It’s funny I think often about how I did things as a kid or young adult and how different things are now. I used to love going to the mall and window shop. But, all of that has changed since I discovered shopping in my pj’s! lol
It is just so convenient. I know for me, I am sitting at my desk working, and I think of something I want or need, and you can immediately look it up online even in the comfort of your home, and sometimes I go right ahead and purchase it then.
Plus, it’s hard not to resist popular online stores and Amazon Prime with their next-day delivery.
We are all so into instant gratification, and we love the companies and some of the best online stores that deliver to our homes, and if it’s on the same day, even better!
Keep Your Money Safe While Shopping & Best Online Shopping Sites 2023
Last year our baby granddaughter was sick and we needed to take her temperature and we didn’t have a thermometer. I pulled up my Amazon app, found one, ordered it, and it was here in less than 2 hours!
Could I have gotten dressed, gotten on makeup, fixed my hair, and driven to the store I’m less time? Probably…. but, that’s not how we do things in this Jetson’s world we live in now! lol
For some time shopping online, and the online marketplace and online presence didn’t really gain a lot of momentum because so many people were afraid to give out info and their credit and/or debit card numbers online.
Most were afraid their identity or credit card info would be stolen. That has turned out to be a valid concern, as many people have had that happen.
But, unfortunately, that doesn’t just happen online – more than once, I had my card info stolen from eating out. One time a young man bought a tank full of gas, and one time my bank caught it as someone in New York City tried to order 60 pizzas with my info! lol
The police suggested I “follow my card”, so when we eat out – I don’t hand the card to my server, I go with them and watch them slide it. The Police told me that a server may drop your card right at your table and they have a card reader strapped at their ankle hidden by their pants leg and they will slide your card when they “pick it up” and hand it back to you.
Consumers are expected to do so much of their shopping online this year that delivery companies like UPS and FedEx are projecting increases of deliveries of at least 10 percent and will hire record numbers of seasonal employees.
Some apartment complexes expect to be so overwhelmed by deliveries they have informed residents that they will no longer be accepting packages at the office and boxes will be left at apartment doors.
During the holiday season, online shopping can be incredibly convenient not having to go to multiple stores searching for gifts, plus you can get all the exclusive brands and brand offers that aren’t in the store, and it gives consumers the opportunity to cash in on exclusive savings Like cyber Monday and Black Friday. However…. hackers are also planning for an influx of online orders.
=Before swiping a card at a store or hitting enter to place an online order at any online retailer, ensure your online shopping safety by following these tips:
1. Go Digital
Using a digital wallet such a Google Wallet or Apple’s Wallet in stores can protect you from having your credit card information stolen by a skimmer or other device and allow for safe online shopping.
2. Use Pre-Paid Cards
Online site bargains can be hard to pass up when so many of the best sites are offering such great deals and often with free shipping. Avoiding driving in unfavorable weather and long lines at the registers also equal a good day, but only if precautions are taken to help prevent that good day from turning to a bad day when the bill arrives.
Using pre-paid credit cards that are not linked to your bank account or credit history can stop thieves from accessing and using your financial information if the site you shop on ends up being hacked.
3. Avoid Links
If a smoking deal at a lower price for a television, smartphone, or other must-have item arrives in your inbox, do not click on it. Instead, open your web browser and type in the direct URL for that store. Or, call a nearby location to verify the offer is real and not a spoof a criminal made to look like a real offer.
4. Create Unique Usernames
Just like it is a bad idea to use the same password for all your online accounts, using the same username for each store’s online shopping cart can also be a big mistake, especially if you use that same log in for email and social media.
To keep your online history private from criminals, create a unique username for each of your favorite and most popular online shopping websites where you shop. For example, YourName+StoreName is a better username than your name, plus a few numbers.
5. Read The Privacy Statement
Or, just skip online shopping altogether. Simply scrolling through and accepting the terms and conditions of every popular website you shop on without reading the details could mean you are signing away your right to privacy. You could be agreeing for retailers to sell your information without realizing that’s what you’re doing.
6. Sharing Your Personal Email Address
If you use one email address you are making it easy for cyber criminals to hack into every online account you have ever created. From bank accounts to credit cards, social media and online shopping accounts – if your one email address is attached to every account you use online, hackers can track that address to find all of your accounts and attempt to access them.
Rather than leaving a trail of breadcrumbs revealing to thieves all of your online activities, its time to start creating dozens of email addresses.
Some email providers including Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo allow users to alter their email address into infinite number of disposable addresses. For example if your email address is DianFarmer@gmail.com and you want to sign up for a new deal website you can alter your email address just for that site by adding an identifier to it.
Your new email address for that trusted site could be DianFarmer+FreeRunningStuff@gmail.com. This keeps your actual email address private and can help stop criminals from being able to track your online history simply by searching for one of your email addresses.
In addition to not using your unaltered email address as a username for online accounts, the following common mistakes should also be avoided.
7. Including All Or Part Of Your Name
Business professionals and college students often use a variation of their full name as an email address, on social media and other online forums. While people might be able to easily search for and follow or friend you, you are also making it easier for criminals to do the same.
8. Revealing Details About Your Location
Whether it is the city you reside in now or where you were born including a meaningful location in your username is never a good idea. Not only is it one more tool criminals can use to narrow their search results for your personal details, it is also a common password security question.
Extra Credit: Using Your Birthday Or Other Meaningful Numbers
While a string of four to eight numbers might seem random a criminal will be able to use a birthday or street address to verify if the information they are accumulating is all for the same person.
Top 10 Best Online Shopping Websites
After discussing how to keep your money safe while shopping – you may be wondering about a list of the best online shopping sites that you can trust. Well I’m not going to leave you hanging – here is a top 10 list for you:
Amazon: Not only does this one-stop shop have all your top brands they also have a large online fashion retailer with Amazon fashion.
Best Buy: This popular brand is the perfect place to get a wide range of products that are high quality.
Etsy: They are the best place to support small businesses. They also have many unique products such as beauty products, home decor, designer pieces, and much more.
Home Depot: They are a great place to get the best deals on home appliances, and home furnishings.
JCPenney: Not only do they have reasonable prices, but they also have so many products in different categories to choose from.
Kohl’s: They always have the best items at a affordable price.
I hope these tips help you as we move each year more and more into the virtual world.
What tips would you share with us? Please leave them in the comments below!
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