I don't have to wait 7-10 business days for much of what I buy to be delivered, there are so many "free 2 day shipping" coupons out there. All you have to do is look. I will fill up my online shopping cart, and if there isn't a code listed on the front page of the site, I just open another window and search for a coupon or two. A lot of times I find a free shipping coupon AND a discount code. I've even been known to shop for groceries online which is great when you travel and are not sure just where a grocery store might be.
The latest craze that I've uncovered is the delivery service. Oh, this concept has been around for ages but it hasn't been as easy as it is today. There are a few apps out there that you download on your smart phone. You place your request and it will find someone to run errands for you...errands like taking care of dry cleaning, delivering food from a restaurant that doesn't already deliver, grocery shopping, flower delivery, etc. Just about anything can be taken care of without leaving the comfort of your home......I even found a site that would deliver wine to my front door within two hours of me ordering it.....now that could be very dangerous!
But I have two main complaints about online shopping today.
eMail Craziness!!!
I went to bed last night with zero new mail in my email inbox and woke up with over 50 new messages. After scanning through them, I found no new messages from the kids' schools, doctor appointment reminders, or from family or friends. All those new messages were from the shops that I frequent most or from shops that want my new business. This is just before 4am. As I clean out these advertisements throughout the day, new ads are quickly filling up the inbox again. So, now I have to continually clean out my inbox fearing that I might miss something important. I've set up another email address to eventually use for all my personal communications but I really like the old one. If I change to the new one, that means everyone (except shopping sites) will have to update their address books. I will still have to scan the old inbox for fear that address books have not been changed. It's so very frustrating but I guess it's better than getting catalogs in the mail.
Not Going To The Mall
My second complaint.....is not going to the mall. The mall is definitely not my favorite place to go as a 40ish mom of three busy kids and husband. It's too crowded, filled with germs and people who walk way too slow in big groups. There are too many kiosks manned by people who harass me about my skin care or nail maintenance. It's just not enjoyable. But it used to be, when I was a teenager.
Mom would drop me and my friends off instructing us to meet on the second floor by JCPenny in two hours. We'd run off to Orange Julius and then start the stroll, the kind of stroll that drives me nuts today. We loved it! Back to school shopping was super fun and Christmas shopping was even better. We could see all the latest styles and actually try on the shoes. My kids do not know about all this. Yes, they have been to the mall before but they haven't really had the experience of traditional "shopping" and that is becoming a problem. My oldest daughter is verging on being a teenager. Her styles are changing which means her current closet that is full of fun t-shirts and jeans are no longer enjoyable to wear. She's ready to be immersed in trying on all kinds of different tops and bottoms and picking and choosing the shoes and accessories that go along with them. She's ready.....and I'm dreading it. But we have a day planned to go and do this and she is super excited.
While I may think that shopping online is more convenient and stress-free, seeing my daughter go through this young-woman-ritual is going to be worth it. I'm sure this won't be the last "trip to the mall" in my near future.
Oh how I love my mid-night shopping sprees online, but I also think it takes away from being a part of normal society. And I will continue to manage my two inboxes and might place a grocery store order or two but I'm also going to adventure out of the house and show my daughter how to shop; how to shop properly and how to avoid all the pesky kiosk creatures.
It's just another new mother-adventure!
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