Thank you, Rick Steves for that e-mail offer of free shipping on a purchase. I had been thinking about buying a new travel bag, and this may actually seal the deal.

Sure, it's a hassle to sign up for junk e-mail from online retailers. But these days, this seems to be the best way to get shopping deals. Promotional codes that used to offer, say 10 percent off on a total purchase, are often now so targeted (10 percent off today only on size 2 pink thongs) that they are more trouble than they're worth. 

Set up an email account just for shopping. That keeps the junk out of your business day, but it's there when you need it.

New York Times writer Tara Siegel Bernard offers some tips on Site Hopping for Holiday Savings,  (Bernard likes to access shopping sites via intermediaries like FatWallet.com, which offer coupons and discounts.)  Washington Post writer Brian Krebs provides advice on how to stay secure while shopping online. It's a holiday story, but the tips remain solid.

Online shoppers can also benefit from search engine wars: Bing vs. Google. Microsoft's Bing offers Cashback, while Google now features Google Checkout, which offers one login for stores all over the web, along with discounts at selected stores.

And here's a post from the Times' Bucks blog about taking advantage of online price wars.

                                                                      --BJ Roche