Subscribe to this BlogFive ways Google can save you money
Of course you already use Google to look up movie times, settle trivia disputes or stalk, er, "research" former flames on the Internet. But the world's most famous search engine can also help you save some dough. Here are five money-saving Google features you might not know about:
1. Google 411
I only learned about this one when my uncle — who lives in Pakistan, no less — emailed to tell me about it. Next time you need directory assistance, don't bother calling 411 and getting charged anywhere between $1 and $4 for a phone number (my mobile phone carrier charges $1.79 per call). Instead, dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) and access local business information for free. If you're calling from a cell phone, you can ask the service to send you a text message with more details and a map — you just have to say "text message" or "map it." This video explains it all:
2. Google TipJar
Launched this past spring, TipJar is a site where users can submit and rank money-saving tips. The ranking feature allows the duds to sink to the bottom of the list. Some tips I found useful:
Sign up for a Gmail account and have voice and video chats for free with anyone in the world. You'll need to download a plugin and have a web cam and a microphone, of course, but the service itself is totally free. This video explains how it works:
Besides keeping track of appointments and birthdays, Google Calendar is perfect for reminding you about upcoming sales or coupon expiration dates. If Pottery Barn is having a sale next month on the dinnerware you've been coveting, just create a new event on the calendar with all the relevant information. You can set up free reminders via email or text letting you know about the details minutes, hours, days or weeks in advance.
You could save between 5% and 15% on your monthly electricity bill if you knew exactly where your energy usage came from and could identify inefficiencies. To that end, Google is testing PowerMeter, a secure Google gadget that shows consumers detailed information on their electricity consumption. The company has partnered with utilities in the United States, Canada, Germany and India to test this product. This service isn't available everywhere, but the folks at Google tell me they are working on developing more partnerships and also on an option that will allow anyone to purchase a device, connect it to their fusebox and sign up for PowerMeter even if their utility is not an official partner. You can get news and updates on the service here.
Of course the biggest way google can save you money is to search for coupons, deals and savings before buying. A great site for that is:
http://mojosavings.com
What's the rate for a full-page ad on CNN nowadays? Many of these services are available on other major websites. An objective article would have included them.
Seems the author of the article is being paid to do a fluff piece on google.
Lets get real.
There are already a lot of 411 services on the net that doesn't cost you a dime to use.
AIM, Microsoft, Yahoo all offer web cam and Instant messaging chatting to. So what makes google special?
A google appliance to monitor your electricity use? Hmmm. yeah right. Ok, and what do they do with the data that they collect? 
Google is definitely spending big bucks to help clean up their image. Over the weekend Google was hyped as a way for users to upload their medical records for 'easier access' as part of an E-Medical records initiatives. Note: You do this, you're a bigger idiot than zippy the pin head. Google claims not to be held by HIPAA's requirements. Nor do they state explicitly that they will not data mine any medical information you post. Also since you uploaded the information, you are implicitly agreeing to let Google do whatever they want to do with the data.
Google's 'Do no evil' mantra is wearing thin. Google's not as pure as they'd like you to believe.
Don't forget Google Voice: http://debtbeat.com/2009/08/stop-collection-calls-with-google-voice.
Not necessarily true on the auto air filter. The computer adjusts the fuel mixture based on the amount of air entering the engine. You have have to have a completely clogged filter to have a major impact, which would take many years.
Change it during the recommended time frame in your manual, but don't expect a fuel savings if you have a car built since 1995 or so.
Bill says "Google Voice just went down for a full day and many text messages were completely lost in cyberspace. They even failed to notify users about the problem so people don’t even know their communications were lost. I don’t think you want to trust business communications to this service."
No offense Bill, but you're kind of an idiot… Since you are complaining about Google Voice not being dependable for your business communications, what FREE services do you trust your business communications with? Google Voice is not marketed towards businesses, and anyone that uses it as the primary communication service for their business is a fool.. For a FREE service, I think it's pretty good. Quit complaining.
Unfortunately, due to Google's becoming just like Apple with Cyan's wonderful Android ROM, they are no longer an option. One of Google's competitors needs to have these services.
http://androidandme.com/2009/09/hacks/cyanogenmod-in-trouble/
Google Voice just went down for a full day and many text messages were completely lost in cyberspace. They even failed to notify users about the problem so people don't even know their communications were lost.
I don't think you want to trust business communications to this service.
What's with the Google love fest? Google will save you lots of time as well as they take over every information market out there and put everyone else out of business while they suck up all of your personal information online and soon your physical movements and in store purchasing behavior with the Droids who start carrying the Android.
A very dangrous company that never stops to think, should we do it, what might be the long term consequences if we do it. They just think, "can we do it" and if people or industries get wiped out by the latest and greatest computer algorithm, or someone hacks into that storm cloud of data they are creating to expose all the sensitive information people are uploading and big bro G is collecting, oops it was just a free beta, we're sorry, we're Google, we can do anything we want, ignore any law we want. If something makes us money or gives us your data we're going to do it no matter what.