Being Frugal with Froogle

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Note: Froogle is now Google Shopping.

I’m sure most of you are already fans of Google. But I wonder how many of you use Google Shopping (formerly Froogle), Google’s thrifty shopping aid, on a regular basis? Well, it’s well worth using if you’d like to save yourself a little cash on a lot of purchases.

1. Where Is It?

Back when it first launched as Froogle, it had a place on the Google homepage. Now, it’s a little buried. The easiest way to get to it, other than clicking on the link on this page, is by navigating to the Google.com homepage, then clicking on the "Google Apps" icon in the top right. Scroll through until you find "Shopping."

2. How to Use It

It’s a no-brainer, really. Just type in the product you’re looking for and hit search. Instead of finding sites about that product, Google Shopping finds places that sell it with the prices listed. Now just order your results from "low to high" and you’ll find out just who has that product for the lowest amount. Sometimes, the difference between stores is quite surprising, even for an experienced Internet shopper like me. But, as good as Google Shopping is, make sure you cross-reference your golden price on a few other price-comparison sites.

3. The Other Good Comparison Shoppers

Bizrate

I love Bizrate almost as much as Google Shopping. Same deal, just type in what you’re looking for. Bizrate will give you a list of subcategories to search within, and then you’ll get your product/price list. On Bizrate you can enter your zip code and get a good estimate of the shipping price too. Usually it’s bang on. I’ve often found stores listed on Bizrate that aren’t on Froogle, so make sure you check here before deciding on a purchase.

mySimon

I actually used mySimon before Google Shopping or Bizrate. I don’t find it as useful as them though — it doesn’t seem as intuitive, and it also seems to have a much smaller list of places to buy from. But, still worth a look from time to time.

So, whether it’s Father’s Day and you’re looking for yet another bad tie, or you’re doing your holiday shopping and need to save a few pennies here and there, try Google Shopping, Bizrate, or mySimon. I guarantee they’re money-savers.