While technology grows more advanced, shopping online is only getting easier and more efficient. As seen this morning on The Early Show (CBS), Regina shared her top picks of the best web sites and apps for finding the biggest bargains.

Earn Cash Back on Online Purchases:
www.shortcuts.com/cashback



Make your money work for you by earning cash back on your purchases. It genuinely surprises people to learn, you can earn cash back on almost all your online shopping at 1,200 different, big name stores. You click on the store you want to shop from and the first thing you see is all the coupon codes we all crave. So, take advantage of the one you want – 10% OFF, Free Shipping, etc. Then, start shopping ... Here's the exciting new part. You will earn a percentage back on all your purchases ... So, by way of example, if I spend $100 at a department store and they're offering 6% Cash back, boom ... I'm up $6. Then, if I hop over to another participating site and buy some things for my home, I might earn 10% back ... The site keeps a tally and every three months, YOU GET A CHECK IN THE MAIL! If you started shopping online today, you'd get a check in the mail in November.

Scan Prices on your iPhone with Red Laser:
www.redlaser.com & Red Laser in the app store



This app is a real show-stopper. It's the future of shopping...now. RedLaser turns your iPhone into a bar code scanner by using using the device's camera. It then takes the information from the bar code and comparison shops for you by instantly searching hundreds of thousands of retailers for the item you've just scanned. So you'll know if you can get it cheaper - either at the store around the corner or online. And if the product is available at a different store at a better price, RedLaser will give you a map and directions on how to get there from where you are. It works on everything from electronics to home goods to wine and groceries ... you name it.

Save Bucks by Simply Browsing:
www.getinvisiblehand.com



If you don't have an iPhone or if you're simply shopping online, try using a free add-on application for your web browser called "Invisible Hand." It will save you both time and money. You don't have to be at all "techy" to use it. The download takes less than a minute and once you've got it, Invisible Hand sits on your toolbar (the bar at top of screen) until you visit a product page. It then provides a discreet notification when a product you're viewing can be bought for a lower price elsewhere. So, before you checkout and overpay, just click on the link it provides to hop over to the cheaper site. The tool is compatible with 115 major retailers, including Amazon, Overstock, BestBuy.com, Borders.com, SEARS, ToysRUS and more. On average people who shop with Invisible Hand save over $16.00 every time they use it. Not Bad!

Group Deal Sites Save Big:
www.YipIt.com



Lately, there's been a lot of buzz about group deals ... Getting a bargain is great, but getting your friends in on it can sweeten the deal for everyone. While Groupon was one of the first players in this space, new site YipIt.com is gaining traction fast. YipIt aggregates and recommends daily deals from over 90 different group deal sites based on preference you set. It's your city's top restaurants, bars, spas and shops offering amazing deals via services like Groupon, LivingSocial, Scoop St, BuyWithMe, HomeRun and lots more.

Money in Your Pocket:
www.couponsherpa.com



We all know coupon codes can save us money, but now there's an app to find coupons on-the-go. It's called Coupon Sherpa and it's a free download for your iPhone or iPad. Coupon Sherpa's premise is quite simple: It uses your cell phone's GPS location to displays a list of local retail businesses offering deals. Tap through to see available coupons for each store. Select the coupon you want and it loads. Then, just present your iPhone to the cashier, who can scan the coupon off the iPhone screen or simply punch in the barcode number. The Coupon Sherpa staff scours the internet daily for the best deals. When we tested it, we quickly found lots of money-saving offers from stores including: Best Buy, Bath & Body Works, Barnes & Noble, JCPenney, Kohls, Old Navy, Lens Crafters, Quiznos and more.

Best Online Freebies:
www.mydaily.com



There are tons of deals on the web, but if you're looking for the best of the best this site is a good one-stop-shop. Site Editors pick the day's top deals, including buy-one-get-one-free and FREE trials. Importantly, these are legit offers that have been vetted. Often they're big companies giving away free samples or trials. The key is knowing about them. This way when you see a big crowd at a local pizza place or ice cream shop and they're all getting free slices or cones, you'll know why and be in on it too.

As seen this morning on The Early Show (CBS) – Regina discusses the latest high-tech back to school supplies.

Retailers are preparing for price wars and big discounts to pull in shoppers as the back-to-school season kicks into full gear. The annual ritual is second only to the Christmas season in its importance to retailers' bottom lines. The average American family with school-age children is expected to spend about $58 more this year than last, for a total of $606.40, up 11%, according to the National Retail Federation. The federation says the increase is due to necessity: the kids have outgrown the clothes and backpacks that they might have reused last year.


