Need information on the Atkins diet or that dream vacation spot?

Photo by ABLESTOCK

Your answer may be only a click away.
Defying stereotypes, seniors are one of the fastest growing segments of computer users linking to the Internet. With the click of a mouse, a world of valuable resources are open to you--for free.

Here are some great sites on five topics that of interest to senior "surfers."

Travel

Purchase airline tickets, make hotel reservations, rent cars, and book cruises without ever visiting a travel agent. To save the most money, compare prices and offers on each site before committing. Don't forget, frequent flier miles are a must, and when traveling overseas, international airlines may have cheaper prices.

www.expedia.com. Allows you to build your own trip from start to finish, and even lets you purchase tickets for trip extras Ð such as shows, theme parks, museums, and sports activities -- in advance.

www.lowestfare.com. Search for low fares and package deals, or check out the low fare city guides to get prices on activities in major vacation hot spots.

www.priceline.com. Name your own price on tickets and package deals. Priceline finds the closest possible price to your suggestion, and then lets you buy it.

www.travelocity.com. Offers vacation guides, advice, and a fare watcher to compare the latest prices and save money.

Health and wellness

The following sites offer information on many facets of staying healthy, including diet and prescription medications.

www.ediets.com. Get a free diet profile, benefit from personalized diets, learn fitness and dieting ideas, and get counseling.

www.hhs.gov. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lets you explore information on various health topics from aging to safety and wellness.

www.benefitscheckup.org. This handy site from the National Council on the Aging can tell you whether you qualify for any special health care or prescription drug discounts.

Financial planning tips

Information and advice on financial planning is often more confusing than helpful. These sites help overcome the uncertainty with educational material and solid advice.

www.asec.org. The American Savings Education Council lets you use savings tools to learn about retirement and finance planning.

www.financiallearning.com. General Electric's Center for Financial Learning promotes financial literacy through extensive resources and planning methods for life events such as retirement.

www.quicken.com/retirement/planner. Use Quicken's retirement planner to help build your own financial plan.

www.seniorresource.com. Valuable information on housing options, retirement, finance, and insurance can be found here.

Volunteering

Mentoring and volunteer programs can use your time and expertise. A few to check out.

www.mentoring.org. The National Mentoring Partnership helps you become a mentor and find local mentoring opportunities.

www.nwrel.org/mentoring. The National Mentoring Center offers training information, resources, news and a mentor exchange listserv.

www.seniorcorps.com. The Corporation for National and Community Service Senior Corps connects local, state, and national volunteer organizations for a common goal.

www.servenet.org. Find volunteer opportunities, get involved, read the news, search through volunteering resources, and aid non-profit organizations.

www.voa.org. Volunteers of America offers a variety of programs and ways to pitch in and help needy groups.

--Cheryl Ross