As little girls, most of us watched our mothers painstakingly clip coupons from the Sunday paper as we were catching up with Garfield & Friends in the weekly funny papers. Though we probably didn’t understand it at the time, this weekly tradition of coupon clipping bred in us the desire not only to shop, but to score great deals on the items we tossed into our cart. This is why we endlessly scan the racks, searching for that elusive pair of Seven jeans at the Levis price. C’mon…who doesn’t like to save money?

Though times have changed and today we might get more excited about the “Free Panty” coupon from Victoria’s Secret than the half-price loaf of bread that once thrilled our moms, everyone can appreciate a good deal – and I’ve recently discovered one of the best kept secrets in Nashville for enjoying the best the city has to offer for a fraction of the cost. This, my friends (single and married alike), will open your eyes to a whole new world of shopping possibilities…and you don’t even have to leave the house. Are you ready to let your fingers do the walking? Credit cards in hand? Computers fired up?

It’s called (drumroll, please)…

The Groupon!

And just what is the definition of this weird little word that you’ve never heard before?

Each day, Groupon (www.groupon.com) features an unbeatable deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat and buy in the city. Then they shoot a very handy dandy little email directly to your inbox so you can take advantage of this deal. Once the daily deal is posted, you have 24 hours to take advantage of it. And believe me when I tell you, there are some amazing deals to be had! Just last week I (and 361 other ladies in Nashville) enjoyed a fabulously relaxing and luxurious Caribbean manicure and pedicure at the new uber posh Cashmere Salon in the Gulch. I was pampered and polished and treated like a princess for an hour and a half…for a grand total of $45! Without the Groupon, I would have paid $100 – meaning I saved more than 50%. And the Groupon makes a very convenient shopping companion when you’re searching for the perfect gift, too. Yesterday I purchased a complete hair makeover for my mom at Fierce Salon & Spa on Church Street, including conditioning treatment, cut, highlights, blowout and style for just $46! Minus my friend the Groupon, I would have paid $154 – meaning I saved 70%! This one was such an unbelievable deal, 568 other ladies in Nashville also snatched it up.

The beauty of the Groupon is that it’s not limited to ladies, either. As I was chatting with my manicurist at Cashmere, she was telling me about one super savvy Nashville husband who secretly kept his eye on the Groupons for about a month or two, every day watching for an item he thought his wife would enjoy. Since her birthday was coming up, he wanted to give her a day of pampering she would never forget (I don’t know about you, ladies, but this guy sounds like a keeper!) At the end of a month, he had scored his honey a manicure/pedicure, a massage, a brand new dress and a swanky dinner out on the town – all for less than half the price that he would have paid without the Groupon. Now that’s forward thinking! Gentlemen, just think how impressed your women would be if you took the time to plan a birthday like that (and more importantly, think of all the money you would save!)

Another really cool thing about the Groupon is that you don’t have to be in a rush to use it right away – meaning you can even use it to start stocking up on early Christmas presents. Most Groupons expire months or even up to a year after the date of purchase. And it’s also not limited to just Nashville – Groupons are available in numerous cities across the country. Click the "Visit More Cities" tab at the top of the Groupon homepage for a complete list of cities.

No matter what your interests may be - cake decorating, rock climbing, hot stone massages, shoes, organic food - Groupon literally has something for everyone at jaw-dropping prices. To date, Groupon has saved people across the country more than 82 million dollars! So put away the scissors and coupon clipping and surf on over to www.groupon.com to start enjoying 5 carat diamond deals at cubic zirconia prices. After all, just because diamonds are a girl’s best doesn’t mean you have to pay full price for them.