21 Websites that Save You Time and Money

My Mom tore out this article from the Nov. 2009 Woman's Day mag. I'm not able to find the article online so am typing out cliff notes for you.


21 Websites that Save You Time and Money

1. shoplocal.com weekly ads for stores in your community and indexed, organized and updated for you.

2. mommysavers.com coupon codes, printable coupons, freebies, bargains, support needed to live the fugal life. Articles, e-books and web videos. Plus a twice yearly "forget the Joneses" boot camp to give members practical steps for creating a budget and living w/in their means

3. bargainist.com hottest online bargains, sales, coupons and freebies. No need to join, register or pay a cent for this information

4. thecouponclipper.com coupon clipping service

5. freecycle.org the nations biggest swap meet where NO money ever exchanges hands as it's a free swap site (***I have loved freecycle for years!!!***)

6. paperbackswap.com join the club online. Registration is easy and currently free. next post books you want to swap, when you find a book you want, click order this book button. Books you receive are free and yours to keep. When others request one of your books, you accept and pay the postage to mail the book. Credits are the unit of exchange at this site. When your book is received you get a credit; which you then use to order another book for yourself.

7. zilok.com rent just about anything that you might need to use only once. Space in a garage, Guitar hero for a weekend party, power tool, a pickup truck. Or maybe you have items you'd like to rent out to make a few bucks. This is a community driven platform that allows anyone to rent or offer for rent any kind of good. Recently: patio heater, $20/day, sony camcorder $10/day, pressure cooker $6/day

8. USA.gov the official information and service site for the U.S. gov.
how to get a grant, health updates in case of flu outbreak and more... tax info, register to vote, renew your drivers license, get student fin. aid, sign up for unemployment online

9. findhow.com clear, concise instructions for all types of projects are a search away. bang trims, oil changes, repair scratches on your car, install a kitchen sink, how to draw a cartoon

10. starfall.com "this one is too good to be true. The starfall reading program is designed to be fun, exciting, and confidence building for young children as they learn to read. Similar to early reading software you install on your computer the FRE program helps teach literacy through games. The graphics, sounds and content are so outstanding you really need to check it out"

11. consumerist.com Prepare to be entertained and educated about the top consumer issues of the day. You'll find blogs that bring you up to date on the latest scams, ripoffs and hot deals.

12. lynda.com Need software training? For $25 a month you'll have access to more than 40.000 video tutorials with more than 600 online courses on a huge variety of software and design topics.

13. bighugelabs.com Imagine having full access to a custom photo lab where you ca create photo calendars, jigsaw puzzles, mosaics, trading cards and more... all from your digital photos. Site completely FREE as are the custom photo calanders.

14. dafont.com you will find fun fonts, unique fonds and handwriting. Many of the over 9,000 fonts are free

15. fixitclub.com shows you how to do ordinary household and other kinds of repairs. free online guides for fixing everything from sewing machines to fishing poles

16. budgetsimple.com FREE easy to use online budget software that will help you figure out how to get your spending on track. You don't need to give any info that will identify you personally. Designed to help people get out of debt and encourage saving.

17. annualcreditreport.com This is the ONLY place you can get truly FREE copies of your credit report (not score, though they do offer that for a minimal cost) ONE a YEAR from each of the big three credit reporting agencies. Though your reports will come from the agencies themselves (either online or through the mail, your choice) you must enter at the site to make sure you get out of paying a fee. ***Stagger your reports so you get one every four months. Then check each one carefully and dispute any info that seems inaccurate.

18. dinkytown.net more than 350 free financial calculators. Do the math on mortgages, retirement savings and planning, insurance, credit cards and more

19. bloombergs.com/invest/calculators/budget.html The budget calculators at this site may seem old fashioned because you enter your info manually as your would on a paper spreadsheet. BUT what's remarkable are the resulting easy to read charts that categorize your expenses and break down your spending so you can see what's up w/your finances.

20. discoveramerica.com Linked to tourism info for all 50 states this site offers a wealth of info in one place. Activity finder lists more than 4,000 experiences, attractions, events, museums, parks and festivals.

21. mousesaver.com for everything Disney. An exhaustive collection of tips, tricks and secrets for how to get discounts on every aspect of a trip to any Disney.