With tight fists and a laptop, a mom greases the wheels of "e"-conomy by Chris Bagley
For an hour or two each night after her three children go to bed, Karen Hoxmeier sits at the computer, visiting dozens of virtual stores from ABCink.com, which sells printer supplies, to the Web site of Zales, the jewelry retailer.
She seeks out the best sales on each site, and posts links to those bargains on her own, mybargainbuddy.com.
Like many entrepreneurs of any era, Hoxmeier has made a business out of long-standing personal habit. Hers is bargain shopping. Over time, she has clipped coupons and honed other bargain-hunting skills to the point where, she said, she saves about $5,000 a year....