Compare Prices to Save Cash

Comparing prices is one of the best ways to save a few bucks. However, it can often be time consuming. Don’t have a lot of extra time? If you regularly shop online, let Alerts.com do the work for you.

Here’s the tip of the day:

After reading The Pinch, representatives from Bellevue, Wash.-based Alerts.com contacted me about their new price watch and price protection alerts. The Web site helps customers to monitor online price changes for an unlimited amount of time.

The nationwide service is free, and consumers sign up to receive alerts via e-mail, text message, instant messaging or even voice mail. Alerts.com will send an alert when the price drops or hits the price the consumer is willing to pay, according to Lindsay Williamson at Alerts.com.

Alerts.com also offers alerts for gas prices and hotel prices. Here’s a brief description of how each service works.

Price Watch:

Alerts.com reports that online retailers mark down prices daily. To receive alerts, copy and paste the web page address of the product into the Price Drop Watch. Alerts.com monitors the retail price and sends an alert immediately when the price changes.

Price Protection:

This service helps consumers to protect the price of a recent purchase. According to Alerts.com, if the price drops after you make a purchase, you can often get a refund from the retailer. To receive alerts, copy and paste the web page address of the product into the Price Protection Alert.

Gas Prices:

Fuel prices can vary from 10 to 30 cents per gallon in the same area, according to Alerts.com. To find out which gas stations near you have the lowest diesel, regular or premium prices in the area, you can set up a gas alert.

Hotel Prices:

To find the best hotel price, Alerts.com will search all the top travel and hotel Web sites for the best deals. The customer simply enters information such as when and where they need to book a room and their approximate budget.

Alerts.com also sends alerts on weather, birthdays, traffic and jobs. For more information, visit alerts.com.

How do you compare prices? Do you drive around from store to store or do you have a sophisticated system? Write in to The Pinch to let me know.