May 14, 1999

"What the customer wants is better products for free," Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams once wrote. Can't argue with that; why else will people spend Sunday mornings clipping coupons? Or clicking – shopping-advice site eSmarts's coupon page isn't quite as convenient as the ink-on-paper stuff, but it's free. It points readers to various coupons and discounts at vendors' and manufacturers' sites; some coupons can simply be printed out, while others require you to fill in your address to get your coupons snail-mailed over. Unfortunately, not all of these offers are current. It's a good thing there's competition, in the form of FreeShop, which emphasizes freebies but also spotlights discount deals.
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Rob Pegoraro rob@twp.com