Why not shopping online is insane

[disneysteve]

I use adhesive labels for printing postage for ebay and half.com sales. The last time I needed them (a few years ago), I bought a box of 100 store-brand labels at Staples.

I'm down to my last few labels so I checked Staples' website and the labels sell for $32.00/100. Then I checked ebay and found the same labels for $5.40/100. In fact, the ebay ones were even better. I actually only use half a sheet for each label so I print half the page, cut out the part I printed and save the other half for the next label. The ones on ebay are split sheet labels so I don't have to cut them. With postage, it came to $10.35 and I didn't have to drive over to Staples to get them. They got delivered to my door 3 days after I placed the order.

Unless you need something immediately, almost anything, not just office supplies, you should always search online first at places like amazon and ebay before you make a purchase. You are probably throwing away hundreds of dollars each year by not doing so. On just this one item, I saved $21.65 (plus time and gas). How much could each of us save in a year?

[creditcardfree]

Good point! I wrote a blog post recently about how we buy our probiotics off Amazon for a huge savings.

[JustDave]

I agree!

You can get so many things cheaper online even with the additional cost of shipping (which is often free at many places).

I think a lot of it comes down to poor planning and laziness. People don't realize they're running low on something, and it turns into an immediate need. Others simply can't be bothered to do a little bit of research to try and find good deals.

There's also the immediate gratification aspect. Some people just need to walk out of a store with something that day, no matter what the cost.

[disneysteve]

There's also the immediate gratification aspect. Some people just need to walk out of a store with something that day, no matter what the cost.

This is a lesson that I'm constantly trying to drill into my daughter's head. Of course, teenagers are not known for their impulse control. Many times, we've been out shopping for something. Once she found what she wanted, I said we should go home and find it online because it will be cheaper. Sometimes she agreed. Other times (usually when it was her own money she was spending), she opted to buy it right away. I just wanted her to understand that she might be paying more than necessary for the privilege of getting it right away.

I actually had this conversation with my boss today after the labels were delivered. We order a lot of office supplies from Staples and I'm positive we could be saving hundreds or thousands per year by going to other vendors online. At first he said that there is a convenience factor to one-stop shopping and he doesn't mind paying a little extra for that, but after I showed him how much I had saved on just this one item, he agreed that it might be worth looking into what we could be saving. I think I'll make him an offer. I'll pull the last couple of Staples receipts and see how much I can find the same items for elsewhere. Next time we order, I'll place the orders and make him split the savings with me. If I can knock $100 off the total, have him give me $50. He'll still save $50 that way.

[readytorock]

Currently groceries are the only thing I don't buy online. Clothes, gadgets, vitamins, DVDs, music, office supplies, computer peripherals, etc. All on Amazon and eBay and ULine.

[wincrasher]

Well, you have to be aware of prices.

Most times I find an item at Lowes and it is not cheaper online. I'm finding out right now that Christmas lights are much cheaper at Lowes - especially the in-store specials.

You also have to weigh shipping cost and sales taxes. Plus what is your time worth - I'll save a bunch of time and hassle doing my Christmas shopping online instead of running around town and fighting the mall.

I also won't buy from just anybody online though - I generally stick to a few trusted sites - namely Amazon, Buy.com, Newegg, Hayneedle, etc.

[disneysteve]

Well, you have to be aware of prices.

I also won't buy from just anybody online though - I generally stick to a few trusted sites - namely Amazon, Buy.com, Newegg, Hayneedle, etc.

Yes, prices are not always lower online and you have to factor in shipping. I just try my best to check online before making a decision.

As for where to buy online, I will buy from pretty much anyone, especially on ebay. I do want to see a high positive feedback rating, though.

[wincrasher]

I joined Amazon Prime a few years ago. It's a great deal on the shipping - essentially free 2 shipping on anything you buy. $80 a year. Plus you can upgrade to overnight for $3.99. That's come in really handy a few times.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Depends on the purchase. Clothes and shoes and stuff never work for me online. I really need to try it on and see.

If I have say a size and type I use (ie underwear, maybe). But jeans and stuff? The sizing changes and I usually need to try it on personally.

[disneysteve]

Depends on the purchase. Clothes and shoes and stuff never work for me online. I really need to try it on and see.

If I have say a size and type I use (ie underwear, maybe). But jeans and stuff? The sizing changes and I usually need to try it on personally.

I agree. I'll never understand how people buy clothes and shoes without trying them on first. Of course, the people I know who do that also return a lot of stuff which I think is too much of a hassle.

I also agree that I could buy something with a set size like socks or underwear (though I never have done that online). Other stuff needs to be tried on and examined first.

[mugshot]

Yeah, clothing returns are a problem as there are so many confusing and varying sizes depending on manufacturer. Everything else doesnt matter so much. As long as the postage is not crazy then online is the way to go.

There's no reason why you cant negotiate either, sites like Pricemeup.com make this quite easy as you are basically not settling for the advertised price.

[wincrasher]

I hardly ever see good deals on clothing online - in-store specials are almost always better.

I've found that men's clothing doesn't vary in sizes much, so what I've bought generally fits as expected. Color variation seems to be more of a problem in my experience - some stuff has arrived that looks nothing like the picture.

[disneysteve]

I've found that men's clothing doesn't vary in sizes much, so what I've bought generally fits as expected.

That's true since men's clothing sizes are actually based on measurements, not a random number like for women's clothing.

Even so, I know my pants need to be 32 waist, 32 inseam, but I still need to try them on. Sometimes they just aren't comfortable, the material is too stiff or rough, etc. Sometimes the pockets are too small. And, as noted, it is very hard to tell color online.

[wincrasher]

Costco is a great place to pick up "every day" type men's clothes. Usually a pretty steep discount off retail. Also a great place for shoes and bulk packs of underware and socks.

[elessar78]

I love shopping online. You can compare prices in one click and have instant research available. Since we moved out to the middle of nowhere the local stores don't provide us as many quality options as when we lived in the city.

The only limitation I've found is in performance footware where the correct fit is paramount. I don't think my wife could shop for clothes online either.

Christmas shopping is so much better online. I think we banged out 60% of our xmas shopping online a few weeks ago.