(Article from Money Magazine, September 2004)

Do you go online to save money, save time or stay cool? You have thousands of websites to choose from. We picked 75 great ones for every type of shopper

Best for...

KITCHEN SUPPLIES surlatable.com Gourmands on the hunt for the high-end (such as All-Clad pots and pans) or the hard to reach (designer fish-bone pliers, say) will find both here. A recent clearance-section find: an eight-inch All-Clad skillet, originally $70, marked down to $35.

THEATER TICKETS theatermania.com A single source for shows across the U.S. and in London's West End. Available seats for Tony winner Avenue Q range from $55 to $105, including service charges.

EVENT TICKETS stubhub.com Need seats for the Washington Redskins-Dallas Cowboys face-off? Want to off-load some Jimmy Buffett concert tickets? At this eBay of sports, concerts and shows, you can buy for a 10% fee or sell for a 15% fee.

DISNEY TIPS mousesavers.com Launched as a hobby by Disney devotee Mary Waring in 2001, this site is a treasure trove of Disney discount coupons, hotel package deals and advice on navigating the parks.

CLASSIC TOYS ehobbies.com If you're yearning for time with your kids without a PlayStation controller in sight, go to eHobbies, where you'll find such childhood classics as radio-controlled cars, telescopes, models, and science kits like the Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm ($19.99).

A ROOM IN AN EXCLUSIVE HOTEL slh.com For the best collection of luxury hotels, spas, country houses and private islands, visit Small Luxury Hotels of the World. You can book one of 14 cabanas at Fiji's Turtle Island Resort. Sign up for a monthly e-mail of special offers.

STEAKS peterluger.com A New York City institution for over 100 years, Peter Luger has a weeks-long waiting list. Stay home and order Luger's renowned prime Porterhouse--dry-aged at the restaurant--for $157. Two steaks that will serve four to six are shipped overnight in a reusable cooler for $39.95.

TEXTBOOKS cheapesttextbooks.com Students and serious readers can cut the cost of learning at this site, which scours the Web for new and used book deals. A recent search for Hamlet in paperback turned up a 50¢ used copy at amazon.com and a $3.74 new copy at ecampus.com.

DESIGNER CLOTHES bluefly.com This fashion site carries brand names, from Diesel to Diane von Furstenberg, at a discount. Recent finds include a Prada shopper tote for $279.99 (originally $585). A generous 90-day return policy can remedy fashion mistakes.

GIFT SUGGESTIONS redenvelope.com Known for its signature red wrapping, this eclectic and imaginative site sorts picks by recipient or occasion. A $50 junior microscope is a RedEnvelope favorite birthday gift for a kid age 10 or older.

SPICES penzeys.com Need filé for your gumbo? Hungarian paprika for your goulash? Turmeric for your tagine? Stop by Wisconsin's Penzeys Spices, where you can order 250 herbs and spices in quantities ranging from 1.25 ounces to an entire pound.

USED CARS ebay.com Until recently, few could imagine buying or selling a used car or motorcycle through an Internet auction. But eBay Motors has overcome skepticism to become the nation's largest used-car marketplace, with 10 million unique visitors a month, making up 20% of all eBay's visitors.

CAR NEWS thecarconnection.com This source of wide-ranging auto news features reviews, chats, message boards and spy shots of upcoming models.

CAR PRICES edmunds.com Get your negotiating edge at Edmunds, where you can research dealer costs and local sale prices for new and used models. Then you'll be well-equipped to hash out a deal.

SEEDS AND PLANTS jacksonandperkins.com, burpee.com Famous for its roses, Jackson & Perkins also has a wide selection of trees, shrubs and tools. Burpee is best for seeds.

LAST-MINUTE TRIPS site59.com A wealth of deals for the impetuous or the procrastinator. In July, you could have booked a weekend trip from New York City to San Diego, including flight and two nights at the Marriott Mission Valley hotel, for $485 a person.

COFFEE peets.com Forget that Seattle brand. Peet's Coffee & Tea of Berkeley offers 32 coffee varieties, all strong and all shipped within 24 hours of roasting. Set up regular deliveries so you'll never run low.

JEWELRY bluenile.com Buying jewelry is already fraught with anxiety--did I pay too much? Which stone is best? Blue Nile tries hard to reassure with copious consumer education, on-call phone consultants and designs you can customize. As for price, one carat (total weight) colorless diamond solitaire stud earrings go for $3,204 vs. $3,999.99 at zales.com. Free shipping via FedEx and delivery insurance are included.

