Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday is upon us. For anyone who got caught in the late-night, early morning or mid-day scuffles at the brick-and-mortar stores, this sure feels like a better deal.

There are many positives to being able to shop from the comfort of your home. You can check for price comparisons right from your home computer. You have more stores, websites, and places to shop, with less running around. Not only do you have free shipping on many orders, but many sites will also gift wrap your order and drop ship directly to the person it was intended for. This saves you from paying for double postage, from the store to you and then from you to the gift recipient.

Of course, like any good thing, some drawbacks can be incurred. Make sure you understand the denomination of the monies used by the e-store. A good friend of mine once bought slippers from a website in Scotland. She thought the cost was in US dollars, and it turned out that she was charged in British pounds. Always check the money symbol used in the payment areas.

When purchasing online, you always want to make sure of the return and exchange policy. Most places will exchange or refund for an item that was not up to expectations or came in the wrong color. Just ensure that they say so in their advertising.

You don’t have to tell the person receiving the package what is in it, yet it would be good to let them know something is on the way. This saves a lot of concern and grief when an unexpected package that has a stores name and not yours on it shows up at somebody’s door. It also gives them a chance to keep an eye out, so that the package doesn’t end up in the back of somebody’s old car as they drive away from the front door.

However you shop, and whatever your list of to-dos is for this holiday season, make sure that you are on that list. You need to give yourself some gifts of relaxing, recouping, sleep, and self-preparation for the holidays both now and ahead. Your psyche and your body will thank you.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof