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Gerri Willis Commentary:
Top Tips by Gerri Willis Column archive

Saving money online

Gerri Willis tells you how to combat rising prices with just a few clicks of the mouse.

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By Gerri Willis, CNN

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For more information on managing your largest investment, check out Gerri Willis' "Home Rich," now in bookstores.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- It's a familiar tune. Prices are going up. The latest item: the price of a stamp is going up by one cent to 42 cents next week. Add that to the laundry list of other things we're paying more for. Here are top tips on how to save money by using a mouse.

1. Get online

Now is a great time to set up online bill pay through your bank. Find out if your bank has a service that sends money out of your bank account to your creditors. If the company you want to send payments to is within the bank's system, the money can be transferred electronically.

If you really want to automate your payments, you can set up recurring payments. But, make sure you have enough funds available in your account at all times.

2. Virtual groceries

If you want to bypass clipping coupons out of the paper, check out coolsavings.com. On this site you can click on specific grocery items and print the coupons from your printer.

Here's another site to check out: Thegrocerygame.com. On this site you'll get weekly lists of the lowest-priced products at your supermarket along with manufacturer coupons and weekly specials that may not be advertised. It will cost you $1 to get a free trial for a month. After that, you'll pay $10.

And of course, if you just want to order your groceries from the Internet to avoid all those grocery-store temptations, check out FreshDirect and Peapod.com.

3. Find the best deals

Sometimes you don't have to chase the sales. The sales can come to you. Check out www.shopittome.com. This Web site notifies you when a particular piece of clothing you've chosen (by brand and size) goes on sale at major retailers.

And if it's designer clothes at a bargain that you're looking for, check out HauteLook.com. If you sign up, you'll get access to discounts of 75% according to the company. Before a sale, you'll get an e-mail that announces the brand and the sale start date.

4. Click around

Traveling is going to be much more expensive this season. So, it's more important than ever to check out these travel sites before you book your airline ticket.

First, go to travelzoo.com. Put in your destination info and you'll get a list of recommended search sites that have the best fares, including online travel sites like Orbitz or specific airlines. Kayak.com is another good place to compare airfare. And if it's cruising you want to do this summer, check out cruisedeals.com.

And a note to all those of you looking for a Mothers Day gift - check out shopping bots to compare the best deals. Those Web sites are pricegrabber.com and shopping.comTo top of page

Gerri's Mailbox: Got questions about your money? We want to hear them! Send e-mails to toptips@cnn.com or click here - each week, we'll answer questions on CNN, Headline News and CNNMoney.com.
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Markets Last Change
Dow Jones 12,940.31 41.93 / 0.33%
Nasdaq 2,518.66 21.96 / 0.88%
S&P 500 1,415.83 7.17 / 0.51%
10-year Bond 99 26/32 Yield: 3.88%
U.S.Dollar 1 euro = $1.543 -0.005
May 15, 2008 12:39 PM ET
CompanyPrice% Change
Temple-Inland Inc 14.69 8.25%
Agilent Technologies Inc 34.97 7.51%
Peabody Energy Corp 75.62 6.48%
Allegheny Technologies Inc 79.60 6.16%
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