DESIGNER HANDBAGS bagborrow orsteal.com Do you tire of your handbag often? Here you can borrow one and then swap it for another anytime. This site's $19.95-a-month plan gives you access to Ralph Lauren and the like. For $99.95, you get Fendi.

BEDDING eddiebauer.com Visit Eddie Bauer's Home Store for a huge selection of bedding, including 340-thread-count sheets. Shop Eddie Bauer's winter and summer white sales to save up to 55%.

HARD-TO-FIND SHOE SIZES nordstrom.com The department store that began as a shoe retailer is the best online destination for hard-to-fit feet. A search for a women's size 5 narrow yields more than 50 styles, including a pair of Birkenstock Mary Janes for $150.

The Bargain Fanatic You want the lowest price possible. Period

FOUR-STAR HOTEL IN SAN FRANCISCO $97 a night (38% off) hotwire.com If you can be flexible about your travel plans, you can save more than 20% on flights, hotels and car rentals at a blind booking site. At both Hotwire and Priceline, you don't know the airline or hotel until you pay. But Hotwire gives you more information and time, giving it the edge.

FISCHER SKIS $64 (49% off) rei.com REI stores have the widest selection of skis, tents and other outdoor gear anywhere; ditto for REI's website. Become a member for a one-time fee of $15 and you'll get 8% off regular prices, access to members-only sales, and bonus 20%-off coupons.

GREAT BIG BERTHA II $159 (47% off) callawaypreowned.com New, this golf club sells for $300. As another duffer's castoff, it's nearly half-off. Used Callaway clubs are discounted based on wear ("like new" to "average").

SALE RACKS 20% to 80% off various websites These popular stores offer especially deep and frequent discounts at their websites: crateandbarrel.com gap.com jr.com restorationhardware.com victoriassecret.com

HEAD TITANIUM RACQUET $53 (41% off) ebay.com The auction giant isn't just about collectibles. Look for deals on abandoned sporting goods like this racquet ($90 new). Plus, Sharper Image and Dell sell factory-reconditioned stuff here at up to 50% off.

THE GODFATHER TRILOGY $49 (38% off) bestwebbuys.com This price-comparison site is tops for finding cheap books, CDs and DVDs, and it lists discounts that save you even more. The best price for the Godfather on DVD, including shipping? $49 at bn.com vs. amazon.com's $79.

The Speed Shopper A good deal is fine, but what you really care about is saving time

GROCERIES AT YOUR DOOR $5 online grocers Time online: 20 minutes to fill your cart Skip the hassle of supermarket trips, and instead scan the aisles from your den. Delivery fees average $5, and most of these online grocers store your address and credit-card number--as well as your previous orders--to save you even more time. The biggest of these regional services are albertsons.com, freshdirect.com, peapod.com, simondelivers.com and safeway.com. (Check sites for delivery areas.)

DVD RENTALS $22 a month netflix.com Time online: 10 minutes to sign up and order 20 titles Don't bother driving to the video store either. Rent and return DVDs by mail. At Netflix, you pay $22 a month for an unlimited number of rentals (up to three at one time) with no late fees. The site boasts over 25,000 titles, including an extensive list of classic and independent films. You pay just $19 for a similar rental deal at walmart.com, but shipping may take longer.

ROLLER DERBY EUROPA SKATES $45 amazon.com Time online: six minutes to find and buy No time to browse or bargain your way to the absolute lowest price? Look no further than Amazon, where the prices are competitive, the selection is vast and the shipping is free on some orders over $25. These skates were recently $45 at Amazon vs. $60 at the Sports Authority. To save even more time, you can securely store your address and credit-card number at the site and design your home page around what you like to buy.

JETBLUE FLIGHT FROM DENVER TO BOSTON $216 round trip sidestep.com Time online: five minutes to find and book Like a Google for travel, Sidestep searches every available fare at booking sites such as Orbitz and at hundreds of individual airline, hotel, car rental and consolidator sites. That includes JetBlue and Southwest, which sell online only at their sites. You must download the software onto your computer (PC-only), but Sidestep should be entirely Web-based by year-end (hotel and car searches already are). For international air travel, try mobissimo.com, a search engine that scans routes within Europe, Asia and Latin America.

CASHMERE CREWNECK $60 costco.com Time online: five minutes to pick and buy You love big warehouse stores but hate the highway traffic en route, crowded parking lots and unwieldy shopping carts. Trade a day trip for a web click. Costco sells electronics, appliances, furniture and more at its site. (Nonmembers are welcome but pay an extra 5%.) At ikea.com, you'll find about 20% of what's in the stores.