Look for Dollar Deals on the Basics

Starting with school supplies – there's a lot of competition for the basics – lots dollar deals and many items for well under a dollar. WalletPop.com continues to update a list of back to school bargains, so that's a good starting point for comparison shopping before you head off to the store. And comparison shopping is a big deal this year for back to school – a lot families are on tight budgets. Another trend expected is buying generic vs. brand name.


Target: Paper portfolios for $.10, 2-pack of erasers for $.20, glue for $.20, 12-pack of colored pencils $.50.

Office Depot: Supplies starting at 5 cents each, pocket folders for 25 cents each, a 10 pack of pens for 25 cents, a 24 pack of crayons for 69 cents. Offer for a free backpack with a $10.00 minimum purchase.

Staples: one subject binders for $.59 each and lot of $1.00 and $2.00 deals on the basics like: pencils, pens, markers, highlighters, tape and glue sticks.

Amazon.com: has a Back to School Sale – has 50 school supplies under $5.00 and all 50 deals come with Amazon's Free Super Saver Shipping, as long as spend a total of $25.00 or more.

Tip: Make a list and stick to it. Don't get lured in by the big bargains and then fall into the trap of buying higher priced items that aren't on your list.

Apparel Sales ... Blue Jeans Rule

Apparel is where parents will spend the majority of the back to school budget. Look for big sales on the basics like polos, tees and blue jeans.

- Gap.com: All jeans are $20.00 off for a limited time, plus free shipping on your order for $50.00 or more.

- American Eagle: All jeans are on sale – and buy one pair of jeans and your entire order ships for free.

- Kohls.com: Sale on Kids' Levis jeans - $24.99. Plus, lots of 40%-50% off deals on tops, pants and shorts.


- Also of note, Kmart is offering layaway options, giving shoppers up to 8 weeks to pay for back-to-school goods.

Tip: If you are shopping online, another way e-tailers are bringing in business is through online coupons or coupon codes. If you don't have one, go to a site like retailmenot.com or Google the retailer + "coupon code." It also pays to sign up for e-tailers deal alerts and newsletters. They often send coupons that way and you will also be first on the list to find out about sales events.

Retailers Turn to Mobile Marketing

Retailers are promoting everything from jeans to pens and notebooks through emails and text messages. Target is sending out scannable coupons that shoppers show at the cash register. JCPenney's, Kohl's and Best Buy will send text messages to promote sales while Kmart customers will find out about daily deals through text alerts. Source: Marketwatch.com

Tax Free Holidays in 16 States

In 16 states, there are tax holidays for back-to-school shoppers with many taking place this weekend. In most cases the tax holidays cover clothing, footwear and back to school supplies with a selling price of $100 or less per item – but exact details do vary from state to state. For more details and to find out if and when your state is participating check out Consumer Reports Money Blog where they've done a nice roundup of information.

Laptops and Dorm Room Supplies

There was a time when a sub $400.00 laptop was a hard find, but right now is a great time to snag a deal on one and many are well below the $400.00 mark. BestBuy.com has well-equipped laptops starting at $329.00. Also very popular, the smaller, ultra-portable Netbooks are $100 less, starting at $229.00.


Walmart.com has laptops starting under $350.00 and has tech items for the college set front and center on their homepage right now.

Other Walmart deals:
- TVs starting at $139.00 (for the dorm room)
- Mini-fridges on rollback for $58.00.
- Microwave ovens for $49.00.

Big Savings on College Textbooks

The cost of buying the textbooks can easily add up to $1,000 per year or more. Buying used, either at the college bookstore or online (where you are likely to find a bigger selection) can save you big bucks. Web sites like Amazon.com, Half.com and CampusBooks.com are all places to look for a bargain. Books are organized by condition – i.e., "brand new," "like new," "good." Most books feature comments notifying buyers about highlighted or torn pages, stickers on the cover or water damage. The sites are searchable by title, author or a book's ISBN number. Also, Facebook hosts thousands of college-specific groups where students sell and swap textbooks.


New trend – renting college textbooks. Chegg.com has a reputation for being the Netflix of book rental companies – its used books are known for arriving in a bright orange box, and, more important, in good condition. Textbooks can be rented by semester. Shipping starts at $3.99 and return shipping is free. Renting normally runs about half the cost of buying textbooks. Chegg.com says the average student will save over $500.00 per year by renting.

Here's a look at some of the sites and topics we are covering on stations nationwide this week ... News You Can Use & Must Click Sites: The All-Access Pass Redefined, Safer Online Shopping Tips, Who Flies the Friendliest Skies, and More!

• Not Your Traditional Backstage Pass: Your favorite artists are letting you in... via the Web. Game-changing new site Cambio.com offers fans an all-access pass to see what happens behind the scenes of shows by the Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, Demi Lavato, and more. This goes beyond music as you're seeing everything that happens ... after they leave the stage.


