Times are tough for a lot of people these days, and a lot of people are looking for ways to cut costs and save money. Fortunately, there are a number of techniques for saving money online and with a little bit of time and effort, you can find ways to save a substantial amount of money.

Today we’ll continue our new series “Avoid Complete Financial Meltdown” and cover how you can save money online.

Vitacost Coupon Code

Photo credit: Michael Kappel

Find & Use Those Coupons

One way of saving money that has been around for a long time is to use coupons. A lot of people clip coupons out of magazines or newspapers, but you can also get a lot of coupons online. If you do your shopping on the Internet, you can search for coupon codes that will allow you to get a discount from online retailers.

You can also use “deal of the day” type sites that offer discounts on various products and services in your local area. There are also websites like MyCoupons.com, Dealcatcher.com, FatWallet.com, and others, that will let you find and print coupons for lots of different products and services.

Save Money by Canceling Services You No Longer Need

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If you have a subscription to your local newspaper, you probably don’t need it anymore. Most newspapers and local television news stations have all of their content online. Another service you may no longer need is cable or satellite television. A lot of your favorite shows are available to watch by streaming them from the network’s website.

There are also services like Netflix, Hulu, and others that let you download and watch movies and television shows for a nominal fee. Going with one of these services can save a lot of money vs. going to the theater every week. Read more money saving tips for movie theater goers.

Compare Prices & Save Money

The Internet is a wonderful research tool that allows you to compare prices for various products and services quickly and easily. If you need a home loan, auto loan, insurance, or any number of other services, you can usually get price quotes online very easily, and then compare rates to find the best price.

When it comes to physical products, it is also very easy to compare prices online. If you are shopping for a new laptop computer for example, the model you are looking for is likely available from a number of different online retailers. When several retailers are selling the same item, they often have different prices and shopping online allows you to quickly see which retailer is offering the best deal.

Of course when you are shopping online it is also very important to consider shipping charges. You may find a great price at a particular website, and then learn that the amount they charge for shipping eliminates any savings on the purchase price. However, a lot of online retailers offer free shipping to customers who spend a certain amount of money.

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Consider Purchasing Used Items

Another great tip for anyone who is interested in saving money online is to search a site like craigslist to find used items for sale. If you need something like furniture, appliances, or some other big-ticket item, there is a good chance that someone in your local area is selling the item you need on craigslist. A quick search on that site might allow you to find the item you need at an incredible price.

Be Creative!

Saving money online really isn’t very difficult, it just takes a bit of time and effort. Hopefully the tips mentioned above have started to get your creative juices flowing, but we have really only scratched the surface. With a little bit of creativity you will be able to find many more opportunities to save money online.

If you’re a reader who needs financial relief right away, some of these money saving tips may not provide exactly what you are looking for in the short term. If you’re in dire need of cash now, you may try an online payday loans to help make ends meet. I know payday loans have a bad wrap, and most of the time they are not a good idea, but they can be cheaper than accumulating bank fees and overage charges when used correctly.