Bargain Hunters at Work on the Web

For all the back-to-school writing I've been doing lo these past weeks, we haven't geared up with school supplies and clothes yet in our house. We're still in summer mode. But two middle school schedules have arrived, and the third fourth-grade teacher letter is anxiously awaited.

So before we head out to do some clothes shopping, I decided to check online for some deals. There are some good web sites that do the bargain-hunting for you, and others that connect you to coupons that can be used in stores or online.

One tip: When you look for coupon sites, stay away from ones that require you to provide personal information to get a coupon. Sites that allow you to click directly through to sales on online retailers' sites are best.

Barry Boone and his wife started DealHunting.com in 2000, when they were expecting their fourth child and spent lots of time scouring the Internet for cheap diapers and other well-priced baby items.

DealHunting.com now employs six women who search the Internet for the latest sales and bargains at online retailers. This week, you'll find JC Penney's 20-percent to 70-percent-off back-to-school sale, Old Navy's sale with $5 shipping, and Overstock.com's extra 12 percent off plus $1 shipping.

At a sister site, currentcodes.com, you can find coupon codes for extra savings at online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

Here are a few other bargain-hunting sites to check out:

Dealcatcher.com

Keycode.com

Couponcabin.com

You can get seriously sidetracked writing a post like this. Before I knew it, I was off kids' clothes and onto bedding and blenders. An hour later, still no post. So good luck hunting for back-to-school sales and other deals, and please post your favorite bargain-hunting web sites below!