Hello. My name is Holle, and I’m a shopaholic.

Have you heard a similar mantra before? Sounds the one they use at Alcoholics Anonymous – or so I’ve been told. I don’t have a problem with alcoholic beverages. I have a problem – an addiction, if you will – to shopping. Don’t picture my strolling through big malls or sprawling shopping centers or going on out-of-town shopping sprees. I don’t because I can’t do that much walking, but I am heck on the internet! When my fingers are working, I can browse hundreds of stores and products from the comfort of my computer chair.

With online shopping, you can easily find some amazing bargains. And I can sniff out those bargains like an English pointer can smell a quail. I buy all kinds of stuff online, including clothing, shoes, handbags, toys, dog and horse supplies, jewelry, fragrances, tanning products, home décor, pool supplies, and vitamins and supplements. Most of the time, I could never find such great deals in traditional stores.

I’ll give you an example. My granddaughter’s sixth birthday is today, and we bought her a pony. Of course, she also needed a saddle. I searched our local tack shops, and the cheapest pony saddle I could find was almost $200, and it wasn’t of superior quality. I also visited local horsemen to look at their used pony saddles. I found one of good quality, but it was $250 – and that was for a used saddle. I came home and got on the internet and found a nice new saddle for $70. It arrived yesterday. I was impressed with the little saddle. It’s heavy, all leather, and well made, and it’s brand new!

Comparing prices is easy with shopping online. It’s easy to find the item you like, note the price, and then find the same item at possibly hundreds of other sites just with a click of your mouse. It’s like going to stores in scores of different cities without ever leaving your home.

I have seven grandchildren and I love dressing them in nice clothes. All the boys wear a lot of Ralph Lauren, and for the girls, I like Flapdoodles, Greggy Girl, and The Children’sPlace. Are we rich? Shoot no! But when I can find a name brand shirt by shopping online for cheaper than I can get a nice shirt at Walmart, why not get the better brand?

My favorite online shopping haunts are Ebay, Old Navy, and Gap. You can find all kinds of specials and discounts at these sites, for example, there are several websites that provide free discount codes for Ebay – don’t pay for these. Find a site that gives them out for free. Old Navy and other online shopping sites often offer special deals just for online shoppers, including discounts, sales, and free shipping.

Another good thing about shopping online is the huge selection you’re provided. Honestly, if you can’t find it on the net, you probably don’t need it! This comes in really handy when you’re searching for something unique or hard to find. It also comes in very handy when little Timmy wants the hottest new toy for Christmas, and you can’t find it in a traditional store.

And speaking of Christmas, I’m reminded of another bonus regarding online shopping – the boxes. Bulky, hard-to-wrap items arrive in their own box. You don’t have to make a trip to the store to find an appropriate box for gift wrapping. Take that pony saddle, for instance. It arrived in a nice square box. I would have had a hard time finding a box for that thing.

Shopping online is safe, too. If you use your Paypal account to pay for purchased items, you have a built-in guarantee. If the item arrives damaged, or if it’s different than you were led to believe, Paypal will take care of it.

Returns are pretty easy, also. No waiting in long lines waiting to return items. Just put it back in the box in which it arrived, make a new address label, and send it off. Some companies even provide you with the return labels in case the item doesn’t fit. How much easier could it get?

Christmas shopping online is a breeze. You don’t have to fight the crowds or trudge from one store to another. Heck, you don’t even have to lug all the packages around. Your friendly mail carrier or UPS person delivers them right to your door. What’s not to love?