• Home Buying Help: Now that the Federal First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit has expired consumers are scrambling for information and incentives. The good news, they exist if you know where to look and how to qualify, but the process can be daunting. AOL Real Estate offers a first look at brand new resources with insider tips on getting a loan despite today's tighter standards. Also, AOL Real Estate, in participation with Bank of America Home Loans, is hosting an online discussion with real estate experts, moderated by Regina, who will answer consumers' burning questions about home buying in today's market. Be sure to log on here, June 23rd at 7:30pm to watch. The show will be archived, so you can also watch at your convenience.


• Shop Safer Online, Every Time: You've got a lot of power in your finger. With one click of the mouse, you can purchase just about anything online. Even though online shopping is generally much safer than it was at the dawn of the Internet, there are still many potential pitfalls and new threats are introduced every day. So, it can, literally, pay to think twice before you 'add to cart.' From watching out for cookies to paying for online purchases with credit instead of debit. Regina runs down some simple shopping tips to keep you safe and save you money.

• Who Flies the Friendliest Skies? No hot food, no pillows and blankets, and on some flights, no complimentary water. What's left? The one thing that can turn a long, meal-less coach flight from an ordeal to a joyride ... friendliness: helpful airline personnel and flight attendants with a positive attitude. Traveling coast-to-coast, AOL's Mystery Flyer goes undercover to find the friendliest flight attendants and most helpful service. Find out how the competition stacked up.


• Bring Your Computer Up to Speed: So maybe your computer isn't quite as fast as you would like it to be. Maybe you're lagging when you try to play games or it hangs on the crucial part of that video you're streaming. Get the clutter and waste off your computer by quickly removing unnecessary and temporary files. Regina has the scoop on how to recover valuable disk space in seconds and get your computer running up to 300% faster.


• Hot Viral Video: So many online videos, so little time. We've tracked down the "must see" viral video of the week. At Holmes Middle School in Alexandria, VA., teachers perform Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" during the annual talent show. While the video did draw a lot of positive comments from YouTube viewers, there were those who thought the teachers should have chosen something a little less racy. Take a look and judge for yourself.

As seen on The Early Show (CBS), here's a look at some unique gifts for Father's Day 2010 ....

According to the National Retail Federation's 2010 Father's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, the average person will spend $94.32 on dad this year, up from $90.89 last year. Total Father's Day spending is expected to reach $9.8 billion.

Shutterfly.com
Photo Books
Prices range from $13.00 - $70.00



Shutterfly photo books are an easy way to create a unique gift for Dad that lasts a lifetime. Shutterfly offers multiple ways to design and create photo books using digital photos whether they're stored on Shutterfly, on your computer, or Facebook. Make your own photo book choosing from 5 sizes and an extensive collection of backgrounds and covers. Select from "Custom Path" to control all the creative options or use "Simple Path" and Shutterfly will make it for you in just a few clicks.

RedEnvelope.com
Sliders Mini-Burger Set
$29.95



Dad can make a splash at the next cook out with these fun mini-burger sliders from RedEnvelope.com. Set includes a triple slider burger press for the perfect size sliders, one bun cutter and a nine slider grill basket for easy grilling. Turn all nine mini-burger sliders with one flip. A great spin on the traditional burger, these trendy mini-burger sliders make a delicious appetizer. Get creative with all kinds of different toppings for a gourmet twist.

Omaha Steaks
Thrill the Grill Combo
Father's Day price: $49.99 (Regular price: $152.00)

Grilling out with Dad is an American tradition and Father's Day is second only to the Christmas holiday for Omaha Steaks in terms of sales volume. Add variety to Dad's grilling with the Thrill The Grill Combo. This combo features a tasty selection of cookout favorites in one collection.



Fire up the grill and serve up Omaha Steaks world-famous Filet Mignons and Top Sirloins. Enjoy the versatility of Boneless Pork Chops and Chicken Breasts. Host a legendary backyard barbecues with their juicy Omaha Steaks Burgers. Add in Stuffed Baked Potatoes and you've got the Thrill The Grill Combo. Be sure to order by Monday, June 14 for standard shipping.

UncommonGoods.com
Golfers BBQ Set
$25.00



Golf and BBQ: Combine Dad's weekend favorites in this three-piece stainless steel BBQ set with soft insulated handles that look just like golf grips. The tongs, spatula, and fork are perfect for the guy who loves the links, sausage or otherwise. Sold as a set of three on UncommonGoods.com.

Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote
$177.00 (on Amazon.com)



Give Dad total control over all the family gadgets and electronics with the Logitech Harmony One. A full-color touch screen offers easy, one-touch access to entertainment activities. And the Harmony One replaces up to 15 remotes, reducing clutter in the living room. Sculpted, backlighted buttons are easy to find, making it easy to navigate home-entertainment – even in the dark. The Harmony One is compatible with over 250,000 devices from 5,000+ manufacturers so you know it will work with what Dad has, as well as what he may buy in the future.

