Ready or not the holidays are upon us! I love this time of year but if I’m honest it can become a little stressful. There is so much to enjoy during this season but at the same time so much to distract us. For example, every year the pressure can build as Christmas approaches and you haven’t quite gotten those perfect presents yet. Not only do you feel like there is a ticking time bomb but you have to trudge through the malls when you could be at home sipping hot cocoa with the kids. I got rid of this stress a long time ago and I’m going to share with you how…
I shop online.
Maybe you have avoided it because it sounds like it could be more of hassle then its worth. Perhaps it is intimidating or you’ve heard horror stories of people paying overpriced shipping. Or like many, you just don’t feel safe putting your credit card information online. Whatever your objection to online shopping is, I’m going to take it on and I think by the end you are going to love it as much as I do.
Benefits to Shopping Online for Christmas
It’s Convenient
You can basically rename online shopping as convenient shopping. When shopping online you can be in your pajamas, blanket draped over shoulders, hair in a mess and cocoa in hand. Okay, I may or may not be guilty of shopping this way in a mall before, regardless I don’t suggest it! But seriously, I love the freedom I have to shop at anytime in my warm home.
Another way it is convenient is when you’re looking for those perfect presents. When shopping online you can compare items from several different stores with only a few clicks. That sure beats driving from retailer to retailer! This will save you time and can even help you come up with some amazing gift ideas. For example, Amazon has a great feature where it makes recommendations based on what you have viewed. It will even tell you what items other people purchased when they bought the item you’re looking at. I love this feature because it helps me think of great gift ideas. I like the excitement of finding something I know they will love and yet they had no idea they were getting.
Safe Places to Shop
Okay, you concede that it is convenient. But you don’t know what sites are good to use or even more importantly safe. No problem! I have a couple great reputable places you can check out.
Amazon is home to millions of items. I would never say there is a one stop place for shopping but Amazon is pretty close. It is a convenient, easy to use and secure place to shop. And, of course, their return policy is one of the best there is!
Target has a great website for shopping. Across the top of their page you will find categories and sub categories that make finding items easy. You get all of the great brands that Target offers at your fingertips!
Walmart has everything you would expect but two noteworthy distinctions. First, you can choose to have your gifts delivered to your local Walmart location for free. All you will have to do is swing by the store and pick them up. This will significantly reduce the time you have to be there. Or if you don’t mind paying a little more you can just have them deliver directly to your house. The second thing to be mindful of is Black Friday sales are starting this week. Now is a great time to check out online what they have to offer.
These are great places to start. But if you decide to branch out stick to large reputable retailers or sites that accept Paypal. Paypal is a free secure third party service that you can connect your bank account or credit card to. You use your Paypal account to pay for purchases from retailers who accept them and they facilitate the transaction, so that the online retailer never sees your payment information.
Save Money
This is one of my favorite things about online shopping. Alright, you got me, I pretty much love everything about it but this is huge! You actually can save money by shopping from your bed. First, lots of retailers have specific deals that are offered for online shoppers. You get deals that those who trek to stores don’t know about! Another money saver is the easy access to price comparison. You can price shop between several sites with ease. One more, your computer doesn’t require gas to run.
Ebates.com is another great site that helps you save online. There are 1,600 stores that pay Ebates to help people buy their products online. You just sign up and you have access to all of those stores and the best deals that they can offer. You can find a bunch of retailers that you like and they will give you discount codes. Ebates will then direct you over to the retailers website where you can use the code. Last but not least, Ebates will share with you a percentage of the money they make from you shopping through them. They will actually send you a check. It’s like the worlds best yard sale but online, with nicer things, more convenient and they pay you! Never mind, its nothing like a yard sale.
Savings.com is amazing! You will find awesome deals to your favorite retailers. You just browse through their deals, find the best ones and then they direct you to the retailers websites to redeem the discount codes. They are trusted retailers with great products.
By now I can hear you shouting ,”But what about shipping costs!?!”
This is a very good point but there happens to be a bunch of ways to get free shipping! Have you ever heard of Free Shipping Day? It’s on December 18th and literally thousands of retailers are participating. And get this, delivery is guaranteed by Christmas. Check out FreeShippingDay.com for details. Also, check out these articles to help you save on shipping:
5 Free Shipping Options for The Holidays
4 Ways to Have Free Shipping with Amazon
Well there you have my argument for some of the great benefits for online shopping. Save money, shop securely, and it really is convenient. I rest my case.
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