Holiday Shopping the Easy Way

This article has been written to save you gas, money, and time with your holiday shopping.

I have been shopping for years. (Clothes being my specialty) I have been to many a mall at 8:30pm during the holiday season, waiting in line while my feet ache and sweat ran down my brow. The thought of carrying bags, and boxes from one store to another in search of the right gift, for the right person, at the right price, is nothing short of terrifying.

Think about it for a second. How does the average person shop? There are two main ways. By impulse buying, or by making a list and following it. When you do the impulse buying thing, you put your god given memory skills to the true test. You're out driving back home from work or it's the weekend and your running around for one reason or another. You see a store, you say, "I have enough money to get some of these gifts out of the way. You pull in the parking lot and from that moment on your time is gone, your body is about to be worked out and you don't even know if your going to find the gift your looking for. You walk around hoping you'll see a gift for the right person, at the right price. Good luck! You might have some time left in your day to catch a movie later if it works out. There is no guarantee of success.

Let's look at the other way. You plan your list and your time. First of all it has to be a day off, and I do mean a whole day off. After you have planned to shop on a certain day you have to go down your list and think about who gets what and how much you plan to spend. You're ready. It's off to the mall or to one of the all in one superstores. You have a good plan but who knows how much your going to spend on each gift, an how long it's going to take. Best case scenario you get all your gifts, for all the right people at the prices you expected. Guess what? Bags and boxes that's what! If you did get everything, you needed, you still have to get them to the car and unpack the car when you get home. Not to mention the gas money and the mall's food expense to keep your energy up.

Have no fear......there is a better way!

Online Shopping is it!!!!!!!!

Nearly everything you can find at a mall or a superstore can be purchased on line at a competitive price with easy delivery. Your only added expense is shipping and handling, and if you get all the items you need from one online store, the shipping and handling cost will be far less than the price of gas to the mall and something to eat while you were there.

Let's look at a comparison:

Shopping the old way.........

Positives......

1.) Get all the items you need for your holiday shopping. That's it! The only thing you can be happy about is that the shopping is done.

Negatives......

1.) Time...The average impulse shopping experience last 1-2 hours per session. The average planned shopping experience for the holiday season is over 15 hours spread out over a week or two.

2.) Gas.....You spend at least a half a tank of gas shopping around for all that stuff. With gas prices the way they are now, that could be about 20 bucks for the old SUV or minivan.

3.) Physical Stress...Walking back and forth to the car is a workout. Walking around a mall or superstore is a workout. Bringing the bags in the house is a workout. If you wanted a workout, you would have headed to the gym. Right?

4.) Mental Stress...Having to go to different stores to complete your shopping list when you don't know if the items will be the right gift, for the right person, at the right price is stressful.

Now let's look at shopping online...........

Positives......

1.) Time...Self explanatory this one is. It takes the average person 1 minute to get online. 1 more minute to go to their choice of online store. Another 10 or 15 minutes to check off some names as you select your items, about another 5 minutes to enter your payment information into the appropriate places and print out your receipt. Walla!!!!!! 30 minutes tops! Think of what you could do with all that time. (Definitely catch that movie huh?)

2.) Gas......What gas? You don't use any. You save it all for those trips to the movie theater. You don't even need a car. You just need an address to send your gift too. You could even send the item to the person your going to give the gift too no matter where they are in the world, and save yourself time wrapping it!!! (Ever get a gift in the mail? It's a great feeling.)

3.) Physical Stress...There is none!!!! No bags to carry, no walks through the malls, no lines to wait in, no fumbling with credit cards, receipts, money or bags while your in the store. All you have to do is lift a finger to click a mouse.

4.) Less Mental Stress...Think about all the planning that goes into doing all of your shopping the traditional way. All you have to do here is make a list, and check it off as you go.

Negatives......

1.) You must have a computer with an internet connection. Which you already have because you're reading this article. That is the only negative...

There are some things that every serious online shopper should know before they begin their online shopping experience. Here they are:

1.) To make the best use of your time, pick an online store that carries more than one type of item. It should be a mini-mall. They should have products that you would buy for yourself and something for everyone you want to shop for.

2.) The store should have a shopping cart. This feature will allow you to pick up different items while your shopping, and put them together in one place, for review (whether you buy the items or not) before your final purchase.

3.) The store should have some kind of FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page that can help you with anything that you might need to know about the store. If not a FAQ page, definitely some type of Customer Service Contact Information.

4.) The store should have a picture of the item with a good description next to it. That's right!!! An actual description of the item. When you go into a traditional store, the only time you'll get a description given to you is when it's a big ticket item like a car or expensive electronic item. To find the description yourself you have to check one of the 6 sides of the packaging. Online it's right there in front of you. How great is that?

5.) The store should have a way to put your name and email address into its data base so that they can contact you for customer specials the store might have. This can be a great way to get discounts from that store. You'll get all kinds of notifications about sales, special offers, and possibly some coupons to save you money on your next purchase.

6.) The store should have different ways to accept your payments. Credit cards, check cards, online checks, print out order forms that can be faxed or mailed to them to process orders. The more the better.

