Is it possible to go an entire year without using cash, checks, or credit cards?
Josh Stevens ’06 found out when he was selected by Chicago-based Groupon to live and travel for a year using only the company’s deal of the day coupons offering discounts to restaurants, activities, and services in metropolitan areas.
An accounting graduate, Stevens found the contest on the Internet and was immediately intrigued. The opportunity to travel and do something unique was one he would gladly accept. The prospect of winning $100,000 for accomplishing the task had its appeal as well.
“When I told family and friends about this, they were surprisingly supportive,” Stevens said. “There was a lot of laughter, and it took a little bit for some to get their heads wrapped around it. Overall, everyone was pretty excited about it.”
He submitted a video application showing how much he believed in the power of Groupon. In the video he manages to kill a bear, pull a man back from the brink of death, and stop a gang of gun-wielding thugs, all with Groupons. The video placed him among the final candidates. After proving himself further through sample blogs, interviews, and a trial survival run on the streets of Chicago, Stevens won the right to the challenge.
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