Whether you’re buying something online, or in a local store, there’s absolutely no reason not to use comparison shopping websites in order to get the best value. Long gone are the days where you had to hold on to a receipt and watch for sales after you bought something, just in case you could save a few extra dollars. These days, you can do most of the legwork ahead of time, and then buy with confidence, knowing that you’re getting the best deal on the market, sale or not.

One of my favorite comparison shopping websites is Amazon.com, which might not seem like a true comparison shopping site, but actually serves as one because it allows outside vendors to compete with Amazon’s stock. Also, you can usually trust Amazon to have some of the best reviews and prices on almost every item, so they’re great as a basis for your research.

Google Shopping also has a great list of product reviews and price comparisons, as does AOL Shopping and Yahoo shopping. Epinions and Nextag both have great databases of old and new items, usually listing at least 3-4 places where you can buy an item, complete with price comparisons and 1-5 star rankings.

If you’re in the market for electronics, then magazine websites, such as consumer reports, are great places to read expert reviews and get feedback from industry professionals. There’s usually a magazine style comparison shopping website in almost every category, from cars to travel planning, but if you can’t find what you’re looking for, a good strategy is to check a local magazine rack, and then look up their URL on the Internet. Many magazines also list the URL right inside the front page.

Lastly, don’t be fooled by fake review websites that try to lock you into buying a product, or use fake reviews and testimonials. These are easy to find because they rate every product well, and often avoid harsh criticism of products, even if they deserve it. This is one of my favorite reasons for using Amazon – I can actually trust the reviews.

You’d think that in the age of comparison shopping, that many prices across the Internet would be relatively competitive, but sadly, some are still trying to gauge users in the hopes that they don’t find items elsewhere at a better price. However, if you do your due diligence, and compare with local store prices, there’s no way you can’t come out ahead.