If you watch television or read magazines, you can see that electronic devices are the "hot" items this year. Good for us, the prices of these devices are coming down regularly and now are well within the budget of the average person.
Everyone wants the newest telephone, the newest computer, the newest portable computer, the newest camera, the newest camcorder, etc. Well, this year for Christmas, many of these items have become priced to be on your Christmas shopping list!
Browse Amazon's Bestseller website to get an inkling of what exactly is going to be the next great "hot" item. If you do this, you may be able to pick up something really special this year before it becomes scarce. Amazon is a great place to get in touch with what everyone is looking for and buying this year. If you browse this site pretty regularly, you will be everyone's favorite family member this year because your gifts will be "on the money" with what they want.
Try it out and let me know what you think. Just click here to visit the Amazon Bestsellers
Here's a funny article about buying for Christmas. She is humorous, but very informative. Read the whole article and see if you get any ideas. Only 15 days until Christmas, time for serious shopping!
The holiday spirit seems to be infesting me earlier and earlier every year. This time, it was buzzing around me before Thanksgiving plans were even being considered, whispering in my ear that I should start shopping immediately or I would be doomed, doomed. And seeing as how I usually start shopping on Dec. 23 (with mixed results), I decided to listen to that little persuasive voice.
I started hounding my innocent family members to put together wish lists RIGHTAWAY so I could just get on with the shopping already. Then, Black Friday came and went and so did Cyber Monday, and I was a little bitter they didn't quite get their acts together in time for me to get the best deals. After all, it's in their best interests to do so. Still, I've managed to rise above these Herculean-esque challenges, and had over half of my Christmas shopping done before I even set up my tree. This Christmas miracle, dear readers, is all thanks to the Internet.
I love Internet gift shopping. It's just so easy. You browse, you find something interesting, you click and then a few days later it shows up on your doorstep, all perky and new and ready to be wrapped. (Sometimes, to fight off the tiny niggle of disappointment that I've received a package full of stuff for everyone else, I'll throw in a little something for me. I mean, I'm being generous! I SHOULD be rewarded. And no, I do not need another lecture about the true meaning of Christmas or the joy of giving. I'll remember all that later in the month, when the frenzy of shopping has receded and there's room in my soul again for kindness, hope, and love.)
Sadly, some people (cough *the Boy*cough) seem a little intimidated when it comes to online shopping, even though the idea of heading to the mall fills them with Grinchy dread. So in the spirit of helping other people give and thusly improving their lives and overall happiness, I'll step in and offer up three of my favorite Web sites that can help ease the panic.
Amazon.com- This one may seem obvious, as it pretty much has everything and at shiny discounted prices. Also, if your order is over $25, it probably qualifies for free shipping. But the real benefit of this site is that you can put together a wish list so people who want to give you things (like ME!) actually give you what you want. And if you add the Universal Wish list button, you can add things from anywhere on the Web. (However, only items ordered from Amazon can be sent directly to your house unless the gift giver knows your address, because, wisely, Amazon will not disclose where you live.)
Thinkgeek.com- Maybe he NEEDS a tauntaun sleeping bag or an electric guitar T-shirt he can both wear and play. If someone in your life is a techie or Trekkie or any other kind of lovable geek, check this site out. There are handy gift guides for both him and her. There is also a whole section on zombies. Everyone loves zombies.
Remember to check out shipping guidelines so you're not looking all Scrooge-ish at Christmas when the goods have yet to arrive. In most cases, orders using ground shipping (often free!) need to be placed by Dec. 17, if not sooner. Also, do a search for promo codes for the sites you're using, as you can often get additional discounts.
So good luck, shoppers. (Just beware the slightly addictive qualities of online shopping, or you'll be like me, awaiting packages from Australia and Japan and making your credit card quiver in fear.)
Heather apologizes for not getting these suggestions out in time for Hanukkah. You can send her holiday wishes at singleontheseacoast@gmail.com.
For your pleasure, here is an article about reasons to shop online--as if you really needed to see reasons in black and white! There is a good point here, I think at #6. With all the ruckus about H1N1 and Flu season, who wouldn't want to avoid all that unknown exposure?
Anyway, read the article and then get crackin' online. Time's a-wasting!
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By COUPON SHERPA http://www.couponsherpa.com/
The crowds, the fluorescent lights, the sales clerks who ignore you and the lines, lines, lines. Some people love Christmas shopping. I assume they also like sleeping on a bed of nails.
Here are 10 reasons you should consider shopping online.
1. Unique gifts: You can find the coolest and most unusual stuff online. From remote-controlled Ferraris at hipstergifts.com to Gummi Army Guys at stupid.com, it's all out there. You just have to look. And as with all shopping, looking is half the fun.
