So to pick up where I left off yesterday

Day 4

Joe, Katy and I had lunch at Thaiku in Ballard. Joe was being harassed by a bee so he figured WWMMD?

Lunch with Mr. Miyagi

After the Karate Kid did his little catch and release act we enjoyed our lunch and spent the afternoon touring the city.

I loved my dish of Fresh thai basil w/ ground chicken, bell peppers & Thai chilis over jasmine rice, topped w/ a wok fried egg

We did the underground tour of the city…

These tiles in the Seattle sidewalks...

...are the skylights of the underground

Then I sprung for dinner at what was to become my favorite Seattle restaurant thus far…94 Stewart.

The aroma wafting into the street was divine!

Best part of the meal…Fried Avocado! Crisp outside, perfectly ripe, creamy inside and all the fixins made this dish top notch. I will be trying to replicate this dish at home.

Fried Avocado w/Dungeness crab, corn relish & an orange vinaigrette

After dinner we polished off the night with a trip to Katy’s favorite karaoke destination.

Day 5

Since Joe took a few days off for his birthday once again I find myself dining with my new buddy. We’ve been making serious dent in my Groupon stash and this day was the epitome of such. First stop the Crepe Café. We both agreed that these delicious concoctions were reminiscent of breakfast burritos. Fancy ones at that. I washed mine (below) down with some of the best iced espresso I’ve ever had.

Chicken and goat cheese stuffed crepe w/ sun-dried tomatoes, pesto & pinenuts

We had to sprint through breakfast so as not to be late for our flying trapeze class.

So excited to go in!

Here am I at ground school. Unfortunately I was a bit too large for the flying rig so that was about the extent of my trapeze lesson. But I got to live vicariously through Little Joe. I only call him this since on eve of his 28th birthday he was mistaken for a 15 year old at least twice, including by one of the trapeze instructors.

Ground School

Joe on his way up to the flying trapeze rig

After that excitement we needed a little refreshment so we took a trip to Utopia Frozen Yogurt. Honeydew for the win. Then we made our way to the Seattle Center, home of the Experience Music Project & Sci-fi Museum.

EMP|SFM

Out front there was a Lego Fiesta so naturally I couldn’t avoid checking it out.

Joe defeated me in a rousing game of Lego mummy pyramid chase *sad face

Joe bested me in this no-holds-barred race to the top of an Egyptian pyramid. With barely over an hour to make it through the museums we went inside.

The sculpture of rock!

My favorite part of the EMP was the section where a computer will teach you to play the guitar, bass, drums, or piano on real instruments that light up to show you what to do. I probably could have spent an entire day in this area alone but Joe the taskmaster made sure we had time to see more. Enter the world of science fiction…

Sci-fi exhibits

I was pretty excited to see one of my favorites was well represented.

Ode to Dune

This is the view upon exiting from the SFM.

Looks like the Needle could lift off at any moment from this angle

Day 5

The next day I set off bright and early for a Mediterranean cooking class at Cooks World!

I was proud to wear an apron with bacon on it

The instructor, Pinar, a native of Turkey showed us the secrets of stuffed grape leaves, green lentil salad, Turkish meatballs, and baklava.

These little bites of heaven were beyond addictive

After enjoying the fruits of my labors I made my way downtown to Qwest Field.

Katy (middle) convinced Tony (right) to trade me a ticket to the game

Turns out my home team, the Chicago Fire, were taking on the Sounders that very night! I wore my Cubs hoodie to show Chicago pride…I was booed…a lot.

Seattle Sounders v. Chicago Fire

After the game I ran into Sounders star and Katy’s “future husband”, Roger Lavesque. He was gracious enough to hear my story and sign my ticket and Katy’s Jersey!

Roger took my business card so if you're reading let me know!

Day 7

I’m going to save my Sunday encounter for next week…it leads to a great story!

There is no doubt that I’ve been having a great time in Seattle. Week one was a whirlwind but week 2 proved to be even more action packed than the first. Following the heels of the CNN.com article my schedule was quickly filled with other media requests.

Day 1

This week began with my favorite of the Seattle interviews with an appearance on New Day Northwest.

Interview w/ Margaret Larson

The show had a fun vibe and I left with parting gifts including a book, ice cream and some bottled drinks for the road.

Coffee Tower

Later that afternoon I accepted an offer for a tour of Big Coffee Headquarters. I was told the building is the largest occupied building in the city. You could definitely get lost pretty easily in there.

