Shopping
“Christmas Online” for www.NetClearly.com, a social shopping company
www.netclearly.com
by Matt Jones
It’s less than a week to Christmas day, and you still need gifts for half the people on your list? No worries, these Web shopping ideas will buy you time.
You can’t underestimate the benefits of buying last-minute holiday gifts online. Certainly you’re eager to avoid the long store lines of pushy gift-shoppers and trekking from one shop to another seeking presents for people of all ages and personal tastes. Buying online is an excellent way to expand your gift-giving options and give you a big break from the Christmas-crazed crowd.
With services such as customized wish lists, free 24-hour shipping, and Internet-only deals, the gift-shopping preference is moving away from noisy, jammed shopping precincts and toward easy-to-browse-and-buy choices online.
Where there’s the Web, there’s a way
While some of us find the hustle and bustle of vociferous Christmas shoppers at least entertaining (and even somehow a part of the “holiday spirit” today), those who don’t have the time to wait in perpetual lines are going the savvy route and buying online. Last year alone, people spent more than $7 billion on holiday shopping, and this year, that figure is expected to rise above $12 billion.
The Internet is a virtual one-stop mall that allows holiday enthusiasts and gift-shopping stragglers limitless shopping possibilities beyond the local Wal-Mart, Nordstrom’s, or Crate & Barrel.
Internet retailers busy enticing this changeover by offering features such as top 10 lists of hot items, product reviews, gift picks by category, and price comparisons for last-minute bargain shoppers.
Helpful tips for buying holiday gifts abound online. But while the gift options are at points dazzling, smart shoppers tap the Web’s convenience while avoiding its overwhelming offerings, (where it’s easy to get lost among the choices with just the click of a button). Those who want to get the most for our money use ever-more refined and handy search engines and price comparison sites that provide the lowdown on the best consumer deals around.
Web sites such as LowerMyBills.com, Froogle.com, and Pricescan.com present product reviews, vendor ratings, and top consumer deals on state-of-the-art gadgets. This saves you the trouble of sorting through hosts of useless sites, and you could land a fine bargain in the process.
Online super stores are always “Open Late”
Mega online stores like Target, Amazon, and eBay offer generous discounts on items for the entire family, so you can buy for many people on your list all at one time. Target.com has a variety of items that you wouldn’t necessarily find at any old Target store—such as specialty designs from their Global Bazaar, or holiday décor from their Christmas Around the World department, which specializes in treats from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Target.com’s Holiday Gift Finder sorts by categories like For Him, For Her, For Teens, etc. Then you get to further refine your choices with subcategories like pastimes, electronics, fashion and beauty, and sports and games. Since simplicity is Target’s forte, frugal or pragmatic gift-givers will have a field day while shopping online. Gifts might run from a $5.99 set of measuring spoons to a $999 DVD home entertainment system, while the widest selection of items is in the mid price range.
You can pick your gifts with a number of selection criteria. If new arrivals excite you, you might opt for the tasteful black scroll candelabra ($19.99) or black scroll tool set ($39.99). You can also sort by bestsellers: the Web-only Pilates On the Go Complete Set ($39.99) for the harried health buff in your life; a wrought-metal, 20-bottle wine rack ($89.99) for the gourmands and connoisseurs you might know; a Homedics Bubble Bliss Plus Luxury foot bubbler ($24.99) … a spa favorite that’s great for just about anybody; or an electronic notebook dictionary ($59.99) for wordsmiths or students. Best of all, there’s free shipping on over 5,000 home and holiday décor gifts, toys, and select items.
Amazon.com offers a similar host of treats with a gift guide that enables browsers to sort gifts by categories like most popular, most gifted, gift exchange, price, and top sellers. Some of the most popular gift items on the site include Azim Jamal’s book The Power of Giving: Creating Abundance in Your Home, at Work, and in Your Community—vital for the holiday season and easy on your bank account at only $10.36.
Other great gifts under $20 for young people on your gift list might include I Spy Fantasy ($9.97), a puzzle-solving interactive game in which kids explore fantasy worlds full of challenging riddles and unique characters.
Gift-givers looking for more educational items for kids may turn to the Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs ($17.28), an informative pop-up book about archaic reptiles, or Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You ($16.47), a guidebook featuring 31 faerie species as great ways to pique creativity and imagination.
Exemplary gifts under $25 (which just happens to be one of the sorting categories) include Cartoons From The New Yorker: 2006 Day-to-Day Calendar ($9.59). Day calendars are always a safe buy, and this one is full of quirky, wry, and irreverent pieces that would make any office acolyte look forward to the next day at work.
For those willing to splurge, Amazon has a wonderful selection of luxury items, among the most distinctive are the Imperial Beluga Caviar ($499.80), straight from the Black Sea and favored for its mild flavor and translucent, bluish-grey pearls (we hear).
