Tis the Season to Shop--Online!

Now that Thanksgiving is over it is time to look towards Christmas, which is frankly my favorite holiday. I love the lights, the decorations, and of course, the shopping. I actually enjoy shopping more for friends and family than for myself. What I don't like is the hustle and the bustle of Christmas time. It is odd that the happiest time of the year can turn people into the crankiest shoppers on earth. Did any of you hear about the woman trampled at Wal-Mart during the After-Thanksgiving sale? Or about the woman who got beat up for trying to cut into the line outside Target that people had been waiting in since 3AM? Yeah, Christmas shoppers are not to be messed with.

So my obvious solution is to turn towards online shopping this season. Last year I wasted about two weeks and over three hundred dollars trying to find to "perfect" for everyone in my family and my friends. This year I plan on being more sensible with both my money and my time. Online shopping can find you all the gifts you need, often at discounted prices, in a few hours what that would take you days to find in stores and not only that most online stores will ship the gifts for you and depending on how much you spend you can probably get free shipping.

There are a lot of online stores to choose from. My favorite is Amazon.com, this company is one of the few online companies that survived and has thrived since the dot.com meltdown of the late 90's. Amazon.com was originally just an online bookselling company. They have now branched out to selling not only books, but home media, cookware, clothing, and numerous other items. They also offer the opportunity to buy used items from other sellers. The best part is if you buy over $25 shipping is free. Another favorite is the online store of Crate and Barrel (www.crateandbarrel.com). I have a lot of friends who like home furnishing and cookware so this is the best place I like to look for them. Crate and Barrel also is convenient because they have a section that helps you choose items by occasion, recipient and/or by price. Unfortunately they do not offer free shipping. The latest gem is Overstock.com which is exactly what it sounds like: overstock from stores ranging from Harry Potter books to Dolce and Gabbana designer clothes. For a limited time only they offer $1 shipping. There are many other great stores like Target.com and Sears.com that offer both a wide selection of items and free shipping. The best thing to do is think of a few stores that you like or items that your friends and family might like and then just do a little hunting online. Before you know it your list will be complete and you'll find that you actually have time to enjoy Christmas this year, instead of waiting for it all to be over.

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