Online oily rag tips

You do not have to pay someone to design your website (they charge like wounded lawyers!). You can design your own and you do not even have to buy a software package. There are some very good public domain packages available.

Shopping online

Readers have recommended the following:

Electronic stuff. A reader recommends www.pricespy.co.nz as a good site for computers/electronics.
For general stuff and odds and sods they suggest, www.ferrit.co.nz, www.firston.co.nz, and www.1day.co.nz. Some of these sites have daily specials.
A readers writes, " Sign up to email mailing lists such as Farmers, Borders bookstore etc. and you often get emailed discount vouchers or you find out about specials before other people do. Most retail stores have mailing lists now."
Travel. A reader writes, “My husband and I recent went on a week’s holiday (from our oily rag savings!) to the Pacific Islands. Our travel agent quoted $110 for travel insurance, but we booked the same cover online for $91. We also made savings by booking our accommodation online. The best deal our agent could do was $220 a night. We searched the net and found a place that suited out needs at $80, including transfers to and from the airport, which was another $64 saving. All up we saved over $200 by booking online.”
Check out www.thedeal.co.nz for brand new discounted items (you can get up to 60% off). This site has everything, homewares, makeup, clothes etc - Steph

Telephone calls

Believe it or not, if you have an internet connection you can make telephone calls for free. Too good to be true? Well it is true, but there is one catch - those you phone must also want to make free calls! A company called Skype have a little piece of software that allows two computers that have downloaded the free program from the Skype website to send voice and video communications via an internet connection. Fore more see www.skype.com.