A Cheapskate’s Delight: Online Resources to Save a Buck

Rebates, coupons, promotions, and discounts. A savvy shopper’s highlight of the shopping experience, often the source of the shopping adventure itself! Today’s online resources offer additional options for the cheapskate in you. Finding the best deal or bargain on something you’ve been eyeing usually just seals the deal; there’s nothing more satisfying than finding that killer digital recorder you’ve been thinking about at reduced cost.

Before online shopping even became an option, cheapskate mindsets could share coupons, disclose promotional codes to their friends and neighbors, share shopping finds and bargains steals at their local store, and just gossip about their latest purchase. With the increase in online networking, blogging, and other social interaction sites that allow for fast exchange of information and tips, forums and coupon outlet’s now offer shoppers unique and exceptional discounts that may have previously been hard to find.

As the Internet continues to increase in scope and dimensions, the multitude of shopping sites sometimes makes it difficult to make a decision. There are thousands of comparison-shopping sites online, making the task sometimes more arduous than necessary. Froogle.com made a (popular) attempt to create a shopping search engine that scans for the cheapest, most current deals. Sites such as Fatwallet.com have made a name for themselves with ongoing forums and discussion, trading of rebate codes and promotions, and newsletters for members.

Some other sites have cropped up recently, and may provide alternative shopping advantages. Naughtycodes.com is the place to find a comprehensive listing of just the codes. No forums, no discussion boards, and no lists of sales. Instead, a partnering site at DealHunting.com lets you scavenge away for the latest updates. NaughtyCodes.com has created a simple drop-down menu of stores. Clicking ‘Go’ reveals a pop-up window with the latest offer code/promotion, and a link takes you to the store’s website. Meanwhile, Dealhunting.com is updated hourly and features a full-fledged listing of saving by category.

For the un-ashamed thrifty spender, CheapStingyBargains.com is an online powerhouse of deals. You can easily find coupons, codes, forums, and great product guides on thousands of items. The site includes iPod deals and other hard-to-find gadget bargains; closeouts and rebates are listed for many electronic and computer needs.

As more consumers frequent their online stores of choice, the increase of consumer tips, news, and discounts available is increasing rapidly. Bargain hunters can find new places to interact with like-minded shoppers; what better way to boast about your latest find than sharing the details on a discussion board? Board moderators and enthusiasts share tips, information, and offer first-hand advice for thousands of products. Today’s smart shoppers can count on discounts and deals at hundreds of favorite stores; websites that can offer the most up to date and accurate code/promotional information will fare well in the buzzing world of online shopping. Although coupon-clipping may be a pastime, it has taken on a new face and delivery system with the Internet.