Two days ago, I purchased a plane ticket to Atlanta for a weekend getaway. I got a decent price, but if I hadn't known what I was doing, I could've paid $100 more for the same flights.

As I researched before my purchase, I noticed that the same flights were available, but the price changed throughout the day. And it didn't change at the same times each day, either. It didn't seem as if there was any rhyme or reason for the fluctuations.

So, on the day I wanted to lock in my reservation, I woke early, hoping to get the lowest fare. But, the tickets were a little higher than that. So, I waited. And I checked the Web site every hour (at least). And then, finally at about 3:30 in the afternoon, I found what I was looking for. Within minutes, I had secured a roundtrip ticket on the flights I wanted at the price I wanted.

But, I couldn't leave it there. Just for fun, I checked to see what tickets are going for now. And, wouldn't you know, they're $100 more than I paid.