Internet Shop Girl

Hey there! Are you going shopping?

First of all, I’d like to say that I’m not a new face in the 451Press Family (where this blog is hosted). You will find me in some of the TV blogs here (scroll way down below and you’ll see the links in the footer. Found it?). I religiously follow three shows and babble about it with other crazed TV junkies. One thing you should know about me is — television is my therapy.

Beginning today though, I’m going to have a new form of stress release. I’m gonna try the shopping therapy many women swear by. I”m taking over this site and will now be known as your…..Internet Shop Girl! Ta-daaah!

Confession: I used to be a shopaholic back when the word “shopaholic” wasn’t even in the dictionary, and back when the internet wasn’t so accessible to me. But I had a baby and had different priorities after that, my shoe collection started dwindling! My son is all grown up now and I find myself having more and more time for things like shopping. I’m still getting used to the title “Internet Shop Girl” because you know what? Internet shopping is very new to me, I have to admit.

But like many other people glued to the computer, I usually do most things online these days, this shopping activity included. Admittedly, I don’t buy everything I see. Wait, it’s actually more like I can’t buy everything I see. But then, I do find a lot of good deals on the internet and spend a good amount of time drooling on them or wishing I have a wealthy fairy godmother who knows how to shop online!

So here I am. And here you are.

Are you broke yet? Saved enough for that shoes you’ve been eyeing on? Do you know where you can get them cheaper? Which stores carry the latest collections?

Alright, don’t panic! Together, you and I will unearth more of these goodies online.  And hopefully we’ll do that without creating a dent to our bank balances.

Let’s start shopping!

Robyn here, the new writer for Internet Shop Girl! I’ll be posting regularly starting Monday, but wanted to give everyone a head’s up that I was here and ready to go!

I’ll be adding a poll to the sidebar today, asking your opinions on what sorts of things you’re most interested in. My “expertise”, as it were, leans more towards indie shops, but that does NOT in any way mean I have a problem surfing around places like Target and other larger stores for the best deals! Keep a lookout for the poll, as your answers will help me tailor this site to YOU better!

Until then, check out my other 451 writing over at Watching Showtime!

I swear I do my best work in "crunch time". 

Somehow I am inspired by urgency.  I used to find it quite thrilling to turn in a twenty page term paper with a few hours left to spare until the deadline. 

The Holidays are no different.  I’ve caught myself checking the shipping calendars of many of my favorite online stores.  How long can I wait?  Chances are, I’ll be sitting at my computer ordering last minute gifts on the very last day that the post office guarantees *suggests* that they’ll be on time.

Alright fellow procrastinators…here are a few dates you’ll want to know about…

Mail Within the US:

December 20th:

Letters and Cards, Priority Mail, Express Mail,

December 15th:

Parcel Post

Military Mail: This is a detailed calendar. Please click here for more information.

Keep in mind that online retailers will have thier own shipping deadlines. 

Here are the deadlines from a few of the most popular online stores…

Amazon:

December 15th for standard (and super saver) shipping.

December 29th for 2 Day Shipping

December 20st (by 3pm) for Express Shipping

December 21st for Overnight Shipping

Best Buy:

BestBuy.com

December 19th for Standard Shipping

December 20th for 2 Day Shipping

December 21 for Overnight Shipping

Overstock.com

December 4th for Standard Shipping

December 14th for Express/2-Day Shipping

December 18th for Overnight Shipping

Click here for a more comprehensive list of Holiday shipping deadlines.

Related Reading:

As I mentioned in my introduction, I am anti-Black Friday.  While I love a good deal, moonlight "door-buster" sales sound about as appealing to me as an bikini wax.

I will be spending Black Friday in my recliner with a hot cup of coffee and my credit cards by my side. 

Thankfully, online retailers (like Amazon.com) are allowing people like me to enjoy the excitement of Black Friday without being forced to stand in a cold parking lot at dawn.

Last year, I made 90% of my online purchases on Black Friday.  I got free shipping on many items, additional discounts…and yes, even a few "door-buster" deals. 

If you want to avoid Black Friday crowds and enjoy the "holiday" in the comfort of your jammies, make sure you out Amazon.com’s Black Friday page.   There will be hourly deals from 6am-6pm (Pacific Time) along with thousands of products on sale for a limited time. 

They are also offering gift wrapping for $.99 per item.  This is a tremendous deal for those of us who ship most of our gifts.  Imagine simply buying a gift and having it wrapped and shipped without dealing with long post office or retail store lines. 

The "lightening" and hourly deals won’t be announced on the site until Black Friday but here are a few great deals to help get your feet wet. 

Do you know of some additional Black Friday online deals?  Share them with us in the comments section.