By 
We all like to have a plan for the Christmas season. We know when we need to cook, decorate, clean and receive gifts. But too often things don’t go as planned. As always happens in life, the unexpected can happen. Maybe you get overwhelmed at work and have to stay late. Or maybe you unexpectedly volunteer to make costumes or snacks for your child’s Christmas play. Or maybe some relatives decide to stay with you at the last minute, and you unexpectedly have to host. A lot can happen and suddenly you find yourself scrambling at the last minute to get gifts for family and friends.
If this sounds like your life, consider an easier way to complete your holiday shopping: shop online. For the purposes of this article, let’s assume you’re shopping for a stuffed animal. This is an easy example because stuffed animals are one size fits all and can be an easy gift for anyone, unlike, say, clothing, where you need to know someone’s size and taste to get something appropriate. Stuffed toys are also age-appropriate and make great holiday gifts. So here’s how to make online shopping a big time saver this holiday season.
open all the time
Unlike department stores, websites don’t go out of business just because it’s after 9 p.m. You can buy at any time that is convenient for you. Maybe you wake up at 3am with insomnia, there’s no reason you can’t do your Christmas shopping at that time! The internet never closes, so you don’t have to stick to store hours, just shop when it works for you.
saving time
Shopping online is a great way to save time. Let’s say you need to buy some quick gifts on your lunch break from work. You could drive to the store and fight all the other shoppers during your lunch hour to find a parking space. You could then wait in line behind these same shoppers to make your purchase. Buying online is much easier. Spend time you could have spent traveling, parking and waiting looking at the products in the stores. By the end of your lunch hour, your chosen stuffed lion and stuffed cat could already be on its way to your house, without any trouble on your part.
More options
Online stores always seem to have more variety than anything in stores. Perhaps this is because there is more room in their warehouses than in stores, and things are less likely to be picked up and out of stock. So if you are looking for a stuffed lion, you can find many more varieties than in a store, and maybe you will find one that is unique.
Better organization and more categories
This is another way an online purchase can save you time. Good online websites put their products into easy-to-understand categories, which makes shopping easier than going through a big box store looking for something. For example, if you’re looking for a stuffed cat, there might be a category like “Pet Stuffed Animals,” or if you’re looking for a stuffed lion, there might be a category called “Jungle Stuffed Animals.” This way, you don’t have to search the entire toy department like you would in a physical store.
save gas
Not having to leave the comfort of your own home or work can not only save you time, but also money by not having to waste gas on another trip to the store. Even when you have to pay for shipping, you can sometimes save money, depending on how far away the store is. In fact, there are many online stores that have free shipping offers, so you will definitely save some of your hard-earned money and avoid polluting the environment. Here’s a tip for shipping: Have it delivered to your place of business. This way, you don’t have to be home when your stuffed lion or stuffed cat is delivered, and you don’t have to interrupt your day at all or have to make another gas-guzzling trip to the post office.
So, as you can see, there are five big reasons why online shopping is better than regular shopping. It’s a great way to save time and money. Find an online store that fits your gifting needs, and before you know it, holiday shopping will be a piece of cake.