I didn't know you could grow coffee indoors!

To cap off the evening I was reunited with a childhood friend (it had been 16 years) that I was unaware lived in the area. Her husband and two beautiful children also joined us for Thai cuisine at Djan’s in Wallingford.

Meet Jake. He loves fried food as long as there is nothing inside.

This was perplexing to the waitress. We asked her if she could fry up an egg roll with nothing in it, but that wasn’t possible so she asked about a fried banana. We said, “yes, but with no banana”. She laughed and said she’d ask the chef. As you can see Jake was pretty happy with the results.

Day 2

I took a leisurely stroll in the park near Pike Place Market taking time to enjoy the scenery and lovely weather.

A shady fellow offered to take a picture of me...I was fairly certain I wouldn't get the camera back.

Mt. Rainier looming over the stadiums

I then made my way over to the Gum Wall for the start of the Market Ghost Tour. Our guide, Christian, was indeed wearing a kilt and sporting a nicely waxed mustache while telling us his fascinating stories.

The tour starts at the gum wall...one of the 5 germiest tourist sites in the world.

My favorite story was the history of Seattle’s first serial killer but you’ll have to take the tour if you want the details.

This stone sits at a site of great power...ooooooohhh

Day 3

I spent the afternoon hanging out with my new friend Joe from the BBQ on the beach the week before. This day we hit up Root Table in Ballard.

Even the menu is made of hard wood.

We both really enjoyed the Crouching Tiger Shrimp (in Massaman curry).

I also really enjoyed the unique decor.

Afterwards we met up with Meghan (she found me on Facebook) and her friend Ryan for some drinks before heading to play Rockband at the Waterwheel Lounge. We were then joined by Joe’s friends Jourdan, Jared & Adara and Katy & Robin who also found me online. Joe broke out into a fantastic rendition of The Killers, “Mr. Brightside”

Jourdan & I rocking out at the Waterwheel Lounge

Later Adara turned up the heat with some Electric Six.

Katy, Meghan & Ryan taking a breather and discussing their love of Groupon, naturally.

We closed down the bar and hit up a late night pizza joint before calling it a night. I heard that Joe slept in his car and woke up at 6am on the side of the road #toomuchfun.

More Rockband fun

In my quest to find the best of the best, I have no choice but to mention The Waterwheel’s Tater Tots. They rank up there with King David Dogs in Indianapolis.

Unbelievably crispy on the outside and melty on the inside. These are no cafeteria tots.

Clearly there was way too much fun to cram into just one blog post so stay tuned for tomorrow’s sequel!

Recently I was accused of drinking the Seattle “Kool-Aid”. Maybe it’s the fact that this is my first visit to the Pacific Northwest, maybe it’s that I’ve never been to the West Coast before, maybe it’s just that I really do love Seattle. That said, I’ve decided to stay until my wanderlust gets the better of me. Preliminary studies indicate that September 9th looks like a good day to drive down to Portland.

So let me pick up where I left off. To give a play-by-play of my entire time in Seattle would be arduous so I’ve chosen some highlights to sum up the rest of my first week here.

Day 3

I had the pleasure of meeting Amy, who highly encouraged that we hit up Dragonfish Asian Cafe for lunch that day. Good call! She ordered her favorite, the Caramel Ginger Chicken and I opted for the Spider Roll (soft-shelled crab) and…

Lime Rickey Shrimp w/cashews & lemongrass vodka sauce (fantastic!)

For dessert Amy insisted on taking me to her favorite ice cream shop in town. I’ll tell you, I’m not a big dessert or sweets fan, but this place won me over. Not because of the ice cream, mind you, it was very good…but I certainly did not expect to find the little drizzle of heaven they put on top…

Sweet basil ice cream topped w/ Lemon Curd on a fresh made waffle cone

Some would call me a lemon fanatic…it’s true so I may be biased, but this lemon curd topping was one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth. Thank you Amy!

Day 4

My host for the week, Mercer, and her friends took me on a short trip down to Tacoma for a rock show. Their friend Brian’s band was performing their last show before breaking up. The sunset alone was worth the trip.

Day 5

Christine and I had lunch at Brasserie Margaux before heading to the Seahawks game thanks to Michel in Tacoma who wasn’t using her season tickets that day!

The lovely Brasserie Margaux

I ordered the Bouillabaisse, it was unbelievably fresh

Christine, who picked me up from the airport when I got to town earned herself my other ticket to see the Seattle Seahawks lose to the Green Bay Packers (boo!). Good thing it was just preseason.