A SONG 99¢ itunes.com Time online: five minutes to download (with a high-speed connection) Say good-bye to paying up to $20 for an entire album just for one song. Say hello to iTunes for swift song downloads for 99¢ each. With extra time, you can preview songs, making it easy to assemble a playlist. Gift certificates from the site are the perfect hassle-free last-minute gift.

The Connoisseur You don't mind paying full price for the finest and rarest items

50-PIECE BOX OF ASSORTED DARK CHOCOLATES $43 mrchocolate.com A former pastry chef at New York's Le Cirque, Jacques Torres knows chocolate. But unless you're staying at the Ritz-Carlton or the Waldorf-Astoria, this indulgence is hard to find offline.

PLANK BARSTOOL $950 retromodern.com With names such as Alessi, Eames and Herman Miller, this site has an unrivaled selection of high-end furniture. Blurbs on each piece's design significance can come in handy at parties. Shipping is free on most orders over $100.

1988 CHÂTEAU LAFITE ROTHSCHILD $205 wine-searcher.com Even a sommelier would be impressed by the wine selection at sites like sherry-lehmann.com and wallywine.com. But for an especially rare vintage, use Wine-Searcher.com to hunt in 130 shops around the world.

THE ULTIMATE PORSCHE DRIVING EXPERIENCE $2,275 virtuoso.com Weary of Paris? Bored by Barcelona? Visit this network of travel agencies that specialize in luxury packages, from archaeological digs to wildlife safaris. For $2,275 per person, you get two test drives in a Porsche 911 with a guide, gourmet meals and a three-night stay at a luxury hotel in Stuttgart, Germany.

ANTHEM BY AYN RAND, 1938 FIRST EDITION $2,500 bookfinder.com The best single stop for out-of-print books and rare editions, BookFinder.com searches the inventories of more than 60,000 booksellers.

The Advice Seeker You want a deal but need help finding exactly what you want

TANK SWIMSUIT $78 landsend.com The popular catalogue is even better online. Create a virtual model to see how clothes and bathing suits will look on you. Plus, the site offers live, on-screen customer service.

CATENA 2002 CHARDONNAY $15.99 wine.com Know nothing about wine? Learn about grapes, regions, wineries and trends in the About Wine section at wine.com. Find a bargain in the site's Under $20 area.

USER REVIEWS free various sites Read what other shoppers have to say (and say and say). The smartest review sites include: epinions.com for all sorts of stuff; tripadvisor.com, which gathers travel-guide excerpts as well as traveler reviews; and letstalk.com for wireless-plan feedback.

KAYAK PADDLE $65 altrec.com This outdoor-gear site helps even novice weekend warriors shop smart. Its exhaustive How to Buy guides offer advice on everything from hiking boots to paddles.

DELL DIMENSION 4600 $799 dell.com Customize a PC or laptop with the step-by-step guide on dell.com. If you don't know how many gigahertz you need or how much RAM is enough, call a Dell customer service rep (800-999-3355).

The Trendsetter For you, price is not the issue...Cool is

FRANK GEHRY SUPERLIGHT CHAIR $350 dwr.com Bring the showroom to your living room with these cutting-edge yet affordable designs. Most items are in stock for quick shipping--so you'll never be fashionably late.

40 MP3 DOWNLOADS $10 a month emusic.com There's no Britney at eMusic, which stocks only tunes from independent labels. You can download indie faves by Yo La Tengo or Cat Power as well as hunt for jazz hits from Ella or Duke. Then, make your iPod even more fashionable by shopping at everythingipod.com, which carries the Web's most extensive lineup of accessories. The $144 Groove Purse Tote from Felicidade is a practical boom box, complete with speakers.

CASAURI LAPTOP CASE $59.99 dailycandy.com Sign up for the site's e-mail newsletter to hear about hip restaurants, spas, jewelry and products first. A recent Candy find: the Casauri Octopus laptop case available at casauri.com.

SEVEN JEANS $176 houseofstyle.com You'd need to hit several department stores to find all the top designers featured at shopbop.com and House of Style. Prices match what you'll pay in the store, but the selection of styles and sizes is far better.

NIKE KICKS $80 nikeid.com Got no game? No one will know if you're wearing a pair of personalized Nike kicks. Choose from 24 different styles, pick the colors and add your initials or playground moniker to complete the look.

