Money saving tips usually revolve around common sense: use coupons, take advantage of discounts, shop around, make a list, don’t buy on impulse, shop smart. And of course these are the best things you can do to keep extra dollars in your pockets, more important than ever these days. But there are some new money saving tips, for the 21st century consumer, and a lot of them involve the savvy use of coupons and discounts found online.

We’re all familiar with the coupons in the weekend papers or flyers. After all, that’s money saving tips 101, straight from grandma’s sensible habits. But somewhere along the line, many of us, particularly the younger generation, stopped clipping coupons. Maybe the 10-cent discount didn’t seem worth it anymore. Or maybe having a stack of badly arranged coupons in one’s wallet seemed more embarrassing than valuable.

But let’s reexamine this. Surely we would all be better off for saving hundreds or thousands of dollars over the course of the year. As many of us turn to shopping online, a whole new world of bargain hunting emerges. Money saving tips? Oh yes:

• Coupons, coupons, coupons. There is an ever-growing array of websites out there, with DealSharks being among the best, dedicated solely to finding the best, most up-to-date, most valuable coupons on the market. You can earn big discounts without leaving your desk chair. Some offer you dollar discounts, some a percentage off your purchase, others carry a buy one, get one free savings. There are sometimes even printable coupons you can bring to the store, restaurant or movies, carrying substantial savings that make it worth hitting “print.”

• And more coupons! When you’re shopping online, it’s always worth going the extra step. No matter what you’re looking to buy, see if you can’t find an applicable coupon. Sometimes these are coupon codes or promotional codes you enter while checking out, other times you’ll find time-specific discounts. Just make sure the coupons are valid in your area, and haven’t expired.

• Coupon codes for online shopping: If you shop online on a regular basis, become familiar with a few coupon code sites to take advantage of easy savings. Coupon codes are simply codes that you enter in the promotional code box on the checkout page of your online retailer. You will not find these codes on the retailer’s page but can find codes for hundreds of retailers on DealSharks. Take just one extra step: discounts await.

• Other discounts. Know when and where to shop. Take advantage of end-of-season (and beginning-of-season) discounts. Buying a car really is cheaper, in general, in September, while luggage is often on sale in March.

• Keep a list. Avoiding the impulse buy is the best money saving tip of all. If you want something extravagant, it’s best to plan for it – unless you stumble across an amazing coupon or a really deep discount…

Shop around, shop wisely, and shop securely. Don’t accept full price. Watch for discounts, coupons in all forms, and keep your ear to the ground. Savvy consumers like you are usually only too happy to share their money-saving tips.

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