The Internet is a good way to find a wealth of shopping information and great deals this time of year. And, while you may do more shopping during the Holiday Season, these tips will also work well all year round:

• Dare to compare – Visit comparison-shopping sites like PriceGrabber.com, Shopping.com, Coolsavings.com, Shopzilla.com and Google's shopping search engine, Froogle.com. You'll find price and feature comparisons, product reviews, merchant coupons and rebate information.
• Shop safely – Don't reply or click on links in Holiday emails from retailers. Instead, type their website address into your browser. This will help protect against 'phishers' using fake email and web addresses.
  • And before you proceed to checkout, look for the locked padlock icon in your browser. This lets you know that you're at a secure site and your transaction is encrypted.
  • Also remember to secure your computer by getting the latest updates and virus/spyware protection before starting your online shopping adventure.
• Get all the skinny – Sign up for your favorite store's online newsletter to get subscriber-only coupons and advance notice of sales. Also check out CouponCabin.com to search coupons from 1,200 online stores by category and merchant. And, if a site features special boxes that tell you to enter a promotional code, you can find one by visiting Currentcodes.com. This site maintains a list of thousands of current codes national retailers are using online.
• Don't get stuck – Wondering what to do with nonreturnable purchases or gifts?
  • You can sell or trade them online at eBay, Amazon.com's Marketplace, Half.com and Craigslist. Or visit Swapagift.com, CertificateSwap.com and Cardavenue.com. You can also trade CDs, DVDs and video games at Zunafish.com.
  • Finally, you could donate your unwanted items to charity, as long as they are in good condition. You could even qualify for a tax deduction with the IRS, but you'll need to check with your tax advisor to be sure. You might want to take digital photos of everything you donate. Sites such as Salvationarmyusa.org have information on how much you can write off for common household items.

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Our mortgage tips give you information on how to save money on your home. This month's tips will tell you how to save in your home. Trying them out could save you hundreds of dollars a year.

• Easy does it – Setting your thermostat to 80° won't make the house heat up faster, just longer. Consider using a programmable thermostat to raise and lower temperatures at preset times. And don't set the thermostat to more than 68°. Each extra degree increases heating costs by 3%. Depending on where you live, you could save up to $325 a year.
• Beat the draft – Check your home for areas where heated or air-conditioned air may be leaking out. Also, by simply closing the blinds you can keep the heat in and the cold out. And if it's drafty near windows, doors and fireplaces, etc., it's time to caulk and weather-strip. Save up to $50 a year.
• Insulate yourself from energy loss – Add insulation to the attic, exterior walls and hot water pipes in the basement. Insulating your hot water heater alone could save you $25 a year.
• Don't get yourself into hot water – Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. If you don't use a dishwasher or the model you have doesn't heat water, set your hot water heater between 110° and 120°. You could save $20-$40 annually.
• Coming clean on savings – Cutting your shower time in half can save up to 33% on water heating costs. And don't do small loads of laundry – it takes as much water to do three small loads as it does for two large ones. Over the course of a year, this could save you $25-$125.
• Brighten up – Using fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs can save you between $10 and $50 a year.
• Keep it simple – Extra phone services like call waiting and call forwarding can almost double your costs – stick to a basic plan and save $168 a year. Even better, on long distance charges, try using your computer or internet connection to make phone calls. You can find services on the web that offer this for free or for a low monthly rate. Check out current VoIP services.
• Back to basics – If you can't live without cable television, get basic service only. Rent movies instead of paying for movie channels and save between $144 and $700 a year.

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