The Real Value of Shopping Online.....

The blog today is a little shorter. Who's got the time this week? That's sort of what this is about today. Time.

Nothing like traffic during the holidays.

Earlier this week I had to go shopping at a mall for a couple of specific items. I went when afternoon turned into evening. Big mistake. Traffic was horrendous. There was a traffic jam even to get on the freeway. I decided to take the side roads. A slow approach, but I kept moving most of the time. When I got to the mall I had to find a place to park. More fun. Up one row and down the next. I finally found a spot, but of course it was nowhere near an entrance.

Train kept a-rollin' - All night long.

Once in the actual mall I was greeted by obstacles in the aisles and shoppers of all types. Now for 11 months of the year, nobody really cares to shop at this mall. It's so empty, there's a train ride for kids that never even has to blow it's whistle. But not that night. Shoppers were everywhere. Pop-up kiosks everywhere. Selling important things like 2016 calendars for any occasion. The train whistle was working overtime.

When you decide to check out, there's more waiting. Hopefully the person in front of you doesn't want to discuss his life story with the clerk. That clerk is probably some kid making minimum wage that started a few weeks earlier. They are not corporate executives with the ability to change prices or really care about your ideas. Move along people.

Then as a reward, you get to drive home in the dark. It's always dark this time of year.

Contrast that experience with the experience I've had shopping online this year. If you have an idea for a gift, you can find one as fast as you can say, OK Google. You can find any gift, even an unusual gift, or even the rarest type: a useful gift. The online businesses are also falling over each other trying to get your business. They offer sale prices, free shipping, and special secret "discount codes" you can enter.

Then of course, you have to enter your credit card or PayPal info. I guess that part is a little scary.  You always hear about that stuff getting hacked or stolen. Target just had a big mess with that. But if I were a hacker, I would try to get the information from some well to do individual buying expensive things. Not some guy buying a $5 wool scarf online

My new Oakley's.

That's another danger through. You can find so many bargains so easy, you might actually buy something for yourself. I'm stylin' now in my 100% wool scarf, and some extremely cheap Oakley sunglasses. (Sorry ladies, I'm married.)

The last thing you worry about when shopping on line is the shipping. I've had no problem whatsoever with this. The stuff gets here even faster than it's supposed to. The efficiency of the delivery industry must be amazing. I recently ordered a NBA jersey from China. ( I felt bad doing this of course, until I realized I saved $50 for about the same thing bought here.) The Chinese kept me informed about every back alley and customs clerk that jersey went through. And remember, this season much of the shipping is free.

So if you haven't guessed by now, the real value of shopping online isn't price or quality for even scarcity. It's about saving time. What's more valuable than time? It's not for sale anywhere. You can't buy more even if you're as rich as as future nominee Donald Trump, or a sultan in Abu Dhabi. Imagine if you could. - "Ma'am, I'd like to get about 2 years. Could you add those to my 20's, please?"

Most people don't realize how valuable time is. Until you reach a certain age. Then you wish you had more. Not to work at a job. Not even to make money. But to spend time with family, friends, and people that make your life enjoyable. So with Christmas coming this week, get out of the mall, and stop getting frustrated by looking for some place to park.

And shop online. (Maybe you can get overnight shipping.)
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Merry Christmas