We recently sent out a request for PR agencies to tell us about new sites and this one came through and to be honest it’s quite a nice idea. The process is fairly simple – You go to the site and list on it what you are looking for (e.g. An XBOX) – you then say what you want to pay and how much you will tip the person who gives you the lead. Fairly simple really.

What we like about the site is that you set the price your willing to pay and then wait for the offers to come flooding in. If you go for the deal then you pay the tip – hence www.tipatipa.co.uk.

On the downside we don’t think the home page tells you enough. At first look we thought it was another ebay copy but it is definitely not. I am sure that in the near future more content will be added so this might be something worth considering.

We can just see this site been used by some very competitive ebayers clearing stock – a good way to stop users having to trawl through lists and lists of rubbish and get to the real deals.

All in all a good site – three stars at the moment as it’s only just got going but when more people use it we’re sure it will catch on especially as if you spend time on the internet you know where to find deals and could make quite a profit. Another credit crunch busting idea.

Times are tight, it’s official. With rising bills and falling property prices, we’re all being told to tighten our belts, rein in our spending and prepare ourselves for a recession.

But what about those must-have items and essentials that we simply can’t do without, but now simply can’t afford? Well an innovative new website, ‘TipaTipa’ has just hit the internet that promises to help find the best bargains out there.

Completely different to price comparison sites, TipaTipa works by real people helping each other to find real deals. The sort of ones that price comparison sites simply can’t find.

TipaTipa.co.uk works by people listing an item they’re looking for such as a TV, computer console, or even a car or a holiday, and the price that they’re prepared to pay for it. A community of bargain hunters then use their skills and expertise to find you the best deal. It could be someone who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, or a tradesman with great offers at their fingertips, or simply someone who knows how to haggle, or are just happy spending hours scouring the internet for the best prices.

At the end of the listing, which can last from a matter of hours up to a week, the user can choose from the best bids, and if they’re happy with what’s been found, they can leave a discretionary tip, thanking the ‘tipper’ for their services.

Dave Dixon, TipaTipa Director said: “It seems an ideal time to launch TipaTipa, with the credit crunch, everyone is counting the pennies and trying to spend as little as possible. What TipaTipa does is take all the effort out of searching for that bargain, as the old saying goes, time is money – and that’s something people don’t have to spare at the moment.

“The internet is already awash with price comparison sites but TipaTipa is different. Often you’ll find that these sites just have headline offers that aren’t the real deal, they’re outdated and only focus on a limited number of suppliers. With TipaTipa it’s real people, searching for real bargains, in real time, like a network of personal shoppers.”

The site already has hundreds of users registered with listings ranging from DVD series, to LCD televisions, holidays and laminate tiling.

It’s free to join and create listings and all users are asked in return is to rate bids and consider leaving a discretionary tip to fellow users that help save time or money. Tips are paid through Paypal but users can also use the messaging service to agree an alternative payment

OK, the credit crunch is starting to bite so you need to find the right job for you. Fusejobs.co.uk is another jobs API that takes some of the pain out of searching all those different web sites

We actually quite liked the site – it looks good and is fairly easy to use. There is one problem though. None of us are based in London so it’s no use to us but if you are one of the six million in our nations capital give this site a look. 

So far, there are over 20,000 jobs available in services ranging from truck driving to bar keeping. There’s even a skills match feature for helping you find a job that matches your skills and abilities.

We’re going to give the site three stars – anything that helps improve the pay packet has got to be a good idea.