7.) The store should have a money back guarantee. This should let you know that if you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, the company will refund all your expenses with no questions asked.

8.) The store should also be listed with the Online BBB.

9.) The store MUST have a secure connection in which to receive your payment. If a company does not have this, I would not suggest using them. Usually you will see some sort of notice that talks about security as it pertains to ordering items online, and a picture of a padlock somewhere.

That's it!!!!!!!!!!! If you have those nine things you are ready to go. Try this method of shopping and decide for yourself. You be the judge. If you are serious about making your life easier when it comes to shopping for the holiday season, then you can't help but giving online shopping a chance. I think you will agree that you can't beat shopping online. Good Luck and Happy Shopping!!!!!

P.S. There are sites that I can recommend when it comes to getting all your online shopping needs met. Contact me for help in this area.

Sylvia Calhoun is a former Math Instructor and Computer Programer turned Entrepreneur with several business in the areas of Real Estate, Event Staffing and Product Distribution. She can be contacted at sylviaccalhoun@yahoo.com

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Fashion Faux-Pas

In a consumerist culture where people are judged on their material possessions and appearance, a movement has emerged where our need for so much stuff is challenged, and the harm that this stuff inflicts on our Earth is confronted. There was no way to predict how the increasing demand for mass-produced clothing would shape our world. Suddenly, in the 21st century there is a realization that our style of life cannot continue the way it is in the North-Western region of the world. The greed for textiles here has robbed many people of livable conditions, good health, fair wages, necessary resources, and even life. Fortunately, there are steps that can -and need to - be taken to slowly undo what has been so badly messed up. By choosing sustainable fashion, the consumerist, greedy lifestyle that is so common in North-America becomes undermined by conscientious choices, and consumerism will eventually cease to control our decisions so profoundly.

Water polluted with dye from denim, carbon emissions so thick masks are needed, pennies given to bony hands deserving so much more; these are only some of the horrendous effects of the textile industry. Drastic times deserve drastic measures. Practically anything can be bought today that is fair trade. When buying new clothing, it is important to investigate as to where the item was made. In fact, it should become a habit to do this with any item we purchase, since most of what the average American buys is from polluting factories across the ocean. For clothing, it isn't always necessary to buy items new. There are a plethora of second-hand and thrift stores simply waiting to be explored. It is possible to find new clothing that benefits both environmental and humanitarian causes as well. Make sure what you buy is organic, fair trade, recycled, second hand, or one of so many more alternatives. It is perplexing how many options are available, and how so few are explored.

There are many, many ways to be eco-friendly while clothes shopping. Here are a few ideas, and a little inspiration! Firstly, second-hand - or pre-loved - clothing is simple to find and easy to love. In this writer's experience, treasures are best found in smaller, privately owned shops in big cities, where the stores that sell second-hand clothes found in the richer areas are usually full of discarded clothing, donated simply because it no longer fits its first owner. Previously owned clothing has it's benefits too. For example, it will have personality. For pieces like jeans and shoes, they will already be broken-in, and therefore much more comfortable. Buying clothes like this is not only recycling the fabrics, but also ensuring that your money is not supporting any sweatshops. This, as described above, is a crucial first step to solving problems. Next, it is possible in our advanced society to buy clothing made of sustainable materials as well as locally and sweatshop free. American Apparel guarantees that their clothes are made in the USA, sweatshop free. This is a revolutionary move in the clothes industry. With the recent recession and the desire to employ more people on American soil, it is a good advertising move for this brand to promote that aspect of their identity. American Apparel's Sustainable Edition collection is worth investigating. The clothes they sell are made of 100% organic cotton, and that makes them just so much more comfortable. In addition to this fact, you, the purchaser of a Sustainable Edition collection t-shirt, can be very proud of your investment.

There are so many store options that staying to only one brand would be silly. Joy Apparel, which specializes in t-shirts, is based in Ontario and makes their shirts out of organic cotton. They also donate 5% of their profits to multiple charities, most of which benefit children worldwide. The passion and purpose of the company is to get the whole world thinking of one another. Their design is original as well as affordable, making them well worth the investment. There are countless other brands making positive humanitarian and environmental impacts. Take TOMS shoes for example. Though their shoes are made in China and are a bit pricey, they have a "one for one" policy. This means that for every pair of their shoes bought, they will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. This brand has become fashionable lately, but their integrity remains unchanged. They are extremely comfortable, as well as versatile, in that the shoes be worn with practically anything. Vegan, organic, or second-hand clothing doesn't mean a grungy look.

This whole crazy idea of sustainable fashion may seem distant and foreign. However there are countless brands selling eco-friendly clothes here in North-America, as well as in Britain, such as People Tree, which is endorsed by Emma Watson. The issues surrounding the textile industry are at our doorstep. Taking care of our neighbour and our world should be on the top of the priority list. To jump-start the process, a basic possession, clothing, can be used as our tool. It's a do-able project that will make us feel good and look good. Guaranteed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emily_I_Fearon

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