In the quest for simplicity, financial organization, and time management, I have found that often, online shopping helps me quickly find what I need to purchase, stick to my budget and shopping list, and most of all save on precious time that could be spent doing things I love like reading or creating music.
So, how can something that has often been vilified when it comes to trying to save money and trying budget, actually help me? When I have a list and I want to stick to it, it is a lot easier to go straight to the item on Amazon, or a store that has shipping, and just search it, pick it out and pay. Easy! A recent example of this is a perfume that my husband wanted. He ran out and mentioned a name of a sample that he had tried and would like to have. Instead of searching several stores, I went on Amazon (I have prime with 2 day free shipping) I found the perfume, I checked to see if the price compared with other online stores. Voila, click, buy, and receive to my doorstep two days later. I always try to use pay pal linked to my bank account so every purchase is a debit from my account, not credit. If I must use credit, I make the payment to my credit card immediately. This helps me with sticking to what I really planned on buying too. How many times have you been in a store to buy one thing, only to exit with an extra item just because it was on sale?
I shop for my groceries online quite often too. The first time I told my husband that he would need to stop by the store and pick up our order on the way home from work, he replied, "well, that's kind of lazy isn't it, why didn't you go to the store, instead of getting the store to prepare your order? That is a weird way to shop for food. After all, it is your day off from working in the studio. "Exactly! It is my day off...why ever would I want to spend any part of my day off in a grocery store? I would rather sit at my laptop with my cup of coffee, dogs by my feet in my slippers and order it all from home. Grocery stores with online shopping actually allow you to save lists too. So you can re-purchase the essentials weekly if you wish. I can also just shop all of the deals in the flyer if I want. I can also see my total as I shop so I can budget better, and then look over my virtual cart and remove things that I realize perhaps I don't need yet. I can get up from my computer and look in the fridge to see if I forgot something too. The thing I like best, is I can make a list and completely stick to that list, no free samples to try and then decide on the moment to buy, no smell of freshly baked bread to entice me. I can actually grocery shop while I am hungry and not come out of it with more than I had first planned.
Sometimes I purchase pharmacy items online too. Once again, I can choose my shampoo, conditioner, facial cleansers, q-tips, mascara, candles, even headache remedies and any other item you may find in a drugstore, online. It once again keeps me on my list, on budget and most of all saves me the time of driving and shopping. I almost always come out of the pharmacy over budget and this way I don't. It takes discipline to only buy what you went into the store to buy. Many times I would buy something I am going to need soon, just to avoid going back to the store in a week. Online shopping helps me buy only what I need when I need it.
Clothing is a difficult one, especially something that you would need to try on. I have a hard time finding anything that fits well. That is probably why I dislike clothes shopping so much. Usually when I need shoes or something that needs trying on, I set aside a time during the week and purposely go out in search of what I need. I can't say that I like doing that very much though, but I just can't imagine ordering shoes online. I guess I could. Perhaps one day when I need some, I will try. I don't own many articles of clothing, but recently I needed a couple of new hoodies because my old ones were getting pretty ratty looking. I knew what I was looking for and the brand that I know fits me really nicely, but I would have had to drive about 30 or 40 minutes to go the store that I wanted the clothing from, then drive another 30 or 40 minutes back. That is a lot of time driving just for a hoodie or two. Thus, once again an online purchase was in order. In two days I got my clothing with free shipping because I had purchased 2 items. They are exactly what I wanted and needed.
Through online shopping I saved my time, mental sanity by avoiding crowds, I stuck to my list and budget, and saved on gas and driving time. I also got to read several chapters in a book that I am in to lately, write a blog post and drink a few cups of coffee all in the comfort of my wonderful home. May I also mention that it is minus 30 degrees below zero Celsius here, and the thought of going out shopping for me really sucks at the moment. Perhaps if you asked me during the summer, I may even find it fun to go walking though a farmer's market to buy fresh vegetables for supper. I would appreciate the lovely drive to the store that is 40 minutes away. There are certainly times that going out and doing the physical shopping may be pleasant, but one thing is certain, online shopping is a pretty good time and money saver in many circumstances.
Do you online shop? Has it been a help or a hindrance to your time and budget?
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