Christine excited about the game...so was I...first NFL game ever!

This stadium is awesome! Out one side you get a great view of Safeco Field & Mt. Rainier (my camera couldn't quite capture it) and on the other side...

The Seattle skyline

Day 6

This fantastic day began with breakfast at Sweet Iron Waffles with Hyun and Adell.

The Liège waffle, an adaptation of brioche dough laced w/ caramelized pearl sugar typically from Belgium. This one is basil and brie and ambrosial.

Afterwards we tried to catch a movie at the IMAX but due to weekend parking difficulties and a no late admittance policy we were unable to attend. Instead (and even better) we accepted an invite from Joe (a Live Off Groupon contestant who contacted me via Facebook) to meet him and some friends at Golden Gardens for a BBQ.

Golden Gardens beach on glorious day

First time trying Ladder Golf (love it)!

Met tons of really cool people that day and finished it off with a late night stroll through the Seattle Center to decompress.

The Space Needle never gets old for me

Apparently they were showing New Moon in the park...it was crowded

I mentioned this sculpture a few posts back...thought I'd share the night view as well

Pretty solid first week, all this blogging has made me thirsty, I think I’ll go mix up a glass of Purplesaurus Rex.

P.S. Does the photo of the skyline remind anyone else of the Ghost Busters movie?

Seattle is a city that I’ve been enamored with since I was child, long before ever stepping foot on the city’s soil last week. As a result I decided to extend my trip to the Pacific Northwest. The timeframe is open ended, partially because I have so many amazing Seattle Groupon businesses to visit not to mention all the people here I still have to meet!

Speaking of people to meet, I had the pleasure of spending the morning with this group of travelling bloggers. Colin (Exile Lifestyle), Andi (instigationology) & Jodi (Legal Nomads). Colin & Andi just finished a 2 month trip across the country covering over 20 states in an attempt to reach out to their fans and online friends. It just so happens all 4 of us converged on Seattle within just a few days of each other. If only I could have recorded the conversations, this breakfast was the stuff that think tanks are made of. Ideas were born, superpowers were discovered, website(s) were purchased. A truly inspiring group of young minds. Colin even offered me a free trial of his consulting services and from there is willing to accept Groupons in exchange for further help (which he will be providing to me via the internet from Thailand)!

Andi, Colin & Jodi meet me for breakfast

After breakfast I drove around in my Zipcar exploring the northern areas of the city. I came across this guy while looking for a coffee shop in the Fremont area. Apparently this behemoth guards the bridge above his head and frequently poses for pictures with children.

The Fremont Troll

While blogging I received an offer via Facebook that I couldn’t refuse. A local named Jennifer told me to meet her at a nearby farmer’s market and she’d buy me “Seattle’s best cupcake”. I took her up on the offer and arrived at Trophy Cupcakes in the mid-afternoon. Turns out I had a Groupon for a dozen and didn’t even realize it so I ended up buying the cupcakes for Jennifer and her friends.

Trophy Dozen

My favorite by far was the Hummingbird…a banana bread like cake with pineapple and coconut topped with a spectacular cream cheese frosting.

Hummingbird deliciousness

On the way back to my car I saw a grocery store and wandered in to find a restroom. What I found was lunch!

Crackers and cajun crab dip appetizer

Selection of tuna & eel sushi main course

Mixed berries

& watermelon side dishes

Donut hole for dessert

After lunch I picked up Colin and drove him to the airport. He was departing for LA for a week before moving to Thailand for the next 4 months (my understanding is that his readers choose his next destination).

Sea-Tac Airport

From there I continued south to Lake Washington to meet up with photographers Darci and Penny for a sunset photo shoot on the lake! We had a great time hanging out and just enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Lake Washington

After the shoot they bought me dinner and we ate while watching the sunset over the mountains.

Sunset

With oodles of exciting activities planned for the next couple weeks I can barely wait to see what each day holds in store for me.

Pre 12:01 AM – Arrive in Seattle first class, met at baggage carousel by Tami who gave me a transit pass, picked up at airport by Christine who took me out for late night sushi and drinks.

Just after 12:01 AM – Christine and I meet up with Chuck, my host for the night. We have a drink at a local dive bar sporting some of the worst karaoke known to man.

1:00 AM – Settle in at Chuck’s pad.

