Friday, November 11, 2011

I Heart Amazon.com

For the past three years, Amazon.com has been my go-to Christmas shopping site.  
It is especially handy when looking for presents for the children in my life.  If I have any idea of what I'd like (Fisher Price, Melissa and Doug, etc.), I just type that in the search box, narrow it down by age range, and I instantly have a huge list of choices to pick from.  If I don't like any of those, it only takes a few seconds to start a new search.  Is there anything you CAN'T find on Amazon.com?  So far I haven't found that one thing!
I also love to use it when searching book titles.  When shopping for children's books, I like to find books with their names in the title.  I'm not always successful in my search, but it is a lot easier than physically searching through a store's collection.
There are other perks to Amazon, too.  For one, it will store items in your cart indefinitely and adjust the prices as they go up or down.  I have had some items in my cart since last year's Christmas shopping.  When I log in, I am alerted as to which items have adjusted in price.  Items can always be placed in your cart to buy immediately or can be saved for later.
Then there's this problem I have with paying for shipping.  I know shipping companies need money, too, but I hate giving it to them.  Amazon has this great option called FREE Super Saver Shipping on most of the items if the total is over $25.  (That is hardly ever a problem for me, or I just continue to fill my cart over several visits until I reach that total.)  It might take a few more days than paying for shipping, but my orders still usually arrive within a week and a half.
Don't get me wrong--I am all for shopping locally and I love the hunt that comes with actually walking through stores to see what's out there.  I never pass up an opportunity for "real" shopping and, as you know, I always adore a leisurely stroll through a bookstore.
But, when shopping needs to be done in bulk, and the rest of the world is shopping at the same time--and for many of the same things--convenience tends to win out.  That's when Amazon.com rescues me from pre-holiday stress year after year.
What shopping sites do you like to use for your Christmas shopping?


*Amazon.com has not reimbursed the writer of this post in anyway, although she would be more than happy to accept. :o)

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