Rare Bird, Inc. | Articles : Bargain Hunting

	Web Reviews From 1997 to the present, President/Creative Director, Jim Cota has been writing informative reviews of Web sites and other internet related issues for the Indianapolis Business Journal. If you've missed the articles in print you can catch up on past stories here. Articles are reprinted with permission of the Indianapolis Business Journal, copyright 1997 - 2005, IBJ Corp.

New Bargain Hunters

Raising four kids, including newborn twins, on a single income is proving to be interesting, if not outright challenging. I don't even want to think about the number of diapers I've purchased, let alone the impending costs of clothes, college, weddings, etc. To say that these expenses have been on my mind recently would be an understatement. In fact, I find many of the early morning childcare hours are filled with these thoughts, what some might call "night terrors." So this got me to wondering if there were better ways to stretch each dollar a little further. I was surprised – amazed, even – when I Googled the word "frugal" to see what was out there. Apparently, there is an entire culture thriving on the basis of this one small word.

At the top of the list was "The Frugal Shopper" and since it's primarily a directory of other frugal sites, it's a good place to start. Listed by category, this site will help you quickly find any number of money-saving sites on the Internet. As a bonus, the categories are listed in a way that might actually help you find what you're looking for, even if you didn't know yourself. Names like "Free Stuff Directory" are almost impossible to pass up.

But if you're not looking to spend money to save it, Frugal Living is a better resource. This site is organized more like a how-to primer than a shopping network. These articles will help you stretch your budget by being a smarter consumer, thriftier chef, better money manager. The articles cover an astounding array of topics, from spending less (and making more) money to getting more life out of the stuff you own and what to do with it when you're finished. (Hint: Recycle.)

Many of these sites, like the Frugal Homemaker, offer free periodic newsletters that arrive with money-saving and money-spending tips to help you live a more simple, frugal lifestyle. The Frugal Homemaker has a nice, clean design and a helpful menu to quickly jump to an overall topic, like "Baby" or "Children" or "Credit Management". Each of these include articles and tips from other readers. Some of these are a must-read for people new to money management (See "Why is My $20 Bill Only Worth $5 Bucks?" in Credit Management.) But frankly, no matter how tight things get, I just can't see me making my own baby wipes…

One last thing that probably deserves a lot more time: eBay. Every single time I visit eBay for any reason, I come away amazed and the things for sale and the prices at which they're offered. I think we all expect to find other people's junk for sale, but you can also find a stunning amount of brand new items for sale at far less than full retail. (Think electronics, sporting goods, cars… ANYTHING.) I recently noticed an entire eBay section devoted to selling gift cards at discounted prices. While all of the rules of buyer beware are in full force with eBay, it simply can't be ignored as a viable source for whatever you might be looking to buy.