One of the site’s most unique holiday guide features is the medley of gift recommendations from nearly 100 magazine editors. They range from Country Living’s suggesting the Nor Pro Stainless Steel 8-piece Bar Set ($27.99) to Conde Nast Traveler’s noting the Omega Speedmaster Chronograph Men’s Watch ($1,129.00)—moonwalker Neil Armstrong’s timepiece, if that justifies the purchase for you. Free two-day shipping for holiday items makes Amazon especially palatable for shoppers wary of online shipping costs. (Many sites have modest delivery charges or free shipping, and if you’re not doing online shopping on Christmas Eve—ahem—delivery is usually very fast.
Magazines make quick-buy stocking stuffers
While you’re at it, magazine subscriptions are inexpensive but thoughtful gifts people can enjoy all year long. Better Homes and Gardens (24 issues for $22) is perfect for folks with a green thumb, while Real Simple (12 issues for $29) is great for style-conscious people who like to keep house. In Style (12 issues for $24) might delight the sister with a flair for culture and lifestyle topics, while National Geographic (12 issues for $34) can easily satisfy the curiosity of a cousin with wanderlust.
Eclectic instant-gifts
Gourmet food is another great holiday gift for families and friends who like to entertain. An appropriate last-minute present could be a baked ham from HickoryFarms.com or a wine or champagne basket from Wine.com. A gift membership to the Fruit of the Month club from HarryandDavid.com, or Gourmet Entrée of the Month from OmahaSteaks.com could also be thoughtful presents, but be warned that while they’re convenient, they’re not cheap ($50-$400 an order, depending on the package).
If you’re interested in shopping for eclectic collectibles, clothes and apparel, or gift certificates, some wonderful portals include Christmasgifts.com (links to sites offering great bargains and unbeatable delivery services), Lastminute.com (last-minute luxury travel packages, if you’re so inclined), and GiftIdeaCenter.com (gourmet baskets and general gifts for all).
Creative sites to find gifts include PersonalCreations.com (photo puzzles to memory quilts), Photowow.com (turns your pictures into artwork), MyTwinn.com (dolls that resemble people you know), NoMeat.com (gourmet goods for your vegetarian friends), and GiftCertificates.com (vouchers for when all else fails—and guaranteed overnight delivery).
When money matters as much as time
Cheap, last-minute gifts needn’t be tacky or thoughtless. If you forgot someone special or just couldn’t find the “perfect” present for them, it’s never too late to get a simple yet sentimental gift. Framed photographs and scented candles from the Target or Wal-Mart sites can generally be purchased for under $10, and make great gifts or stocking stuffers. Small potted herbs or plants can also be found for under $10 from online stores that carry gardening supplies, like Lowe’s or Home Depot. Cut, nicely arranged bouquets (think ribbons and bows) from ProFlowers.com are timeless and thoughtful gestures, too. (If you want to be creative, choose a colorful array of autumn leaves or some poinsettia to reflect the seasonal spirit.)
Sidebars:
Charity starts at home—on your desktop
Making a charitable donation in a friend’s or family member’s name is a great way to celebrate the giving season with a meaningful gesture—especially if they’re more inclined to give than to receive. Most causes and interests have related Web sites, but super sites like NetworkforGood.org or GuideStar.org allow you to pick your charity of choice by location, cause, and several other variables—and donate online. After making a donation in someone’s name, that person is sent a customized greeting card acknowledging your thoughtful deed. Art lovers you know might appreciate a donation to their favorite museum; environmentalists or animal lovers might prefer a donation to the Humane Society or a wildlife refuge; spiritually inclined friends might like to give to their local meditation center; and the list goes on. Aside from making a difference and bringing a delighted smile to your recipient’s face, you also get a nice tax deduction.
Holiday Web shopping: How secure are you?
It goes without saying that online shopping during the holiday season has its browser buying perils. Here are some tips to protect you from potential scams or otherwise unfavorable shopping experiences:
1) Use a secure browser like Internet Explorer or Mozilla
2) Research your merchant, especially if it’s a smaller company 3) Look online for complaints against a business
4) Never give others—even friends—your passwords or credit card information
5) Save your purchasing info online (some merchants will give you the option) only if you are buying from reputable companies 6) Use a credit card rather than a debit card: By law, consumers are only responsible for the first $50 in fraudulent charges, if you happen to incur any
7) Keep your e-mail receipt as a record of the purchase, should any questions arise
8) Set up online bank accounts. Fraud exists at all transaction points, not just those on the Internet. Online accounts can save you bank charges as you transfer money, and it’s an easy way to track your finances throughout the holiday season—24 hours a day, seven days a week.
www.netclearly.com
by Matt Jones
It’s less than a week to Christmas day, and you still need gifts for half the people on your list? No worries, these Web shopping ideas will buy you time.
