Get control over your costs in the new year by making sure you never pay too much for all of those technology gadgets or products you need. ShopSmart, a Consumer Reports publication, offers the following tips:1. Check the cost: Before you buy, use the search engines to find the lowest cost. ShopSmart's top three favorites (out of 25 reviewed): PriceGrabber.com, Google.com/products, and Nextag.com. Or if you're at a store, use your smartphone to check whether it's a deal. Bar-code-scanner apps, such as RedLaser and ShopSavvy, allow you to instantly compare prices of the store with those online.2. Change the font: Stop using 12-point Times New Roman to print all of your documents and try Arial. ShopSmart found that using 12-point TImes New Roman font resulted in 27 percent more pages per ink cartridge than using the more ink-friendly option of Arial. Calibri was another ink-saving font, whereas Tahoma and Verdana were found to be ink wasters.3. Phone coupons: Get coupons delivered right to your phone. Coupon Sherpa, MobiQPon, and major retailers are now jumping on the bandwagon of offering coupons for discounts delivered right to your phone.4. Become a friend and get insider deals: Add some companies to your social networking connections to find more deals. For example, "like" a company on Facebook or sign up for e-mail alerts on their Web site to be notified about special sales and freebies. ShopSmart also notes following Twitter's @EarlyBird service for limited-time offers.Source: “15 Top Money-Saving Tips," ShopSmart (January 2011)
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