The Daily Times

Readers of my column know that I love Internet shopping. Not only can I get a great deal on virtually anything I need, I can do so while wearing my pajamas.

There is no doubt that I spend a fair amount of time perusing online retail stores. However, the vast majority of my shopping time is spent researching deals, finding coupon codes, and locating sale information on bargain websites.

In the past, most bargain or deal websites were message boards created to allow members the opportunity to share information. Within the last few years, however, user-friendly programs have begun making individual websites more common.

Couple ease-of-use with the hot topics of bargain shopping and couponing and you have innumerable websites or weblogs (known as “blogs”) dedicated to sharing tips on saving money.

Never wanting to miss a sale, I started following many of these websites as well as Facebook and Twitter accounts that offer the same service. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that I knew most of the information already.

As a longtime member of the message board http://Slickdeals.net , I am part of a community of individuals that shares, well, “slick” deals. Some members work for retailers and share upcoming sale information, but most are just shoppers like me who find a low price or promotion while shopping online.

The blogs and sites that I had hoped would serve as additional resources for deal information ended up being basically a regurgitation of what was posted on message boards. This was particularly annoying when it came to Facebook where I was seeing the same information over and over again, even after the referenced item was sold out.

The one exception to this is local bloggers who include information on local deals. We have several bloggers in the Knoxville/Maryville area who post sale information exclusive to stores in our region.

These bloggers post things that http://Slickdeals.net and similar websites like http://Fatwallet.com , http://Walletpop.com and others do not typically mention. On the other hand, they also post a lot of national deals, so there is a lot of re-posting and most of the local deals posted are sales that you can find advertised right here in the Daily Times.

I am often asked if I have a blog with deals posted or have a list of recommended blogs or websites to follow. While I do have a blog, it primarily serves as an easy access to all of my columns and a place to post additional information that I did not have space to include in print. I simply do not see a need for another blog re-posting specific deals.

In my opinion, you do not need to check a list of 20 websites, Facebook pages, or Twitter accounts every day to find the best deals. I suggest instead that you follow one main site (I prefer http://Slickdeals.net ), one grocery store or couponing site (I recommend http://Hotcouponworld.com or http://Southernsavers.com ) and read the newspaper.

Online shopping should help you save time. Keep it simple and you can enjoy great prices and the benefits of shopping in your PJs.

Amy French Habart is a Maryville native who writes and speaks about bargain shopping and living well on a small budget.  She offers more tips and tricks on her blog, http://www.cheaptricks.blountblogs.com and can be contacted at (cheaptricks@ymail.com)

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