Do you shop online? If not, you may want to reconsider. Online shopping has increased over the years and there are several reasons why. I have definitely made more purchases online in the past year due to these reasons.

First, it is so easy to shop online and you never have to leave your house. You can shop any time day or night, which is perfect for people that work day time shifts, night time shifts, or for someone that is constantly on the with children all day long. Put the kids to bed and go shopping without ever leaving the house!

Second, and I love this, some companies don't even charge you shipping! Some may have a minimum order amount to receive FREE shipping, some charge just $1.00 and some nothing at all. This is perfect for purchasing gifts for your friends and family that don't live near you. You can even get your items gift wrapped at some sites.

Third, there are many items available online that you can't find in the stores. Many sites will carry items online that they simply can't keep in stock in every store they have. You may also find specials on items only if purchased online.

Lastly, you can compare products from different stores without having to actually go to each store. This is a great time saver, even if you prefer to shop at a "real" store. You can go online, check out the item you are interested in and then order it online or if you want decide what store you are going to go to and purchase it there.

This past Christmas, I really took advantage of shopping online. I have relatives that live in 4 different states and every year I purchase gifts, wrap them, box them up for shipping and head off to the post office! And, what do I do at the post office?? I have to wait in a huge line and pay a small fortune to ship my gifts. I was able to buy all my gifts online, have them wrapped and pay practically nothing for shipping. There was only one site I had to pay shipping for and it was because I waited until the last minute and had to have the gift rushed.

So, as I am doing this I come across some sites that reward you for shopping at certain stores through their websites. I was thrilled. I earned points for purchases I was going to make anyways, and later was able to convert those points into cash or merchandise. For me this was a win - win situation.