Living Socially

Given an option of what activity I spend most of my time doing; I'd have to quickly follow it by

stating 'Living Social'. The company itself has been able to successfully gain, more than I'd like to admit, a large amount of my free time. It all started this past summer when I saw a ridiculous small purchase/discounted option for Starbucks. As previously stated before, Starbucks is another obsession of mine (yes, I know that I am fitting almost every stereotype available. I'm okay with it for now.) First and foremost, when I saw this deal online I instantly and almost impulsively had to buy it. I wasn’t concerned with whether it was logical or whether I would be using it in the near future (although both were concerned completely valid at the time). I just knew it was a deal and something that I had to take advantage of. $5 purchase for a $10 value; any person could see the common sense behind such a deal. Let me also give you a little background on my situation with Living Social (which is something that may be popping up in my journals throughout the semester). It may be demented and sad, but incredibly social.

I am addicted. Fully and cognitively addicted. I understand it is an issue and I know that I just look at the page and can justify any ridiculous spending habit on something as useless as a seaweed wrap (which I have spent to date). The fact that I feel I am getting some sort of secret deal or huge discount on something I’ve dreamed (or at least for the moment imagined) I’d want. It has nothing to do with the fact that it probably will be a one-time deal for me. I just think of the adventure or hunt of this new experience. The way they word their ads or the way in which they post their photos is not only visually appealing, but incredibly stimulating. Take a look at the ad below (from the actual purchase I made). They begin by describing the current time of year and just how the purchase of this lucky gift card will help to make your season complete. Ultimately, it’s something to chat about with friends. Talk about with neighbors. You know the word on the street type of conversation. So to sum it all up, I have a serious problem and fancy pages and words like below do little to help slow down my consumption.

Now, to address this self-acclaimed obsession I have taken to limiting myself. Yes, I said it limiting my online usage. I know that I do not have an unlimited wallet as much as I would hope. Eventually my funds will start to fall off the tree like leaves and ultimately, I need to eat and pay rent. So to support my habit I let myself graze the beautiful screens only once per week, maybe once every two weeks. Living Social is getting pretty tricky though. They have started to catch onto my trends and have begun sending me daily “freebies” through my email. I wake up every morning and encounter a barrage of emails for things that I will never use. But a full-paid trip to the Bahamas seems all too tempting if you ask me (not that I’ve purchased one yet; although I have absolutely considered it). Although my little $5 purchase seems mundane in the long list of expenditures I have begun recording for my class project, I can assure you that it is not just that. Way too many hours of browsing and guilt have gone into my $5 splurge. Forwarded emails to friends and family on what a great deal it is have also followed suit. Some say that I'm addicted and I'd surely agree. However, this little purchase helps to satisfy some weird need or desire to shop online and find the greatest possible deals. Living Social has really listened to their consumers and found people, like me, to target and in the long-run gain as loyal consumers.