Save Time, Save Money with Alice.com

For the busy mom (and what mom isn't busy) saving time and money can be high on the priority list. Generally you have to choose between the two. Once in awhile something comes along that allows you to do both.

Alice.com is a shopping site that carries numerous household and cleaning products. Brands that you know and love, brands that you trust and use on a daily basis. The prices are low and the shipping is free, so you save time and save money.

If you are like most people you will save money in two ways. There is an initial savings because the prices are generally lower than brick and mortar stores. Beyond that you will probably save money by not buying that magazine, candy bar, or Coke at the check out. Impulse buying in rampant in grocery stores. By shopping online you avoid that temptation.

The first step is to sign up. This is free and only takes a few minutes. Once you are logged in then you can begin to create your list. The first time you create a list it will take longer than subsequent lists. This is because you will be scheduling how often you want to purchase each item. As that time period comes up, Alice will email you and let you know you might need to think about restocking. So, if you buy toothpaste once every two months, you will get an email after two months reminding you it is time to shop again.

As you are shopping the site finds coupons which are automatically added to your order. If you are wondering whether an item can be found more cheaply somewhere else you can click on a button and see several other stores' prices on the same item.

Hundreds of national brands are available. Some of them are:

• Seventh Generation Products
• Gillette
• Covergirl
• Pedigree
• Method
• Kashi
• Gerber
• Crest
• Tom's of Maine
• Clorox
• Annies Homegrown
• SlimFast
• Nesquik
• Arizona Tea
• Folgers
• Kelloggs
• General Mills

There are numerous other brands of grocery and personal products available. You can find them a number of ways.

• Browse the store
• Search for your favorites
• Search for organic
• Search for the best deals

There are many ways to personalize the site to be exactly what you need. After the first shopping list everything will be more or less automatic and a matter of clicking the mouse to create a quick list.

Checking out is easy. Alice.com takes major credit cards. Once you fill in your shipping and billing information the site saves it for future use. Your must order a minimum of six items but the shipping is always free. You can plan on receiving your order in one to four business days.

I decided to try Alice.com to see if it would really save me time and money. I placed my order on a Thursday close to midnight and received it on Monday.

Items that could potentially be spilled were securely enclosed in plastic bags. My order was complete, with nothing missing, and I saved about eight dollars on my eighty dollar order.

I was impressed that the boxes were recycled and the cushioning material was eco-friendly and recycled as well.

With gas prices going steadily upward I can't afford to drive all over for the best deal. Free shipping saves me money on gasoline. I truly believe that shopping locally is the best way to go. However, there are things that you don't buy from a local source:

• Dish soap
• Laundry detergent
• Shampoo
• Toothpaste

Rather than taking the time to buy these things at the store, you can have them delivered easily, promptly, and inexpensively.

You can try Alice.com yourself and see how you like it. I love it.