Savvy Shopping – For iPhone users, a great app to try is RedLaser (www.redlaser.com). It allows you to use the camera on your iPhone as a barcode scanner. Why would you need that you ask? Well imagine you’re at Target, checking out a Sony 42” flat screen television, but you wonder if you could find it cheaper online. Scan the barcode with your iPhone, and the RedLaser app let’s you search for online prices using Google’s product search. You can also scan a product and look for reviews, and scan items to automatically add them to your grocery list. Now you don’t have to feel guilty you didn’t HUNT for the best price, RedLaser does the dirty work for you.

Penny Pinching – Cut down on your grocery bill by spending some time at coupons.com before you hit the store. While this can take some time, it can be very well worth the effort. Look for items you always buy or check out different brand of items you’d normally choose. You can scroll through all the coupons available, or by product category to find exactly what you’re looking for. For example, say you always pick up a couple boxes of General Mills cereal for the kids. At coupons.com you can print out a coupon to save $1 on two boxes. You’ll also find money saving coupons on dog food and treats, and many of your favorite brand products, such as Green Giant, Nestle, Pillsbury, Nature Valley and more. It may not sound like much now, but you could end up saving hundreds of dollars on groceries a year.

At coupons.com you’ll also find coupon codes for online shopping at Macy’s, Target, JC Penny, American Eagle and more. And be sure to check out the “local coupons” tab where you can type in your zip code and find coupons for local restaurants and businesses and even Publix so you can see what’s on sale before you go if you ditched the weekly flyer and then hook-up what’s on sale with the coupons you just found!

Bon Voyage – Let’s face it, we all need to escape once in awhile, even if we’re being budget busting Bettys. If you’re flexible with your travel dates, you can find the cheapest dates to travel at Bing.com. You can track fares and request an e-mail be sent to you if the price drops on the dates and destination you choose, and their price predictor gives you tips on whether you should book the flight right away because the fares will rise, or if you should wait because the fare may drop in the near future.

Now that you know when to travel, check out kayak.com for the best rates. You can compare prices on numerous other travel search engines, and even the airline’s own website where you can usually find the best possible price. Kayak.com also has an app for iPhone, Android and Blackberry so you’ll always have access to the best deals on the go.

Knowing more about airlines’ policies can also help you save money. Some airlines NOW charge for all checked bags, others charge for additional bags after your first. You need to check before you’re zapped at the airport. And remember the days of a FREE bag of pretzels; water, soda or coffee and an in-flight movie? Those days may be gone depending on the airline you choose. Prepare ahead and skip these additional expenses by packing a snack. Liquids in your carry on must be 3.4oz or less and sealed in a 1qt. zip top bag. Sounds like a hassle to bring water on a plane, so prepare for the expense if you’ll want something to quench your thirst. You can also save money by bringing your own entertainment and skipping the cost of purchasing a movie. Load your laptop, iPod or iPad with your favorite movies, TV shows or games or pack a book to keep you busy during your flight.

Now you know how to get there, but where are you going to stay? If you don’t mind booking a hotel without knowing the name of it first, hotwire.com is still a great place to find discounted rooms at five-star establishments. According to the site, various hotels use Hotwire to fill rooms that would otherwise go unsold by offering them at deeply discounted prices. However, the hotels don’t want to publicize these low rates, so the name is hidden until after booking. But don’t worry, you get to select the city and neighborhood you want to stay in, and chose the star rating (i.e. 4-star and up, 3-star and up, etc). It does take a little work but by combining the discounted fares with the discounted hotels you can really take advantage of some of the best travel deals to come along in a decade.