2:00 AM – Check my email before bed and video chat with Girlpawn.

3:30 AM – Sleeping.

7:08 AM – Phone starts exploding.

7:10 – 10:00 AM – Sleeps through constant ringing

10:00 AM – Chuck wakes me up…time to see the city.

10:46 AM – Out the door…first stop Seattle Center.

Sculptures at the science center

Stegosaurus chillin' by the sculptures

The Needle

11:12 AM – Take the monorail to Westlake Center.

11:20 AM – Stumble upon the best food cart ever created.

Right?!?!

11:25 AM – Arrive at Pike Place!

Have I mentioned how much I love farmer's markets?

11:31 AM – This guy just caught that fish…situation looks calm now…but look at the face on the boy in the back right…terrified.

11:36 AM – Did not squeeze the avocados.

11:55 AM – Breakfast in the park.

Chuck took me for one of his favs - cheddar cheese roll w/green onion and garlic

Perfect weather

12:10 PM – Drop by the World’s first topless siren logoed coffee chain location.

12:15 PM – Amazing street performance…find this guy, it’s worth it!

Make sure you see the gunshot trick

12:18 PM – Taste my first “Dinosaur Egg”.

Peach/Plum Hybrid...100% delicious

12:25 PM – Head back to Chuck’s so he can get ready for work.

12:51 PM – Back at the Seattle Center.

Tell me those trees don't look like the masts and tattered sails of a pirate ship

1:00 PM – Back at Chuck’s, charge my phone and camera since both are almost dead already. Ice my knee, it’s been inexplicably swollen for a couple days.

1:10 PM – Chuck mentions he needs a carwash before his date that night. I email Chuck a Groupon for a carwash & wax at Valet Detail valued at $115. (Spoiler – date went well!)

1:20 PM – Jump in the Chuckmobile and head for my Zipcar before we part ways. Chuck laments having to work rather than play tour guide all day. Sad face.

1:22 PM – Detour! Kerry Park.

Be sure to click on this photo!

I've been told this is one of the best views of the city...I believe it

1:30 PM – Pick up my Zipcar.

My Honda Element named Eightball...I kinda love this car. PS this was taken when I returned the car...it was not dark when I picked it up, in case you were wondering.

1:35 PM – Leave Eightball in it’s parking spot, dropped off my backpack, set off in search of a coffee shop with free wifi.

1:40 PM – Find a cute little cafe near the top of Queen Anne Hill that fit my needs. Set up my laptop and spend the next 4 hours catching up on emails, texts, tweets, fb comments/messages, etc. Each time I respond to a message I’ve receive two new ones, effectively creating more work for myself by doing work…awesome.

2:00 PM – Cafe owner approaches me, I tell her I was waiting for someone (anyone in reality).

3:00 PM – Cafe owner ask if I was stood up. I say I don’t know.

4:00 PM – Cafe owner, now introduced as Michelle, tells me that she’d prefer I ordered something if I was going to use her wifi. I explain my situation. She has heard of Groupon but didn’t quite understand. I explain the benefits and she seems interested. She also offers to make me a sandwich since I didn’t have any money.

4:15 PM – Pesto Chicken Panini arrives…fantastic sandwich…I make a point to tell her she really needs to do a Groupon because I want to come back!

I don't know if I've had a better panini

5:30 PM – One of the dozens of people I’d spoken to earlier in the day, Mercer, meets me at the Cafe. She buys me an iced espresso. I no longer feel as bad about using the wifi all day.

6:08 PM – Meagan on Facebook says to come to Peso’s Kitchen & Lounge.

7:03 PM – Meagan sends me an email saying she’s leaving Peso’s now.

7:10 PM – Mercer and I arrive. I haven’t seen said email.

7:20 PM – We are seated, I excuse myself to go outside for a live radio interview with WCCO Minneapolis.

7:40 PM – Enjoy some really good chips and salsa. Struggle a bit with the menu. Everything sounds amazing.

7:50 PM – Meagan returns to Peso’s to say hi

8:05 PM – Finally decide on what to order

8:20 PM – Food arrives

Green Chile Mole Enchiladas w/ chorizo topped with queso fresca! Mercer got the Habanero Shrimp Enchiladas

9:00 PM – Supposed to be meeting other locals across town, but we are all running late.

9:27 PM – They arrive at the bar, I’m still running late.

10:07 PM – New friends decide to call it a night.

10:15 PM – Arrive at Mercer’s and stay in.

