CW GA-BAMA – Your CW station in Georgia and AlabamaThe secret to online bargains

So what's the solution? Online bargain hunting. "The Internet has changed bargain hunting by offering people who want to comparison shop the best price from the best seller at their fingertips," says Michelle Kane, marketing director of comparison-shopping site pricegrabber.com.

If you want to save time and money when looking for the latest school gear or hottest must-have gadget, here's how you can score deals on the web:

1. Find online markdowns

Virtually every retailer these days has a web site with a sale or clearance section. From Talbots to L.L. Bean, J. Jill, or Gap, you can find clothes at a deep discount at your favorite store's web site. Or try shoes.com and zappos.com for marked down footwear. Outdoor enthusiasts may want to try rei-outlet.com, where you can sort by brand, category, or price, to find goods at 30 percent or more off full price, or go to the landsend.com web site's "overstocks" section for off-season merchandise.

But the ultimate bargain-hunters paradise might be overstock.com, which boasts brand-name merchandise at 40 to 80 percent off. overstock.com's name speaks for itself. The merchant buys over-produced products, cancelled store orders, and stock from companies that are downsizing or going out of business. Similar sites include: smartbargains.com, amazing-bargains.com and slickdeals.net, among others.

2. Comparison shop

Computer hardware and software, books, cameras, small electronics, jewelry and gifts are all especially easy to compare and shop for online, particularly if you have a certain brand and model in mind.

For electronics, the sheer number of vendors online -- everyone from amazon.com and buy.com to bestbuy.com -- has helped drive down prices. And sites like cnet.com let you easily comparison shop for tons of electronics after reading an editor's review.

For anyone frustrated by the $75 price tag at brick-and-mortar bookstores for the latest Harry Potter book on CD, a little online shopping finesse might mean you can find a price-cut. Plug in the book title and "CD" into the search field at comparison shopping sites like pricegrabber.com, shopping.com, or bizrate.com to get prices from an assortment of retailers -- some at nearly a third off the in-store cover price.

Many online shopping sites do offer consumer reviews about things like whether shipping was prompt, returns were accepted, or the merchandise arrived in good condition. Or epinions.com lets consumers post their reviews on just about anything you can buy online or offline.

3. Cash in coupons and rebates

Want to save a tiny bit more? Try finding coupons or rebates at flamingoworld.com, couponcraze.com, and dealhunting.com, which you can use when checking out at online shopping sites. Coupons range from free shipping on purchases of $50 or more from gap.com, to a $25 savings card for every $50 you spent at the anntaylorloft.com.

Many online shopping sites also offer rebate programs that kick back a small percentage of what you spend into a college savings account, such as upromise.com, or a point system that you can redeem for prizes, such as on clubmom.com.

4. Avoid pitfalls

Even though online shopping offers some shortcuts, always read the fine print and do the math before clicking the Complete Order or Purchase Now button.

For example, some coupon codes come with a catch -- they're only for a minimum purchase, or the free shipping may not be available on clearance merchandise. And speaking of shipping, make sure to calculate the shipping to your zip code of the product you are purchasing. Heavy items, such as appliances or rugs, can come with hefty shipping costs, too, so it's best to buy those items locally.

Also, be aware that some price-comparison sites only list items from partner merchants, meaning that they might not scour the entire web for the lowest price.

And check out any site's return policy. Most online merchants let you return purchases by mail, but you might be stuck with shipping and handling. Some online stores accept returns at a brick-and-mortar partner. For example, Sears accepts landsend.com returns.

Still, if you take care when shopping online, you can avoid long lines at the stores and instead excitedly wait for your packages to arrive on your doorstep.

Elizabeth Wasserman is a freelance writer and editor based in Fairfax, Va. She writes for a variety of publications including Congressional Quarterly, Inc magazine, and she edits the online publication CIO Strategy Center.