Social media sites save consumers during holidays

Season's twitterings? For this gift-buying time of the year, let social network sites help you save on your holiday shopping.

Social media sites like MySpace, Facebook, and now Twitter, help the masses maintain connections with friends and family. Why not let social media help you save big on your holiday shopping?

This year, almost 50 percent of big retail chains are using sites like Twitter to reach out to consumers, building customer loyalty with each holiday discount they post.

Rachel Holland, a mother of three, a deal seeker and a Twitter fanatic reports in an ABC News report, "I got all of my kids Christmas presents at 75 percent off and I knew exactly when the sale started because of Twitter." She continues, "I feel great about the savings this Christmas, the holidays aren't a burden on it, and it's been wonderful."

Toys "R" Us Facebook followers learned of Black Friday deals before anyone else. Barbie Dolls that were half off, $4 DVDs and 80 percent off select children's toys. Facebook followers of Staples were offered $40 off Bluetooth headsets on Black Friday, and $130 off select GPS units.

So, when your anti-social media friends ask you why you enjoy Facebook and Twitter, be sure to alert them of the holiday-saving benefits.

In the United States, 45 percent of internet users will use social networks to compare products, research items and search for offers according to an ABC news article. If you don't have Facebook or Twitter but are ready to get started, simply go to each Web site and sign up for a free account. Once you are a member, type in your favorite stores in the search tabs of both Facebook and Twitter, and friend them. Voila! The stores will begin to send you tweets or notices about holiday discounts and secret sales.

Consumer savings sites are here to help all over the internet. Loren Bendele, CEO of Savings.com, an up-and-coming site states, "It's a community of people, it's a social network coming together to help each other save money, building that social network around deals, discounts, coupons and promotions, seeing people take off and leveraging all the new media like Twitter, we believed it would happen, but we didn't know it would happen this quickly."

Follow Consumer United on Twitter here.

Tips on how to save money at the grocery store

It is easy to get carried away while shopping at the grocery store. Luckily, we've compiled these money saving tips to help you keep your pockets lined, while getting the groceries you need.

The following are top tips for frugal grocery shopping:

Don't shop hungry
Whatever you do, don't head to the grocery store hungry. This will guarantee ridiculous spending on food items you don't need. If you are in a rush, bring a snack with you to eat before you enter the store. If you are already at the store, hit up the samples at the deli counter first.

Stick to the list
Only buy items on your grocery list. If you see things that look really good, keep them in your mind, and add them to your list for next week's shopping. If you begin to buy things that aren't on your list, you will end up over-spending.

Buy generic
There's no reason to buy brand names, especially on packaged items such as chips and ketchup. You will save a lot of money this way.

Clip coupons
Make sure you clip coupons! Coupons can turn a lot of expensive items into deals. You can find coupons in your Sunday newspaper, online, and at specific brand websites. Clip away!