Ten Free Internet Resources for Moms

There are countless websites available that offer tips and advice on nearly every subject imaginable at no charge. As a mom who seeks to find information on various topics that impact her family, I have found that there are certain sites I visit on a regular basis. Listed below are ten of my favorite free Internet resources. [Disclaimer: This does not mean that I endorse all of the content on each of these websites, but that overall I generally find them to be very helpful.]

1. All Recipes This is my go-to place when I'm looking for a proven recipe. I can type in a general idea of what I'm looking for and see a list of recipes that fit the bill. I find the reviews to be quite helpful, especially if I'm looking to adapt a given recipe to suit my tastes.

2. Trip Advisor This site is helpful when I'm researching hotels and restaurants as the reviews are written by fellow travelers who share both the positive and negative aspects of their visit. I can also often find interesting local attractions that I may not have located on other sites.

3. MapQuest There is no GPS in our vehicles, so when I'm trying to get to that new friend's birthday party or find the location of a soccer game, I'm pretty handy at following those printed directions.

4. Amazon When I'm researching the benefits or drawbacks of a certain item that I want to buy, I often go here to read user reviews. I have found many of them to be accurate and I can easily see which brands generally receive more favorable evaluations.

5. Money Saving Mom One of the first blogs I started following faithfully, I love the vast array of deals and coupons the author posts on her website. She includes money saving tips on everything from grocery shopping to restaurants to online offers.

6. Coupons.com I enjoy checking in at the beginning of each month to see what new coupons are available. They normally have a wide range of product coupons which are easy to "clip" and print.

7. My county library website. Most libraries now allow users to access their personal account as well as the library catalog online. This is a great timesaver for reserving particular books through interlibrary loan and also allows me to keep tabs on which books I need to return to avoid overdue charges.

8. Grocery store websites. Publix is my grocery store of choice, but many stores now post their weekly ads online and allow you to create and print your own shopping list of the items you wish to purchase.

9. DLTK's Crafts for Kids Here you will find a host of printable worksheets, including themed BINGO games, along with crafts and cards that children can make for almost any occasion.

10. Retail Me Not I usually visit this site before placing any online order to make sure that I've found any discounts or coupon codes that are available for the retailer from whom I wish to make a purchase.

Using free online resources whenever possible helps me make the best use of my time and money.