Financial savings and more when shopping online

(BPT) - Saving money is a hot topic these days, from television shows about extreme coupon clipping to stores advertising huge savings for specially marked and bulk items.

There is a lot of information about how you can save money while traveling around town, comparing prices and cutting costs. But you might be surprised to discover how much money you can save while shopping online.

Try these online shopping tips and watch the savings pile up:

* Compare items and store prices from home, from your work computer, or while sitting on a bus in traffic using your mobile phone. Because you aren't wasting gas driving back and forth across town, and can also find the best price available anywhere in the country, this tip gives you double savings. Also, if your schedule is different from the traditional 9-5 schedule, you can handle your shopping online at any time of the day - or night, when it's convenient for you.

* Find coupon codes and free shipping codes through Ebates.com. While shopping for clothing at Target.com, children's toys at Toys R Us, home and garden furnishings at Home Depot, or even vacation packages via Expedia, Ebates.com offers you discounts for more than 1,500 online stores. Because you're online, you aren't spending time searching for and clipping coupons that end up in a drawer for future use. Instead, they're there when you need them.

* When shopping for something specific - electronics, clothing or toys, for example - use shopping forums like FatWallet.com to learn about multiple saving opportunities. Always try to multiply your savings. For example, when grocery shopping, you can find manufacturer coupons for specific products, as well as discounts for those products offered by a specific grocery store online. Use both to stack the discounts. And also take advantage of the cash back rebates both FatWallet and Ebates offer. When shopping at their online stores, you get a cash back offering that will be added to your account based on a percent of your purchase totals. Use this cash back money for your next online shopping excursion, or consider donating it to a local or national charity of your choice. Cash back programs are simply a way of getting paid to shop.

The savings go far beyond just financial savings when shopping online - from wear and tear on your vehicle to better time management. So put these online shopping tips to use and start watching your savings pile up.