I know that many people think Google is too big and has too much power. Sometimes I agree. But you have to admit, when a company is able to make up the word "Google" and have it added to the dictionary as a verb within a matter of ten years, they must be doing something right.

Google controls about 80% of all Internet traffic. I don't even want to try and guess how many billions of people that involves. Their free tools for consumers, merchants, webmasters, and regular ole' web-surfers are far and above anything else out there. I could spend two days typing away about everything Google has to offer, but I have chosen to just focus on the top 7 Google tools that can help save you money.

Here they are:

1. Google Shopping.

Have you ever been frustrated trying to find a specific product with Google's general search engine? I have. For instance, one time I was looking for a new soccer ball and when I searched for it I had to sift through several blogs and product reports before I found a site that was actually selling them.

Google noticed this problem and introduced "Google Shopping" where you can type in your search and get hundreds of results for the product you are looking for. Each link will show you what web site it is listed at and what the price is. This makes online shopping much easier to do comparrison shopping.

2. Google Alerts.

Google Alerts is another way to shop for the best price. If you are looking for a high ticket item (over $100) and can afford to wait a little while before you buy, this is the way to go. Again, when you search for products in the search engine, only the well marketed websites will pull up on the first page. This leaves the other several million pages to never be touched. The problem with this is that one of those other web pages may have a much better price on your product than the websites on the first page.

With Google Alerts you can let Google know that you would like to be notified when your product is mentioned or added online. This way you can be informed of any sales that may be taking place or new features that have just been added. Google will send you an email with all of the websites that have recently written about the product you are looking for.

3. Google Books

This is a feature that allows you to search for books. When you find the book you are looking for you can read reviews and also see previews of different chapters. This will help you determine if it is worth buying or not. When you decide you want to buy, just head over to Half.com or Amazon.com and see if you can find it for the lowest price.

4. Google Finance.

If you are into market analysis and wondering what stocks are doing in order to make informed investment decisions, Google Finance is a good way to get that done. I don't use this very much because I prefer simple investing methods, but some people live for this sort of thing.

5. Google 411.

Most cell phone companies have a 411 information number that you can call. These services are very helpful in times where you are out and about without the right contact information. But these services also cost you money every time you use them. Google came up with 1-800-GOOG-411. This is a free information service for anyone to use. Even though you talk to a computer, the communication is usually very clear. The few times that I have used it, it has connected me with the right people when I needed it. Give it a try next time you forget to bring your 5-lb phone book with you.

6. Google Health.

Google Health is a tool that allows you to store all of your medical records online so that they can be easily shared with professionals that need them. All of your data is safe and secure and cannot be accessed by anyone but you (including Google) for any reason. I have not actually used this feature for myself, but I'm going to take a look at it a little more closely in the next few months. I can see this saving me money because it will save me time not having to organize a bunch of papers and get documents to all the right places. Point and click is my style of organization.

7. Google Calendar.

With Google Calendar you can easily set up appointments and events that will be directly linked to your email inbox. This is convenient for me because I forget stuff... ALL THE TIME. I can set up different alerts to remind me a few days in advance and then again thirty minutes before the event starts. The flexibility and customization is incredible. Being on time while doing business saves money. Need I expound? -Didn't think so.