Frequently Asked Questions

Last week I decided to give you a chance to ask me the questions you are dying to know about Living Off Groupons. After reviewing all of your questions, I chose ten of the most common or most interesting.

Number 10 – “Are you limited on your supply and how/where you use them, aside from not trading for cash?” – Jeanette

Technically no, I have “unlimited” Groupons, BUT I do not get to choose which deals show up in my account nor how many I can use there.

Number 9 – “I’ve only seen a few posts about clothes. How are you keeping up with the toiletries and undies and such? That would stress me out.” – Tarah

I have received clothes from a number of sources over the last couple months. They include:
Groupon Stores – City Blue Apparel, Starstruck Apparel & Sazz Vintage Clothing
Individuals – Such as Corey in Baltimore who made me T-shirts of his original designs
Other Groupon Businesses- Such as Scallywag Tag & Brett Manning Studios have also donated T-shirts with their logos

As for toiletries I have collected them from a number of sources including hotels, individuals, B & B’s, specialty stores (via trade) & the National BBQ Battle in Washington DC (strange but true).

Number 8 - “What is going to happen when you can’t find a place to stay or a ride to the next town?” – Kara

If I can’t find a ride to the next town, I’ll stay put until I do find something. I can also then try to get someone to purchase me a plane, train or bus ticket instead (as I did in Boston, Philly & Nashville). As for not having a place to stay…I often try to line something up before I get to a given city, but in the event that I have no where to go I’d be likely to find some place open all night such as a diner to seek refuge or a hotel and attempt to get someone to trade me a room for Groupons.

Number 7 - “Could they have awarded this to a woman? If not, explain your opinion.” – Lisa

Absolutely. There are a lot of crazy people in the world and many are just as likely to attack me as they would anyone else regardless of my gender. While it is true that my rather large stature likely deters a decent number of potential threats, there is no reason to think that a woman who is aware of her surroundings wouldn’t be safe travelling the country they way I am. That is not to say that she would necessarily want to make the same decisions I have or open herself up to some of the same risks but with proper planning I would think many of these risks could be mitigated.

Number 6 – “How is this GROUPON thing fairing with your relationship w/ your girlfriend?” – Angie

I knew when I was selected for this most silly of challenges, that leaving Girlpawn for a year would certainly be one of the biggest hurdles. I have every intent and desire to continue to make our relationship work and owe her a ridiculous amount of gratitude for being so unbelievably understanding and supportive about my decision to do this. I also thought you may like to hear what she has to say about this subject, “Although it is definitely difficult at times and I miss Josh every day, our relationship has actually grown stronger over the last couple of months. I’m also extremely grateful for the invention of video chat.”

Number 5 – “Do you think one day you’ll tell your grandchildren about living off of Groupon like it was when you were in ‘Nam?” -Lindsay

Well Sonny, you see…I was alone in the jungle…the urban jungle. I was alone for an entire year and all I had was this lousy stack of paper. This paper weighed on my shoulders like the weight of the world but I pushed on day after day foraging for food and a place to lay my head…

Number 4 - “How are you going to handle your taxes for this year? Are you keeping detailed records of your bartering? And do you think the $100,000 will be enough to cover this year’s taxes (after the taxes are taken out of it, of course)?” - Heather

I will likely ask Groupon in the very near future to try to obtain a private letter ruling from the IRS and go from there.

Number 3 - “How do you plan to use this experience once it is over? Are you keeping a journal so you can write a book? What type of job do you think you will be best qualified for once you complete this year?” – Dara

I plan to not plan for awhile. It is next to impossible to predict the opportunities that could present themselves in the next 9+ months. That being said, I am keeping thorough records of everything I do and would certainly consider writing a book when this year is through.

Number 2 - “Does it get harder to spell “living” when you are dependent on groupon?” – Kelly

Hey smartass thanks for pointing out just one more reason why I hate the auto-correct feature on my phone. Serves me right for trying to post on Facebook while in the bathroom.

Number 1 – “When are you going to Detroit?” - Laura

This is certainly the most frequently asked question of the last 77 days. Not necessarily Detroit, though it certainly ranks up there, simply fill in any city you wish. I would love to answer this question once and for all as I’m sure my followers can find another way of indicating their desire that I get to Atlanta without asking me if or when I plan to get there. There is no super secret agenda that I am following during the course of this year and Groupon has not dictated where I should go. All I know right now is that I’m heading North for the summer and my next destination is Minneapolis, MN via Indy, Chicago & Wisconsin.

Bonus

Actual questions fielded while living off Groupons

13 Comments