Why Go Out This Holiday Season?

It's that time of year again. That's right, the most stressful time of the year, and it doesn't even include being audited. The holiday shopping season is here, and you're definitely not happy about it.

No one could be blamed for wanting to stay home. No one likes the long lines, irate customers, annoyed customer support personnel, lack of parking, and other problems associated with the holidays. You say that someone ran into your car in the mall parking lot? Well, why don't you stay home?

It's now easier to find bargains and shop online than ever before. With many companies offering free shipping, the only difference is that you have to wait five to seven business days to receive your purchases.

Do you have children under the age of eighteen at home?

Consider opening a free UPromise account. UPromise is a company which puts a certain percentage of your purchases through their website into an interest baring educational savings account for whomever you name as beneficiary. You can also name multiple beneficiaries.

There are over 600 online stores which have partnered with UPromise, and they're not limited to children's products. Many department stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, and Sears are in the list. Do you need a part for your computer? Well, NewEgg will put 1% of your total purchase into your UPromise account.

UPromise isn't just for online either. Register your credit cards, and you can receive a percentage of your purchases at participating restaurants, grocery and drug stores, and may other locations.

If UPromise isn't for you, shopping online is still a good bet. Local retail stores usually mark up products anywhere from one hundred to one thousand percent. They have to figure in the costs of labor, storage, store operating costs, and even the golden parachutes for their board of directors. With a few strokes on your keyboard, you can usually find the products you want for at least fifty percent off the MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price).

Online, you won't run into the problem of having to drive to fifteen stores all over the state to find something for little Billy or Susie. If one website doesn't have it, you can search ten more in a few minutes. You are only limited by your imagination. In the event you can't find what you need online, however unlikely, you still have the option of driving to local stores. What is it worth to you not to have a fifty item shopping list?

Many areas even have online grocery shopping now. So you may not have to deal with twenty lanes, and only three open when you buy that four hundred dollars worth of food for your holiday meal.

If you have to get out of the house, go somewhere you actually want to go. The internet has made just about everything else accessible right from your computer chair. Who knows? If you're lucky you won't have do deal with frayed tempers, rude people, driving all over creation, or congested traffic at all this holiday season. Wouldn't that make it a happy holiday for you in reality?