With The Click Of A Button...

Flicking through GRAZIA magazine this morning, I saw a bag I liked. Actually, let me rephrase- I saw a bag I loved and I wanted it...sooner rather than later, was preferable!

Thanks to a little thing called The Internet and an addiction called Online Shopping, within 15 minutes my new bag had been sought out, purchased and was on its way from Europe to Australia.

Everyday the receptionist at work signs for and holds in storage countless personal items purchased online and delivered to the office. "Large package from the UK has arrived and ready for collection" she frequently emails me and without even having to walk out the door, I get that feeling which comes from receiving a highly desired and anticipated item.

Online shopping has reinvented the way I and most competent Internet users now consume goods and spend our hard earned money. From the vanity in my parents en suite to the documentary my dad shows his students, my family have certainly embraced the world of online shopping.

For me, it's not just the infinite selection of products available, or the ability to purchase products from brands not offered locally, but at the end of the day it comes down to the dollar- dollars I'm saving by buying online compared to in a retail store.

While travelling in the US and UK, I was utterly shocked to discover the incredible price difference between MAC makeup products sold overseas compared to within Australia. I had only wished at the time that my bank balance and luggage weight limit had allowed me to stock up on products for myself and my sisters. However, upon my return to Australia and after a little ebay research, I soon discovered that I could have my foundation and wear it too! In the past year alone, my sisters and I have saved hundreds of dollars on MAC and hundreds more on other online purchases. To me, spending money unnecessarily is just silly, so if you have 2 weeks up your sleeve before you actually require the items you've ordered, then the cash you've saved is absolutely worth the wait.

To those of you looking to sell or buy online, my advice is simple. Do your research! Know the regular retail price of the items and shop around on various sites to see what's on offer. Invest time in reading purchaser reviews and remember, if a price seems too good to be true, it generally is. Online shopping is a magical world full of once unattainable and now easily accessible items that will have you receive countless "ohhh...where did you buy that?" comments. So with that being said, happy shopping!