by C.D. Crowder

Created on: April 08, 2008

The dollar just doesn't go as far as it used to. While mall shopping can be fun, it can also be extremely time consuming. Women want to get the best deals easily and without having to leave home. Online thrift shopping is becoming more popular every year. With all the discounts available right at your fingertips, why not take advantage of the wonderful deals offered online?

~Comparison Shop

While bargain hunting the old fashioned way meant looking through circulars and driving for miles, online comparison shopping is much simpler and quicker. Sites such as MySimon.com and LowestDeal.com allow you to search for an item and see which popular stores have the best prices, including shipping costs.

You can also use search engines such as Google and Yahoo to quickly search numerous online stores to find the perfect deal. This saves women both time and money.

~Coupon Codes

No more coupon clipping. Simply copy the code from one site to another and viola, you have an instant discount. Some sites allow coupon stacking, which means you can use multiple discounts. Some of the best sites for finding coupon codes are CouponCabin.com, RetailMeNot.com, and CouponLooker.com. Check these sites out before making any online purchases.

~Cash Back Offers

Some sites allow you to shop from links on their website. In return, you earn a cash back percentage or even points on purchases. Points can be redeemed for gift cards and sometimes even cash. Two of the most popular sites offering rewards just for shopping are Ebates.com and Fatwallet.com. You can search for others by typing "coupon codes" or "cash back online shopping" in your search engine.

~Second Hand Retailers

Some sites allow users to sell items they no longer want or need. Often times, these items are brand new and offered at extreme discounts. Take advantage of these deals whenever possible. The most popular second hand retailer is Ebay.com. There are options to buy merchandise immediately, while many still sell their items through the auction method.

For women that don't have time to watch an auction can check out sites such as Amazon.com and Half.com. Amazon offers a listing of Marketplace sellers whenever you search for an item in addition to their own regular priced listing. Half.com is part of Ebay; however, there are no auctions involved.

~Price Matching

Many online retailers offer price matching. Do a little comparison shopping before you buy anything on these sites. If someone has a lower price, simply send the link to the site and they will match the price. Not a bad deal, especially if you prefer to shop at certain places. You can check a site's FAQs or Help section to see if they offer price matching discounts. Many times a site will offer a certain percentage extra off the already low price just to keep a customer coming back.

With all the online retailers, women should have no problem finding great deals and discounts. So women, get out there and find those deals on that pair of shoes or purse you've been wanting.

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