Before you click 'buy,' search for coupons

(Credit: Rick Broida)

There I was, about to order something from Buy.com for Mrs. Cheapskate (am I way ahead on holiday shopping? Yes I am!), when I noticed the ever-popular Promotion Code box.

Rats, I thought--I don't have a promotion code. But then, a light bulb: maybe the Web does.

A quick Google search later ("Buy.com promotion code"), I'd snagged a 5-percent-off coupon. Total savings: $7.50. Not a fortune by any stretch, but a pretty good return on my 30-second Google effort.

There's also a site called DealLocker that collects coupons under one roof for easier searching and browsing.

I've done this a few times before. While at the checkout page for an online store, I'll pop open a new browser tab and search for coupon codes. Sometimes the results are fruitful, like today, but not always. Sometimes the codes are expired or invalid. But, hey, it never hurts to try. The moral of the story: a few minutes of searching can often save you a few bucks--and maybe even more than a few. Give it a try the next time you buy.

[elizabetsy]

Retailmenot.com also collects promo codes. I'm not sure if I saw that here or another blog.

[ibeetle]

Retail Me Not (www.retailmenot.com) is also a great source.

And you are right; A search engine (Yahoo, Ask, etc.) is great. Just type in the name of the company/product and the words "discount coupon" and/or "code"

Last year, at Christmas, for my kids peddle car I found both a free shipping, and 20% off coupon. Saved over $60.00.

[j_a_s_p_e_r]

I also use microsoft's http://search.live.com/cashback/ Not all retailers are on there, but its worth a look

[john94857]

Indeed we should always look for coupons, sales, or discounts before purchasing anything.

We are all trying to make do and get as much as possible for each dollar spent. Lately my family and I have been doing more research before buying anything, and have also done more online shopping and looked harder for better details. We have not stopped spending, however.

One of the online sites we have found to be useful is:
<a href="http://www.uberi.com">http://www.uberi.com</a>

They do have some interesting bargains listed that are not available even on price search engines. We were able to get more for each dollar. Hope that's useful info for some.

[gabewintner]

Excellent advice. Just looked for coupons for Abe's of Maine and found $15 off. Just like that.

[swrobel]

Anyone know of a firefox addon that would let you know while you're checking out (or even browsing) at an online store whether there are any coupons on retailmenot? Seems like a brilliant idea...

[goodmojo]

I agree http://retailmenot.com is a great coupon site. One other site I often use is http://www.searchalldeals.com ... sometimes I check http://www.pricegrabber.com

You have no idea how much I have saved with these sites.

[Forsaken4Eternity]

I've used ebates.com before. Not bad. They either have coupons or cash backs from stores.

[kar3nm]

I like to use MrDealFinder.com to search for coupon codes. Just sayin' :)

[yanchineseguy]

So this means you bought your wife a $150 (pre-discount) gift? Good for you.

[rickbroida]

Heh, I was wondering if anyone would do the math. Yeah, and this after we promised weren't doing gifts this year. I may get in trouble!

[rickbroida]

Heh, I was wondering if anyone would do the math. Yeah, and this after we promised weren't doing gifts this year. I may get in trouble!

[DToupin]

Not only does retailmenot.com do the same thing, but they have a firefox plugin that notifies you for every site you visit. It's surprisingly useful and not annoying.