While the Internet is a great distribution channel for businesses' products and services, it also has a plethora of Web sites useful for the smart-spending consumer. The problem is keeping up with all the new offerings, as great Web sites for consumers come and go.
A few of the old standbys are Amazon.com, where you can read product reviews and check prices; Consumer Search.com, which compiles product reviews, and ConsumerReports.org, whose $26-per-year online subscription can more than pay for itself with its unbiased reports.
Here is a sampling of new sites that can help you spend money smarter, along with others you might not have heard of. They're grouped by category. Remember, newer sites might have exciting features but some are experiencing growing pains and might fail as businesses.
Budgeting: To track finances, you can use pen and paper, a spreadsheet or software programs such as Quicken and Microsoft Money. But a relatively new crop of free online tools can be helpful. They include Mint .com, Wesabe.com, Yodlee .com, Buxfer.com and Geez eo.com. A new offering from Quicken, QuickenOnline .com, costs about $3 a month. The sites can, to varying degrees, download and categorize your financial transactions from banks, credit card companies and investment houses. How to decide which to use? It might come down to personal preference. So log on to each to read about its features and try out a few. All claim they will protect your privacy and account information.
Calendar use: To organize your time rather than money see the simple-but-easy Cozi .com. It allows busy families to plot their activities on a joint calendar and can even sync with Microsoft Outlook, among other features.
Dining out: Consumers might know they can get restaurant discounts through such sites as Restaurant.com and OpenTable.com or they can order the ubiquitous Entertainment book from En tertainment.com. A newly revamped site is Rewards Network.com, formerly iDi ne.com. It's a free and low-hassle program that gives you cash back when you dine out. You register your credit cards and debit cards. When you use them to pay for meals at participating restaurants, you get automatic rewards. A typical cash-back reward would be 5 percent to 10 percent of your entire bill, including tip. You have no coupons or discount certificates to present. Like some credit cards, you can choose non-cash rewards currency, such as airline miles or charitable donations. If you're looking for a cheap way to take the kids out, look for special deals at KidsMealDeals.com.
Travel: You might know of the big online travel sites such as Expedia.com, Orbitz.com and Travelocity.com, but you might find better flights and fares at such aggregation sites as Kayak.com, which searches 200 sites, and Mo bissimo.com, which might be better for international flights. Both sites also search hotel and car-rental rates. If you don't know whether to book a flight now or later, check out Farecast.com, which helps you predict whether ticket prices will be going up or down. For travel reviews, see TripAdvisor .com.
High-interest checking: You might know higher savings rates are available at such online banks as EmigrantDi rect.com, INGdirect.com and HSBCdirect.com. But you can earn big interest on checking if you're willing to use your debit card often. See comparison site HighYield CheckingDeals.com to get rates of more than 6 percent. Catches? Many require you to make 10 debit-card purchases per month, create a direct deposit and get an electronic statement instead of a paper one. Most will pay high rates on only the first $25,000 in the account.
Gas prices: A number of scouting sites have cropped up to help you compare gasoline prices. Check out Gas Buddy.com, GasPriceWatch .com and GasPrices.Map Quest.com. Use the one that has the most data on gas prices in your area.
Selling stuff: EBay is the largest auction site, but other specialty sites can be useful too. For example, Ga zelle.com will buy your old electronic gadgets. You can get out of your vehicle lease at LeaseTrader.com, and you can ditch your wireless provider at CellTradeUSA.com.
TV watching: If you keep missing your favorite shows but don't want to pay for a DVR service from your cable company or TiVo, head to the small screen and go online. Several of the major broadcast networks show full-length shows on their Web sites. Also check out Hulu .com, which shows clips and full-length TV shows and movies for free.
Eyewear: With online eyeglasses retailer ZenniOpti cal.com selling prescription glasses starting at $8, you would think it's difficult for another business to compete on price. But one did. Eye BuyDirect.com sells glasses starting at $7.95. It adds a feature called EyeTry, which allows you to upload a photo of yourself and try on frames virtually. Both sites charge about $5 for shipping.
Corporate responsibility: Beyond price and quality, you might be concerned about what type of company you're giving money to when making a purchase. Recently overhauled and expanded ResponsibleShopper.org allows you to do that research on 150 major companies. It is operated by the not-for-profit Co-op America, an advocacy group for social and environmental responsibility. It offers free reports on hundreds of companies, from Abercrombie & Fitch to Yum Brands.
This story posted by LeaseTrader.com, the automotive service company that lets people transfer out of their Car Leases early. If you're looking to swap a lease or transfer out of your car lease, please visit www.leasetrader.com