefits both the consumers and the businesses.
How do you cash in on these deals? Simple — just enter your location or zip code, hit enter, and watch the deals pile up in popular categories. There’s a map view so you can focus on tools in your backyard, and the day’s trending deals are always at the top of the screen. You can download the Groupon app for your iOS or Android mobile device, and you can also sign up to get great personalized local deals in your inbox.
Some of These Deals Are Crazy. You Sure It’s Not a Scam?
Absolutely. Groupon has been making good on their too-good-to-be-true offers and deals since the very first one, a 2-pizzas-for-the-price-of-1 deal at a Chicago restaurant in 2008. The formula of locally based easy-to-access great deals caught on like wildfire, and Groupon grew from one city to 150 in the U.S. and 100 across the rest of the globe within 2 years, with 35 million registered users receiving terrific local offers via email.
I’m On a $100 Budget. Should I Give Up?
Not by a long shot. There are tons of local deals and even gifts within that one-Benjamin price range. Enter your location, set your budget in the search parameters on the left-hand side of the screen, and sort by location, distance from your home, and customer ratings.
Let’s say you’re in New York City and that $100 is burning a hole in your pocket because you’re itching for something fun or relaxing to do. How about a wine-tasting excursion for you and three friends for just $72? Or a complete wellness package with a chiropractic exam and eight adjustments for $92? (That one’s 93% off the usual price of $1,260, by the way.) You can enrich yourself by learning how to paint or dance and stay well beneath your budget.
And yes, even getaways can be found for under $100, including stays at Harrah’s or Courtyard by Marriott hotels in Atlantic City.
I’m Sold! What Other Great Deals Are on Groupon Right Now?
So many! If you’re totally wanting and needing to get out of town, that’s one of Groupon’s specialties. An amazing late-summer or fall day trip from New York can be found in Castleton, VT, where you can stay in a Lake-View Lodge Room at the Lake Momoseen Lodge for $124 per night, thanks to this 24% off Groupon offer. Shopping at the nearby Manchester Designer Outlets and golf at the Prospect Point 9-hole public course are there for your enjoyment, but the scenery and the peace and quiet are the real draw here. This deal has been purchased by 172 Groupon customers, who give it an average rating of 4.4 / 5 stars.
The Skylands Manor is a literal castle built in the 1920s on 1,000 acres, just 39 miles from NYC in scenic Ringwood, NJ. Enjoy a scenic day of leaf-peeping in the Ramapo Mountains this fall, and then settle into the Gatsby Room with its king bed and Tudor Revival decor for just $126 per night, a 30% Groupon deal.
And just because the track is closed for the year doesn’t mean Saratoga, NY, isn’t an incredible day trip for NYC denizens. Take 37% off with this Groupon and enjoy the luxurious historic Saratoga Casino Hotel for $116 a night for a King Room with two $20 Casino Free Plays added. The drive north from Manhattan to Saratoga is one of the best fall drives you can experience, whether you take the Northway or the Taconic State Parkway, and Saratoga is one of Upstate New York’s gem attractions, just three hours north of the City.
Groupon also has smaller deals, like a Premiere Movie Ticket to Regal Cinemas for $15, 29% off the usual $21 price? There are also concession discounts available from Regal Cinemas. Or if you’d rather do something more active yet still fun for the family and located indoors so you don’t have to worry about the weather, take the 73% discount on two hours of bowling and shoe rental for six people at Bowlero. That outing would usually cost you $310.56, but the Groupon brings it to you for just $84.
A fun getaway for the whole family? Now through October 15th, you can get up to 45% off at any nationwide Great Wolf Lodge. That includes park passes for all eight people to enjoy the 79,000-square-foot indoor water park famous for big-kid and adult rides like the Double Barrel Drop. Once everyone’s drenched and worn out from all the water park fun, retire to your Loft Suite with three queen beds and a full sofa bed — all for the price of a $189 Groupon.
If you’re not feeling like a mass excursion with the whole family, Groupon has a huge offering of deals for day trips out of the city best enjoyed by couples or solo day trippers. Check out their 4-Star Top Secret Parsippany Hotel offer for $189 per night. Groupon’s Top Secret hotel offers are guaranteed to be a name-brand property with a rating of 3 stars or higher, and this one just across the river will have you in a large deluxe king corner room or large deluxe double-queen corner room for a nice getaway.
More Top Deals from SPY
Best of SPY
