t is usually listed with the manufacturer's model number. It's especially good for consumer electronics because they do tend to have model numbers. You can also use this method for any product that has no model number but does have a very specific description, like "3/4 carat brilliant cut diamond engagement ring 18k gold."

Here's how to apply version two. Do your research on the product before deciding on the store you're going buy it. Say you're shopping for a digital camera. You might check reviews at ZDNet and Epinions. After you narrow your search to a few models, you could look them up on the manufacturer's sites to get complete specifications. You might even download the user manuals

Knowing this one tip has saved me hundreds of dollars shopping online. You may actually save thousands, depending on what you're buying. This money-saving tip is quick, simple, legal and moral.

Ready to get started? There are two versions of this tip. First decide which one applies in your case. Version one works when you're shopping at one particular online store. Version two works when you're shopping for a specific product that's available at several stores.

Version one (shopping at one store): When you've filled your shopping cart and arrived at the checkout page, look carefully for a box labeled "Coupon Code," "Promo Code," "Promotion Code," "Discount Code," or something similar. Often there will be a short note next to this box that says something like this: "If you have a coupon code for this site, enter it here." Sometimes the box is on the shopping cart summary page, and sometimes it appears only when you get to the page where you enter your credit card information. Be on the lookout and you'll spot it wherever it is.

Understand that not every online store will have a promo code box. Many of them do, but if the store where you're shopping doesn't have one, then this method won't work there.

Okay, so you've found the box where you can type in a discount code. Now what? Most of the time you won't have a valid code because you were just shopping, not responding to a special offer that provided a code. So you're out of luck, right?

Wrong! Here's the tip that will save you money whenever you're in this predicament. Go to Google and search for the name of the store plus the phrase (on the checkout page) that identifies the box for the code. For example, if you're shopping at a store called "Example Store" on the web at example.com, and the box is labeled "promo code," you should search Google for these phrases:

• example promo code
• example store promo code
• example.com promo code
• example promo codes
• example store promo codes
• example.com promo codes

Sometimes one of these variations will do better than the others. Try them all if you don't find a good result with the first one. From the Google search results page, click through to several of the top results and see what's there. On some sites you may see lists of special offers for that store that aren't particularly helpful. What you're looking for is an actual special code to type into that promo code box to get a special deal. It may take a few minutes to find a site that lists valid codes, but it's worth the effort. The dollars you save may be your own.

Version two (shopping for a specific product): This method works best for a product from a single manufacturer that is usually listed with the manufacturer's model number. It's especially good for consumer electronics because they do tend to have model numbers. You can also use this method for any product that has no model number but does have a very specific description, like "3/4 carat brilliant cut diamond engagement ring 18k gold."

Here's how to apply version two. Do your research on the product before deciding on the store you're going buy it. Say you're shopping for a digital camera. You might check reviews at ZDNet and Epinions. After you narrow your search to a few models, you could look them up on the manufacturer's sites to get complete specifications. You might even download the user manuals

omething similar. Often there will be a short note next to this box that says something like this: "If you have a coupon code for this site, enter it here." Sometimes the box is on the shopping cart summary page, and sometimes it appears only when you get to the page where you enter your credit card information. Be on the lookout and you'll spot it wherever it is.

Understand that not every online store will have a promo code box. Many of them do, but if the store where you're shopping doesn't have one, then this method won't work there.

Okay, so you've found the box where you can type in a discount code. Now what? Most of the time you won't have a valid code because you were just shopping, not responding to a special offer that provided a code. So you're out of luck, right?

Wrong! Here's the tip that will save you money whenever you're in this predicament. Go to Google and search for the name of the store plus the phrase (on the checkout page) that identifies the box for the code. For example, if you're shopping at a store called "Example Store" on the web at example.com, and the box is labeled "promo code," you should search Google for these phrases:

• example promo code
• example store promo code
• example.com promo code
• example promo codes
• example store promo codes
• example.com promo codes

Sometimes one of these variations will do better than the others. Try them all if you don't find a good result with the first one. From the Google search results page, click through to several of the top results and see what's there. On some sites you may see lists of special offers for that store that aren't particularly helpful. What you're looking for is an actual special code to type into that promo code box to get a special deal. It may take a few minutes to find a site that lists valid codes, but it's worth the effort. The dollars you save may be your own.

Version two (shopping for a specific product): This method works best for a product from a single manufacturer that is usually listed with the manufacturer's model number. It's especially good for consumer electronics because they do tend to have model numbers. You can also use this method for any product that has no model number but does have a very specific description, like "3/4 carat brilliant cut diamond engagement ring 18k gold."

