Blog Posts by Cheapism.com

By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

Online bargain hunting is both frustrating and exciting. You're out to find a deal on something you love or need and you're determined to stick to your budget. Make price alerts your new best friend. With the power of price alerts by your side, you can easily monitor the changing prices on an item and know with confidence whether that "bargain" really is a steal.

Learn how to use price alerts to score the best deals online.

Related: 4 best travel sites

Know the Past. CamelCamelCamel has three sister sites that let you set price alerts for products on Amazon, BestBuy.com and Newegg.com. You don't need to register or give your email address to benefit from the site's tracking capabilities; it generates a unique URL you can visit to check for changes. If you do register, price alerts for all your tracked products can be sent to your email or Twitter account or show up in an RSS feed.

The real power of the site comes from its price history charts, which allow you to compare a product's current price

By Raechel Conover, Cheapism.com

Laundry day is one of those unavoidable facts of life that costs you time and money and drains resources. According to The Simple Dollar, the cost per load at a laundromat is $3.12 and the cost per load at home is 97 cents (not counting equipment costs). These tallies include travel (to a laundromat), energy (to run the washer and dryer), and water (in a home setting) but exclude the cost of laundry detergent and fabric softener.

Doing the laundry doesn't need to be a drain on your resources.

Related: Inexpensive washing machine reviews

These necessary ingredients up the ante. Tide Original costs $15.08 at Amazon for 100 fluid ounces, which theoretically lasts through 64 loads of laundry and adds 23 cents to the cost of each wash. For 240 Bounce Fabric Softener Sheets you'll pay $14.97 at Amazon, or 6 cents a load.

The grand total for each load of laundry: $3.41 at a laundromat and $1.26 at home. Multiply that by the number of loads you do each week, and, well, that's a lot of change.

Here are

Best travel systemsBy Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

Travel systems combine a stroller, a baby seat, and a base that stays put in your car. The best ones are easy to use, keep your child safe, and save you money by combining three necessities into one purchase. Cheapism has researched the most popular inexpensive travel systems and found three top picks that are safe, stylish, and budget-friendly.

All three are compatible with the LATCH system found in all new vehicles, for easy and safe installation of the car seat, and all use a five-point harness to secure a child. Although the seats are suited only for infants who weigh less than 22 or 30 pounds, depending on the make, the strollers can be used until a child reaches 50 pounds. Cheapism's analysis of online reviews generally turned up only minor drawbacks to these budget travel systems, such as storage baskets underneath the strollers that are too small and or hard to access when the stroller seat is fully reclined.

More

By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

When it comes to daily deal websites, Groupon is far from the only game in town. Beyond the big names that dominate the space, thousands of smaller niche sites promise similar savings. How's a bargain hunter to stay on top of all those daily deals? Here are five tips.

Related: Budget multifunction printer reviews

1. Take advantage of aggregators. Many frugal consumers already know about daily deal aggregators such as Yipit. If you haven't tried the site yet, you owe it to your inbox to head on over. Yipit pulls coupons for discounts in your city from a variety of daily deal websites, collecting them all in one email. As a recent Reader's Digest piece points out, looking outside your area can also yield great finds. Here, again, you can rely on the collective eye of the internet to spot the best bargains. Check out sites such as Slickdeals, FatWallet, and Dealnews, which list local deals but don't confine you to a particular city. That

By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

You're about to spend hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars on a new TV, appliance, or computer. When you reach the checkout counter the all-too-familiar question is popped: "Would you like to purchase the extended product warranty?" The rejoinder, asked silently, of course: "Is it worth spending a little more to buy some peace of mind?"

Are you confused on whether to purchase an extended warranty?

Related: 4 best hybrid cars

Well, that depends on the product you're buying and the coverage that comes with it. Many manufacturers' warranties aren't as comprehensive as they used to be but still may be sufficient to weed out lemons. And if you make a purchase with a credit card you may be entitled to extra coverage. Check the benefits for your card; some double the manufacturer's warranty free of charge and give you extra protection during the first 90 days after the purchase.

For any product you buy, it's important to fully understand both the manufacturer's warranty and the extended coverage. Who

By Elizabeth Sheer, Cheapism.com

With autumn come pumpkins. They're everywhere and cheap. You'll find pumpkin-flavored everything at this time of year -- beer, bread, even coffee. So take advantage of the bounty in your very own kitchen with these cheap pumpkin recipes. And forget about pie. Pumpkin, though distinctive in flavor, is fairly neutral and can be the basis of sweet or savory dishes.

Fun and festive pumpkin recipes without the pie!

Related: 4 best budget bread machines

As Halloween approaches, scary faces carved in massive pumpkins stare out from doorsteps and front windows. What happens to all those seeds? Instead of throwing them into the garbage or compost, roast them for a snack. Clean off the stringy pulp, place on a cookie sheet, lightly coat with cooking spray or a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and oven roast at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the seeds start to brown. (Frugal cook's tip: Boiling the seeds first for about 10 minutes makes the shells softer.)

Canned pumpkin is

By Jane Pae Magaro, Cheapism.com

There's nothing you won't do for your pet -- but wait until you see the vet bill. According to a poll conducted by AP-Petside.com and reported on NYDailyNews.com, vet visits during 2010 cost pet owners an average of $505 and more than $1,000 for serious illnesses. Although pet insurance is an option, most pet owners pay for everything, from screenings to major surgery, out of their own pocket.

Veterinary expenses might leave you feeling a bit ill yourself, so here are some preventive, money-saving tips.

Related: Affordable air purifier recommendations

Your pet's health is priceless.

Get Ahead of Problems with Regular Checkups. It may seem like a no-brainer, but keeping your pet healthy is the easiest way to avoid costly procedures and prescriptions. Take your pet to the vet's office for an annual checkup and all the necessary vaccines. A thorough examination can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in potential procedures and drugs through early detection

By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

As back-to-school sales wind down, things start looking up for anyone thinking about buying a new laptop. Decide.com, which tracks prices for consumer goods, has pinpointed the end of September and the second half of December as two of the best times to find a deal on a laptop. The site's CEO told Forbes that consumers should shop after the back-to-school rush. And of course Black Friday always brings discounts.

Related: Top 4 inexpensive thermostats

Can't wait for a deal? Cheapism has pored over reviews in search of affordable laptops that earn experts' favor. Sale or no sale, you can snap up one of these models for well under $600.

Now might be the best time to look for a laptop.

• The new Dell Inspiron 15R (starting at $550) features a 750GB hard drive, 6GB of RAM, and four USB 3.0 ports with fast transfer speeds. This 6-pound laptop has a 15.6-inch screen and comes with a second-generation Intel Core i3-2370M processor (2.5 Ghz). For more processing power and a price that's (barely)