Reef Fanning Flip-Flops with built in bottle opener
$46.00 on REI.com



These smooth-wearing flip-flops from Reef have an integrated bottle opener in the outsole, ensuring Dad is never stuck with an unopened cold beverage. Soft, flexible synthetic nubuck strap uppers gently wrap insteps for a secure fit and the soft nylon webbing thong is comfortable between toes. Compression-molded EVA topsoles/midsoles are contoured for an ergonomic fit and offer all-day cushioning.

This morning on MSNBC, we're discussing Memorial Day Deals. While it's not traditionally as significant a retail weekend as Fourth of July or Labor Day, a day off can mean a day at the stores (and don't forget outlets!). Retailers are hoping to end May, and start June with strong sales. Here's some of the deals we were able to track down ...

#1. KOHL's
Is it just me or is everything always on sale? If you couple this with the Kohl's Cash drill & stagger your purchases to take advantage of the Kohl's cash, you're looking at 30-50% off + $10 future buying power for every $50 spent. If you're standing in line with $70 worth of goods, it's worth putting that $19.99 item back & returning the next day with your $10 Kohl's cash. At that point you can score the same item for $9.99. I was surprised to learn you can also earn Kohl's cash online, though it can only be redeemed in-store. Smart traffic-driver. If you do shop Kohls.com, take advantage of Power Hours deals and FREE Standard Shipping on Orders $100 or More -- Code: Shipping100

KOHLS Circular

POWER HOURS ONLINE 12 am - 3 pm : KOHLS.com

FREE Standard Shipping on Orders $100 or More Code: Shipping100

#2) Dick's Sporting Goods
I spend a small fortune at Dick's and have noticed they have a giant gold department. Turns out someone affiliated with the PGA is probably working in it, as part of the Golf Club Trade-In Program. A VERY clever promotion aimed at getting you to trade in your old clubs and trade up to new ones. The website is easy to use and will give you an instant quote if you plug in the brand name and type of club. Dick's is upping the ante this weekend with an extra $50, $75 or $100 on Any Used Club Trade-In applied to qualified purchases. The higher the cost of the club or set of clubs you're buying the more they'll add. If you spend $300 or more on a driver or $499 on a new set of irons, they'll add $100 onto that clunker club with a trade-in value of $20. Essentially it's the same as getting roughly 40% off, but it feels even better.
DICK's GOLF CLUB TRADE IN

#3) Sears

Twenty percent off all Energy Star appliances caught my eye, but the washer and dryer would like to get are still $999 -- EACH! On a more positive note, mowers are at their advertised "lowest price ever." SEARS -- Lowest Price Ever on Craftsman mowers

$179 for rear bag push mower Save $70

$1049.99 for lawn tractor. Save $315

#4) TARGET
We rarely make it through a weekend without a stop at Target. They're aggressively distributing grocery and pharmacy coupons (incenting you to move your prescriptions from your local drug store). They're also genius in marketing irresistible seasonal merchandise. I can't tell you how many outdoor acrylic plates, tumblers and serving trays we own. We do not, however, have their "Weekly WOW" -- An Inflatable Pool Lowest Price of the Season $199. Regular Price. Now $169. Little pricey for an impulse buy, but if you can spring for it, seems like a decent value for the size (based on comparable pools at other retailers). It's hard to describe something so non-essential as a "deal," but could be a priceless opportunity to surprise your family. They say it's an EZ Set-Up taking just 15 minutes to be ready for water.
TARGET Memorial Weekend Ad Circular

#5) Walmart
If you're hosting events this summer -- graduations, reunions, BBQ,s -- you might want to consider stocking up on soda at Walmart this weekend. They're offering 24-packs for $5. In some areas, they'll be as low as $3.88. That's less than a 12 pack usually costs on sale at a grocery store. These low soda prices (the lowest in approx 5 years) are expected to cause what the industry deems "pantry hoarding." Hoard away:)


#6) BONUS: FANTASTIC FREEBIES Source: www.WalletPop.com
There's no better price point than FREE when it's part of a legitimate offer. Sampling programs are often part of consumer launches -- whether it's limeade at Taco Bell, a spicy chicken sandwich at Chick-fil-A or a Starbuck's downloadable album on iTunes -- the key is knowing when the offer starts, the caveats &/or catches if they exist and when the offer ends. Popular blog, WalletPop tracks FREE offers daily & spells out these details. In fact, they have a whole area dedicated to FANTASTIC FREEBIES.

