things you should always buy online
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10 Things You Should Always Buy Online

I’ve made a list of my top 10 things you should always buy online.  Over the past couple of years I’ve discovered these things are just better to buy online! Some of these may surprise you!

things to buy online collage

I used to be the kind of person that never shopped online.  I enjoy going shopping, so I used to not mind going to the store to get whatever I need.  However, now that I’m getting older, I find that there’s a lot of value in buying some items online and having them shipped to you.  
German Shepherd dog and black cat

Thins you should always buy online

Everyone is different of course, but these are my list of things that I always buy online instead of in person.

1. Bulky items like toilet paper, paper towels and dog food.  

I’m the kind of person that likes to carry all the groceries in with one trip, even if it means loading up my arms with about 15 bags and almost breaking an ankle in the process.  I think…well, I hope… most people are like this, so I don’t sound so nutty.

 Now anyone who has bought bulky items knows how annoying they can be to carry.  There is no way to get them in from the car in one trip, and they take up so much space in your cart when you’re shopping that it’s hard to fit in the rest of your groceries.

Paper towels and toilet paper, I’m looking at you here!!! Plus if it’s something like a big bag of dog food (German Shepherds are my favorite, but they definitely have a hearty appetite), it’s SO heavy, and I just don’t want to be lugging it around.  

The little princesses pictured above are Sassy (the dog) and Ebony-Rosie (the cat who thinks she is a dog). Bulky items like dog food are some of the things that got me interested in online shopping in the first place!

 Vegan cookbooks

2. Magazines and books.  

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for looking at the fashion magazines at the checkouts when I’m waiting in line.  I am always curious about the newest trends and I’m always looking for better ways to style my outfits!  

However, anyone who has bought a magazine at the checkout knows just how expensive they are.  It’s SO much cheaper to but a subscription service online and have them sent to you!  Then you’re getting up to date fashion info (or whatever your interest is – fitness, sports, cooking, gossip, etc) sent to you monthly!  

I love opening mail, and sometimes it’s so nice to get something that isn’t just bills!  Because nobody likes to go down to the mailbox and walk back with a handful of just bills.  I find myself looking forward to my magazine subscriptions every month.  

It’s such a nice little treat!  And on a slightly different note, books are another good thing to buy online because a lot of times they will be cheaper than in stores.  I find this is especially true with cookbooks.  Do you like the looks of those cookbooks?  Check out their last appearance on the blog

coffee and candy
3. Coffee.  

I love a good cup of coffee in the morning.  It’s one of the first things I do when i wake up!  While I love coffee, I find though that I get lazy when I go to the store to buy it, and I stick with the same few brands.  

This is the reason I like buying coffee online – or, more specifically, this is why I like buying coffee subscriptions online.  When you buy a coffee subscription they mail you a different coffee every month!  

You can read about my first coffee subscription experience here – I absolutely loved it!  It was so nice to branch out and try something different.  I found coffees I loved that I would have never tried otherwise!  Is coffee not your thing?  

Don’t worry – there are other subscription services that might appeal to you!  My parents once told me about how they bought a friend a “fruit of the month” subscription for a gift, and of course there’s always wine of the month.

Dad's BBQ set
4. Holiday gifts. 

Speaking of gifts, holiday gifts are one of my TOP things to buy online.  I don’t mind going shopping when it’s crowded, even during the busiest times like Christmas.  I know for some people having to be out during the Christmas rush is enough to send them in a panic straight to online shopping (I’m looking at you, mum ?).  

While I don’t mind waiting in line or shopping when it’s crowded I absolutely DETEST parking when it’s crowded.  For whatever reason that stresses me out to no end!  Also, last Christmas I went back to NC and didn’t want to put fragile gifts in my luggage (because they would be tossed around at the airport), so I bought some items online and had them shipped directly to my parents house!  

Disclaimer… If you do this you must call your mother and tell her not to open any packages addressed to you!  LOL, she almost opened her Christmas present early last year! And this year for father’s day I bought my dad a gift (the BBQ tool set pictured above) online and am having it shipped straight to him as a surprise!

container of Pennzoil oil5. Motor oil.  

Speaking of dad, this one is for him too.  Well, it’s for me, but it’s because of him.  My dad works with cars and is constantly calling me and checking on me (and my car) – more specifically, asking if my oil is low or not.  

I like buying my oil (my preference is Pennzoil) online at Walmart  especially when it is on rollback pricing!  That way, whenever my dad asks if I have oil to top up my car, I do!  There’s nothing worse than realizing you’re low on oil and having to walk to the nearest gas station to pick some up (been there, done that).  

