I have been guilty of this for a long time until about 9-months ago. I started keeping track of what I was actually spending with online shopping and realized that in the long run I was spending a lot more then I realized. Not only was I binge shopping out of sheer boredom, I was also spending extra money on returns for items because I was not happy with them for the quality or fit. I actually bought a pair of keens online and traded them twice. Ya, they were cheaper than the retail store by like $20. Well let’s just say I could have bought the pair of keens and lunch for me and my daughter for the price of paying for them to fit online. the other issue is the wait time. I had to wait for the right size and missed taking them to my beach trip which was the whole point of ordering them in the first place.
So the question to ask yourself is…do you want to keep supporting oversees manufacturers and help close down the local businesses or do you care enough about where you live to stand up and let the US economy thrive again? Do you want to keep filling the pockets of someone sitting behind a desk in their 2-mile warehouse or would you rather help some local business owner send their kids to College or simply put food on the table?
Besides with the obesity rate and type II diabetes rates climbing why not spend a day out walking the mall or local retail stores. Hay…calories burned is calories burned, plain and simple. Plus it gets you off the electronics and back to life. The sun still rises and there are many beautiful days to enjoy so why not get out of the house and enjoy them. I have learned about these new outside malls and small towns main street stores. They are my new favorite places to shop. Some of the small town Main Street Small Businesses have more than I have ever realized and they will bend over backwards to get you what you need. You don’t have to e-mail customer service and returns/exchanges are free.
I sure have been enlightened!
This girl is now local first and foremost, if I can’t find it local than I will submit to the online world. However I don’t see too many online purchases in my future.
Happy Shopping! With Christmas coming up in just a few months this is a great time to start seeing what is around you and your neighborhood for all your loved ones!
