Social/Collective Buying Websites

I'm sure you have all come across some form of social/collective buying website in the last year or two. I am addicted to getting these daily emails in my inbox and scavenging for cash saving deals on eating out, gifts, weekends away, beauty treatments, books etc...

Some things I have bought

Plenty of meals out - all delicious

Wall climbing experience - still to be used

Salsa lessons - in the process of completing 5 lessons and having a ball

Hair cut - very happy

Christmas Lights - still being delivered

All the wine for our wedding - delivered, delicious and saved a ton of money!

This weekend away to Bushman's Hide  where we got engaged :)

So here you go, I have trawled the net, and have compiled this list of all the social buying sites that I can find (in SA) at the moment. I've sifted through them and chucked those that are no longer trading or look a tad shady. I'm sure there are some I have missed but have a look and see what gems you'll find!

The ones I mostly use and have purchased from

Wicount

Groupon

City Slicker

Collective Cow

Others that I have discovered and will be checking out

Ubuntudeal
Daddy's Deals

24 Hours Only

Onedayonly

VuvuPlaza

SA Coupons

CityMob

YouDeal

Whatadeal

Savemedeals

dealclick

citymob

wekidunot

VoucherTrader

Aggregators 

(Collects all deals in one place, meaning you only get one email)

Alldeals

Deal Africa

DealZone

DealScout

So far I haven't met anyone who has had a bad experience with the websites that I use, or has been dissatisfied with their purchase; however there is always a risk and I have found it helpful to check the seller out first to ensure they are legit and to see whether their deal is in fact a good deal, and not their regular prices. 

Advantages of these sites are: they save you time and money by sending emails straight to your inbox and you can shop from your PC. 

Disadvantages are: they can tempt you to buy things that you wouldn't usually buy and forget to use the vouchers before they expire. 

ALWAYS read the fine print on every deal before you buy and put a reminder somewhere so that you will remember to use your voucher before it expires.

Let me know if you have had any bad experiences and also if you know of any other great websites like these.

Happy shopping!

Time-saver: Summer Couscous Salad

This was delish!

So, last night I decided to get creative and make something new and healthy for dinner. I ended up throwing together this Summer Couscous Salad (BBC GoodFood's Simple Summer Food).

Not only was it healthy, vegetarian and delish, it was all done in under 30 minutes. A fab time-saver!

Here's the recipe (serves 4)

250g/9oz couscous

250ml/9fl oz boiling water or vegetable stock

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1-2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

300g/10oz courgettes/baby marrows, sliced at a slant

300g/10oz small vine-ripened tomatoes, halved

250g pkt halloumi, medium slices

For the dressing

125ml/4fl oz olive oil

3 tbsp lime/lemon juice

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2tbsp chopped fresh mint

1/2 tsp sugar

What to do

1 Tip couscous into a bowl, add the boiling water/stock and stir, cover the bowl and allow to sit for 5 min. Mix all of the dressing ingredients together. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, stir in the chickpeas and half the dressing. Pile onto a large serving dish. 

2 Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan, fry courgette slices over high heat for 2-3 min until dark golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Fry tomatoes on high heat for another couple of min. Add to couscous. 

3 Fry halloumi for 2-3 min until crisp and sizzled brown. Pile on top of the couscous and pour over the remaining dressing.

Enjoy!

PS Great for work lunch - tastes even better the next day :)

The Best Things in Life are Free

The Western way of living is one of excess, status, earn more, spend more, show it off. We find it embarrassing to say something is out of our price range, we equate our earnings with our self worth. How much fun and freedom we have is often tied up with how much we can spend and how much we can spoil ourselves. We all know the old adage, 'Stop and smell the roses', but when was the last time you actually did that? How much 'stuff' are you accumulating, lusting after, insuring, taking care of...and how much of that is really necessary? How much of it really gives you joy? How much of that do you actually use?

 How much of that does your soul love?

I truly believe, that the best things in life really are free, we just need to remember the original definition of best; those things that are wholesome, healthy, good for the soul, good for the planet, and great for the wallet.

I'm bringing simple back...

The Best Things in Life are Free (or very very cheap)

• A cup of coffee at home with a great friend
• A walk in the beautiful outdoors (get out of the city!)
• Homemade cocktails (and so deliciously glam)
• Games evening with friends (just don't put couples in the same team lol!)
• Curling up on the couch with a DVD
• Playing with your dogs

My babies, Zola on the Left, Tex on the right :)

• Listening to music (it's one of the most powerful emoters)
• Gardening (when last did you feel the earth beneath your manicured hands?) 
• Building a puzzle
• Hiking
• Window shopping (what if I told you...you don't have to buy something every time you go to the mall..I know, shocking!)
• A chat over the phone/email/skype with someone you haven't spoken to in a while
• Dancing in the rain (okay, let's be serious, I probably wouldn't do this)
• Watching a sunrise or sunset
• Flowers...
• Devouring an excellent book
• Cheese and wine evenings
• Picnics
• Hugs
• Kisses
• Taking photos, and looking at them afterwards
• Spending time with those you love and love you back

My better half, Byron, and I - together for 9 years and getting hitched in April 2013 :)

• Doing absolutely nothing
• Lying in a hammock and doing absolutely nothing
• Disconnecting from all technology...and doing absolutely nothing
• Baking cookies
• Eating cookies
• Listening to a thunderstorm
• A candlelit bubble bath
• A home spa day
• An afternoon nap
• Walking barefoot on the grass
• A fabulous home cooked meal and lingering around the table
• Watching/playing a good game of sport with friends
• Time in the bedroom....ooh la la
• Sleeping late
• Exercise
• Teaching yourself a new skill
• Stargazing
• Riding a bike
• Dancing
• A good laugh

The list goes on and on but you get my point, all it takes is a little time to think and a bit of practice to appreciate the simpler things in life and suddenly, a new type of abundance opens up to you. Money is fabulous, and it's hard not to love, but it can rule your life and add to your stress and leave you feeling like a 'have not'. It is difficult to truthfully admit to yourself, and to your friends, that something is just beyond your means, or, "Not this month", but as they say, 'The truth shall set you free', and more often than not, your friends are in the same position as you are.

Here's to all the simple, wholesome, and fabulously inexpensive!

"Some people are so poor, all they have is money." - Unknown