ONLINE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Christmas Shopping Online
Its that time of year again when everyone hits the high street to do their Christmas shopping. There are a few Christmas shopping strategies.
Start in June This saves you panicking in a number of ways You don't get into debt because you are spreading the cost of Christmas over 7 months. You get to buy presents at bargain prices and take advantage of all the summer sales. There are not Christmas queues and the weather is dry fine and warm, making your Christmas shopping a more enjoyable experience.
Leave it until Christmas eve! The shops are desperate by this time and slash their prices incredibly. It is a bit of mad dash but all the Christmas stress is confined to a single 24 hours.
Buy online. Quick and convenient, no queuing, no trying to find car parking, no terrible weather. Plus many retailers offer discounts for online orders which means you save money too! Many people are worried about security and credit card fraud when buying online. Of course this is a worry, nobody wants to be the victim of credit card fraud. However, there are some steps you can take to keep your online shopping experience as safer transaction as possible. When buying online, only use reputable retailers. This maybe a high street retailer who have an online shopping facilities or a large online store. Maybe a friend has recommended a particular website that they have purchased goods from in the past. Some online shops state how long they have been trading. If a store has been trading online for a number of years, and is well established, this is a good indicator of a reputable store. When shopping online you inevitably end up at the 'check out'. This is the point where the store will ask you for your name, postal address and credit or debit card details. This is the time when credit card fraud is a danger. To protect yourself look for a padlock icon in the status bar at the bottom of the window on the actual 'check out' page, where the website is asking you to submit your details. This padlock mean that this page of the website has a secure connection, so any information that you submit on this page will not be decipherable to anyone else, it will be encrypted. If there is not a padlock, it is not a secure connection despite what the actual web page content may say. You can still submit your details, However, you do significantly increase the risk of becoming a victim of credit card fraud. Our advice would be to contact the website and ask them to provide you with a secure payment page, or shop elsewhere. Below is a list of reputable websites with secure payment pages. However you do your Christmas shopping this year, Enjoy your experience and keep your card details safe.

ONLINE CHRISTMAS TREE

Who Buys Christmas Trees Online?
Online purchases of real Christmas trees are growing at an annual rate of 25 to 50%. Who are these purchasers? Why have the chosen to buy their Christmas trees online? The following are some of the many reasons why someone buys a real Christmas tree online.
CONVENIENCE, CONVENIENCE, CONVENIENCE.
For many purchasers of real Christmas trees, the overriding motivation for buying anything online, including real Christmas trees is CONVENIENCE. These purchasers prefer to point, click and purchase sitting in front of their computer in their warm, cozy home rather than facing nasty weather, large crowds, unscrupulous tree lot salesmen, and the trials of loading a tree on your car top to get it home. The convenience factor is a significant reason why city dwellers without cars, individuals who have limited mobility because of physical challenges or age or those who live in remote locations without easy access to a Christmas tree lot purchase real Christmas trees online.
FRESHNESS AND SAFETY.
Many online purchasers of real Christmas trees know that the freshest trees are ones either they cut themselves from a Christmas tree farm or a forest tree farm OR real Christmas trees purchased online. Real Christmas trees purchased online usually arrive at the front door of the purchaser within 3-5 days after they have been cut. This is a far cry from the 4-6 weeks for trees on most Christmas tree lots. A freshly cut Christmas tree is a much safer Christmas tree. For example, Tannenbaum's, an online retailer of real Christmas trees, is committed to sell premium Christmas trees and have them cut and shipped with 2-3 days of the purchase.
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH.
The purchase of a real Christmas is a much more eco-friendly decision than the purchase of an artificial tree. One study conducted in Sweden concluded that a real Christmas tree grown in natural surroundings was 5 times more environmentally compatible than an artificial Christmas tree (see the Swedish Institute for Air and Environment). Real Christmas trees contribute to the well-being of the planet by producing oxygen during their growing years unlike artificial Christmas trees which produce toxins and carcinogens during the manufacturing process. When Christmas is over, real Christmas trees can be recycled and do not end up permanently cluttering the world's landfills. Several websites, such as Earth911 are available to help individuals find recycle centers for real Christmas trees.
PRICE.
When you add the investment of time, out-of-pocket expenses and the tree lot prices, the price of real Christmas trees purchased online is comparable to or better than to the price of similar real Christmas trees purchased many tree lots and Christmas tree farms.