I'm a very dedicated shopper, often searching high and low for the right set of footwear, the just-right gift for a family member, or a variety of other products. Nevertheless you won't catch me schlepping bags from store to store or fighting the crowds at the mall. I do the majority of my shopping online - and so should you. Why? Listed below are four great reasons to start shopping online.

Time is Money

I've a full-time career and a family group to raise. My parents and in-laws all live out of town. So it's rarely practical for me to take hrs to go shopping for ANYTHING. And usually if I do sports apparel, I've several children tagging along. Perhaps you have tried to perform something with young kids in tow? Multiply the time you'd normally invest in that task by three, and you're coming close.

But shopping online is something I can fit into my schedule. It requires much less time for you to go from website to website, than it will to go from store to store, in search of the product that fulfills my shopping quest. I can wait until my kids are in bed before shopping, and I can get it done while watching TV or while something cooks in the oven.

Plus, search engines and product comparison tools are not a thing you'll find at the mall. I start my shopping in the search engines, particularly the ones that enable you to limit leads to products. Then after discovering the right product, I recommend using a comparison shopping engine to find the best price from a well-rated merchant. I can usually do all of this in much less time than it'd take me to search for the item locally, even without any in-person price comparisons.

Gas isn't Eco-Friendly

Everyone is speaking about "going green" these days. After years of smog, global warming, carcinogens, and other icky things, we're finally just starting to focus on Mother Earth. But if you don't live within walking or biking distance of a shopping center, you've to figure in the impact of the drive.

Gas is expensive, and fuel emissions are harmful to the environment. That's what I call a lose-lose scenario! Shopping on the net doesn't use any gas. It doesn't produce the same level of pollutants that driving does, and you don't ever need to refuel your computer.

I live fifteen minutes away from the nearest mall by car, and the nearest city with any extensive shopping is one hour away. When I aspect in the time wasted and the amount of money spent on fuel, the average cost of my purchases increases to an unreasonable amount. Compare your online and offline purchases, factoring in costs like gas and parking, and see if you could spend less by shopping online.

I'm No Deliveryman

The capacity to ship products right to my house is wonderful. Provided that I'm not in a huge hurry to purchase the item under consideration, I can usually arrange for shipping that costs less than I'd spend in time and gas by buying the same item in person.

However, this factor really starts to pay off round the holidays. With family spread across the country, and lines at the post office winding out through the leading door, shipping packages myself makes me desire to chew off my fingernails and take out my hair! But it's easy, with online shopping, to truly have the package shipped right to my recipient. And because so many stores offer gift wrapping and messaging, that hassle is looked after as well. I'm almost pampered when I can "hire" someone to achieve this benefit me!

There's Not Enough Stuff Locally

The greatest advantage I've found to shopping online, however, is the selection. The declining economy has hit my local area hard, and businesses are closing their doors all over town. It's becoming harder and harder to find the item I'm looking for. Like, when my daughter started soccer this spring, we needed to purchase cleats - but there wasn't a single store in the county that carried youth soccer cleats! But do you know what each store suggested? "We don't have them in the store, but you can buy them on our website."

Additionally it doesn't help that I've a small habit of shopping designer labels. Those aren't simple to find in a smallish town like mine. But fashion and apparel run rampant on the web. From invitation-online websites to massive apparel superstores, I will find almost anything I want, usually in stock and in my size.

If you haven't braved the Internet shopping scene yet, I suggest it. Even die-hard social shoppers often need something with little hassle. It may not replace each day with your girlfriends at the mall, but it will be has benefits.