I was watching NBC's Today Show this morning. They featured a piece called "5 Surprising Bargain-hunting Tips" that I thought were so good, I just had to share them! The best part is, it requires hardly any effort on your part.

1. Getting a big sales pitch in the store, but not sure if it's a good deal? Step away for a moment and dial 1-800-DO-FRUCALL (or search frucall.com) for a quickie price comparison over major retailers for the same item. Best of all, there is no fee for using this service! Now that's frugal. This is available in the US only.

2. You've filled your online shopping cart and head over to the checkout. Then you see that teaser box on the side that asks if you have a promo code. D-oh! Many major retailers have released coupon codes for everything from $$ or % discounts to free shipping or samples that only need to be sniffed out.

Our regular visitors already know that we comb the web daily for these very codes and post them for you on our deals page.

3. Heads up, cheapskates! Get free stuff from swap site FreeCycle and do the environment a favor by keeping something in use that would otherwise adorn the summit of your local landfill. The chapters are locally organized, so you don't have to worry about big shipping charges - bonus! Ok, so we're probably not talking about scoring some Christmas gifts this way, but if your lawnmower has mulched its last tree stump there's no need to buy something new.

More good news - FreeCycle has chapters in more than 30 countries! Check this page to find one near you.

4. If you're going out of town and are planning to stay in a hotel, you might be surprised to hear you can haggle. Even with major brands, many locations are independently owned and have some leeway in their pricing. Try asking for an "out-of-order" room, which might mean the TV isn't working or a stained carpet is awaiting replacement. That's one room the hotel wouldn't be making any money on otherwise, so it's a win-win! Other perks or upgrades may also be negotiable.

5. Here's a creative way to say price gouging - try "dynamic pricing". Some online retailers use their cookies to gauge your interest in a particular item, so if they notice you coming back several times to view something specific they may increase the sale price on it! The best way to avoid this is to clear your cookies regularly and/or switch browsers or even computers if you know you're going back for another look.

Have any of you used these services, or have other bargain-hunting tips you'd be willing to share?

Read the full article from NBC here