The Best Online Coupon Deals

There's nothing more frustrating than paying full price for something...only to find it on sale days later. If only you knew about sales ahead of time or, better yet, had access to coupon deals whenever you wanted to make a purchase. If that purchase is to be made online, the good news is you can. Sites featuring online coupons and web-only sales are a bargain shopper's jackpot, but navigating the internet to find the best deals can be difficult. Google searching "online coupons" brings up scads of results and, really, who has time to search through them all?

Viewpoints decided to look through all the clutter to find the best online coupon sites. Whether browsing the web for a deal that tickles your fancy or searching specifically for a coupon to suit your purchasing needs, these sites have you covered from coupons to "groupons."

BE CENTSABLE

Savings Summary: Started by former neighbors Chrissy Pate and Kristin McKee, this coupon site is dedicated to helping like-minded shoppers save money - from store deals to money-saving articles, online and live workshops and even an Educator Program that lets "super savers" mentor those new to the savings scene. Think of it as an online coach to help you start saving and stay saving.

Bonus Points: Giveaways, free samples and raffles are the icing on the cake. Be Centsable is constantly giving away products or providing external links to check out freebies.

The Extra Edge: The site has become so popular, the gals just released a book, "Be Centsable: A Guide to Cutting Your Household Budget in Half," and are regular guests on Good Morning America.




RED PLUM

Savings Summary: Coupons, coupons and more coupons: don't even think about hitting a grocery store without checking out this coupon site first. The web address is the online branch of the Red Plum brand that includes promotional materials mailed to homes and placements in newspapers and local stores. Red Plum is "a single destination for you to find special offers, great deals, valuable information and coupons for products and services that are local and relevant to you."

Bonus Points: The site puts an emphasis on locality, so you can find coupons not only for national brands, but also for neighborhood restaurants, home stores, gift shops, movie theatres and vacations.

The Extra Edge: A new Secret Sale section lets you use coupon codes to purchase things online via the site (as opposed to printing and using in-store) and members get free shipping, to boot.




GROUPON

Savings Summary: Harnessing the power of group buying, Groupon features a daily deal on the best things to see, eat and do in multiple cities nationwide. Each day, the coupon site features a cool thing at a great price - if you like it, invite your friends and if you get enough people to join that day, the deal is yours.

Bonus Points: The site's customer service is top notch - email works, of course, but getting a human on the phone via the site's provided number is surprisingly easy (a rarity for websites).

The Extra Edge: Groupon has received a ton of publicity since its launch in November 2008, being featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America and Fox Business.





COSTCO

Savings Summary: Your favorite discount superstore of suburbia has an online counterpart - and everyone from the carless college student to the urban dweller is rejoicing. Costco is the largest memberhsip warehouse club in the United States and its online inventory is a staggering display of amazing deals, from furniture to electronics, event tickets to jewelry and everything in between.

Bonus Points: Costco has a great return policy so if you're smitten with a deal only to buy and immediately feel a bout of buyer's remorse, no sweat. The company lets you return anything (except certain electronics) with or without the receipt whenever you want.

The Extra Edge: Costco specifically supports programs focusing on children, education and health and human services. Both Costco Warehouses (where merchandise purchased online is sourced) and regional offices donate to broad communities and regions.





CRAZY COUPON MOMMY

Savings Summary: Find out what freebies are available each week at local stores AND have access to free printable coupons (and ecoupons), not to mention bonus info on baby products all under the same web address roof at Crazy Coupon Mommy.

Bonus Points: With daily updates, reviews, giveaway and baby related information, Crazy Coupon Mommy is so much more that its name would suggest. One of our favorite features is the weekly deals by store list. By accessing, you can be sure that wherever you're shopping, you will know what deals can be taken advantage of on any given day.

The Extra Edge: The coupon site also has an extensive Rewards Programs section, which tips visitors off about special codes and point bonuses available to members of certain sites. Crazy Coupon Mommy is all about helping people save money, even if that means directing visitors to other sites in an effort to help them save big.





PRICELINE

Savings Summary: Chances are, you've heard of Priceline before but it's still the site we visit first before making any travel plans. Name your own price when it comes to flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation packages, cruises, attractions and more.

Bonus Points: The ability to bargain aggressively is what sets this site apart. Go back and forth as many times as you'd like until you settle on the price that's right for you.

The Extra Edge: Check out Priceline Travel Guides, with reviews from fellow Priceline travelers with a thrifty point of view. Cities include the frequently traveled New York and London and lesser known destinations in places like Africa and Asia.





RETAIL ME NOT

Savings Summary: Retail Me Not collects discount and promotional coupon codes from online retailers like Amazon, Old Navy and Starbucks (among others) and displays them for all to use. Search by store or genre and start taking note on all the money saving offers out there.

Bonus Points: After doing our research, we can confidiently say Retail Me Not has the most up-to-date coupons of all the popular coupon sites. The design is well organized and easy to use, especially with the search features. The codes are submitted by site users, so the list is constantly updated.

The Extra Edge: Because the site's content is mostly user-generated, the interactive nature sets it apart. Users can rate codes to higher or lower a coupon codes' "Success Rate", which helps future online savers make purchases.