With the cost of living continuing to rise and so many people losing their jobs we are all trying to find ways to save money.  The internet is full of websites that help people save money but it isn’t always easy to know which ones you can trust.  Here are three websites I have found to be legitimate and will help you save money.

PaperBookSwap.com

If you love to read but hate paying the price for new or used books, or you are tired of waiting on long lists at the library for the latest books then you will love PaperBookSwap.com.  It is free to join and you can place as many books as you like to share with others.  If you post 10 books you are willing to swap when you join, you will receive 2 free credits to use to order books.  Then, every time another member orders a book you have posted, and you mail it, you will receive another credit.  You do have to pay the cost of postage to send your books to another member, which is usually under $3.00, and they pay the postage for books you order.  Books have to be in good condition, and you can make requests for the books to be from a smoke-free home, pet-free home, or any other preference you may have.  And paperback books aren’t all you have to choose from.  There are listings for hardcover books, audio CD’s, audio cassettes, and large print books too.  Once you receive a book you don’t have to re-list it after you have read it if you decide you want to keep it.  It’s yours to do whatever you want with.  This is truly a great deal for those of us who read a lot.  Affiliates to this site are SwapADVD.com and SwapACD.com, also great ways to save on money.

CouponSurfer.com

You really can save by using coupons on groceries, pet food, cleaning supplies and so many other items.  At CouponSurfer.com you can print out only the coupons you want unlike other sites where you have to print out sheets and sheets of coupons that you won’t use.  These are brand name coupons on items you use everyday and they change often so you always have a good variety of coupons to choose from.  There are also coupons and deals available for select stores such as Office Depot and PetSmart.  It is free to join CouponSurfer.com and there are never any hidden fees.  Before printing any coupons, however, I suggest you ask at your local grocery store and discount store if they will take coupons printed off of websites.  Some won’t, so there is no sense wasting your time and paper if they don’t. 

SwapTree.com

With this trading site you can swap DVD’s, CD’s, books and video games for only the cost of postage.  It is free to join and use.  When you join you list items that you are willing to trade.  If one of the items on your list is also on someone’s wish list then a trade can be made.  Once you’ve sent out an item, you can search items to order that are comparable to the item you sent out.  You can also make up a wish list and if someone has your item then you can receive it.  Items are traded on a one-for-one basis so there is no point system to keep track of.  It sounds more complicated than it really is so you need to visit this site in order to appreciate it.  It can save you hundreds of dollars a year if you are an avid game player, movie watcher or book reader.   

I’ve used these sites and they have saved me a lot of money on items that I would not have otherwise been able to purchase.  While I am no coupon queen, I have saved over twenty dollars a month using only the few coupons I get from CouponSurfer.com and the Sunday paper.  As for books, I’ve saved twenty dollars in one month alone using PaperBookSwap.com.  Check out these sites and see how much you can save.