Specialty sites help you save money

— -- In these tough times, we're all looking for ways to stretch our dollars. Gas prices are high, and the cost of food is increasing. Reducing luxuries may not be enough to help you meet your budget.

Fortunately, the Web can help us make the most of our dollars. Some sites can find the lowest prices on items; others provide good old coupons.

Price-comparison sites

Some websites offer better prices than others. So, how do you find the best prices online? Price-comparison sites.

These sites list prices from various online stores so you don't need to slog through loads of e-tailers' sites to find the best deals.

Three such comparison sites are Pricegrabber.com, NexTag.com and Shopping.com. They are most helpful if you already know what you want to buy. Simply enter the item and in return, you'll see a list of online retailers offering the product.

You can sort them by price or the stores' ratings. Shoppers' reviews determine the ratings. I'd rather pay a little more and buy from a well-rated store. Doing business with a disreputable store is no way to save money.

Don't rely on positive reviews solely. Read the negative reviews to understand problems other shoppers have encountered. When you've made your decision, click through to buy the product.

Or use this information to your advantage offline. Many brick-and-mortar stores will match or even beat prices found online. Take your best price to a store and ask to speak to a manager.

Coupon codes

You may not think that online stores accept coupons, but many online stores like Amazon accept coupon codes. These are the electronic equivalent of coupons. When you check out, you simply enter the code. The price is automatically adjusted to reflect your savings.

Coupon codes often give you free shipping, but some coupon codes will give you 10% or more off your order.

Retailers usually offer coupon codes to loyal customers. But, that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of them. Retailers know that coupon codes may be shared with others. They see this as a way to draw in new customers.