There used to be a time when daily deal shopping was aimed directly at those with a few extra dollars in their pocket and ample time on their hands. Frivolous, unnecessary purchases like vacation packages or trips to the spa were all the rage when the daily deal market first exploded. These days shoppers are increasingly turning to daily deals to meet their practical everyday needs.

Shelter

When a tornado hit their small home in Athens, Georgia, Tom Myer never expected that a daily deal voucher would come to his rescue. “We lost nearly everything,” said Myer. “The house was gone, the Red Cross had no beds left for us and we had nowhere to turn. Then I remembered the Best Western voucher I had in my wallet. I bought it thinking I’d take the wife on vacation for a week, but it ended up giving us a roof over our head and a week of time to sort our situation out.” 

The savings: Daily deal websites feature a high return on your investment when it comes to lodging. From campground sites to hotel rooms, daily deal lodging discounts can save you as much as 90%. More...

Daily deal shopping has notoriously focused on giving the consumer the best bang for his buck. Thanks to daily deals you can eat dinner out, get a manicure and pedicure, take flying lessons and enjoy a weekend getaway at rates that would be agreeable with even the most frugal-minded among us. Did you know that you can also give to charities quickly and easily with many daily deal sites? You can, and here’s how to get started today with Groupon and G-Team.

Groupon Featured Good Cause

Groupon has been funding and supporting non-profit and charitable organizations since their 2008 launch. On a regular basis, Groupon’s sidebar features an advertisement for the Featured Good Cause, where consumers can give a donation to those in need with the click of a mouse. This month’s Featured Good Cause is World Food Program USA (WFP USA).

WFP USA is a non-profit organization that works to curb world hunger around the globe by shaping new policies and generating resources for hunger relief organizations. Funded entirely by donations, WFP USA helps to get food and resources to the near one billion who struggle with hunger each day.

How can you help?  Join G-Team at Groupon and your gift of $5, $10, or $25 will provide meals to schoolchildren in drought-stricken regions of Africa. A mere $1,000 can provide 8,000 nutritious meals to those in need. All donations up to $50,000 will be matched this year by anonymous donors.

You can share the warmth this season and gift the gift of hope today for as little as $5.