You can’t underestimate the benefits of buying last-minute holiday gifts online. Certainly you’re eager to avoid the long store lines of pushy gift-shoppers and trekking from one shop to another seeking presents for people of all ages and personal tastes. Buying online is an excellent way to expand your gift-giving options and give you a big break from the Christmas-crazed crowd.
With services such as customized wish lists, free 24-hour shipping, and Internet-only deals, the gift-shopping preference is moving away from noisy, jammed shopping precincts and toward easy-to-browse-and-buy choices online.
Where there’s the Web, there’s a way
While some of us find the hustle and bustle of vociferous Christmas shoppers at least entertaining (and even somehow a part of the “holiday spirit” today), those who don’t have the time to wait in perpetual lines are going the savvy route and buying online. Last year alone, people spent more than $7 billion on holiday shopping, and this year, that figure is expected to rise above $12 billion.
The Internet is a virtual one-stop mall that allows holiday enthusiasts and gift-shopping stragglers limitless shopping possibilities beyond the local Wal-Mart, Nordstrom’s, or Crate & Barrel.
Internet retailers busy enticing this changeover by offering features such as top 10 lists of hot items, product reviews, gift picks by category, and price comparisons for last-minute bargain shoppers.
Helpful tips for buying holiday gifts abound online. But while the gift options are at points dazzling, smart shoppers tap the Web’s convenience while avoiding its overwhelming offerings, (where it’s easy to get lost among the choices with just the click of a button). Those who want to get the most for our money use ever-more refined and handy search engines and price comparison sites that provide the lowdown on the best consumer deals around.
Web sites such as LowerMyBills.com, Froogle.com, and Pricescan.com present product reviews, vendor ratings, and top consumer deals on state-of-the-art gadgets. This saves you the trouble of sorting through hosts of useless sites, and you could land a fine bargain in the process.
Online super stores are always “Open Late”
Mega online stores like Target, Amazon, and eBay offer generous discounts on items for the entire family, so you can buy for many people on your list all at one time. Target.com has a variety of items that you wouldn’t necessarily find at any old Target store—such as specialty designs from their Global Bazaar, or holiday décor from their Christmas Around the World department, which specializes in treats from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Target.com’s Holiday Gift Finder sorts by categories like For Him, For Her, For Teens, etc. Then you get to further refine your choices with subcategories like pastimes, electronics, fashion and beauty, and sports and games. Since simplicity is Target’s forte, frugal or pragmatic gift-givers will have a field day while shopping online. Gifts might run from a $5.99 set of measuring spoons to a $999 DVD home entertainment system, while the widest selection of items is in the mid price range.
You can pick your gifts with a number of selection criteria. If new arrivals excite you, you might opt for the tasteful black scroll candelabra ($19.99) or black scroll tool set ($39.99). You can also sort by bestsellers: the Web-only Pilates On the Go Complete Set ($39.99) for the harried health buff in your life; a wrought-metal, 20-bottle wine rack ($89.99) for the gourmands and connoisseurs you might know; a Homedics Bubble Bliss Plus Luxury foot bubbler ($24.99) … a spa favorite that’s great for just about anybody; or an electronic notebook dictionary ($59.99) for wordsmiths or students. Best of all, there’s free shipping on over 5,000 home and holiday décor gifts, toys, and select items.
Amazon.com offers a similar host of treats with a gift guide that enables browsers to sort gifts by categories like most popular, most gifted, gift exchange, price, and top sellers. Some of the most popular gift items on the site include Azim Jamal’s book The Power of Giving: Creating Abundance in Your Home, at Work, and in Your Community—vital for the holiday season and easy on your bank account at only $10.36.
Other great gifts under $20 for young people on your gift list might include I Spy Fantasy ($9.97), a puzzle-solving interactive game in which kids explore fantasy worlds full of challenging riddles and unique characters.
Gift-givers looking for more educational items for kids may turn to the Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs ($17.28), an informative pop-up book about archaic reptiles, or Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You ($16.47), a guidebook featuring 31 faerie species as great ways to pique creativity and imagination.
Exemplary gifts under $25 (which just happens to be one of the sorting categories) include Cartoons From The New Yorker: 2006 Day-to-Day Calendar ($9.59). Day calendars are always a safe buy, and this one is full of quirky, wry, and irreverent pieces that would make any office acolyte look forward to the next day at work.
For those willing to splurge, Amazon has a wonderful selection of luxury items, among the most distinctive are the Imperial Beluga Caviar ($499.80), straight from the Black Sea and favored for its mild flavor and translucent, bluish-grey pearls (we hear).
