Social media sites are more than great places to post pictures of your dinner and hear about your friends' kids' soccer scores. You can save big money on the things you already buy. Get yourself plugged in to savings. It's very easy and rewarding.

1. Make a list of your favorite brands and retailers. Seriously make a list. You'll want to make sure you've added them in twitter, facebook, pinterest, foursquare, youtube, and any other social media you use. This includes restaurants, shopping centers, movie theaters, and places you like to go as a family – or on a date. Some deals come and go very quickly. You'll want to be the first to know – and you'll want to know before the offer expires. Not too long ago, I got a $10 (no strings attached) gift certificate to a shopping center just because I was a fan on facebook. It's easy to scan past news and posts that you don't care for each day as much as long as you don't miss the deals you really want to know about.

2. Follow deal and coupon sites via Facebook, twitter, etc… Remember being a kid and browsing through catalogues of things you could get for free just for sending a self-addressed stamped envelope? Today, freebies and nearly-freebies are in huge abundance. We share at least one thing you can get for free almost every day on our facebook page (facebook.com/savingsangel). So many brands want you to try their product that they will give it away to you. A good coupon or deal site will pass along the best deals and freebies they find – and not just the ones they collect commissions on. After a week or so, you can gauge whether the offers are right for you and follow – or not follow at will.

3. Find what you need for free. Browse through freecycle.org to find furniture, clothes, toys, pets, and so many other things. Many people don't want to go through the hassle of selling something and are willing to to just give their belongings away to a good home. Some items may require a repair or maintenance – but you'll be amazed at what folks give away. You may enjoy being on the giving end as well. Freecycle boasts a large and growing community of folks committed to passing items to others and not landfills. Another site readers may want to investigate is bookmooch.com – which allows bookworms the opportunity to swap books – paying only the price of postage to get what you want.

4. Read reviews and ask for reviews. You may already be doing this – but just in case you aren't, searching for honest customer reviews and asking for opinions on social media sites is a smart way to avoid bad products or businesses. I'll never book a hotel or try a new restaurant without searching for or asking for reviews. Boston Marketing company, Cone, found that 80% of shoppers have changed their buying decision after reading bad reviews online and 87% have had their buying decision reinforced after reading positive reviews. Connect with a big enough group of people online, and you'll generally have no problem collecting opinions on nearly any subject you are keen on. Just keep in mind that individual reviews can be very subjective – and one person's experience may be wildly different from your own – so it's best to check reviews from multiple sources.

5. Discounts through daily deal, or social buying websites are generally made available because the merchant makes their product or service available to a large group of buyers. You can choose to get email each day from all of them – but a smarter way is to use a site that collects all the daily deals on one page. (e.g. www.SavingsAngel.com/deals) You'd be surprised how many new half price deals are available in your city each day. Daily Deals are still going strong despite the maturation of the daily deal / social buying industry. One missed deal on a lesser known daily deal site could mean paying double for braces for your child, missing an incredible discount on a vacation you've already been planning, or a special date at the restaurant you've been been wanting to visit – but have been avoiding because of the high cost. Shoppers who are very good at navigating the world of daily deal websites simply get to experience twice as much as those who don't bother. With the right system, your savings can skyrocket – just do your research and read reviews before hitting the buy button.

The best couponers save hundreds of dollars every month at the grocery store. However, couponers can end up living very extreme lifestyles to get those savings. For over five years, SavingsAngel.com has equalized the playing field ““ giving extreme savings to busy families who don't have the time or ability to be an full-time couponer. Each week, SavingsAngel.com's team of more than 70 angels combines over 2,000 products on sale at local grocery and drug stores with an enormous database of over 2,000 different manufacturer coupons. These combinations result in our members getting access to over 300 products each week for 50% off or better. Simply log in, choose the deals you want, print or clip only the coupons you need, and save hundreds of dollars a month at regional and national stores. Our angels will personally work with you to craft a plan that will help you buy healthier food at lower prices ““ helping you keep $200 to $400 in savings each month.