By:
Submitted: 2009-05-27 04:03:31 | Word Count: 528
Shopping at the holidays can cause a lot of stress - remembering who to buy for, figuring out a budget, planning time into a busy schedule already full of parties and commitments - and that's before you try to decide what exactly it is you're going to pick out for dear old Auntie Fran.
One way to make the holiday shopping experience easier is to use online retail to save your time, attention, money...and even a little bit of your sanity!
[ advertisement ]
A great place to start in this process is amazon.com - not that you're going to buy all your gifts there (although they do offer free super saver shipping once your order costs over a certain amount), but they have a great feature called a "Shopping List," as well as an enormous amount of items in stock. So say it's July and you see a tea cosy you think Auntie Fran might love - you can add it to your shopping list, then when October rolls around and you're starting to feel the holiday jitters you can dig back into your list - which can be thought of almost as an idea file - and then start checking out other websites and offers for better prices and selections.
Do you know who you're buying for? Another way to use online shopping to cut down on holiday shopping stress is to look at the links and websites that your friends and loved ones have sent you over the last 12 months: if someone you care about has sent you multiple links to youtube vlogs, maybe they'd like a webcam!
If you know early enough what you want to buy your friends and family, a great place to hunt for bargains is ebay.com - just make sure you use this option with plenty of time between placing your order and needing delivery, as ebay sellers vary in shipping speed and merchandise quality, and availability of specific items can be limited. Ebay is great when your loved one has a general interest - maybe they like antique clocks, or have been looking for a Hello Kitty! backpack for ages - and you want to seek out a deal. Keep in mind that bidding can get competitive on this auction website, so it's best to wait as long as possible before placing your bid in an effort to keep prices low.
For the more traditionally-minded shopper who wants to take advantage of holiday deals but is set on purchasing through stores with brick-and-mortar outposts, remember that after Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving when physical retailers traditionally start making a profit thanks to holiday sales) comes "Cyber Monday" - the biggest online shopping day of the year. Many stores (and online-only retailers) offer special bargains that you can take advantage of for big-ticket items on this day, just remember that the same as the early morning sales on Black Friday, you've got to be there early to take advantage!
