40 simple ways to save money on the internet

Here is an article from Techradar.com:
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Capitalism is collapsing, we're eating shoes for dinner and our houses are worth about 10p - so it's more important than ever to ensure that we're getting the biggest bang for our bucks.

If money really talked, it'd be saying "go online and save some cash!"
So we did.

Here, we reveal 40 ways to use the web to beat the bills, cut your costs and get more from your money.

1. Go paper-free for cheaper billsMany firms, such as Norwich Union Direct give you one discount for applying online and a further discount if you choose online-only paperless policies.

2. Make free phone callsWhether it's Skype or your favourite chat software, why pick up the phone when voice and video chat is free?

3. Cut your credit card ratesIf you don't clear the balance every month, high interest rates could be costing you a fortune. Use MoneyExtra to find a better deal.

4. Get cheaper gas and electricEnergy firms make a lot of money from inertia - that is, customers sticking with the package they're on instead of switching to better deals. Use Uswitch to compare different providers.

5. Collect AirmilesAirmiles aren't just for flights - you can use them for hotel stays, too. The Airmiles website shows you where to collect the most miles.

6. Be patient and save on delivery chargesMany online shops such as Amazon charge a fortune for fast delivery. Go for free delivery instead - no book, game or DVD is that urgent.

7. Get cheaper broadbandBeen with the same ISP for a while? You're probably paying too much. Broadband Genie shows who's got the best prices for the speed you need.

8. Get loyalty discountsProviders such as O2 give massive discounts for customers who take more than one service so, for example, O2 broadband is £5 cheaper for existing O2 customers.

9. Get cheaper insuranceInsurers typically attract new customers with generous deals and then stuff them when it's time to renew. Use Confused.com to get a better deal.

10. New quotes are often cheaper than renewalsLike your insurer but hate the renewal price? Get a new quote from their website and demand they match it. We saved £90 this week doing just that.

11. Buy groceries onlineSupermarkets are brilliant at encouraging impulse buys, so avoid temptation by ordering over the internet. If possible, arrange midweek delivery: weekends cost more.

12. Dump designersSites such as ASOS.com can help you get designer styles without paying designer money.

13. Book flights earlyThe earlier you book a flight on airlines such as EasyJet, the less it costs.

14. Use free softwareIs OpenOffice.org as good as Microsoft Office? Who cares? It's free! See also: Picasa, Google Docs, Paint.net...

15. Get cheaper gig tickets in advanceSign up to mailing lists to get advance notice of ticket sales for your favourite acts.

16. Get cheaper last-minute ticketsNeed tickets for a sold-out gig? Sod the scalpers: try ethical trading site Scarlet Mist.

17. Get cheap Christmas presents nowIt's not long till Xmas, and there are sales a-plenty from big names such as Debenhams and Marks & Sparks.

18. Find freebiesThe lovely people at Moneysavingexpert.com have found freebies ranging from baby food samples to study aids and sun cream.

19. Compare prices to save bigNever buy things from the first site you try - a quick trip to Kelkoo will often find it cheaper.

20. Use a car broker and save cash on your new carCar dealers are suffering, so brokers such as Broadspeed can get even bigger discounts on new cars than before.

21. Monitor the market for cheap mortgagesThe best deals appear and disappear in a matter of days, so use a site such as Moneysupermarket.com to make sure you don't miss any.

22. Prioritise your debts to cut repaymentsShifting debt to a credit card with 0% interest on balance transfers could slash your repayments; find one on Moneysupermarket or MoneyExtra.

23. Get a currency cardTravelling abroad? Pre-paid currency cards can save you a stack when you pay with plastic.

24. Find the cheapest petrolPetrolprices.com finds the cheapest petrol stations in your area.

25. Earn more interest on your savingsMake sure you're earning maximum interest at Moneysavingexpert.com.

26. Get 2 for 1 cinema ticketsWith Orange? Text 241 to get two-for-one tickets on Wednesdays.
27. See films for freeDisney's Film Factory often gives away free tickets for new movies.

28. Sell your story to the pressDid your partner leave you for a chicken? Beonpaper is where real-life mags often get their case studies - and many of them pay.

29. Get free stuff from FreecycleJoin your nearest Freecycle group and discover how you can get people's unwanted items for nowt.

30. Get cashback when you shopSites such as Topcashback can get you cash back when you buy from major retailers - although you should always check that the same things aren't cheaper elsewhere.

31. Stream music for freeWhy buy CDs when Last.fm's streaming is so good?

32. Build a blog, not a websiteFree blogging platforms such as WordPress are often better than paid-for web space.

33. Cancel the newspaperThey're all online, so subscribe to their RSS feeds with NewNewsWire or FeedDemon.

34. Find cheap restaurant deals5pm.co.uk offers cheap same-day deals for all kinds of swanky restaurants.

35. Do a holiday house swapDon't pay for a hotel: swap houses with someone instead.

36. Save petrolPlan your route before you travel - it saves petrol and it's cheaper than a sat-nav.

37. Get cheaper train ticketsBook in advance and use services such as Raileasy to find the lowest fares.

38. Get bargain hotel roomsLaterooms can save you a packet on hotel accommodation - especially if you're booking at the last minute.

39. Find free Wi-FiFree-hotspot.com and Wififreespot make it easy to find free Wi-Fi - although inevitably, availability is awful outside big cities.

40. Use up food before you buy moreCooking By Numbers is brilliant: tell it what odds and sods are in your fridge and it'll come up with recipes. We got Bacon Surprise: "The surprise is that it is nothing but bacon."

Now read 12 Vista Sidebar gadgets that will save you money and 7 Firefox add-ons that will save you a fortune

By Gary Marshall