Ty's Tech Blog

So here it is, December 8th, and I am just now hunkering down to do my Christmas shopping. My computer is online and ready to rock and roll. I would say that 90% of all of my Christmas shopping is done online. Why? Well, one, because I am a compulsive buyer. I can’t remember the last time I walked in with a shopping list and didn’t walk out with extra “stuff”.

But enough about my personal issues, the second reason I shop online for the holidays is because I hate fighting the crowds. When I hear about people getting trampled by a mob of people at a certain major discount superstore, that is enough of a deterrent for me to stay home. That and the fist fights over parking spots. No thanks.

So if you are with me and would rather avoid all of the riff-raffs out there and if you want to save a few bucks this holiday season, this post is for you.

Here are my top 3 online holiday shopping tips.

1. Use Google! If you know exactly what you are looking for, go to http://shopping.google.com and enter in the product you are looking for. Once you get your results, find the line item that gives you the lowest price for what you are looking for and click the “Compare Prices” button. Once the page has loaded, click on the “Total Price” column header. This will sort the items by TOTAL PRICE. There are a ton of companies out there that will give you a great deal on an item but then they absolutely kill you with the shipping. This “total price” column moves all of those companies to the bottom and moves the best deals to the top. Pay attention to the ratings next to the company name. The less stars a company has, the more you should avoid them. (By following this procedure, I was able to save $15 on an iPod Nano.)

2. Know where you are shopping. If you find a good deal on an item but have never shopped at that site before, check them out. A simple web search for the company name plus the word “review” will give you all the information you need. www.epinions.com is a great resource for customer feedback on a web retailer (aka eTailer).

3. Try eBay. eBay is a terrific site for finding those obscure items your friends and family are looking for. It is amazing how much “stuff” you can find on eBay. To shop on eBay you will need an account along with a PayPal account. To set up an account on both sites is free, it just takes a little bit of time but it could save you a ton of money once you are set up. So if you ask me, it is worth the effort. My best tip regarding shopping on eBay is make sure you pay attention to the seller ratings (usually in the top right corner of the page). The higher the level of consumer satisfaction, the more confidence you can have that they are a trustworthy person. Be aware that high demand items usually have the most scammers, so proceed with caution.

Remember, the holidays are all about giving. Shopping for your friends and family should be FUN. If you are tired of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, give the internet a try, you’ll save some time and possibly some money.