Things are changing .... So where are we, and where are we headed, when it comes to shopping? And what can you be doing right now to save even if you're not-so-hi-tech? We've got some modern day moves to get the most bang for your buck on everything from groceries to apparel, electronics and airline tickets. Plus, why that phone in your pocket may be even "smarter" than you think when it comes to scoring deals.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

1) VIRTUAL COUPONS
www.shortcuts.com
AVERAGE SAVINGS: $12.00 per shopping trip


Clipping grocery coupons from the newspaper already seems antiquated and the Internet has really opened up the playing field for coupon use. With the decline of newspaper readership and the growth in mobile phone use – retailers and marketers are gravitating toward distributing coupons in digital form. It's a trend that's catching on. You can register your grocery store loyalty card (81% of us already have one in our wallets – even men!) on websites that let you ADD coupons directly to the card. It's called DIRECT TO CARD and the savings are electronically transferred to the card (essentially "assigned" to the card number). One of the biggest player in this area is Shortcuts.com. When you check out at the store, you'll get all the same savings you normally would for being a loyal customer PLUS the extra savings you've added to the card via Shortcuts. It's as if you've turbo-charged your card with extra savings.


You can even grab a coupon on the fly by selecting coupons on your cellphone & adding them to your grocery store shopping card WHILE YOU ARE SHOPPING! Later, when you swipe the discount card at the check-out machine, the system will recognize the coupons and deduct the amounts from the total bill. This is music to the ears of real coupon fanatics, who say they can shave 50% off their grocery bill by taking advantage of online and offline (traditional) coupons ... They get their grocery stores to double coupons and milk their grocery store loyalty cards for all their worth.

As for what the future holds ... watch for an EZ-PASS shopping equivalent. One card to which grocery stores, pharmacies, department stores and others can instantly transmit extra savings.

2) REAL-TIME COMPARISON SHOPPING
www.Getinvisiblehand.com
AVERAGE SAVINGS: $15 per visit


This is an easy add-on application for your web browser that saves you time and money while shopping online. Let's face it, we all know we should comparison shop, but it takes time. Once downloaded (takes less than a minute), Invisible Hand sits on your browser bar. As you shop, it provides a discreet notification when the product you're searching for can be bought for a lower price elsewhere. The tool is compatible with 115 major retailers, including Amazon, Overstock, BestBuy.com, Borders.com, SEARS, ToysRUS and more.

EXAMPLE #1 – LCD TV Comparison:
we searched for a 46 inch Samsung TV on Best Buy – SALE price $989.99. Invisible Hand alerted us within seconds that the same TV was elsewhere for $17.00 less.


EXAMPLE #2 – "The Blindside" on DVD
We searched for the DVD on Buy.com and came back with a price of $19.99. GetInvisibleHand alerted us to save $4.00 on Amazon.com by paying $15.99 instead.

3) COMPARISON SHOPPING BY UPC CODE
www.pricegrabber.com

Example #1: On mobile devices via PriceGrabber
You can already search for products wirelessly on your cell phone using PriceGrabber.com, but typing in the name of a product or product description can be cumbersome. Quickly searching by UPC (the 8-12 digit # above the familiar bars) is a lot more precise & a much faster path. There are millions of items in their database and they're always adding more.


Example #2: Real-time Bar code Scanning
www.redlaser.com
This application is really wild and once you've tried it, you'll see why it's consistently ranked in the top 10 Paid iPhone Apps. RedLaser instantly scans images of bar codes and comparison shops for you by searching hundreds of thousands of retailers via Google's Product Search and The Find Product Search. The App sells for $1.99.


3) CHEAP SEATS & ROOMS "GUARANTEED"
www.yapta.com - YAPTA = YOUR AMAZING PERSONAL TRAVEL ASSISTANT
SAMPLE MONEY SAVED/CASH BACK BASED ON A NEW LOWER FARE ($50.00). The math: $400 (original fare) - $275 (new fare) = $125 - $75 (change fee) = $50

Some of the biggest ticket items have the greatest price fluctuation, but there are tools to make sure we don't over-pay for bad timing on a purchase.


YAPTA'S AIRFARE TRACKER: You book your airline ticket or a hotel room, prices drop ... But it's not game over! Plug your itinerary into Yapta.com (before or after you book) and it will alert you if/when prices drop.

Major airlines offer "guaranteed airfare policies," which means you're eligible for a refund if the fare price decreases (sometimes it needs to fall by more than a certain amount). Even after deducting any change fee levied by the airline, if your $400 round trip ticket is suddenly $275, you might have $50+ bucks (sometimes in form of voucher) headed your way. If you're traveling with a family of four, that's $200!


#4) INVITATION ONLY SAMPLE & FLASH SALES
www.GILT.com

We all know someone or want to be someone who is an "insider" ... who gets invited to the sample sales and gets first dibs on discounted "it" items. This has become a virtual scene and there's a lot of buzz about this trend. Ebay is even getting in the game and Saks is experimenting with "flash" sales -- Limited inventory on sale for limited time.

