Cornwall Ontario – Everybody who has, or ever has had a credit card or a pay pal account is destined to shop online for items of all different kinds. Often the reason people buy items they either need or want online is because it is easily accessible when shopping from home. Another reason, is because often what we are looking to purchase is cheaper than many store’s prices. Although, it is not just women who shop online, women are more likely to spend excessive amounts on items, as well as spending money more frequently online.
M.J Lapeanse, a young female local to Cornwall says,
“Online, you can get things that are different than regular stores around here.”
Often, when you have a specific item such as clothing or jewelry, sometimes even with books and dvds, the only way to find exactly what you want is to get it online and have it shipped to you. When you live in small towns, often what you want isn’t as easy to find as it would be if you were living in the city and without a car it is almost completely impossible to get unless you have access to a credit card. Also, shopping is fun, most people except, for the rare smart people who don’t waste their pay checks on frivolous items, shopping can almost be therapeutic after a long hard day grinding away at your desk. Many people shop online more often than going out and getting what they need at a local store.
M.J admits,
“I shop monthly, maybe three or four times a month.”
This is common, while most of us can’t afford to purchase items on a daily basis; it is more common that every couple weeks, they will add another purchase to their shopping carts. One of the issues with shopping over the web is, unless you check all the details carefully, you almost never spend what you assume you will be spending. Also, another problem that may occur when you shop online for clothing and costumes, is that often the sizes are slightly off. Either, it will be sized just a little too small or a little too big, which usually takes away from the comfort, fit, and style of the ensemble. M.J says,
“It’s good because you know exactly what you’re getting, like you can see different things but sometimes it’s bad because the sizes are different or the details aren’t as similar.”
The idea that beautiful pieces of art, accessories, clothing and foreign items, ect, thanks to the internet, it is now all made readily available for us to purchase at anytime.
Seventeen year old, Mikkaila Spratt says,
“It’s good, you don’t have to go very far to buy a pair of shoes. But the bad side, it can be addicting, it can be time consuming and you can spend all your time sitting alone inside your house just buying stuff online.”
Online shopping, even with its good side, can also be known as curse. You spend too much and you ignore your body’s undying need for physical activity due to sitting at your screen and keyboard all day. Due to this, you waste precious time you could be spending towards doing other things, while still sacrificing the guarantee that the quality of the product you purchased over the internet was even worthy of the price. Photo’s can very often be deceiving. Although Mikkaila is inclined to disagree, she states in her opinion,
“I think it’s a gift because it makes life easier, if you have other stuff to do but you need to buy something you can just go online and buy it and then you will still be able to have time do everything else. Even if it’s not for something you want but just something you need like groceries you can just buy them online and it will be delivered to your door step.”
That is all correct. You can, in fact, do everything that Mikkaila mentions above. This is just another main reason people decide to shop online and enjoy purchasing a vast deal of items.
Jennifer admits,
“I shop online every month, usually just at the end of the month, the end of every month.”
Although she doesn’t admit to buying very much, she too can spend more than she means to simply because she can get so many things for a cheap price.
“I mostly just buy shoes cause there’s a website on there that I get like discounts from so that’s where I go for most of my shoes.”
Jennifer also realizes that this doesn’t necessarily make spending excessively okay. While it is sometimes a worth wild past time, it can also be a bad thing when taken to extremes. As well it just generously sucks having to wait for your goods to be delivered. She explains,
“What’s bad about online shopping is the wait time I think, because I hate waiting six weeks or what ever it is to get your stuff. I think online shopping is more like a curse, it’s bad because it makes you spend more.”
Spending is always one hundred percent easier than saving. These girls know it too because when it comes to looking and feeling good, it takes a lot of time, money and effort going into keeping up with appearances.
M. J explains,
“I always spend more than I mean too every time, it’s like oh! This is nice, I’ll take that and another one, and another one…”
As well Jennifer also admitted to going a little over board recently, she tells CFN,
“I spent four hundred bucks the other day when I went online to get a pair of shoes, just like winter boots and they weren’t even expensive but I bought more shoes and bought purses and I just bought everything, I bought and outfit too.”
Unfortunately, it can often start to become an addiction and online shopping is just one more gate way that allows us to do it without any hesitation at a moments notice. Mikkaila confesses,
“I am addicted to shopping, if I go to a mall and is see something I really like I need to buy it or else I go into this like I have to have, I’ve bought stuff I knew I wasn’t going to wear just to have it, to be able to say I have it, I bought stuff. I guess it also kinda applies with online shopping as well.”
At the end of the day however, it is all up to your will power. Any addiction can be broken, even an online one. It is really up to the individual what they are willing to spend their cash on, online shopping provides number of different benefits but it can also have its disadvantages if you are not careful. Remember to keep everything in moderation.
Shop with caution and don’t regret anything you purchase, read the fine prints before you purchase (shipping information also) and try not to do it in excess to often.
Jennifer
“I spent four hundred bucks the other day when I went online to get a pair of shoes, just like winter boots and they weren’t even expensive but I bought more shoes and bought purses and I just bought everything, I bought and outfit too.”
E.V. Hutcheon is a 2nd year St. Lawrence College Journalism Student. She has professionally edited a Polish history book and is hoping to see her dream and passion of writing into a career. Previously living Toronto, E.V. is now a proud Cornwall citizen. On her off time you can usually find her at home writing her latest book, or walking along the St Lawrence River.
thank you for sharing this. the use of online shopping has many advantages. you can navigate and see many products that you can use in daily life. not only that but it uses less effort. and avail a product with just a click of a button.
Except you can’t try clothes on or try things to see if you like them. It results in returns, which are a pain in the ass with online shopping.
Shoppers of products that require handling, touch, or close visual inspection are poorly served by on-line retail. Impulse buyers, or those that don’t check the quality of fabric, stitching, durability, and comfort of articles to be worn, nor quality of material and construction of durables are well enough served. On-line reputable retail of books, travel, standard goods/services etc. is handy.
I never order anything on line but my husband and my son has ordered what they wanted and were very pleased over what they purchased. I would rather see the item in front of me and cheque to see if it is what I want. Hubby and son only ordered twice so far. We would not purchase food on line.