Common Cents: Saving More & Spending Less

Part of my time online these days is spent looking for Web sites that offer advice on saving money, along with those featuring free goods and the Internet's best deals. Here are some favorites.

THE SIMPLE DOLLAR: This pages deliver's the author's "25 Favorite Personal Finance, Career and Personal Development Blogs." Invaluable for those looking to save more, spend less or spend nothing.

DEAL OF THE DAY tracker: Monitors more than 200 deal-of-the-day sites in one destination.

KAYAK is the ultimate tool for travel. Plug in where you want to go and it accesses multiple travel sites, including travelocity, expedia, orbitz, lastminutedeals, priceline and the like, without having to plug in where and when you want to travel again and again.

DEAL-SEEKING MOM: Robust listing of free samples, coupons, grocery comparisons, the best of the Sunday papers, etc.

BOOKIT.COM: The best travel site on the Web. Exclusive deals that the major travel sites don't offer. Best for travel packages and vacations.

REFURB DEPOT: Would you consider buying a used car instead of a vehicle for thousands more $$ if it came with the same warranty? Then why not do the same for cameras, computers, phones, TVs... all kinds of electronics. Can't beat this site.

CONSUMERIST: Owned by Consumer Reports, this daily blog acts as a consumer watchdog. Also just plain entertaining.

405 CLUB: Site named for laid off New Yorkers' lame weekly unemployment benefits. Interview advice, money-saving tips, part-time opportunities.

WISEBREAD: "Living large on a small budget." This page opens 13 money-saving Web sites.

FREE STUFF TIMES: Samples, coupons, money-saving tips. Good one.

WALMART FREE SAMPLES: No shipping, just free samples of shampoos and food and stuff.

DEALHACK: One of the best. Best online deals across the Web.