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How to save money online

by Alexandra Middleton | 01 Aug 2013

When making any big-ticket purchase it pays to do your research, particularly if it translates to a cheaper deal. With the advent of money-saving websites across travel, real estate, car sales and insurance, comparing different providers and products is easier than ever.

Travel

While it might not be the best way to book group travel, or the best option for anyone who isn't a bit travel-savvy, shopping online for your next holiday can a great way to drive dollars further. If you are looking to compare flights alone, the most popular sites are Webjet and Skyscanner.

Where these sites differ is that Skyscanner compares flights and then redirects users to the website of the airline the user selects, whereas Webjet can be used to book flights directly. For this service Webjet charges a finder’s fee. To get around this, you can use the site to find the cheapest fare and then visit the airline’s website to book directly through the airline. It takes a bit longer, but may be worth the effort.

Travel sites such as Kayak and LastMinute not only compare flights, they also offer accommodation, car hire and complete holiday packages. A stand-out feature of Kayak is the ability to search destinations worldwide using your budget, rather than a destination, as your starting point.

If planning isn’t your forte, let LastMinute do the legwork for you. Each week it releases its top five handpicked holiday packages. As the name suggests, LastMinute is also a great resource for making last-minute bookings.

Of course, sometimes websites are not going to be the best choice, so you can check with a store to see if you can find a better deal – there’s no harm walking in there with the online quote in-hand and asking them to match it.

Real estate

Whether you’re looking to buy, sell or invest, websites such as Home Price Guide and Realestate.com.au offer a comprehensive snapshot of the real estate market.

Both sites allow you to research the price of properties recently sold in your area and the changes in sale prices over time. These suburb-specific figures can then be compared to housing trends across the country.

These sites are particularly useful for anyone weighing up whether or not to sell. Not only is the resource convenient, it allows you to gauge an approximate value of your property without bearing any costs. 

If you are thinking of downsizing or moving into a rental property, use Realestate.com.au or Domain to browse the cost of properties available to rent or buy. Again this saves you the cost of working with an agent and gives you greater control.

Buying a car

In the past, finding the cheapest possible deal on a car meant browsing the pages of the classifieds or looking out for advertisements in car windows. Now, using websites such as Carsales.com.au, drive.com.au and Carsguide, you can browse new and used cars from the comfort of your own home.

The selection of more than 240,000 cars listed on the website can be narrowed down based on make and model, price, location, or even your lifestyle. It’s easy to get distracted by the large selection of vehicles listed on the website, so before you begin researching decide what you want and the maximum price you are willing to pay.

As well as general vehicle details, the listings include photos, comments from the owner or dealer, and contact details for further questions and final purchase. The advantage of buying a car online is that the heavy competition drives prices down.

The extensive selection across each of the websites also gives a true sense of what’s available and what’s a reasonable price to pay. If you are unsure about using an online service to purchase such a big-ticket item, the sites are still an extremely valuable source of research.

If you are buying a used car, RedBook is a great resource to help you price the car you are thinking of buying. You can enter the make, model and year of the car you are looking at buying, and RedBook will give you a price range you can expect.

Insurance

When it comes to buying insurance, getting the best deal doesn’t necessarily mean finding the cheapest price. Whether it’s car, travel, personal or property insurance, the deciding factor is the level of cover.

Shopping for insurance online is a hassle free way of comparing a range of policies with minimal effort and no pressure. What’s even better is this comparison can be done in your own time, on the weekend or sitting in front of the television at night.

Policies vary considerably across the board, which is why it’s particularly important to take the time to shop around.  With each product take into account cost, terms and conditions, risks covered, exclusions and the level of excess.

Don't forget to compare Probus Travel Insurance – cover is tailored to over-55s and available for travellers up to 100 years of age, regardless of pre-existing conditions.