Shopping Tips Online

My latest addiction is shoes. It’s funny, when I worked outside of the home, I had a few requisite pairs. Black pumps, black flats, a pair of sandals and some sneakers. Oh yeah and a pair of dress boots too, but that was it. Now that I’m a work at home mom, I have shoes for every occasion. Perhaps it’s because I have more opportunity to shop? Mr. Ng does not approve, we’re supposed to be on a budget, after all.

One thing did happen that convinced me to stop buying so many pairs. Whenever I mail order shoes there are problems. Blisters, squooshed toes, or just an uncomfortable feeling are common place (for me) when I mail order shoes. Sometimes I’m a size 7, sometimes a 7 ½. On occasion, I’ve even gone 8. It’s impossible to buy shoes that are an exact, comfortable fit online.

Something else I noticed is that if you want comfortable, proper-fitting, long-lasting shoes, you don’t want to buy cheap shoes. As someone who is known for being frugal, I’m all for taking the inexpensive route, but with shoes, you really do get what you pay for. I’m not saying you need to go for the Jimmy Choos, but the $2 sandals are probably not your best bet for comfort and quality.

You know, I could spend hours on eBay. I sell old books or maternity clothes from time to time, but I really enjoy searching for bargains. I can buy craft supplies in bulk, find hard to locate items such as fireman birthday candles, and browse for cute clothes and shoes. While there’s some fun stuff for sure, I’m finding there are fewer bargains to be had.

I used to marvel at finding a blouse for .50 cents or a book for a quarter. After all, who wouldn’t want to pay that? Then I get to the part about shipping charges and I’m no longer feeling the love. A $7 shipping charge on a ten cent paperback? That’s not a bargain! Sending an average-sized paperback via Media Mail will cost perhaps $2, $4 if Stephen King wrote it.

Really, there’s nothing that turns me off to a seller than paying $8 for shipping and receiving the package to see it cost $1.75. I understand making a profit, but I also understand going too far. I’m getting better at telling who grossly overcharges for shipping and these are the sellers I avoid.

I’ll tell you what; these shipping overchargers are ruining it for the eBay junkie. We’re on a renovating the house budget at home. It’s getting harder and harder to justify purchases when the end result is paying more for them on eBay than I would if I shopped at the mall.

Thanks to Ben’s Bargains for this great sales notice. New York & Company is having a site sale, you can save 70% on all items! In fact, if you enter the coupon code 8838, the total discount is 76%!

Check out some of these great bargains:

For $5.99 you’ll find tees, camis, tanks and more. I’m really digging this City Fashion lace top and these track pants– both for less than six bucks each!

The $9.99 page is equally filled with bargains, jeans, skirts, and even a cute pair of flip flops for less than you’d find the same at Wal-Mart. There are some great career clothes here too.

If accessories are your thing, check out the $14.99 page. Hats, jewelry and shoes and even a wrap are on sale.

Finally, we come to the $19.99 and under page. This page isn’t as abundant as the others but there are some cute tote bags and some kicky skirts on sale.

You might even want to check out some of the non- sale items. Many of the prices are rather reasonable. Generally I wait for most items to go on sale before making a purchase, but with the coupon code you can do well.

This may be the Internet age, but there are still plenty of people who don’t want to take advantage of the convenience of online shopping because they’re not sure if they want to risk their personal information. While it’s true, you can never be too safe, it’s also good to know most online retailers offer secure, worry-free shopping. If you’re still hesitant, consider some of these online shopping tips:

• Always shop with a trusted merchant. Even though Joe’s Fly By Night Bargain Basement is selling that widget for $2.00 less, it might be worth it to you to shop at a well-known retailer. At the very least, you should research any unfamiliar merchants to be sure they’re who they claim to be and have no complaints against them. Online retailers should offer ways other than email to get in touch with them. You’ll want to know their address and phone number in case something happens to your order. 24 hour customer service is always a plus.
• Shop with security. There are two things you should look for when shopping online, both are located on pages asking for personal information. The first is to look for an “https” instead of http. The extra “s” means a secure, encrypted page. You should also see a padlock on the bottom of the page. This too ensure security. If you don’t see either of these on a page requiring information such as a credit card number or address, it makes the information isn’t encrypted before being sent to it’s final destination.
  
• Never shop from a public computer. Don’t order anything from the computers at the local coffee shop or public library. Your information might be picked up by the next user and can be used for identity theft.

Online shopping should be a pleasant, not worrisome, experience. Knowing what to look for means a secure purchase…and peace of mind.

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