When I order my oil from Walmart, they ship it directly to me (or you can pick it up in store if that’s your thing – they even have curbside assistance).  I make sure to order new oil as soon as I run out so I always have it on hand.  Plus I am always forgetting what type of oil I need, so it’s handy to be able to look at my online receipts to remember .  

Event tickets
6. Event tickets.  

This one is really a no brainer for me.  While I don’t mind waiting in lines, I definitely don’t enjoy waiting in lines.  Plus, when you buy event tickets online (for concerts, the ballet, sporting games, theatre performances, etc), a lot of times a full map of the seating will pop up, and you can choose your seats wisely!  

And if you do this early (uh, that’s definitely the part I need to work on), there’s a lot of variety for where you can sit, and seeing it on the screen is helpful.  Plus event ticket prices are normally the same online as they are the box office, so it’s not like you’ll get a better deal by waiting in line.  

It just makes so much sense to buy them online instead.  I mean, you would be getting them at the same price, but you are in the comfort of your own home, dressed in your onesie pajamas wearing leopard print sippers and you don’t have to wait in line.  Oh… that’s just me?  Well you should try it, those PJs are super comfy. 

Night photo of city with lights
7. Plane tickets.

Unless you live under a rock, I’m sure you assumed this would be somewhere on the list.  Heck, even if you do live under a rock, you probably still buy your plane tickets online!  Is it even possible to buy them… not online?  

Maybe I’m showing my youth by saying that, but I honestly have never bought tickets from anywhere that is NOT online! If you have, maybe you can let me know in the comments…now I’m really curious!  

The picture above is from the window on a red eye flight coming back into LA.  I love looking out the windows when I’m flying!  I wouldn’t say I’m a frequent flyer by any means, but any time I do fly, I always try to see if I can grab a window seat!

box of ribbon candy
8. Speciality items, newer items, sold out items, discontinued items and items on a wait list.

This is a pro shopping tip.  If you’re looking for a newer item, they might sell out in stores, or maybe all stores don’t even carry them!  You can always look online, and sometimes you will find them (and at any rate, you’ll save yourself a lot of driving around going into stores with no success).  

Plus, a lot of times if it’s an item that’s in high demand, they can put you on a waiting list for it, and notify you when it becomes available again!  This is really great because it takes the work out of your hands.  They literally do all the work to find it, and you receive an email when it is available!  

Remember that present I got for my mum for Christmas that I was talking about earlier?  Well, it was actually two things.  The first was a DVD of Jurassic World, and let me tell you, since it was so new at the time it was selling out in stores all over the place, so it was nice to be able to get it online and not have to bop all around town to find it!  

And the second was her favorite hand cream, and they apparently don’t even sell that in stores anymore!!  After going to three different places and only finding perfume of the same line, I realized online shopping was my best bet!  

Pus, speaking of my mum, she is in love with ribbon candy at Christmas time.  I’ll give you one guess as to where the only place you can find it is… you guessed it – online!

Walmart gift card9. Gift cards.  

Now this one you may not have even thought of.  It took me a while of thinking to remember this one – but to be honest, I wanted this to be a list of “10 things you should always buy online” because it sounds way better than “8 things you should always buy online”, so I put on my thinking cap and realized that gift cards are a GREAT item to buy online!  

This one is kind of like event tickets in the regard that it’s not going to be any cheaper in store, so you might as well save yourself the tip and just grab one online.

brown knee high boots
10. Shoes.  

This one, guys, this one should maybe be first in the list.  I have the HARDEST time finding shoes because I wear a size 11.  Yeah, I know, my feet are pretty big, but I’m also 5’8″, so maybe that makes it a little better?  

Well, I always run into the problem when I’m shoe shopping of finding a super cute pair of shoes and looking at all the boxes in the store, and then discovering that there’s no size 11. ? Shopping online is good for this problem because they tend to carry more sizes.  

I don’t really like shopping for clothes online, because I feel like I need to try them on to see how they will fit, but my feet are a true size 11, so most any shoe in that size will fit, and I don’t necessarily need to try them on.  

I just wanna have cute shoes like everyone else, and shopping online makes that so much easier!  If you think these boots are cute, check out the last time they made an appearance on the blog!
Have I motivated you to go online shopping after reading this article?  What is your favorite thing to buy online?

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission from the sale, but the price is the same for you. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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