Americans are ‘So #@$%ing Ready’ for Ordinary Moments to Return

By
HeadQuest

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to lift, Groupon surveyed more than 2,000 people across the U.S. and not surprisingly found that the majority (71%) of Americans are ‘So #@$%ing Ready’ to get back to their everyday lives.

Another 74% said they will never take ordinary experiences such as eating at a restaurant, getting a haircut outside of their garage, going to the movies or taking a group fitness class for granted ever again. And this bodes well for local economies as nearly 60% of total respondents said they are more inclined to support small businesses than they were prior to the pandemic.

To provide some “Joy of Doing the Ordinary” inspiration, Groupon uncovered the top-25 activities that people plan to do as soon as restrictions ease and things begin to return to normal. The experiences people are excited about vary from the unique and daring to the simple and everyday.

Once pandemic restrictions have been fully lifted in their area, here’s what respondents are ‘So #@$%ing Ready’ to do first:

  • Hugging friends and family (41%)
  • Trying a new restaurant (33%)
  • Going to the movies (32%)
  • Experiencing the holidays as a big family (29%)
  • Seeing people’s faces in public (28%)
  • Hanging out with more than six people (26%)
  • Staying at a hotel or resort (26%)
  • Going to brunch with friends (23%)
  • Traveling across the country to see family (23%)
  • Attending a concert (20%)

“From economic hardship to emotional distress, we have all felt the weight of the past year, and the lives of so many have profoundly changed forever,” said Brian Fields, Chief Commercial Officer at Groupon. “These days, we are finding joy in doing the ordinary as we march toward normalcy. As more people become vaccinated and restrictions are responsibly lifted, we know that people are ready to get back to life.”

 

Recent Stories

Recent Articles

CBD 3
By
Jimmy Wohl
Lung, Tongue, and Skin
I went home and told my girlfriend, who, after Googling the name of the business I bought it from, told me that, yes, it was technically weed. But it was CBD. She started laughing, telling me I had been ripped off.
banking 2
By
Joe Reefer
High Risk, High Cash: The Banking Struggles of Legal Cannabis
State-sanctioned medical and recreational cannabis programs benefit the average user in many ways. Still, they remain a double-edged sword for dispensary owners, greenhouse growers, and others who earn their living from the cannabis industry. There are plenty of profits to be had, sure, but how exactly are you expected to secure your cash or process electronic transactions when banks refuse to work with you?
WIC 2
By
Emily Long
Women in Cannabis – Aubrey Amatelli
Aubrey Amatelli wants to help dispensaries and cannabis retailers navigate one of the toughest parts of the industry: money. When the company she worked for right out of grad school was acquired by JPMorgan, Aubrey entered the complex world of payments and has stayed there for her entire career.
MJ 1
By
Matt Weeks
Building the Best: How the MJBizCon Gets Made
There’s a paradox to business conferences. The best ones manage to swing from buttoned down to wildly unscripted—sometimes seconds apart. For attendees, it’s the combination of personal connections and professional development that makes regular trips to conferences worthwhile. And in an industry like this one, pulling that off is harder than it looks.
staffing 1
By
Karen Maina
Staff Your Shop And Build Your Tribe
Your shop is not only a smoke shop; It's also a hangout spot and a community hub. It is a place where the regulars know your staff by name, and your staff knows what the regulars need. That's the secret sauce that the big-box chains can't replicate, and it starts with who you put behind the counter. A well-staffed smoke shop is an operational strategy, but it's also a community. In lean economic times, that community is what keeps the lights on. When people feel like your shop is their spot, they don't stop coming in when money's tight. They prioritize it. It all starts with Hiring.
2026-06-01_20-59-01
By
Emily Long
Women in Cannabis – Dr. Chanda Macias
Dr. Macias first fell in love with science while studying at Howard University, where she completed her undergraduate studies and later earned her PhD in cellular and molecular biology. While at Howard, she became especially interested in cancer research due to personal ties. Growing up in a Creole family and predominantly Black community in Louisiana, Dr. Macias watched many women around her battle breast cancer, so at Howard, she decided to focus her research on the BRCA1 gene.
2026-06-01_20-45-52
By
Matt Weeks
Cards Denied: Smoke Shops, Dispensaries, and the Paradox of Modern Banking
It’s almost amazing that the same institutions that brought us the 2008 financial crisis have a problem with selling glass pipes. Almost. The truth is that an industry's past sins are only held against it when the money isn’t right. Big banks were willing to risk cratering the U.S. housing market because the profits were too good to ignore. But the cannabis industry rolls a different kind of paper, so instead of a slap on the wrist, it gets a surcharge.
2026-06-01_20-34-44
By
Karen Maina
Print Lives! Why Flyers and Posters Still Work
Smokeshop and counterculture enthusiasts enjoy discovery as part of the experience. Customers enjoy browsing. When they walk into a shop, they don't simply grab a product and leave. They look for something new. This is the main reason flyers and posters still work. Smokeshops and dispensaries are highly visual environments. You want to see bold artwork, psychedelic graphics, and street-style posters that naturally capture attention.