Before magazines, townsfolk kept up with current events by gossiping with the milkmaid or tickling secrets out of the town crier. Stay informed easily with today's Groupon: for $15, you get a two-year subscription, including online access, to Washington Consumers’ Checkbook (a $34 value).

An unswerving ally in the search for the crème de local commerce for more than 35 years, Washington Consumers’ Checkbook points discerning consumers toward the DC metro area’s highest-rated professionals and services with four semi-annual print issues, newsletter updates, and online access. Hailed by the Washington Post for its consistent accuracy and surfeit of valuable shopping tips, the nonprofit magazine holds no punches in its candid appraisals of more than 7,000 businesses, including doctors, dentists, auto-repair shops, electricians, plumbers, roofers, veterinarians, and more. With nearly half a million ratings at their command—collected in surveys of paid subscribers—readers can be sure to avoid muddy-shoed salesmen or sky-diving instructors afraid of heights.

Washington Consumers' Checkbook’s special guides keep professionals and their neighborly brethren honest, with critical ratings and undercover price checks for everything from lawn mows to tooth extractions. Each subscription also includes access to the magazine's trove of online ratings and articles, so consumers need not wait by the mailbox for five months before paying a visit to the seedy-eyed watch repairman.