Holiday Shopping Guide

Shopping and woman go hand in hand. There is hardly a woman, who is immune to the allure of shopping merchandise, be it fashion apparel and jewelry or even mundane routine grocery shopping. Women make most the purchasing decisions at home. Whether it's Christmas shopping for friends and family or gift shopping for a loved one, wouldn't you like it to be something special? Our holiday shopping guide takes the agony out of your holiday shopping and provides tips on getting it right!

You can make an early start on your holiday shopping. Start off by making a list so that you can plan your shopping excursions. Shop during off-peak hours so as to avoid traffic on the roads as well as crowds and long lines at billing counters.

Luxury shopping - If you have the big bucks, you can select from a wide range of fine jewelry, tableware, collectibles and apparel. You can choose from Italian designer handcrafted jewelry ranging from sterling silver and platinum encased diamonds. Lifestyle shopping takes on new dimensions these days with unique home products such as linen, furniture and crystal and kitchen ware.

Holiday Shopping Tips

Think out of the box with your holiday shopping list. Gift magazine subscriptions. Donate to charity in the names of your friends or family. Let them select a charity from the listed ones. Gifts like wines, liqueurs, caviar, gourmet cheese, gourmet sauces, premium olive oils, dark chocolates are all-time favorites. Do your bit for the planet with eco-friendly holiday wrapping. Use recycled gift bags or wrapping paper. Pick up appliances with Energy Star.

More people are shopping online than ever before. It is convenient and easy and saves you time in crowded malls. Ensure that you are completely safe when shopping online. Deal only with reputed online merchants. Secure your computer with anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Do not use your credit cards with online shopping sites that are not much known. Do not supply credit card information for any freebies. Use strong passwords for online accounts. Never share your login information. Do not send sensitive data over emails. Do not click on links in emails or pop-up messages. Ensure that you are shopping online at secure sites, with adequate security authentication.

Find out best prices on reliable shopping websites. You can check consumer reports on the products you have short listed. Factor in the price and time taken for shipping. Understand the return policies; especially during holiday seasons. In the rush of holiday shopping, do not omit to keep tabs on your credit card spending. Ensure that you have a plan for paying off the shopping bills.

Who doesn't like a good bargain? Bargain shopping involves comparison shopping and discount sales and this can easily be conducted online these days. Online shopping catalogs are powerful shopping resources and save you the time and bother of trudging to the supermarkets for regular shopping needs. We take you through the concepts of online shopping carts whereby you can buy anything ranging from a television to books and music from the comfort of your home. What are you waiting for? Pick up your shopping bag and join along.