Coupons, Coupons, Coupons. They used to be helpful, but not so much anymore. Since everything has waxed digital, the world is becoming paperless, and clipping coupons is much less practical. At the same time, there are so many deals across the Web that it would make your head spin. How do you keep track of them all?

Well, I’ve got two partial solutions. Each of these is a great place to find deals on the Internet, and save yourself some serious money. They’re both hit-or-miss, at least for me, but each has some great stuff, and both have great deals.

Woot (here)

One Day, One Deal. That’s Woot’s motto, and they stick to it. Every day, there’s one product offered to you at a truly ridiculous discount. Supplies are limited, it’s completely technology-based, and it’s a crazy bargain. Today’s deal? A 65″ Olevia HDTV for $2,299. That’s an unbelievable deal, the TV and those like it are typically nearly twice that price.

Sales last 24 hours, and have an active community around them. Before you buy, check out the comments on the product- they’re very helpful. Also, look at the top right of the screen for lesser “side deals,” like SD cards and things of that nature. If you’re in the tech-toy market, with money burning holes in your pocket, Woot’s the place to go.

The absolute highlight of Woot, though, is the product descriptions. Buy it, don’t buy it, but read the descriptions. They’re gold.

SlickDeals.net (here)

SlickDeals is an aggregator for deals all around the Web. Stores from Old Navy to Home Depot to Best Buy all have sales, and SlickDeals will let you know about them all. It’s an ugly site, but who cares? You’re saving money. The front page has the latest deals, and they come in fast! Click on a deal, and you’re shown price comparisons so you know just how good a deal you’re really getting. If the volume’s overwhelming, you can customize your deals with “Deal Alerts” that tell you only about the deals you’re interested in, and ignore the rest.

There’s also a coupon page, for those interested in clipping coupons and shopping in person. Yikes. SlickDeals boasts over 800 coupons, which means you’re bound to save some money by poking around.

I’ve learned that before going shopping, it’s always worth looking around for coupons. Especially on the Web. They’re easy to find, easy to print or use in Web stores, and frequently save me a lot of money. Though they might create some impulse buys from good deals (that BluRay player for $190 looks awfully appealing), it’s a small price to pay. No pun intended.

These are just two of many sites that will help you save money shopping, but they’re a good place to start.

About the author: David Pierce (1175 Posts)

David Pierce, the founder of Digitizd, is now Reviews Editor at The Verge.