I visit a lot of sites during the course of the day, including blogs managed by other freelance writers. I don’t find too many guy bloggers out there who are also freelance writers, but I do have some favorite bloggers who all happen to be, well, girls!

Please note: women don’t like to be called girls between the ages of 18 and 30, but I have learned that it is “okay” for us boys to call them girls again once they reach a certain age.

>>I think I’ll move this conversation in another direction right about now.<<

Anyway, I had a fun laugh earlier today when I came across Laura Spencer’s Writing Thoughts blog when I read her WAHM (Work At Home Mom) Wednesday posting titled, “Is Your Shopping All Done?” Translation: is your Christmas shopping done, presents wrapped, and your tree decorated and lit?

I was about to leave a typical doofus guy reply, but I thought the better of it. Instead, I said to myself: isn’t it still only November?! There is so much time between now and Christmas — what’s the rush?

Of course, I didn’t show Laura’s article to my wife who finished her shopping before Thanksgiving, has wrapped most of the presents, and put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving — lights, decorations, and all. Maybe I should have “gotten it” when she began making Christmas plans for us back in September and presented her personal Christmas list to me in October, but I guess I don’t get it.

On the other hand, I’m currently micro-managing my business and trying to figure out the upcoming college football bowl schedule. The leaves need to be raked (again) and the gutters cleaned out. Christmas is coming, but I won’t be starting my shopping until I make my first click on some favorite websites. I can walk to our mall, but I’d rather shop online.

Hey, it must be a boy thing!

Over the past decade consumers have grown to appreciate a new option in shopping for gifts for Christmas: the internet. Yes, online shopping is here and it is an increasingly important choice for consumers everywhere. Without even leaving your home you can compare products, make purchases, and have gifts sent to your home or directly to your recipients — fully wrapped at that! Read on and we’ll take a complete look at the many benefits of online Christmas shopping and how you can make this choice work to your advantage.

Comparison Shopping – How many times have you been to the store and wondered if the item you were purchasing was cheaper somewhere else? For low cost items this isn’t too big of a deal, but if you are buying a television, computer equipment, jewelry, or some other item costing several hundred dollars it could be a significant issue for you. Fortunately, online sites such as Price Grabber, My Simon, BizRate, and NexTag allow you to find just what you want at the lowest possible prices. New technologies that work from your cell phone, such as Frucall, can also help you find the best prices and allow you to place your order immediately. Save money, time, and gas by comparison shopping from your home: no running from store to store in pursuit of finding the best prices.

Best Selection – If something is being sold somewhere, likely it is available to you online. From futons to MP3 players and everything in between if it is sold in a store then likely it is also sold online. Even traditional “brick and mortar” retailers such as Wal-Mart, Nordstrom, and Home Depot know that in order to reach consumers everywhere a significant part of their inventory must be available to you online. If they don’t provide this service to you then they fully understand that their competition will and that you’ll go elsewhere.

Secured Shopping – Most identity theft does not occur via the internet, therefore you need not concern yourself with shopping online. Instead, the majority of i.d. thefts occur when you pump your gas and leave your receipts behind or when someone swipes important information from your mailbox. However, to be extra safe, secured shopping sites with the “https:” address designation ensures that your vital information remains encrypted and out of harm’s way — if you still aren’t certain that a site is secure, you should see a padlock symbol in the bottom right corner of your browser’s screen. Importantly, in most cases you can also authorize the online retailer to discard your financial information once your order has been processed – a terrific extra security step for you!

Free Shipping – Many online retailers will ship Christmas and other seasonal gifts out for free. Generally, a minimum purchase total is required – typically $50 or more – but that amount isn’t hard to reach for most purchases. In some cases a retailer will wrap your gift and enclose a card for a small additional charge. What a great way to shop for the time pressed individual!

Favorable Return Policies – In the early days of online shopping, big concerns were raised about return policies. For instance, just how would you return that expensive digital camera you purchased online? Originally, you may have had to pay for return shipping and you may have been charged a restocking fee. Today, most online retailers have amended their return policies and will allow you to return items to a local store: buy a coffee maker on J.C. Penney’s secure website and if you don’t like it you can go to the mall and return it at the J.C. Penney store. Of course, you should examine the retailer’s return policy before you make any purchases online.

Truly, online Christmas shopping is an attractive option if battling for limited mall shopping spaces, dealing with surly sales help, or navigating big crowds has no appeal for you. Apparently, many consumers feel the same way as most online retailers report sales increases at double digit rates while year to year fixed base store sales are growing at a paltry 2 or 3 percent rate. Join the internet shopping revolution and start your online Christmas shopping today!

Copyright 2006-2008 – Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer for the Shop For Christmas website. You can save money on everything from Christmas ornaments to Christmas toys all from the ease of your personal computer. Avoid crowds and hassles: start shopping online today!

Black Friday — What It Was And What It Is

The day immediately following Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, and carries that name because of the huge spike in sales which traditionally marks the day when retailers see their bookkeeping records change from red (losses) to black (profit). Although the day no longer carries that meaning (as sales are now spread throughout the year), it remains one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

Black Friday actually encompasses three days including the weekend which follows. The best deals offered by brick ‘n mortar retailers are in the wee hours of the morning, as department stores open up early to pull in shoppers. Kohls Department Stores, for example, will come to life at 4 a.m. on Friday although I cannot imagine shopping at that time of day (never mind being a retail associate who has to put on his smiley face at that hour!)

Cyber Monday Trumps Black Friday For Some

A phenomenon of the digital age is Cyber Monday, which is the Monday following the Thanksgiving weekend. On that day a spike in internet sales takes place as consumers log on and place their orders. Yes, after a long weekend of mall shopping consumers return to work and spend part of their day searching for deals and making purchases. As you may well imagine, worker productivity plunges as thoughts of snagging a holiday deal dances in their heads.

A Sideline Observer

I observe all of the holiday busyness from the sidelines as I save my store shopping for the times when crowds are reduced and I do my online shopping when I can. Online retailers want my business because, like so many shoppers who are looking for a good price, I really do not want to get mauled at the mall.

And even though there are some who are truly disgusted with all of the consumerism and are boycotting Black Friday, the impact that these activists have on sales will hardly register. Webmasters in Malaysia, India, the European Union and elsewhere are ready to share in the spoils as online shopping picks up and with reports that internet sales will increase by 21% over the same period in 2006, it looks like the bounty will be a good one.