GILT is one of the biggest players in this arena, having built their base by being "exclusive." It's an invitation only site revealing high-end sample sales daily -- the doors open at noon. Sales last 36 hours and merchandise sells out quickly. There's a real sense of urgency. Interestingly, 48% of sales are done within the first hour of a sale. It's event based shopping. For some, its become a sport. We spoke with GILT – which is an aesthetically beautiful site and looks even more stunning on the iPad – and they revealed they do make room for people who seek membership within the week. In other words, we've verified you can "get in." But, be prepared for a little sticker shock ... Even on sale, we're talking about luxury items for the style conscious. The buyers are "curators" who have edited the selections to match the clientele.

TourTracker.com as featured on TODAY SHOW.

More than 40% of Americans will take back at least one gift after the holidays (Source: NRF). Here's quick video seen on news websites across the country & some corresponding notes + resources ....

There's no "one-size-fits-all" returns policy. While most stores offer shoppers the standard 30 days for returns, policies can vary by retailer. Watch for 14 day return deadlines on items like computers and other electronics. And whether you bought a gift in store or online, may also affect the returns procedure. If you did buy online, some retailers will require you to mail the item back, while others allow in-store returns. WalletPop.com has a terrific round-up with details by retailer.

Retailers more liberal with holiday returns: If you show up at the store to make a return, chances are you are also there to do more shopping, especially taking advantage of post-holiday sales. Retailers realize this, and if the past is any indication, return policies tend to be more lenient after the holidays. In fact, about one-third (28%) of retailers say their return policy is more flexible during the holidays than it is during the course of the year (Source: NRF Survey – Oct 2009). Merchants should do their best to work with you.

SNOWED IN? RUN OUT OF TIME? HERE'S WHERE TO CLICK IN THE CLUTCH ... MINUTES MATTER IF YOU HAVE YOUR EYE ON GETTING SOMETHING UNDER THE TREE IN TIME. LOG ON & YOU MAY BE IN LUCK ... WE'LL TELL YOU WHERE TO LOOK, IF THERE'S A CATCH & FILL YOU IN ON SOME 11th HOUR GIFT IDEAS TO SAVE FACE & FULFILL EXPECTATIONS ... READ ON FOR SEVEN STEALTH MOVES .... DONE CORRECTLY, THEY'LL NEVER KNOW YOU WAITED TILL THE LAST MINUTE! ..

SHIPPING DEADLINES ARE APPROACHING FOR ONLINE SHOPPERS ... WHEN DO FREE OR DISCOUNTED SHIPPING DEALS BEGIN TO EXPIRE?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

In what is being billed as the holiday season of the bargain hunter, your holiday budget may be bigger than you think. There are creative ways to stretch your dollar and uncover some hidden buying power you may not even know you have ... We're talking about payment options other than cash on the CBS EARLY SHOW this morning. The secret is rethinking what "currency" means.

1. CREDIT CARD REWARDS: Redeem for Merchandise

a) Discover has a Cashback Bonus program. Members can redeem their Cashback Bonus for gift cards from over 100 top retailers including: Brookstone, Fandango, Gap, Food Locker, FAO Schwarz, JCPenney, iTunes, Macys, Old Navy, Overstock.com, Red Envelope, Sears, Sephora, Bloomingdales, Blue Nile , HP, Lane Bryant and many others. (You do need an account to browse the online mall.)

b) American Express rewards. You can earn 1 Membership Rewards^® point for virtually every dollar you spend. 1,000 points equal about $5 when redeemed for merchandise. Use your points online at shopamex.com where you can but things like Nintendo Wii games for example. A $48.00 Wii game can be had for just under 9600 points. You can exponentially increase the rate at which you earn points by taking advantage of merchants offering 3-5X points for every dollar spent.

2. AIRLINE MILES
You may not have enough miles for a round-trip flight, but you can also redeem airline miles for holiday gifts. United has a Merchandise Rewards website where you can trade points for anything from cookware to watches to electronics. United Merchandise Rewards

Same goes for some hotel rewards programs like Hilton HHonors

3. TAPPING INTO UNUSED GIFT CARDS
If you have yet to redeem unused gift cards from last holiday season, you're not alone – one of four gift-card recipients have yet to redeem a card they received in 2008 (Source: Consumer Reports). We're not suggesting you re-gift the old gift cards (that's your call), but what you can do is swap them for cash online on sites like www.giftcards.com. Expect to get back between 65% of the gift card's value.

4. OLD GADGETS = NEW BUYING POWER
Electronics will be hot gifts this holiday season & you may be able to cash in by recycling some of the old gadgets you are replacing. As part of their new trade-in and recycling program, Sears is offering gift cards for your old electronics – think MP3 players, digital cameras, cell phones – even old video games and DVDs. We've had great success with this model in our home.

