These days, everyone is trying to save where they can. Luckily, this no longer means skimping on quality or ending up with a lousy hotel when you were looking forward to a vacation. The Internet has done wonders for removing substantial overhead for companies, which means they pass those savings on to you. Check out these tips for saving money online and you’ll be on your way to socking away more money than ever before.

1. Sign up for daily deal sites. This is primarily for entertainment purposes. There’s no fee to join these sites and you can pick and choose what you or your family is interested in. As these sites grow, there’s more to choose from. In major U.S. cities, you have a plethora of daily deals to choose from, so don’t think you’ll be stuck with one coupon from a random local store. Large corporations participate, mom-and-pop stores participate and they’re all vying for your dollars, which means they’re willing to cut you a deal to get you in the door. 2. Shop auction sites. eBay is the big one, but most recently Bonanza has stepped in as a place to get what you want for less. This means you can research a product, check it out in a store and then do your shopping online to get the best deal. Bonanza is unique in that you negotiate with a seller until you’re both happy, so you don’t have to worry about auction snipers or manning your laptop when you’re trying to spend quality time with loved ones. 3. Get friendly with printable coupons. Yes, there’s loads of money you can save by shopping online, but when it comes to the essentials, most of us still shop at the regular grocery store. Grocery stores are eager for your business, even if it means you using coupons. Many stores allow you to stack coupons, which results in double or even triple the savings. Many shopping blogs are devoted to posting all printable coupons for each store or product in an easy-to-navigate manner. That means you can print, cut and shop, instead of spending an hour going through the Sunday paper. 4. Sign up for online sale sites. These sites run sales for a limited time, usually 3-4 days. What’s up for grabs? Tons of things from designer clothes to high end baby gear and things for the kitchen. These sale sites get their goods the same way your favorite discount stores do, primarily from overstock merchandise that must get sold. You can set your Google calendar for reminders of sales you’re after and most sites send out a preview on Saturdays or Sundays for the following week’s sales. While you won’t be able to see individual items that will be available, you will see a list of brands. This means if you’ve been after the Le Crueset baking dish, you can keep an eye out the week it goes on sale. 5. Use BillPay. Most banks offer free BillPay if you’re already signed up for a checking and savings account. Some will charge a small fee for signing up for BillPay or a fee if you use BillPay for over x amount of payments per month (check with your individual bank for this magic number). So how does this equate to saving you money? It means your bills area always paid on time. No money spent on stamps, returned checks, late fees or anything of the sort. BillPay can be set up so it’s automatically deducted from your bank account or you can do manual payments each month on your own (though you want to remember when your bills are due to save money). 6. Become a foodie. OK, you don’t really have to become a foodie, but getting in the loop with food and how to cook it will make you cook at home more often. This means you’ll save money from going out and noshing on junk food and poor quality ingredients. You don’t have to spend a ton at the grocery store to re-create the super fresh food you see on food blogs. There are countless cooking and recipe blogs aimed at eating healthy, fresh food on a budget, so get out there and stare browsing around to get an ideas for tomorrow night’s dinner. 7. Compare gas prices. Before it’s time to fill ‘er up, check any of the numerous online gas sites that allows you to compare prices. GasBuddy lets you enter your zip code and see who has the cheapest gas in your area. This means you save time and money when it comes to cruising around trying to find the gas station that’s letting you pump for 8 cents less. 8. Shop for your car online. Whether you’re looking for a new or used vehicle, online is the best place for research at your own pace. You can browse as long as you want without a sales guy breathing down your neck. Sites like Cars.com allow you to price compare and check out the features of every car on the market. It has separate sections for new and used cars, allowing you to bring up what you’re most interested in. 9. Google a phone number. This one seems elementary, but not everyone is doing it quite yet. Instead of calling information and being charged a whopping dollar on your phone bill (does anyone else remember when it was .25?), Google the phone number. To do this quickly, you should know the name of the establishment and the street location or general neighborhood it’s located in. This will give you the fastest results without sitting through the cheesy Flash on most restaurants’ websites. 10. Buy your books online. Books are pricey in stores, but that doesn’t mean you can’t snag the latest best-sellers on a budget. Buy your books online and save up to 50% off the same books that are front and center at your favorite bookstore. Amazon is the clear winner for buying books online, but auction sites are also great where many people are unloading books of the same genre in bulk. Also check out swap sites like PaperbackSwap where members swap books, turning the Internet into a virtual library where you never have to return a book! 11. Rent your textbooks. Instead of spending hundreds on your textbooks, consider renting them. Bookrenter allows you to rent books for anywhere from one to four months and offers free return shipping. In most cases, the books required for a course is posted on the course website or syllabus, so you have the ISBN to look up the books you need before class even starts. 12. Get the apps for daily deal sites. LivingSocial already has an app that allows users to search for a coupon according to the geographical area they’re in at that moment. Groupon will be launching theirs soon, so if you’re traveling and want to get a good deal while on-the-go, be sure to check out the apps for these daily deal sites. 13. Skip the cable. If you’re single or attached but sans kids, consider dumping cable on your TV and watching TV online. Most of your favorite shows are available for free and Hulu now offers an everything package for a mere eight bucks a month. This can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year. It takes some adjusting, but for those who aren’t home to watch TV often, it’s a great way to save a considerable amount of money. 14. Manage your finances. A site like Mint shows you how much you’re spending each month and what you’re spending it on. This is a fantastic site for those who are budgeting for the first time and want to see where their money is going. It allows you to budget your money and allocate money for savings according to your short or long term goals. 15. Book your vacation online. Airline tickets continue to rise, but vacation packages can still be had for a deal. Whether you’re looking to book a girls’ weekend or a family trip to Disney World, booking a vacation on a discount travel site is the surefire way to save money. The key is to bundle what you’re doing. That means if you need airline tickets, a hotel and tickets to an attraction or activity, try your best to do it all in one bundle to get the best price.

We all loving saving money and using the Internet makes it easier than ever before. You no longer have to pick and choose how you’ll save, since this method allows you to zero in on the items or activities you regularly enjoy. That means no money is wasted on things you’re only half-excited about. The key is to prepare and stay organized with coupons and events, so when you buy a Groupon that has to be used in the next three months, you’re sure it doesn’t go to waste.