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How to Save Money and Get Freebies Using the Internet

Part 1: Discount Shopping

By Lisa Marie Metzler

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There's nothing that gets my attention faster than a great deal. E-commerce is a hot ticket right now. Busy people with little time to travel from store to store can hop online, and with a few clicks, have the merchandise delivered to their front door. Raising teenagers isn't cheap, and with college looming just around the corner, finding the right discounts online can be a great way to save a little cash. But what about the price and shipping costs?

money sign It seems more and more "dot com" commercials are popping up everywhere each day. Online retailers are anxious to get you to their sites and that makes for a highly competitive market. This competition means better deals for consumers. Retailers are willing to give awesome discounts to lure you to their sites and hopefully keep you coming back. I was able to take advantage of these great deals and did most of my Christmas shopping online. My total was just less than $600. However, because I took advantage of discount codes and rebates found on the Internet, my final total was just more than $300. I saved almost 50 percent on my shopping bill!

Where are the Discounts?
When I'm in the market for a birthday present, novel, gourmet food or even a new coffee maker, I check the discount boards and coupon sites first. Discount shopping boards and coupon sites are filled with offers from online retailers. The retailer will publish a special discount code. These codes are used to save you money off your total bill. Sometimes the discounts will be for free shipping as well.

pricetag One of the easier sites to navigate I've found so far is found at mycoupons.com. Here, you will find numerous posts from other members about discounts, freebies, rebates and other special offers. Although you don't have to be a member to read the posts, you do need to be one to make a post. Becoming a member is fast and free. The advantage of membership is that it gives you the opportunity to post questions you may have about a deal that has been posted. I am continually surprised at how many positive and friendly responses I get to my posts when I ask a question about a particular deal. Another benefit to using a shopping board is you will get the opinions of other shoppers. Their experiences, good and bad, can give you some extra information before you buy from an online retailer. I once stayed away from a potential good discount after reading numerous posts on the company's history of over-charging and not delivering the merchandise promised.

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