There are many ways to save money available online. These ideas range from budgeting tools to coupons. Money management tools and rate comparison engines can also help you save money right away.
Online Money Management
To budget funds you may want to work with a program like Mint (available at www.mint.com). Mint allows you to set up your credit cards, bank cards, and investment account information. It then tracks your spending and creates budgeting information that you can download and view.
Goal Setting
Sites like SmartyPig (www.smartypig.com) can help you set a goal and meet it. This site allows you to set a money amount for a purchase you’d like to make. SmartyPig pulls the amount you agreed to put toward your goal each month from your checking account. SmartyPig works like a savings account and pays interest on deposited money amounts, which are insured by the FDIC.
Saving on Gas
Some sites focus on saving you money by comparing rates of competing companies. GasBuddy.com is a site that works with gas prices, searching for the lowest price in your area. Since gas prices can vary up to 20 percent in a neighborhood, this helps you save money when fueling up.
Saving Money by Sharing
Zilok.com an online marketplace, allows you to rent your items or to rent items from other people. You could rent out anything from a camera to a car, which helps you make money with items you aren’t using at the present time. It also allows you to use items without having to purchase them for temporary use.
Planning Travel and Saving
Wegolo.com is a site that focuses on air fare. The site tells you the total cost charged per passenger by airlines, including taxes, fees, and other charges. This allows you to compare airlines appropriately. The search tool also allows you to combine flights from different airlines, so you’ll have the ideal travel times and airports.