Here's how to apply version two. Do your research on the product before deciding on the store you're going buy it. Say you're shopping for a digital camera. You might check reviews at ZDNet and Epinions. After you narrow your search to a few models, you could look them up on the manufacturer's sites to get complete specifications. You might even download the user manuals

ping, not responding to a special offer that provided a code. So you're out of luck, right?

Wrong! Here's the tip that will save you money whenever you're in this predicament. Go to Google and search for the name of the store plus the phrase (on the checkout page) that identifies the box for the code. For example, if you're shopping at a store called "Example Store" on the web at example.com, and the box is labeled "promo code," you should search Google for these phrases:

• example promo code
• example store promo code
• example.com promo code
• example promo codes
• example store promo codes
• example.com promo codes

Sometimes one of these variations will do better than the others. Try them all if you don't find a good result with the first one. From the Google search results page, click through to several of the top results and see what's there. On some sites you may see lists of special offers for that store that aren't particularly helpful. What you're looking for is an actual special code to type into that promo code box to get a special deal. It may take a few minutes to find a site that lists valid codes, but it's worth the effort. The dollars you save may be your own.

Version two (shopping for a specific product): This method works best for a product from a single manufacturer that is usually listed with the manufacturer's model number. It's especially good for consumer electronics because they do tend to have model numbers. You can also use this method for any product that has no model number but does have a very specific description, like "3/4 carat brilliant cut diamond engagement ring 18k gold."

Here's how to apply version two. Do your research on the product before deciding on the store you're going buy it. Say you're shopping for a digital camera. You might check reviews at ZDNet and Epinions. After you narrow your search to a few models, you could look them up on the manufacturer's sites to get complete specifications. You might even download the user manuals

ometimes one of these variations will do better than the others. Try them all if you don't find a good result with the first one. From the Google search results page, click through to several of the top results and see what's there. On some sites you may see lists of special offers for that store that aren't particularly helpful. What you're looking for is an actual special code to type into that promo code box to get a special deal. It may take a few minutes to find a site that lists valid codes, but it's worth the effort. The dollars you save may be your own.

Version two (shopping for a specific product): This method works best for a product from a single manufacturer that is usually listed with the manufacturer's model number. It's especially good for consumer electronics because they do tend to have model numbers. You can also use this method for any product that has no model number but does have a very specific description, like "3/4 carat brilliant cut diamond engagement ring 18k gold."

Here's how to apply version two. Do your research on the product before deciding on the store you're going buy it. Say you're shopping for a digital camera. You might check reviews at ZDNet and Epinions. After you narrow your search to a few models, you could look them up on the manufacturer's sites to get complete specifications. You might even download the user manuals

t is usually listed with the manufacturer's model number. It's especially good for consumer electronics because they do tend to have model numbers. You can also use this method for any product that has no model number but does have a very specific description, like "3/4 carat brilliant cut diamond engagement ring 18k gold."

Here's how to apply version two. Do your research on the product before deciding on the store you're going buy it. Say you're shopping for a digital camera. You might check reviews at ZDNet and Epinions. After you narrow your search to a few models, you could look them up on the manufacturer's sites to get complete specifications. You might even download the user manuals to see which one would be easiest for you to use.

Let's say you choose the 5.1 megapixel model XYZ2321 manufactured by the Hoppy Company. You look at a few online stores and see a range of prices from $179 to $219. You also try searching at Froogle and find one store that has it for $174. Now you go to Google and try these searches:

• hoppy xyz2321 promo code
• hoppy xyz2321 coupon code
• hoppy xyz2321 promo
• hoppy xyz2321 coupon
• hoppy xyz2321 promotion
• hoppy xyz 2321 promo code
• hoppy xyz 2321 coupon code
• hoppy xyz 2321 promo
• hoppy xyz 2321 coupon
• hoppy xyz 2321 promotion
• hoppy 5.1 megapixel promo code
• hoppy 5.1 megapixel coupon code
• hoppy 5.1 megapixel promo
• hoppy 5.1 megapixel coupon
• hoppy 5.1 megapixel promotion

As in version one of the method, some of these searches will do better than others. If there is a current promotion, you will probably find it in the first 10 or 20 search results on Google. See if the promotion gets you a better price than the best price you found on Froogle. You may save anywhere from a few dollars on an MP3 player to hundreds on a plasma TV.

One more point. If you're like many people I know, you wonder whether or not to click on the "Sponsored Links" on the Google search results pages. My advice is yes. A Sponsored Link will often get you more quickly to what you're looking for.

Some folks believe that they'll be billed for clicking a Sponsored Link or that the pages they'll get to by following Sponsored Links always try to sell them something. This is an Internet myth. You'll never be billed for clicking a link. (The advertiser will pay, not you.) And many of the Sponsored Link sites offer free services, not sales pages. This is especially true of the promo code and coupon code sites. They are free for your use. You'll save money by shopping through the links from the promo sites and by using the codes that they publish.