Work the Web

Shopping on the Internet has its advantages. You can quickly comparison shop for anything, at any time, from your home, and you can save money.

No matter what you're buying, first check out an online shopping "bot," a Web site that gathers prices from various retailers. Some popular ones can be found at www.mysimon.com, www.nextag.com, www.bizrate.com, and www.istorez.com. Also do a basic Web search to find coupons and coupon codes. You can get instant rebates or cash back by shopping through Web sites such as FatWallet.com and Ebates. Or you can go directly to a store's Web site and search for promotions.

Before you purchase, check for promo codes. They're easy to find online. Go to sites such as RetailMeNot and Coupon Cabin. Or type "promotion code" and the name of the Web site you're buying from into Google.

Finally, don't stop at one code. Some stores allow you to use multiple promo codes at the same time. One of our reporters recently saved by using two promo codes at once on the Borders Web site.