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You can save a load of money clipping coupons out of newspaper inserts, but you can save even more by adding digital coupons and other online shopping tools to the mix. One sign of how

popular they've become: In 2018, Americans “clipped” 8.4 billion digital coupons, according to the analytics firm Kantar.

Here are five essential tools that will help you get the most value as you shop for holiday gifts — and anything else. Some are what are known as extensions (or plug-ins or add-ons) for the

If you've never tried, or heard of, browser extensions before, don't worry. They're super easy to use! Simply go to the listed websites, click a few times to install the add-ons, and soon

they'll automatically start popping up when you shop online. They're all free, and I consider each to be best in class.

The JoinHoney.com browser extension literally automates your savings. When you check out at Amazon or any of 30,000 other websites, you just click on Apply Coupons in a pop-up box, and Honey

will input coupon codes for you. Honey can alert you when a product's price drops and provide price histories on many items, perhaps helping you decide whether to buy now or hold out for

later.

Fakespot.com site's browser extension is essential if you shop on Amazon, Walmart or any other e-retailer that offers products sold by third parties. The problem that the plug-in solves is

that fake reviews are rampant on many retail sites, as are counterfeit products, including cosmetics, electronics and other merchandise that could pose health or safety risks. Fakespot flags

both reviews and products it suspects to be bogus and gives letter grades to product reviews to help you avoid being duped by fake 4- and 5-star reviews. The app also gives you a summary of

the most helpful reviews, saving you time and flagging items that are most likely duds.