Log onto sears.gazelle.com, where you'll be prompted to enter brand and model information, indicate whether the device works or is damaged, and answer questions about condition and the presence of various accessories. Then, click 'calculate,' and up pops the trade-in value. EXAMPLE: A used, three year old Cannon digital camera in "good" condition is worth $61.00. In "fair" condition, it's worth $53.00. If you're satisfied with the offer, the company will provide free shipping and packaging to return the equipment; and you'll receive your Sears gift card in a week or so. As a special holiday promotion, Sears says participants will receive a 5 percent bonus over the actual trade-in value through Dec. 31. Customers can redeem Sears gift cards online or in store.

Best Buy is also offering gift cards for used electronics. They have an online estimator so you can see how much your stuff is worth. You can then print a prepaid shipping label from the Best Buy website. You can also make trade in's at Best Buy stores for select items like laptops and iPods, if you originally purchased the items at Best Buy. There are also in-store kiosks where you can trade in previously viewed movies.

IF BLACK FRIDAY DIDN'T PRODUCE THE KILLER BUY YOU'RE SEARCHING FOR, THERE'S ALWAYS CYBER MONDAY ... "Cyber Monday" is the Monday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 30th this year). Retailers see this day as their first opportunity to target holiday shoppers who may have window-shopped over the weekend ... When the kids go back to school and they hit their computers at home -- and dare I say -- at work. This year, there'll be a ton of CYBER MONDAY DEALS. Here's where to find CYBER MONDAY DEALS and some Do's & Don'ts. The biggest winners so far? Department store websites: Up 151%. Neiman Marcus is currently offering free shipping & gorgeous free gIft wrapping too. Can't beat the presentation & the packaging alone is tremendous value.

IS CYBER MONDAY THE BIGGEST ONLINE SHOPPING DAY OF THE YEAR?

Just as Black Friday isn't really the biggest offline shopping day of the year (it's actually the w-end before Christmas), Cyber Monday is a term coined by the National Retail Federation and while it's certainly one of the biggest shopping days of the year, the biggest volume day usually falls around Dec 14 one of the last days for standard shipping. But, every year, the Cyber Monday stakes get higher and so is the potential upside for retailers and consumers who take advantage of the fact fourth quarter is make or break for most retailers -- they're pulling out all the stops to get your business, especially online which could prove to be a bright spot in their portfolio. Big players like JC Penney expect online sales to be its fastest-growing area. Kohls is predicting a 30% increase as result of aggressive online advertising. And, Amazon continues to post some amazing numbers.


In terms of the Internet's influence .... Here's the biggie. Beyond sales online today & throughout the season, the web is predicted to influence 1 out of 4 holiday sales (Source: NRF Survey) as consumers look online for product reviews, deals, coupons, price comparisons and gift ideas -- particularly at the more-popular-than-ever $25 an under price point -- which are on the frontscreens right now of almost every major Internet service, shopping site and magazine site.


IT SEEMS LIKE PRICES ARE CHANGING ALL THE TIME. HOW CAN I REALLY BE SURE AM GETTING THE BEST PRICE?

Dynamic pricing on the web enables retailers to slash and manipulate prices on the fly, so the price-cutting and discounting is even more ferocious. To really up the ante, some sites have deals of the day with tickers counting down the time they'll be available. If you're after a certain price, you can sign up to be notified via alerts when it hits your mark from sites like www.pricegrabber.com and www.priceprotectr.com

The key is knowing a good deal when you see one & that means knowing the price it usually goes for and is going for elsewhere. That's where price comparison shopping comes in by using shopping search on major shopping sites like AOL & Yahoo Shopping and price comparison engines like PriceGrabber.com. This single step can save you -- on average -- as much as 35% on a single item.

COUPON CODES WERE THE RAGE LAST YEAR ... ARE THEY STILL KEY & WHERE CAN YOU FIND THEM?

Leaving the promotional code box empty. If they're asking for one, that means it exists. Search for the code on sites like couponcabin.com, grab it & then check out. Also, if you get the mail order catalog for a site you're shopping at, thumb through the pages -- they may have inserted codes in there too.

SHOULD YOU BE SUSPECT IF YOU DON'T SEE A PRICE LISTED? WHY DO THEY SOMETIMES MAKE YOU WAIT TILL YOU ADD IT TO YOUR CART?

The best kept secret is actually something that throws a lot of people off -- It's NOT seeing the price of an item before it is added to their cart. You get -- understandably -- skeptical. It's a real issue & Amazon is working on it. Here's the backstory according to an Amazon spokesperson we connected with: some items require you to add them to your shopping cart BEFORE you get to see the price. Consumers, frustrated by hidden prices and wary of hidden agendas, might worry they will have to go through a long process to find out the price, but they don't. And if you just move on to the next product, you could miss out on real savings.

