Top 10 list on Shopping With and For a Purpose

August 18, 2008

Shopping for many is easy…they head-out to the store…try a few things out…and they either come home with something new or not. Bada-bing bada-boom! Done! For others is not that simple. Many shoppers take their time and look through every single item, try everything and anything, compare one store to the other, one price to the other, one quality to the other, etc… and they either come home (much later) with something or they don’t, but yet their minds are still at those stores shopping!

Which ever type of shopper you are, here is my TOP 10 list of shopping “with” and “for” a purpose:

This is the most important one: Leave the Husbands at home! J
List your items. Before heading out, make a detailed list of what you want/need. Make sure you go for specifics and not just general. For example, if you are looking for shoes…what type, brand, color, size, etc… This will make sure you are focused in what you want/need to get.
Online first. Take that list and go online to get some prices in the virtual world. Go to price comparison site such as shopzilla.com. Then, make a fictitious purchase to see if there rare hidden fees. To do so, add the article in your “shopping cart” and complete your purchase right up to giving your credit card information. This will allow you to see the full purchase price!
Sign-up. There are great shopping portals that as you become a free member and join their newsletter, your will receive weekly deals that are out of this world. Some weekly saving could reduce or give free shipping, promote percentages off (I have seen up to 70% off), give away bonus gifts, etc… And these rebates are only given for online shopping. You will not see these in the physical stores so join one today! Here is a great one: https://www.goodwillmall.com/membership.php
Shop with purpose. Of course we want the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) when shopping, but what if you could also give back as you shop! Many stores support causes which help the world. From the fight against cancer to the environment! So investigate the stores you shop at and find out what they support (if any)…this way you can feel good shopping knowing your money goes towards something other then yourself. Another way to shop with purpose is to look for an online mall that provides a chance to give back to charities. There are three main one that I am aware of igive, benevolink, and my favourite https://www.goodwillmall.com. They all have their benefits that helps you the shopper and the world! Check them out!
Set your budget. Many times we tend to go shopping without a budget in mind. Two things can happen with this…you under-spend (very rarely) or over-spend (most likely)! This can cause unnecessary stress in your life. So before heading out, make a budget on the amount that you can and are willing to spend. Stick to it and never go over no matter what. Even if the deal of a century is right in front of your eyes, stick to the budget, there is always a deal of a century around!
Choose your shopping partner wisely. Have you ever gone shopping with someone that keeps telling you “oh, that looks great, you should buy it!”, “wow look at that useless gadget, you should really have one of those”, “did you ever get me anything for my birthday?” yet never buy anything for them selves? These people are called “nit” (no intention to) shoppers. They have to intention shop, buy, or even pay a dime when to go out to the stores with you. They get their fix from YOU shopping and spending money. STAY AWAY from shopping with these people; you’ll come home with all kind of useless junk!

Gifts. If you are going to buy a gift for someone, follow this gift chart:

Person to buy for	Price Range	# of gifts	Type of gift
Spouse (random acts of kindness)	$10-$50	1 per month	Flowers, restaurant, chocolates, hallmark card
Husband birthday	$50-$100	1 per year	Whatever he hints to you
Wife birthday	$50-$100	1 per year	Whatever she hints to you
Spouse (Christmas gift)	$10-$200	Minimum 2	Pick-up hints throughout the year
Your children (random acts of kindness)	$5 and under	1 per month	Dollar store items, YOUR TIME, books and magazines from yard sales
Your children birthday	$50-$100	1 per child	Pick-up hints throughout the year or take them on a trip to Toys-R-Us 1 month before their birthday and ask them to pick something out that their friends would love (for fun). Write it down and then go get it when their not around.
Your children (Christmas gifts)	$10-$100	2 per child	Pick-up hints throughout the year
Wedding anniversary	$100-?	Max 2	It could be anything from jewellery, to a getaway trip, to a new car! J
Newly weds	$50-$100	1-3	Look for their “gift registry” list
Graduation	$100-?	1	Briefcase, new suit, it could even go as high as a car (if you can afford it).
Friends (random acts of kindness)	$30 and under	1 per friend per year	Restaurant, movie, YOUR TIME, clothing
Friends birthday	$30-$50	1 per friend	Ask them
Friends (Christmas gift)	$30-$50	1	Do a friend gift exchange or else it gets too expensive.
Parents (random acts of kindness)	Under $20	3 per year	Parents have done so much for us, let’s not forget this! Movie, flowers, lottery tickets (my mom loves them). Most importantly, as they get older…SPEND TIME with them or call them regularly.
Parents birthday	$20-$50	1	BooOverall ks, puzzles, crafts
Parents anniversary	$100-?	1	Depending on the year, I would say this could vary. If they get to 50 years together…a party uniting friends and family would be recommended!
Parents (Christmas gift)	$20-$50	1 per parent	Get hints throughout the year. Depending on the family size, I suggest a gift exchange as it can get expensive.
Siblings (random acts of kindness)	$20-$50	3 per year	Movie, outing, YOUR TIME
Siblings (birthday)	$50-$100	1	Ask them what they want or a prepaid Visa/MasterCard is really good. This way they can buy whatever they want wherever they want!
Siblings (Christmas)	$20-$30	Max 2	Get hints throughout the year. Depending on the family size, I suggest a gift exchange as it can get expensive.
Nephews and Nieces (Christmas / Birthday)	$20 and under	1	Depending on the size of your family, this can get expensive. Ask the parents for ideas.
Other	?	?	You decide…but make sure you follow some of my tips to get the your shopping done with and for a purpose!

Overall cost and benefits. With the price of gas being so high, you need to start calculating the total cost of your shopping. Take a look at the distance you need to travel to get to the physical mall. What does that translate in gas cost to you? Add it to your bill. Then, what is your time worth? Calculate how much you make (income) an hour and multiply that 3 (very conservative) to get a true worth of your time. Now estimate the amount of time you will spend shopping (either online or physically), then multiply your “time” by the amount of time shopping. Add that to the bill. Will you need to eat out? Add that to the bill. Now take a look at your cost of shopping physically and the cost of shopping online. What are their respective cost and benefits? By comparing both, you will get a clear picture where your next shopping experience will occur. For me, it’s online all the way!
Your new bible. Now that you have my top 10 list on shopping with and for a purpose, please share it with others and make sure to follow it each time you go shopping, it will save you time and MONEY!