If you are looking to save money on the web, deal sites and price comparison engines are the way to go. They save you both time and money.

These search engines and websites do the work for you; they scour the Web for deals and promo codes so you don’t have to.

The Best Sites to Help You Save as You Shop Online

Since not all comparison shopping sites are the same, one might work better for you one day and one might work better the next.

It can depend on the retailer (some might work with one deal site and not another), so it’s often a good idea to check more than one. Here are some of the best ways to save money the next time you shop:

• Google Shopping: With Google Shopping, Google does what it does for you on daily basis, it searches through all the data available to find you easy-to-understand information. Google Shopping is a part of Google. It’s on the main page. All you need to do is search for a product under the â€?Shopping’ tab. Then look at the options available and choose one. Google shows you the prices, the shipping charges and , even the estimated taxes. You’ll see photos, a description of the product and reviews of the site. Google Shopping shows you pricing information from dozens of online retailers but shows you the lowest price available first.

• Ebates: Ebates is an online site that actually gives you cash back on your online purchases. They provide you with promo codes and exclusive deals available to only Ebates shoppers. Not every online retailer works with Ebates, but many, many do. Start at Ebates and search for your site (or search by category). Click through and you’ll receive a percentage back. The percentage varies from site to site. You can even get cash back for referring your friends. Ebates also has an extension you can install on your toolbar which will alert you every time you navigate to a site that gives cash back via Ebates. Ebates pays out once a quarter, and they pay by either Paypal or check.

• CouponCabin: CouponCabin works similarly to Ebates. They also provide you with cash back when you shop via their site, and they provide you with promo codes when available. The difference is they pay out more frequently than Ebates does.

• BizRate: BizRate has been around for a long time. The site is user-friendly and it provides you with great results. However, it doesn’t have the variety the other sites do. One great thing about BizRate is their â€?Price Alert’ feature on every product comparison page. Simply enter your email address and your price threshold and whenever the price on that product falls, BizRate will email you. Sort of like a personal shopper.

• NexTag: NexTag is another comparison site that has been around for a long time, since 1999 in fact. Like BizRate, NexTag also offers price alerts on every product, however, NexTag has a better system for determining the quality of the online retailer. Of all the deal sites, though, NexTag is the least user-friendly. It’s a bit harder to maneuver.

No matter what you’re shopping for, using a deal site can save you big money. Bookmark these five sites and compare each time you shop.