These products and others, are affected by manufacturer advertising restrictions whereby some manufacturers consider an online listing for a product the equivalent to media advertising. Just as brick and mortar stores cannot pick the prices in their distributed advertising/circulars, Amazon, in some instances, cannot display a price that is lower than the manufacturer's suggested retail price. Whenever you have to add something to your cart, it's probably a GOOD THING. You'll likely get a great deal.

We see it every year ... lines extending around the block ... shoppers camping out at storefronts the night before ... die hard deal-seekers willing to go all out to score some of the best deals of the year. But well before Black Friday ad circulars appear on doorsteps or in mailboxes across the country, the deals are "leaked" online. In fact, searches on AOL for "Black Friday Ads" always spike this time of year. The ads themselves end up on sale spotting sites like BlackFriday.FM, WalletPop.com and BlackFriday.Gottadeal.com.


Editors on these sites(and help on our own end with go-to guy Jeff Corbett) invest a ton of time checking prices from store-to-store and site-to-site, posting the best deals – often with coupon codes & printable coupons to save you even more. You can search the deals by store name or category: electronics, apparel, sporting goods, etc. The info. can be really helpful in figuring out which way to point your mouse or your car.

HOT BLACK FRIDAY DEALS

Walmart - Sub $200.00 laptop; 100 toys $10:
- Emachines brand laptop for $198.00.
- Walmart will also have "100 toys priced at $10," including in-demand items like Barbie dolls and action figures.


Target - 32" TV for $246.00; $3.00 appliances:
- In store only - $246.00 for a 32" Flat Screen LCD HDTV -- this beats Walmarts best price on a 32" flat screen by $2.00 and is $180.00 off the original price.
- Also rumored are $3 appliances including a 12-cup coffee maker, sandwich maker, toaster and slow cooker.

Best Buy - Netbook deal $179.99; hot video game discounts:
- Compaq Netbook for $179.99. Netbooks are a very hot item this year.
- Madden 10 Video Game for $34.99 - PS3 or XBox - regularly $59.99. Other top video games at similar prices.


Toys R Us - Power Wheels Vehicles $59.99; Hot Wheels bundle $5.00:
- Power Wheels ride on vehicles. Choose from Barbie or a Boys' version $59.99 (40% off - originally $99.99). This is a 12 Midnight to 1pm Black Friday deal.
- Hot Wheels 10 car packs for $4.99 - that's 50% off and makes a great stocking stuffer.

Sears - Huge 50% off Tools Sale:
- Including many tools for under $10.

Old Navy - $15.00 Kids' Winter Coats:
Kids "Frost Free" Winter Coats for $15.00 - regularly $39.50 to $49.50.


Hot Links:
Black Friday Shopping Specials - A roundup of top Black Friday deals.
Black Friday Toolbar - Keep up with the latest Black Friday deals and news wherever you are on the web.

Free Shipping Offers ... Going, Going, Gone!
"Free" or "flat rate" offers are widely available this time of year and can be a make or break promotion for e-tailer and major mail order catalogs. Most free shipping offers do come with conditions, i.e., spend $50.00 to qualify. So, if you have two $25.00 items to purchase, you are better off finding a site where you can purchase both vs. spreading those purchases out over two sites or from two different catalogs and forgoing the shipping cost advantage. Amazon has changed the paradigm with it's PRIME program – for $79 a year you get Free Two-Day Shipping on more than one million in-stock items. The "All-You-Can-Eat" shipping equivalent. No minimum purchase required. If you order a lot throughout the year, this pays for itself quickly and is a tremendous convenience. It takes all the hesitation out of making small impulse buys (for better or worse!;)

Pounce Before Hot Items "Sell Out"
Sites tend to make the most changes overnight, when there is less traffic and it's less disruptive – think 6 am EST. You can sometimes beat other online shoppers to the punch by snapping up hot deals early in the morning, before they sell out. Some sites even indicate the "risk" of an item selling out as "high" or " low." For the most part, an online item is not yours until you actually checkout. It's NOT enough to have it in your shopping cart. A lot of folks get burned by this & are disappointed when they get to the end of the checkout process and find the item is "No Longer Available" or the availability date is suddenly weeks away when the item was initially listed as "In Stock." Given this reality, it's a smart idea to register with sites you shop at often. This can speed up the whole checkout process and guard against having someone pass you in the virtual checkout aisle.

Looking Ahead to Cyber Monday ...
If Black Friday doesn't produce the killer buy you are searching for, there's always Cyber Monday to look forward to. More to come on that, including the top Cyber Monday deals ... stay tuned for future posts.