Online shopping fun

I recently came across an excellent article in a Family Circle magazine about websites to check out before buying things online. These websites can help you save money. I'd like to share these findings with you all (I'm just going to type up what the Family Circle article says):

-Promotional Codes : Thousand of codes for popular retailers, many of them originally uploaded by customers who received them by e-mail or snail mail

-Free Shipping: Hefty shipping charges can scotch an otherwise excellent deal. Look for merchants who ship gratis or rustle up a code for the order already in your cart.

-Retail Me Not: More than 400,000 coupon codes for more than 100,000 retailers. Bonus: a tool to add to your web browser that alerts you if you're shopping at a site for which there's a code.

-Red Plum: Not just online discount codes but also a database of printable coupons for local merchants. Just click on Shop Online and sign up by entering your name, e-mail address, and zip code, then hunt for exclusive offers.

-Ebates: Beyond supplying discount codes, this site offers cash back at over 1,300 stores when you start your shopping trip there. For instance, if you splurge at Victoria's Secret, you'll get a check from Ebates for 2% of the total order. Checks go out every three months as long as you earn at least $5.01.


Thank you Family Circle!!! Woo!

As with all websites, use your own caution. If you are not comfortable giving out your e-mail address, then don't use ones that require it, etc. I have only tried out two of these websites- retailmenot and ebates. Retailmenot is top notch. You search for your store, it brings up a page full of coupon codes posted by people and their success rate at using them. Perfect and easy. Ebates I have yet to see how it fully works. I signed up a few days ago and made a few purchases I had to do anyways and am now waiting to see if they show up in my account. If it does not work or if there's anything fishy, I'll be sure to let you all know.

Good luck and happy shopping!