Over the past few years, I've increasingly have changed my shopping habits. No longer do I suffer with lines and disappointments from walking up and down isles of goods and long lines at the checkouts. My shopping habits were changing long before my debilitating injury. With Christmas rapidly closing in on us, I can honestly say that my shopping is done (at least as far as I know it needs to be!) Some items have yet to arrive, but most are wrapped and tied with ribbon. I even bought some gift certificates on line. To the brick and mortar stores, I wish you well, but I will be shopping mostly on line until that takes a change. Necessity is the mother of invention: Many of our area mom and pop businesses have developed .com addresses. This has opened up a whole new array of markets I would never have known about. I still get meats at the local butcher shop, and shop for most of our food at the grocery stores. Some stores now allow for me to order on line, then go to the store and pick up my order all ready to go. Some will even bring it to the car so you don't have to enter the store. I guess what I am asking is how has the internet impacted upon your shopping habits?
I quit shopping for "gifts" years ago. Only thing I get now is gift cards. They are always the right size and color Usually get them at our grocery store and get fuel points also. Works for me
We've shifted to online more this year. We don't mind going to the store, but lately the store shelves are out of what we are looking for, and it turns into a wasted trip. The online selection is so much better. Sadly though, we need to worry about package theft off porches. It just happened in the next town over. The pair hit at least 9 homes.
I'm on the same program as you SAVE$. Its more of a time constraint thing with me. I work some insane hours about 9 months out of the year. The 3 months of normal human working hours I need to recoup for the next season. Down time is relished. I buy everything I can online.
I have shopped for Christmas gifts online for almost a decade now. And, sadly, even some of my most thoughtful well intentioned gifts were not appreciated. I am 100% gift cards now, whats the use of giving an unwanted, unappreciated gift? Suprisingly giving gift cards has also reduced our Christmas gift budget......
I've experienced that with my kids. So we solved it by setting a budget and took them out to pick out what they wanted. We wrapped it up, they got it at Christmas and all was well. Now, they are mush more agreeable to let me know what they would like. They e mail pictures of what and where on the net. I insist they do the same for the grand kids. My wife still does some Christmas baskets she labors over. They are filled with cookies, candies and some toiletries which she has spent hours putting together.
It's probably been 10 years since I've Christmas shopped in anything but my shorts and a t-shirt, drinking beer at home.
I always buy my son some tool. This year I got him a new 18v lion drill and driver. It's a new style Ryobi. He doesn't use it everyday and I think that will be good. I got it a Depot with a gift receipt just in case he wants to go and get a Makita or something else. He'll need to add about $50 in that case. My daughter gets a gift card which she enjoys much more. My wife and I buy something for ourselves and wrap it up. I bought myself a Woodworkers Store gift card because I don't know what I want to get yet. I have no idea what she got for herself yet. We'll see next Friday.
It's not so much the stores we dislike as much as it is the people shopping. Can hardly believe how many idiots are out there. We've bought online for many, many moons now. Shoot, we ordered 4 more Christmas presents just today, online. Only one place is a big online store where we bought though. Bought from a couple small business'.
Every time I go to a big store my blood pressure goes up and my faith in humanity goes down. Online or mom and pop whenever I can.
The people at the checkout that ring out 5 different orders on 5 different CC's nearly drives me to total postality. If I have to goto the store which is usually just Walmart its at 11PM or early Sunday morning ! All the donuts are usually sleeping or at the bar by then.
Online for what little we do. The store thing is crazy. First off we celebrate the birth of the only perfect gift mankind has ever received. Then give thanks for my dearest. So got her a really nice bridge camera that will take amazing up close flower pics. Her flowers give her more joy than anything else and she will be able to put the card in her computer and share the pics with her friends. It is the love that Jesus imparts in the gift that makes it special and worthwhile. My hope is that all of you feel and experience that love.
