Surfing the web instead of setting off to the mall in your car could save you time and gas. But you need to know where to shop.
Instead of lugging shopping bags through the food court on a Saturday afternoon, these days "shoppers" are wielding no more than a mouse and a credit card as they navigate through cyber space trying to find the best bargains. You can certainly save time shopping online, but can you feel less of a pinch at the pump as well?
How to Save Gas by Shopping Online:
- Get free or flat rate shipping. Try never to pay shipping charges. Unless the item you are buying is very small and light, you will get socked by fees as much as 50% of the purchase price. Even small, cheap-to-ship items get higher shipping charges tacked on so the retailer can make an extra buck. Often if you spend a certain amount, say $25 or $50 the merchant will throw in free shipping. Just make sure you plan ahead and don’t buy an extra item you don’t really need just to get the free shipping.
- Calculate the amount you spend on gas. Say you live 10 miles from the mall and you drive a car that gets 20 miles to the gallon. Driving to the mall and back will cost you about $4. If you can find a web site that offers a flat $3 shipping charge you’ll save by shopping online. Now, if the mall is on your way home from work and you don’t make a special trip, that’s a different story. You also need to take into consideration how much your time is worth. If you could be making money, and instead you’re traipsing through a crowded parking lot only to find the store is out of your size, online shopping may be a better alternative.
- Are you a compulsive shopper? If you like to spend time shopping and find yourself buying impulsively, staying away from the mall may be a positive thing. In fact shopping online only for what you need may help curb buying decisions based on a whim. Normally when you’re shopping in cyber space as opposed to brick-and-mortar stores, you’re more likely to buy with a purpose rather than on impulse.
- Simple convenience. If you just don’t like standing in line, maneuvering for a parking place or picking through sale merchandise, online shopping offers a respite from the physical shopping world; and gas savings is just icing on the cake.
Finally, you have to look at your spending habits and your lifestyle. You may be able to combine more than just shopping trips to save gas. Consider taking public transportation and joining a carpool.
The copyright of the article Saving Gas by Shopping Online in Consumer Education is owned by L. Marie Dubuque. Permission to republish Saving Gas by Shopping Online in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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