2. Find exactly what you want: Need a Hello Kitty purse for your niece or a Transformer action figure for your nephew? It's all there and Google makes it easy to find. The "toy of the year" may be sold-out early on toy sites, but check eBay and you'll probably find it. Of course the eBay price will be higher than retail on that hot item, but your daughter won't be disappointed come Christmas morning - if that's your goal.
3. Crowds: IMHO, not having to fight overzealous crowds is the very best part of shopping online. Plus, you can cook dinner while sitting at your computer, so no pizzza dinner after an exhausting day of dealing with overzealous shoppers.
4. Sleep in: It's beyond my understanding why anyone would camp out in front of Best Buy on Black Friday, only to find the five rock-bottom-priced laptops advertised in the Thanksgiving newspaper were picked off by employees before the doors opened. Online shopping allows you to sleep in and leisurely stroll to your computer at a reasonable hour. Heck, you can even shop at midnight, after the kids are in bed and you have some private time.
5. Keep it secret: Have your gift-wrapped purchases delivered close to Christmas and you don't have to worry about hiding them from inquisitive little fingers (or the bigger fingers of nosey spouses).
6. No germs: How many people ignore a cold and still go shopping, where they spread all those yucky germs? There's no chance of catching swine flu (sorry, H1N1) from your computer, although you can catch a virus.
7. No snarky clerks: Sure many of the clerks have a reason to be irritated. Shoppers can be nasty, aggressive and cheap. Worst of all, many clerks know they'll be canned immediately after post-Christmas sales. Blessedly, there are no clerks online and, thus, no one to hassle you.
8. Dress code: You can shop online in your pajamas or sweat pants. Need I say more? And that coffee your drinking is homemade - not an expensive mocha drink from Starbucks that you waited half an hour in line to buy and the "barista" got it wrong.
9. Better deals: Super hot deals offered by brick-and-mortar stores are picked off by the first 10 people in line. You can easily compare prices and find great deals online without the chance of being trampled.
10. Shipping: Have your gifts shipped directly to your home or to the recipient; whichever works best for you. If you like, online stores will even gift-wrap presents and slip in a personalized card. You'll reduce your holiday stress and avoid the lines at the post office. Many online stores offer free shipping.
(Coupon Sherpa is the penny pinching, coupon clipping, deal digging, Himalyan haggling, he-man of bargains. Visit http://www.couponsherpa.com/ for more shopping advice, insider tips, and coupons.)
It’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but the Christmas season is in full force as evidenced by the commercials, ads and catalogs I’ve seen in the past two weeks. Retailers are hoping that consumers will not scrimp on holiday giving, as this time of year often determines a company’s profit, especially small companies. Many families are on tight budgets or feeling financial constraints, but no one wants to disappoint their family at Christmas. If you’re on a budget this year, here are some tips for keeping the holiday giving in check:
1.Determine an overall budget for the holidays. Make a list of everyone you will be buying gifts for as well as expenses associated with parties, meals, etc. Set a limit on what you’ll spend on gifts. If the total cost is too much for your paycheck, adjust the budget until you’re able to pay for everything from your current income, instead of putting purchases on a credit card and worrying about the bill next year.
2.Consider group gifts. This works really well in large families. I have 6 nieces and nephews on one side of my family. My siblings and I decided years ago to assign one sibling to each niece/nephew. We purchase one gift on behalf of all the aunts and uncles at a reasonable cost, such as $50 or $75. That is less than the cost of 6 gifts, and the child gets one nice gift instead of 6 small ones.
3.Set expectations with your children. Let them know the gifts will be smaller, or less in number than previous years. Talk about things you can do together to celebrate the holidays that doesn’t involve buying “stuff.” You might be surprised at what your children come up with.
4.Pay with cash or a debit card. Leave the credit cards at home.
Let’s here from you – what ideas have you come up with to reduce the budget, but increase the fun for the holiday season?
Even with finances tight, I hope everyone will find one extra dollar here or there to stuff into the Salvation Army kettle, or buy a toy for Toys For Tots. We all need to remember to be thankful for what we have.
Hello,
I hope you enjoy this blog. I will be reviewing some ideas for your Christmas shopping this year with reviews and comments from previous shoppers.
Christmas buying is always stressful--we spend too much time, too much money and we are never sure if we make the right choices. Here I hope to have articles and excerpts that will help you make your holiday shopping less burdensome.
The holidays should be about having fun spending time with the people you love who love you. Whether you choose to have a commercial holiday or a spiritual one, here you should find a few bits and pieces of information to make the holidays what you want them to be.
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