Shop like the pros Where big-name enthusiasts browse and buy

The Foodie Nigella Lawson, Food writer and host of the Style Network's Forever Summer with Nigella Sweet Celebrations (sweetc.com) This website specializes in Swedish and Danish cake tins. Bakers may also appreciate the one-of-a-kind cookie cutters and decorations.

The Film Buff Roger Ebert, Film critic Facets Multimedia (facets.org) Once your Netflix list has run dry, go to what Ebert considers the best single site for buying foreign films, documentaries, classics and obscure titles. The organization's catalogue is legendary in film circles.

The Hipster Robert Smith, Singer/guitarist of The Cure I Want One of Those (iwantoneofthose.com) Strange and quirky products that you don't really need--but want anyway. Check out this British site's inflatable Scrabble game ($46 at recent exchange rates) and Twister duvet cover ($26).

The Clotheshorse Cynthia Rowley, Clothing and accessories designer NYC Chic (nycchic.com) Bags and accessories from up-and-coming labels such as Jesarae Handbags. The site also sells Tommy Hilfiger, Paul Smith and Versace clothes in bulk for a fraction of the retail price.

The Restaurateur Thomas Keller, Chef at Napa Valley's French Laundry and New York City's Per Se Zagat (zagat.com) Does a chef really need user reviews of restaurants worldwide? Keller loves the monthly newsletter, which helps him keep tabs on the industry and fellow chefs.

The Jock Amare Stoudemire, Basketball player for the Phoenix Suns and 2004 U.S. Olympic team Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia (mitchellandness.com) This Philadelphia workshop recreates vintage sports jerseys. A Julius Erving 76ers jersey from the 1976-77 season goes for $300.

ONLINE TIPS

How to be a savvy shopper

Be relentless about discounts Visit google.com before you buy anything to see if discount codes are floating around the Web. Enter the name of the retailer or product and the word "promotion" or "rebate." A recent search for "amazon.com" turned up a code for $25 off housewares purchases of $125 or more at the site.

Read the return policy Some sites give you only 14 days; others may charge you a 15% restocking fee. You can usually find a link to these policies at the bottom of a retailer's home page.

Add in shipping costs Jupiter Research found that shipping fees are the chief reason people say they don't shop online. And no wonder. Shipping adds $55 to the price of a $300 desk chair at potterybarn.com. The best price-comparison sites, such as pricegrabber.com and shopping.com, include shipping estimates. And more and more sites will give you a break, including bananarepublic.com, where shipping is currently free on orders over $125.

Go ahead and use your credit card Two-thirds of shoppers say they are worried about using a credit-card online. Don't be. By law, you're protected for all but $50 of losses if your credit-card number is stolen--online or off. Another reason to pay with a card is that you can withhold payment if your order is damaged or of poor quality, although you have to try to work out the problem with the merchant first.

Be suspicious. Does the price seem unusually low--say 30% to 50% below other retailers? If so, you might be buying a factory-reconditioned item. Or worse, the merchant might be selling faulty, damaged or stolen goods. If you're concerned, call the seller and ask. Or simply walk away.

MONEY'S Top Picks

BOOKS, MUSIC AND VIDEOS amazon.com, bestwebbuys.com, bookfinder.com, cheapesttextbooks.com, emusic.com, facets.org, itunes.com, netflix.com, walmart.com

CARS ebay.com, edmunds.com, thecarconnection.com

FASHION & GIFTS bagborroworsteal.com, bluefly.com, bluenile.com, casauri.com, dailycandy.com, gap.com, houseofstyle.com, iwantoneofthose.com, landsend.com, mitchellandness.com, nikeid.com, nordstrom.com, nycchic.com, redenvelope.com, shopbop.com, victoriassecret.com

FOOD & WINE albertsons.com, freshdirect.com, mrchocolate.com, peapod.com, peets.com, penzeys.com, peterluger.com, safeway.com, sherry-lehmann.com, simondelivers.com, sweetc.com, wallywine.com, wine.com, wine-searcher.com, zagat.com

ELECTRONICS costco.com, dell.com, ebay.com, epinions.com, everythingipod.com, jr.com, letstalk.com

HOME & GARDEN burpee.com, crateandbarrel.com, dwr.com, eddiebauer.com, ikea.com, jacksonandperkins.com, restorationhardware.com, retromodern.com, surlatable.com

SPORTING GOODS & TOYS altrec.com, amazon.com, callawaypreowned.com, ebay.com, ehobbies.com, rei.com

TRAVEL hotwire.com, mobissimo.com, mousesavers.com, sidestep.com, site59.com, slh.com, tripadvisor.com, virtuoso.com

TICKETS stubhub.com, theatermania.com