Shop without dinging your bank account

Although I prefer my shiny credit card to virtual money, my shopping bill at the end of the month always reminds that I should find a new hobby.

Shop.com's game Cart Me Away is nodding its head furiously in agreement. The theory behind the online game--which originally launched in May, but because of its popularity, Shop.com says, will soon add a few new twists--is that people can have fun shopping online without spending any money.

A total gimmick to get people to spend more time on Shop.com and thus lay down real bucks? Yes. But is it fun? Probably.

The appeal of the game--which claims to be "a hip fusion of Sex and the City meets The Price is Right"--are the different puzzles that can be solved by, well, shopping. Players get a daily spending limit and must pick the right combination of items, within that budget, that best fit the given story line. The new scenarios will include a college flashback weekend that includes wild fraternity and tailgate parties; a costume bash; and some relaxation time.

If players use their hints to pick a winning combination of items from the 20 products of the day, they win real-life prizes, including a $10 or $20 gift card, a $1,000 shopping spree or the grand prize of a $5,000 shopping spree.

The new edition of the game is set to launch September 2. But with a name that rings with escapism, don't get too carried away.