Best Bargains of 2011

Cheap Car Rentals. Use the “Hot Rate” feature at Hotwire.com to find last-minute discounts in selected cities, or bid on a car at Priceline.com. The car model isn’t revealed until after you book and pay, but you’re guaranteed a vehicle in a general category from a major agency.

Bring the kids, get the freebies. How much do you hate buying a $12 entrée for a picky 6-year-old? If the answer is “a lot,” visit KidsMealDeals.com. These sites point you to restaurants in your area where kids eat free (usually at certain times or on certain days).

Down to Earth Athletic Shoes. Find low prices on athletic shoes online. For example, at Road Runner Sports, New Balance, 993 running shoes (retail price: $145) cost $103 if you join its VIP free-shipping club for $1.99. At Holabird Sports, the same shoes cost $100. For discounts on kids’ shoes, check out Shoesteal.com.

Cool Skiing Discounts. A hot summer day is the perfect time to land a discount on ski and snowboarding gear. Check local sports shops for preseason sales, and in early fall, scour websites, such as BestSkiSales.com, Liftopia.com and OnTheSnow.com, for lift-ticket discounts that could knock $20 or more off the daily rate at selected resorts.

Salvage Savings at Home. Look for prices up to 60% off retail for architectural salvage: materials, components and trim removed from demolished or renovated homes. For a directory of stores, visit OldHouseJournal.com and click on “Salvage.” Or snag donated building materials and home goods, new and gently used, for 50% to 90% off retail prices at Habitat for Humanity ReStores. To locate one, visit Habitat.org/restores.

Thrift Shop for Your Home Online. Search online for consigned home furnishings to find stores in your area. At sites such as Consignmentpal.com, you’ll typically find a higher markup than at thrift stores, but the furniture comes from manufacturers, interior designers and high-end retailers as well as homeowners, and the store may even provide design help.

Ditch Full-Price Appliances. For discounts of 20% to 60% on scratch and dent items — blemished or returned (but unused) appliances, electronics, tools and more — visit a Sears clearance center or ask at an appliance dealer or big-box store.

Sign Up for Private Sales. For steep discounts on luxury travel, check JetSetter.com. It holds short-term “flash sales” on high-end hotels and other services. If enough people buy a deal at Trip­Alertz.com, the rate drops from an already-discounted member price (membership is free). Offerings recently ranged from a stay at a Dominican Republic resort to a rocket-plane ride into space.

Scout Out Student Discounts. Globe Student Discount points students (and parents) to deals on computers, travel, books, student health insurance and software. With Edhance.com, college students register a credit or debit card and use the card to get cash-back deals.

Shop and Save on Amazon. Most orders of $25 or more qualify for free shipping (generally within five to eight days).

With that deal, there is no real need for Amazon Prime, which offers free two-day shipping and access to 5,000 instant movies and TV shows for $79 a year. Why pay for shipping when you can get it free? And the movie selection pales compared with the choices at Netflix.

Swap Your Digs. With Home­Exchange.com, enjoy free lodging in houses and apartments at destinations worldwide — as long as you’re willing to share your home, too. The site has more than 40,000 listings in 144 countries. The annual membership fee is $119.

Next: Alerts and apps to help you find deals. >>