One of the site’s most unique holiday guide features is the medley of gift recommendations from nearly 100 magazine editors. They range from Country Living’s suggesting the Nor Pro Stainless Steel 8-piece Bar Set ($27.99) to Conde Nast Traveler’s noting the Omega Speedmaster Chronograph Men’s Watch ($1,129.00)—moonwalker Neil Armstrong’s timepiece, if that justifies the purchase for you. Free two-day shipping for holiday items makes Amazon especially palatable for shoppers wary of online shipping costs. (Many sites have modest delivery charges or free shipping, and if you’re not doing online shopping on Christmas Eve—ahem—delivery is usually very fast.
Magazines make quick-buy stocking stuffers
While you’re at it, magazine subscriptions are inexpensive but thoughtful gifts people can enjoy all year long. Better Homes and Gardens (24 issues for $22) is perfect for folks with a green thumb, while Real Simple (12 issues for $29) is great for style-conscious people who like to keep house. In Style (12 issues for $24) might delight the sister with a flair for culture and lifestyle topics, while National Geographic (12 issues for $34) can easily satisfy the curiosity of a cousin with wanderlust.
Eclectic instant-gifts
Gourmet food is another great holiday gift for families and friends who like to entertain. An appropriate last-minute present could be a baked ham from HickoryFarms.com or a wine or champagne basket from Wine.com. A gift membership to the Fruit of the Month club from HarryandDavid.com, or Gourmet Entrée of the Month from OmahaSteaks.com could also be thoughtful presents, but be warned that while they’re convenient, they’re not cheap ($50-$400 an order, depending on the package).
If you’re interested in shopping for eclectic collectibles, clothes and apparel, or gift certificates, some wonderful portals include Christmasgifts.com (links to sites offering great bargains and unbeatable delivery services), Lastminute.com (last-minute luxury travel packages, if you’re so inclined), and GiftIdeaCenter.com (gourmet baskets and general gifts for all).
Creative sites to find gifts include PersonalCreations.com (photo puzzles to memory quilts), Photowow.com (turns your pictures into artwork), MyTwinn.com (dolls that resemble people you know), NoMeat.com (gourmet goods for your vegetarian friends), and GiftCertificates.com (vouchers for when all else fails—and guaranteed overnight delivery).
When money matters as much as time
Cheap, last-minute gifts needn’t be tacky or thoughtless. If you forgot someone special or just couldn’t find the “perfect” present for them, it’s never too late to get a simple yet sentimental gift. Framed photographs and scented candles from the Target or Wal-Mart sites can generally be purchased for under $10, and make great gifts or stocking stuffers. Small potted herbs or plants can also be found for under $10 from online stores that carry gardening supplies, like Lowe’s or Home Depot. Cut, nicely arranged bouquets (think ribbons and bows) from ProFlowers.com are timeless and thoughtful gestures, too. (If you want to be creative, choose a colorful array of autumn leaves or some poinsettia to reflect the seasonal spirit.)
Sidebars:
Charity starts at home—on your desktop
Making a charitable donation in a friend’s or family member’s name is a great way to celebrate the giving season with a meaningful gesture—especially if they’re more inclined to give than to receive. Most causes and interests have related Web sites, but super sites like NetworkforGood.org or GuideStar.org allow you to pick your charity of choice by location, cause, and several other variables—and donate online. After making a donation in someone’s name, that person is sent a customized greeting card acknowledging your thoughtful deed. Art lovers you know might appreciate a donation to their favorite museum; environmentalists or animal lovers might prefer a donation to the Humane Society or a wildlife refuge; spiritually inclined friends might like to give to their local meditation center; and the list goes on. Aside from making a difference and bringing a delighted smile to your recipient’s face, you also get a nice tax deduction.
Holiday Web shopping: How secure are you?
It goes without saying that online shopping during the holiday season has its browser buying perils. Here are some tips to protect you from potential scams or otherwise unfavorable shopping experiences:
1) Use a secure browser like Internet Explorer or Mozilla
2) Research your merchant, especially if it’s a smaller company 3) Look online for complaints against a business
4) Never give others—even friends—your passwords or credit card information
5) Save your purchasing info online (some merchants will give you the option) only if you are buying from reputable companies 6) Use a credit card rather than a debit card: By law, consumers are only responsible for the first $50 in fraudulent charges, if you happen to incur any
7) Keep your e-mail receipt as a record of the purchase, should any questions arise
8) Set up online bank accounts. Fraud exists at all transaction points, not just those on the Internet. Online accounts can save you bank charges as you transfer money, and it’s an easy way to track your finances throughout the holiday season—24 hours a day, seven days a week.
