Five tips to finding the best deals online

Everyone is feeling the squeeze when it comes to money these days, but savvy-spenders can get more for their buck if they shop around, particularly on the internet. Follow these top tips, courtesy of Financedaily.co.uk and start saving now.

Shop Around: Before you buy anything – be it a holiday, television or item of clothing, do your research online. If you feel you need to see and touch a specific product before you buy it, go and find it in store, choose what you want, and then shop around for the best deal online. Google Product Search is great for consumer reports and product reviews, whilst comparison sites like Amazon.com often include a consumer rating. If you think they might be biased, Ciao.co.uk is an excellent option as it doesn't actually sell anything itself; it's a reader review site, on everything from cameras to cars.

Bag a Bargain: Two-for-one deals have become increasingly popular with local supermarkets, many advertised online in advance. If you are eating out, there are a host of special combo deals available, and many hotel restaurants offer early bird menus as well as discounted rates. Again, these can be found online on local food guides, as well as social networks, such as Facebook. If you're going on holiday to Europe or the United States soon, The Facebook Group 2-4-1 Restaurant Vouchers conveniently collates the best deals each week and sends them out direct to your Facebook inbox saving you the hassle of searching the web for them.

Listen Out for Deals: More and more retailers are creating headline grabbing initiatives and sales offers to try and get consumers to part with their cash. Dubai Summer Surprises 2009 is currently in full swing, meaning there are loads of special offers. Log onto Mydsf.com.

Price Comparison Websites Beware: On price comparison websites, always sort by price rather than 'most popular,' which can be bought out by sellers. In other words, the results that come out top are not necessarily the best, but simply the companies who have paid the most to come out top.

Check the Postage: When buying items such as books, shoes and DVDs always check the postage costs involved and calculate this into the total price to find which the cheapest deal really is. Search around for sites that offer free delivery, or if this isn't available, you may get free delivery if you buy in bulk. Souq.com offers some great postage deals.

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