I’ve been trying to explain to my friends the value in shopping online for at least the past four years.  In order to stay competitive with local retailers that allow consumers to purchase items that can be used that same day (rather than have them shipped), online stores need to offer cheaper prices and higher convenience (duh).  If you do all (or most) of your shopping online, saving anywhere from $5-$20 on every purchase you make year round quickly adds up.

Apparently my words of wisdom just got around to the New York Times because they just wrote an excellent article about the different ways to save money this holiday season by shopping online.  For those of you who are too lazy to click the link to the article at the New York Times‘ website, here are some of the more important websites they mention:

FatWallet.com – Go through this website to save more on purchases from major retailers such as Best Buy or Barnes & Noble

Ebates.com – Rebates, cash back, and discounts for over 1,200 different stores.

CardRatings.com – Figure out which credit cards have the best rewards programs and how to sign up for them.