To land the best price when you're shopping online, be sure to use all of the tools at your disposal. Here are several online shopping tools and price comparison sites we like:
Guide to Scoring the Best Deals in 2017
- Costco vs. Sam's Club
- Surprising Perks From Your Credit Card
- Best Time to Buy Big-Ticket Items
- Get a Cash Bonus for Opening a New IRA
- Invest for Less With Commission-Free ETFs
- Trim Your Mortgage Rate With a 'Nonbank'
- Update Your Bathroom for Less
- Top Tech Bargains of 2017
- Save Big on Exotic Travel
- Save on Plane Tickets
Sites such as CouponSherpa.com and RetailMeNot.com have coupons for a wide variety of products. But instead of taking the time to hunt down discount codes every time you shop online, install a deal-finding tool to do the research for you. PriceBlink, a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Safari, stays invisible until you visit a website where it detects savings. You'll be alerted with a list of ways to save money, including coupon codes, free shipping, price reductions and membership discounts. Plus, when you click on a specific product, another alert will pop up flagging retailers that carry the same product for a lower price.
Honey, a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Safari, also scans the web for coupons while you shop at supported retailers, and it will automatically apply them at checkout (click on the "save money" pop-up). If coupons cannot be combined, it will choose the one that saves you the most. At Amazon, Honey finds the lowest price for a product among all sellers.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
PriceGrabber.com can help you compare prices across sites. For prescriptions, visit GoodRX.com to compare prices at local pharmacies and print coupons good for up to 80% off. Daily deal sites Groupon.com and LivingSocial.com can also help you snag discounts for products, travel and restaurants. But instead of waiting to receive the daily e-mails, search the sites while you're shopping. Recent deals at Groupon included half-off electronic gift cards for CVS, Dunkin' Donuts, Toys "R" Us and Uber, as well as local restaurants and services.
-
5 Easy Weatherproofing Projects That Help Prevent Damage and Save on InsuranceProtect your home from storms and water damage with these simple weatherproofing upgrades — some may help reduce your home insurance premium.
-
If Trump Fires Jerome Powell, What Happens To Savings and Mortgage Rates?President Donald Trump expressed his desire to remove Fed Chair Jerome Powell. If the president is successful, how would it impact your savings accounts?
-
Five Ways to Save on Vacation Rental PropertiesTravel Use these strategies to pay less for an apartment, condo or house when you travel.
-
How to Avoid Annoying Hotel Fees: Per Person, Parking and MoreTravel Here's how to avoid extra charges and make sure you don't get stuck paying for amenities that you don't use.
-
The 27 Best Smart Home Devicesgadgets Innovations ranging from voice-activated faucets to robotic lawn mowers can easily boost your home’s IQ—and create more free time for you.
-
How to Appeal an Unexpected Medical Billhealth insurance You may receive a bill because your insurance company denied a claim—but that doesn’t mean you have to pay it.
-
Amazon Prime Fees Are Rising. Here’s How to Cancel Your Amazon Prime MembershipFeature Amazon Prime will soon cost $139 a year, $180 for those who pay monthly. If you’re a subscriber, maybe it’s time to rethink your relationship. Here’s a step-by-step guide to canceling Prime.
-
How to Choose the Right Payment Appbanking Using PayPal, Venmo, Zelle and other apps is convenient, but there are pros and cons to each.
-
Shop for a New Wireless Plan and Save BigSmart Buying Competition is fierce, and carriers are dangling free phones and streaming subscriptions.
-
Watch Out for Job Listing FraudScams If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to find new employment in 2022, be on guard against job-listing scams.
