1. Shopcatch – Yes, I have personal ties to this site, but Shopcatch really is a great resource to look for all the top brand retail deals available in your area. From Gap to H&M, you’ll always know what’s on sale.

2. Amazon – This one may seem like a no-brainer. If you’re buying books or DVDs – or even just looking for gift ideas, Amazon continues to have the best prices around.

3. Retail Me Not – The ultimate source to find coupons for all the well-known online retailers. Find a discount for just about anything – even the food you’re about to order!

4.Well.ca – Aside from the obvious plus that they offer free shipping in Canada – Well.ca is a great spot to get all of your household products, beauty products, and even supplements at great prices. The best part is not having to cart home all those hand soaps and big detergent bottles!

5. Use Mint.com – Honestly, I’ve recommended the app – but the website is even BETTER! Get real-time results on where your money is going, and have assistance when setting out those monthly budgets.

The only other thing I suggest is making sure you price compare before you go out to buy. Even when it comes to those expensive tops, or fancy new hard drive – there’s always a better price somewhere. Google is your best friend!

Happy Shopping! Do you have any tips to shop online better? Share them in the comments!

Mint.com describes themselves as:

“THE BEST FREE WAY TO MANAGE YOUR MONEY
Mint.com allows you to track, budget and manage your money all in one place, so you can see where you’re spending and where you can save. Open an account, add your bank, credit, loan and retirement accounts and Mint will automatically pull in and categorize your transactions. It’s safe, secure and easy to keep your personal finances organized”

I’ll admit: upon first setting up, I was hesitant to provide my login information for my banking – but I’m here to report, there’s been no ‘fishy activity’, or withdrawals from a foreign entity. It takes some time to categorize all of your transactions, so I do recommend using their web version to sort through quickly.

Some other features include:

• View all of your accounts including: checking, savings, credit cards, investments, and retirement.
• Mint automatically pulls in and categorizes your transactions. No need to enter your own transactions.
• Easy-to-understand graphs show you where your money is going so you get a clear picture of your spending and your net worth. (iPad only)
• Know how much you have left to spend. Mint creates a customized budget based on your actual spending.
• Add manual transactions at the time of purchase so you can track cash spending.
• Avoid late fees and monitor cash flow — get bill reminders, alerts and advice sent right to your device.
• View your data even without a wireless connection. (iPad only)

You can download Mint.com for both Android and iPhone, or simply use their web version. Yes, it’s FREE!

Visit their site by clicking here.