Deals, coupons, rewards, discounts, offers, membership, and loyalty apps are changing the way people experience their cities and discover new dining, shopping, and lifestyle destinations. Of course, they work differently from service to service.

For instance, the ENTERTAINER Dubai is a subscription buy one get one (BOGO) app. In exchange for your membership fee, you get access to BOGO or two-for-one offers from various merchants in Dubai. As a subscriber of the service, you may be able to score a Saturday evening brunch package for yourself and a companion but pay only for one person.

No matter their specific mechanism, however, lifestyle deals and rewards apps all have one thing in common: They offer great value for the money, allowing you to save (via outright discounts or rewards points you can redeem at a later date) so dining, shopping, and recreational activities, even premium experiences, cost less.

How Lifestyle Deals and Rewards Apps Transform Everyday Experiences

Thesavings or the value for money is just the beginning, but that’s surely enough reason to get these apps. The discounts, the rewards, the deals — they sure grab your attention, right?

Imagine getting 10,000 dirhams’ worth of food, drinks, theme park tickets, or hotel accommodation but only paying AED 5,000. The great thing about it is the savings do not come from skimping or settling for substandard service. You can continue to enjoy that expensive steak, that vintage Champagne, those gold facials, and the luxury vacations you’re accustomed to but at great valuebecause you pay only for one person but get them for two. Essentially, you halve the total cost for you and a companion or double the value of your spending.

More than the savings, however, lifestyle deals and rewards apps can influence your buying or spending decisions. They can nudge you toward attractions, hobbies, and interests you might never have considered otherwise.

Think about it: When was the last time you thought of taking pottery or flower arranging classes? Probably never. Perhaps you’ve thought about booking a scenic desert safari a few times but hesitated when you considered the price.

Deals and rewards apps can push you to try new things, to say yes to what otherwise you may consider frivolous or extravagant. With a BOGO offer for a luxury yacht trip — wouldn’t you be tempted to finally say yes?

Are Subscription-Based Apps Worth It?

You’ve probably wondered: Is paying for a subscription even worth it? The answer isn’t a clear yes or no — it depends on your habits, interests, and way of life.

There are free apps that can offer something similar to what subscription deals and rewards apps can, but understandably, they may have fewer, inconsistent, or restricted offers. Meanwhile, because they do not come for free, subscription services provide a greater variety of options.

Consider this. You pay about AED 600 annually for a subscription service that gives you access to buy-one-get-one offers or two-for-one deals. Objectively, that’s a significant amount to pay upfront. However, if you’re someone who dines out one or more times a week with a friend or loved one, the BOGO offers will save you a considerable sum.

Suppose your weekly dinner dates with another person originally cost an average of AED 200. Your BOGO app will slash that cost in half, and you won’t even have to order fewer dishes or dine out less frequently.

With 52 weeks in a year, your savings can add up to AED 5,200. By the end of your subscription year, your AED 600 ‘investment’ (i.e., your subscription fee) may have earned you AED 4,600 in cost savings—a 767% return on your membership fee.

What if you eat out only a few times a year or rarely book activities? You’re unlikely to save more than you paid in this case. Therefore, if deciding whether to get a paid BOGO app, consider your lifestyle:

• Do you frequently dine out, shop, or go out for new experiences with one other person?
• Are the things on the BOGO app something you already do, brands you already use, or brands and activities you’re willing to try in the coming year?
• Is the subscription fee lower than the amount you will cumulatively save on the offers you’ll take up?

If you answered yes to all three questions above, a subscription deals app is worth it.

What You Must Know Before You Subscribe

Subscription services have general terms of use, and merchants may have specific redemption guidelines. Maybe, a restaurant strictly limits the use of BOGO vouchers on weekdays.

Additionally, there may be:

• rules on how many offers you can redeem at a merchant at once;
• rules on how many deals you can take advantage of weekly;
• if there are restrictions on public holidays and other peak dates, and
• if there are minimum-spend requirements you must fulfill to activate a deal or earn rewards.

You must take all these things into consideration and make sure you’re subscribing with eyes wide open, preferably trained on redemption terms and conditions.

The Practical Way to Spend

Subscription-based BOGO or two-for-one deals, rewards, coupons, vouchers, and discount apps can be an excellent way to save money on recreational and lifestyle spending. Just make sure it fits your lifestyle habits and gives you dining, shopping, beauty, and activities deals you will use. This way, you’ll save more than the subscription fee you’ll pay.