Bargain Websites

money "Penny pinching" is a phrase that most people don't like to hear these days, but it's an unfortunate fact of the economy. Little Johnny can't get his Junior Moonwalk (why didn't they have that when I was a tyke?) and Daddy can't buy the new Benz convertible. Mommy wants the new kitchen and Janey wants a $600 dress to wear (once) to the prom. Not gonna happen with all the layoffs that Daddy's company is going through. So to help you all out, here's a set of websites to help you save a few bucks while your out shopping for those...ahem..."necessities".

www.hotdealsclub.com - This is a very bare bones site – no graphics, banners or any other colors. What it lacks in flash, it makes up big time with information. The "Maniac" (as his email address begins with) receives multiple daily submissions and also posts his own stuff on an almost hourly basis. There are both website specials as well as deals you can find in retail stores. Moreover, he actually gives his opinion towards the various deals and makes sure to let his readers know. He also, periodically, posts articles about certain e-tailers he likes (newegg.com comes to mind, of which I heartily concur) and those he doesn't (TigerDirect).

www.gotapex.com - It's interesting how some sites start out with one goal and receive so much traffic on a sub page that the site totally redirects its purpose. Such is the case with the GotApex crew – they began as a PC hardware review site with a small page for deals. Now, they're a site for bargain seekers with a small page for PC hardware reviews. It's supported by ad banners, but they are very nondescript.

Being that it was a site for hardware geeks, most of the deals are computer-related. However, they (there is an actual staff!) also mention good buys on bedding, clothing, jewelry, video games, DVDs, and home theater equipment. The best part is their almost daily breakdown of Dell's current desktop and laptop offerings as well as the best way to extend your dollar when buying one of their computers. (e.g., don't let Dell upgrade your RAM because you can buy it cheaper from www.crucial.com)

www.slickdeals.net - Another good site which is updated a few times a day also has a very simple layout. They basically list a boldfaced one liner describing each deal and remove the bold when it expires. If you want more info, you can click the deal and it drops you down lower in the page where you can find a brief description of them item as well as the appropriate link and reviews, if available. In addition, there's a comments section for each deal, so you can read what others have to say about the advertised product. It's also a frequently updated site so you're likely to catch website price goofs.

dealnews.com – This is predominantly computer hardware, even more so than the others. They categorize deals as well as let you know how much cheaper the current low price is. It's listed by category but doesn't usually give an opinion about the quality of the "advertised" products. It's not updated as often as the others but it contains a lengthy array of info.

So, with the above in hand, you've got all the tools you need to save yourself a buck or ten. It still may not afford Dad his Benz convertible, but he can get himself a great computer – and paint it the color of the Benz he wanted.

Computers

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