10:45 PM – Check my messages…there are tons. It’s only been since 5:30.

11:59 PM – Still trying to catch up on messages…next I plan to start a blog entry (See previous blog post)

The next couple days are practically as hectic. There is just so much to see and do in this city! I love it here. I think I may stay awhile.

Have just completed the first 100 days of Living Off Groupons so I thought it would be an opportune moment to recap where I’ve been the last few months:

Chicago, IL (11 days over 3 visits)

Indianapolis, IN (1 day)

Cincinnati, OH (8 days over 2 visits)

Columbus, OH (4 days)

Cleveland, OH (3 days)

New York City, NY (10 days over 2 visits)

Philadelphia, PA (5 days over 2 visits)

Boston, MA (6 days)

Baltimore, MD (3 days)

Washington, DC (17 days)

Nashville, TN (11 days over 2 visits)

Memphis, TN (4 days)

Louisville, KY (3 days)

Milwaukee, WI (6 days)

Minneapolis, MN (7 days)

Seattle, WA (1 day)

I also passed through or stopped in the states of New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut & Virginia making a total of 16 states! Day 100 turned out to be a bit of a whirlwind as I was inundated with phone calls, text messages, emails, tweets, and Facebook & blog comments. This was partially due to the amazing turnout of Seattle locals wanting to meet up while I’m in town and the multitude of press trying to get in contact with me, presumably as a result of my CNN interview. This evening I did a live phone interview with WCCO radio in Minneapolis while hanging out at Peso’s Kitchen & Lounge in Seattle. Stay tuned for more as I have an interviews Wednesday morning 8/18 with The Candy + Potter Show on 94.1 KMPS (Seattle radio) at 7:40AM PST and a 9:15AM PST with Q13 FOX (Seattle TV)! On the agenda (tentative) for the coming week or two in Seattle includes: 8/18 Interviews, meetup with @ColinIsMyName and his cohorts, dinner and a photo shoot with a local photographer around the city. 8/19 Winery Tour & Tasting 8/21 Seahawks/Packers game (hopefully!) 8/22 Queen of Seattle Paddlewheel Cruise Unscheduled activities include: The Space Needle, The EMP, a tour of that coffee company this city is known for, cooking classes, boating, eating, a haircut, a massage(s) & whale watching!!! Call/text me at (847) 452-9181 if you’d like to make plans in the Seattle area between now and 8/26.

I’m not sure what I expected, but to me, the Mall of America was pretty much just a mall. A big mall at that, with a few added attractions that I guess you don’t usually find in your everyday suburban shopping complex…

like roller coasters.

Maybe to some this is impressive, but I always pictured it as bigger. One thing that did impress me?

The Lego Store

But I’ve seen similar setups before such as the one on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

Apparently I missed the aquarium, which is kind of a bummer, but I did find plenty of entertainment…

Has this ad campaign ever sold a burger?

Confounded by the gadgets at the local Sharper-Stone store for all your Father’s Day needs. Seriously…what is that???

Yo Dawg I Herd You Like Malls So I Put A Mall In Yo Mall So You Can Shop While You Shop*

For those of you not sure what’s going on here, that is a MOA store where they sell MOA souvenirs (*see Yo Dawg meme).

The only thing I found that I really wanted to buy.

I wonder how many people that aren’t living off Groupons visit the Mall of America and manage to get out of there without spending a dime.

It’s my first time in the Twin Cities and that means I can’t wait to get out there and explore as much as possible. Unfortunately, things are going a little slower than expected due to lack of reliable transportation. I’ve been fortunate so far and a number of locals have been willing to give me rides but planning anything in advance, including my next destination, has definitely more difficult.

However, my first evening in town I had an exciting dinner at the Town Talk Diner in downtown Minneapolis with a local couple.

Exciting for two reasons…one, the menu had offerings like duck prosciutto salad and a brat burger along with a fantastic array of creative potables where each ingredient is made in house. Two, during the course of conversation, my dining companions explained that they could help me get an inexpensive flight to my next destination. Apparently airline employees are able to use a limited number of “buddy passes” each year for inexpensive flights and they were willing to hook me up with one. Now all I need to do is find someone willing to trade for the $100 fee.

If you’d like to trade here is how it would work. You would be sending the money to this couple who are going to book the flight for me at this heavily discounted rate. I will then have you pick some Groupons from my stash and I’ll email them to you. If you’re interested please comment below!

