Do you Groupon? I do. I also have a love-hate relationship with it. Actually, it’s the same relationship I have with LivingSocial, Yelp and any site that finds its way to my Inbox to announce how much money I can save on a daily basis if I only indulged in that one bargain from them. $39 for a month’s all-access pass that to a yoga studio that normally costs $140? Yes! $25 for a $50 gift certificate to a sushi restaurant I’ve never patronized but have always meant to? Sold! $55 for an annual membership to the Museum of Science and Industry with a savings of over $100? Sign me up!

Gone are my bargain-hunting days. When the deals come to me, it’s hard to say no. How could I when my eyes glaze over as I imagine the taste of fresh oysters in my mouth as I sit across from the crush of my dreams. Mmm… But at a bargain? Even better. Groupon and similar deal sites make you think about all the money you’re saving and the experience you’ll be enjoying in the future, but what it doesn’t really account for is the budget you have now.

I find myself blowing through my bank account to nab these deals only to realize later that while I’m busy saving for a hot date night with my man some time down the road, I’ve spent the money I’ve put aside for groceries this week. Granted, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the savviest when it comes to my own finances, but when a deal appears before me, I almost have to physically extricate myself from the purchase button because it makes me think that I’m being wise with my money when in fact, I’m not.

I love the idea of Groupon. I adore feeling like I’m getting a great deal – who doesn’t? But am I really when it lures me towards purchases I never would have thought of otherwise? Flight lessons? Sure, seems like great savings but it wasn’t even a blip on my radar (get it? get it?) prior to this! When I’m buying, even at half price, out of suggestion something I never would’ve procured on my own, I really have to think: Am I really saving money?

Therein lies the dilemma. A quintessential Catch-22 if you will. I console myself by saying, think of all the cheap dates we’re saving for in our future. But meanwhile, I’m also wondering, how come I can’t afford to pay the gas bill this month? Clearly something doesn’t add up here. When a deal doesn’t create greater financial freedom it just isn’t a deal anymore is it?

{image source: https://flic.kr/p/s5ZdWJ}