Amazon has been a godsend to us. We used to spend $200-$300 in shipping each Christmas shipping gifts to the grandchildren and family in the "lower 48". With Prime, all that shipping is free, so we can spend more on gifts. While I try to buy locally if things I want are available, selection here isn't always great. Amazon saves us there as well. I haven't used Ebay and have found WalMart to be pretty much useless here. Many times buying on line isn't practical, though. I found a watering can that was exactly what I had been looking for. It was $18, but to ship it here was $56. After more searching, I found it locally for $15 and there was no shipping attached.
I just ordered books from Amazon yesterday. One of my favorite things is getting an Amazon book order. I don't like going to stores much. I dropped some money yesterday at the local yarn shop. The proprietor is very nice and they have excellent small store customer service. I also buy on Etsy.
I ordered 3 things from Amazon yesterday ...one came today through the letterbox... and the other 2 will be here tomorrow.....I love onine shopping although I don't do a huge amount of it.. I like it for the mere fact that it could have taken me days to find things in bricks and mortar stores that I can sit and find in minutes online, and not spend any money on fuel to get to the shops...and BELIEVE me.. if you had to pay UK petrol prices, you'd be evn more please about amazon et al than you already are.. This is what arrived today after just ordering yesterday, and I only had to walk from the livingroom to the hall to collect it from the doormat https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XDKMGGK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You will be organized @Holly Saunders Yes, gas, time and time on your feet looking around. I really don't like it. I haven't yet gotten into ordering much from Amazon besides books. I have ordered some things for the cats, scratchers and a cute bed they won't use.
Amazon used to be a lot better than it is now, in that it used to offer free or discounted shipping without that Prime doubletalk. Some months ago I had a lot of stuff I wanted to buy from Amazon, and noticed that joining Prime would save me about $50 in shipping, so I joined up. My time at the library computer was up, so had to go back the next day to order the items. In that one days delay, every item but one became suddenly ineligible for Prime, so I cancelled Prime, looked for other sources, ran out of time, and had to come back the next day. Next day I decided to just buy from Amazon and pay the $50 shipping. Guess what? All the stuff that had been ineligible for Prime was eligible once more. That's when I decided the Prime was a con game. I still buy from Amazon, but first do a lot of price comparison shopping to make sure the total (postpaid) price of Amazon is cheaper than anywhere else....Google Shopping is good for this. What was wrong with Walmart?
I have been shopping with Amazon for years. I don't remember, but they may have had a free shipping program if you spent a set number of dollars but I think they just sold books then, and books can be shipped cheaply through media mail. I've been a Prime member, probably since they started it. As I see it, the Prime streaming and books that can be read free with a Prime membership are worth the cost of Prime, so the free shipping is extra. Since I live a long ways from a shopping mall, I buy a lot from Amazon and have always been happy with them. Shipping times are fast and returns are easy.
Want to pull a fast one on the cats? Rub some catnip (preferably fresh) on the bed, then set it under sunbeams. The sunlight will warm up the bed, diffuse the catnip scent, and if they get off on catnip, will pull them to it. If they are not catnippers, put some of your dirty clothes on the bed (be sure to lock them out of your bedroom), put the bed in sunlight, and that may work. Cats love a warm bed, and are drawn by scent.
Interesting to come across this thread this morning. I was just thinking how much I have come to appreciate shopping online mostly Amazon and Walmart. I always spend enough on items for the home so I don't pay for shipping. I decided not to be a Prime member of Amazon though for that reason.
I got another item today from Amazon...should have been 2 items but we'll see if the other comes tomorrow. That's the great thing about online shopping, The postman doesn't come on Sundays, but Amazon et al.. delivery drivers do..
Walmart just doesn't work well in Alaska. Every time I find something I want to order from Walmart, it comes up with something like "cannot be shipped to your location" or "not available in your zipcode". It may work fine elsewhere. The items eligible for Prime do change, but I simply never buy anything that is not eligible for Prime. As Ken says below, what I do get from Amazon including the video that I stream make it well worthwhile.
Prime Pantry is also nice. On grocery items, there is a shipping charge but it's one low rate as long as it fits in the box. As you add items to it, it tells you what percentage of the box remains available. Other than to shovel or do things around the yard, I haven't left the house since my wife left for Connecticut. We already had a freezer of food, and I have ordered more stuff through Prime Pantry. The real reason is that Michelle has her car, and my Tracker is stuck in the ice. I didn't put snow tires on mine this year because I thought we could get by for the winter with one car. I'd have my tires up and place boards under them or something, and I'm too lazy for that.
I think they have Prime Pantry in the cities here, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, but I don't believe it is available in the "country".