In anticipation of this trip, I’m also looking for places to stay in the Seattle area. I could be heading that way as soon as the beginning of next week!

Thanks everyone!

Seeing that I am from Chicago, it should come as no surprise that I have visited Milwaukee at least a few times in my previous life. These visits typically involved concerts at Summerfest or poker at the nearby Native-American casino.

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised at just how much more fun (read: silly) this city is when you’re living off Groupons.

My top 10 Milwaukee shenanigans:

Number 10

Within MINUTES of arriving in beautiful Milwaukee I was on a boat and drowning in Margaritas. If that’s not a welcome, I don’t know what is. Thank you Milwaukee Boat Line and Jon & Jason from the Milwaukee Consumer!

All-you-can-drink Margarita boat cruise!

Number 9

Apparently at Transfer Pizzeria in Milwaukee this is a perfectly reasonable size for an appetizer. I’m not even mad, it was really good.

Bruschette Salami

Number 8

Enter Comedy Sportz Milwaukee and you too may encounter the Host Bot. The best part (other than the outfit) is that he stays in character and will politely and robotically answer your questions.

Host & Usher

Number 7

Stumbled across the local juggling emporium!

Best selection I've ever seen for Disc Golf enthusiasts!

Number 6

I was crossing the Milwaukee Marsupial [pedestrian] Bridge when I came across these tracks practically within jumping distance.

The road to nowhere

Number 5

Went for dinner and drinks at The Horny Goat Hideaway and Brewing Company. Their new patio is immense and gorgeous!

A group of co-workers I met earlier in the day

Number 4

I came across this beast of a Bloody Mary while on a Groupon pub crawl. This baby was garnished with: a lemon, a lime, a shrimp, a skewer of cornichon, green olive, marinated mushroom & beef stick, then topped with a handful of mozzarella straws. Backed by a local beer and containing plenty of hot sauce, this demonstation of excess surely makes its city proud.

The drink that's also a meal!

Number 3

Obligatory foam cheese photo opp.

About to share a couple cheese platters with my host @karencooksit. I accessorized appropriately for the occasion.

Number 2

Let me preface this by saying that I did not eat this…I asked the gentleman about to eat this abomination, if I could make his cheeseburger on a Krispy Kreme “bun”, famous. He happily obliged. Then I ate a creme puff, because that’s what you do at the Wisconsin State Fair.

The only appropriate side dish for such a burger of course, is chocolate covered bacon on a stick.

Number 1

This is one of those things you didn’t know you needed until you are graced with it’s presence. The Milwaukee Pedal Tavern took us on a pub crawl none of us will soon forget…assuming we could remember anything the next day.

That’s right…they let me drive!

Check that off my bucket list!

Milwaukee may not be Camelot, but it is certainly a “Silly Place”, I look forward to my next visit.

So I’m on my way to WGN Chicago (Ch. 9) this morning and I was asked to think about some tips I could give to you on how to better take advantage of Groupon! After all, I should be an expert by now.

For those of you who can’t tune into the WGN Midday News between 11-12 CST today, I’ll give you a rundown:

1) Wait about a week before you try to redeem your Groupon. I know you’re excited but so is everyone else. You’ll be way more likely to get the appointment you want and avoid the hoardes of crazed Groupies if you’re patient.

2) Don’t wait until the last week! If you do, you’ll quickly find out that so did a million other people. These businesses can only fit so many appointments into the last week of the deal. It’s numbers.

3) Don’t wait for a rainy day. You know you’re going to need a haircut eventually, or that you’re going to take your mom out for a day on the town for Mother’s Day or her birthday. Take advantage of deals that sound interesting but that you aren’t planning on using that week. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve mentioned a Groupon in my “wallet” and someone says, “I saw that one! I totally meant to get it, do you have any extra to trade me?”

4) Not sure about a deal? Check out the discussion board. The business owners are stoked to meet new customers and they are monitoring the boards on the day of their deal to make sure all your questions are answered and you’ll be even more excited now that your worries are gone.

5) G’s – Currently this program is in Beta, but I’ve been using it for months and let me tell you, you want G’s. G’s are points that you get for checking out the deal of the day or for buying it. Buy it before the tipping point and you’ll earn even more! When you’ve earned enough to get a deal that you want, go ahead and cash in! You can also spend your G’s in the Local Rewards marketplace.

Currently the G’s program is invite only but I’ll tell you how to get an invite from me if you watch me on WGN today between 11 and noon!!!