Put The Scissors Down

From Groupon to the Valley-based Doozy of a Deal, the musty old coupon is suddenly chic

Do you Groupon? If not, you’re missing out on the biggest Internet phenomenon since that piano kid singing Lady Gaga. Officially known as a deal aggregator, Groupon and its various competitors such as SocialBuy offer localized, one-day-only deals to anyone who signs up at the site. For example, today’s deal on Groupon Phoenix is $25 of food and drinks at Asia restaurant in Mesa for only $12. So what’s the catch? Only that a set number of subscribers have to commit to buy the deal before it become official. If they don’t, the Groupon expires and nobody is charged. Needless to say, Groupon has exploded in popularity since launching in Chicago in late 2008, and now offers deals in more than 300 cities.

Even better, there’s now a Valley-based deal site, which funnels a portion of the proceeds to local schools and charitable organizations. Named Doozy of a Deal, it was launched in March by a local couple who were overwhelmed by the endless stream of bake sales and fundraising drives at their kids’ schools. So when you buy a Doozy Deal such as today’s $43 for a $100 Hot Stone Massage at a Chandler day spa, 7.5 percent of each deal purchased is donated to local charities. Plus you can choose which organization you want to support from among 47 Valley schools and non-profits.