Below are some tips to help you make sure that your online purchases provide you with the best possible value.

1. Shop Around

The first rule of thumb for shopping online is one that also applies with traditional shopping: always shop around. Some online retailers spend a fortune on advertising. They do so, obviously, so that you will think of them first when you need to buy something.

It’s fine to check the prices on some of these major players Web sites, but be sure to check out some of the smaller, less well-known sites as well. Because some of these sites do not have a huge advertising budget, they are often able to pass some of the savings on to you via lower prices.

2. Shipping Costs

If you buy online you must always consider shipping costs. This is especially true when you are buying larger items. Shipping for a book or some clothes might be a few dollars. Shipping for a television or large appliances such as microwaves can be a few hundred dollars.

Many stores with an online presence will offer free shipping specials. Some sites offer free shipping clubs. For a set fee, billed monthly or annually, you can receive free shipping on everything that you buy from them. If you shop online a lot, these clubs are a great value.

You don’t have to nix all online shopping because of shipping costs, but you must include them in your total cost to be sure that you are getting the best possible deal.

3. Check Out Auctions

Some people think that sellers on auction sites only sell used items. The truth is that there are thousands of online stores that have a presence on auction sites that sell all manner of brand new merchandise.

While it is often possible to find great deals on such sites, sometimes the items are a bit overpriced, so always remember tip #1: shop around.

4. Groceries Online

It might seem like something from an episode of The Jetsons, but grocery shopping online is gaining steam. As with all other types of online shopping, you must remember to add the shipping or delivery costs in order to determine if online grocery shopping is worth it.

If your local grocery store allows online shopping, you will typically get the same sales prices as if you walked into the store. Some allow the use of coupons, but many credit your next purchase for the value of the coupons, rather than taking it off of your current total.

If you shop for groceries from a national site, such as Amazon, you will need to carefully compare prices against your local store to be sure you’re getting a good deal.

5. When a Good Isn’t a Good Deal

When you buy anything online, it is important that you know a bit about the seller. On auction sites, you can check their feedback. Online retail sites, however, are often more of a leap of faith. Unless you know the reputation of an online business, be sure to do a bit of research before buying.

What seems like a great deal can quickly turn into a nightmare if the item delivered is broken or is not what you were promised. Remember: if it seems too good to be true then it probably is.

This article was written for irishqualitygifts.com a great place for claddagh rings online and other Irish Gifts.

Kids gets really excited about Halloween and it’s easy to say, ‘it’s just one day’ but the reality is that eating a huge amount of candy in one sitting is really bad for you. Instead, why not try these alternatives to celebrate Halloween and ensure kids have fun without jeopardising their future modelling career at the same time.

Pumpkin Soup

The pumpkin is one of the most recognised symbols of Halloween yet we tend to throw away most of the fleshy insides of the pumpkin when we carve spooky faces into them. Instead, this could be used to make a healthy, Halloween-worthy soup. Get the kids involved by asking them to help with stirring the soup, adding ingredients and finally tasting the soup.

Witches’ Broth

Most people drag out the old witch costume when Halloween comes round so make preparing a witches’ broth a family event by encouraging everyone to dress up and get involved. Get the largest pan you can find and a number of wooden spoons and gather round the pot. Get the kids to add ingredients such as meat, vegetables and potatoes and stir the broth while you tell spooky stories, chant witch-like songs or make magic spells. When the broth is ready, sit at the table and eat together, continuing the stories or spells.

Cupcakes

There are so many things you can do to turn your average cupcake into a scary surprise. Choose from designs such as skulls, brains, zombies, black cats, aliens, grave stones, mummies and ghosts. First, make the cupcakes using a simple cake recipe and then get the kids to cut the sponge into different spooky shapes and decorate them with coloured icing, icing pens and foods which can be used to represent eyes, antennae, teeth and noses, for example.

Mummy pizzas

Most children love pizza and these are really easy to make. Instead of traditional pizza bases, get some English muffins and cut them in half. Cover each half with tomato puree, use olives or mushrooms for eyes and then cover the puree in strips of mozzarella cheese so that it looks like the bandages of a mummy. Then bake the pizzas for around five to ten minutes. This is a great idea for a spooky snack or as part of a Halloween buffet if you’re hosting a party.

Frankenstein’s finger dips

If you’re hosting a Halloween party and are keen to get some healthy fresh food on the table, this one’s for you. You can use mini sausages or even breadsticks for the fingers. Slice a few cuts in the sausages where the knuckles should be and place a thin slice of onion or yellow pepper at the top to represent the nails. Simply place the dip into a large bowl and stand the sausages, nails up, in the dip. You can also create some pretty gory looking dips, including clotted blood (using red food colouring or beetroot) and frogspawn (humus).

Mozzarella eyeballs

These are another great idea for finger food as part of a buffet or as a snack between meals. The eyeballs are simply balls of mozzarella, which you can buy in all decent supermarkets with half a green olive for the iris and a tiny circular piece of black olive for the pupil (you can obtain this by putting a straw into the olive and drawing out a small circular piece). Place the black olive pupil inside the green olive iris and place on top of the mozzarella ball; store them in the fridge until they are ready to be served.

So Halloween needn’t be all about candy and chocolates. You can make loads of great healthy dishes, as well as imaginative sweet treats and the whole family can get involved.

This article was written solely for Make The List by Georgina from the Cosmetic Dentistry Guide site, where after one too many Halloween treats you can think about getting your teeth back in order.

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The Best Penny auctions are fun and exciting, and it is possible to sometimes score a great deal. However, you have to be careful because there are many sites which are dishonest or simply fraudulent. This list contains the best penny auction sites which have been checked out and are legitimate.

Bid On Cash
With BidOnCash, you can win money instantly from our online auction site. Register and receive 1 free bid. Bid On Cash works like any other auction in that the highest bidder wins the prize.

Beezid
Beezid is one of the top three penny auction sites in the world in terms of traffic, sales and the quality of items on auction and the customer support team is unparalleled. Beezid has more than 400,000 satisfied members who consistently save up to 95% off retail prices on a vast array of popular, in-demand brand name products.

Bidito
Bidito is an penny auction site that focuses on customer satisfaction. Key Features of Bidito: 1) 10 free bids just for signing up!  2) Maximum Price, the item will never go above this price. 3) Invite friends and get more free bids. 4) Buy now options. 5) Free Auctions 6) Become a Seller and more…

http://www.swoopo.com/

One of the oldest sites around. Hard to win anything, but lots of products. Slow. Same auctions run in multiple countries, which means you are competing with people from all over the world.

http://www.rockybids.com/

Lots of free bids and a few products. Kind of slow, but one of the leaders. Good customer support.

http://www.bidcactus.com/

A promising penny auctions site but it seems all that they sell is small items, bid packs, and low-value gift cards.

http://www.bidray.com/

One of the biggest problems with this site is the annoying guy who walks onto your screen whenever you visit. Besides that, a descent site with a nice products.

http://www.junglecents.com/

This is slightly different take on the penny auction model. Instead of paying per bid, you pay per seat. Once all the seats are full, the auction runs and the last person to bid wins. Unfortunately, the auctions do not run very often.

http://www.pennypurses.com/

A niche penny auction site dedicated to what women love most – purses. Designer bags can be yours for only a few bucks, if you can bid smarter than the competition.

Penny auctions are fun and exciting, and it is possible to sometimes score a great deal. However, you have to be careful because there are many sites which are dishonest or simply fraudulent. This list contains the best penny auction sites which have been checked out and are legitimate.

written by Andrew Roos

How can you experience a more accurate estimate your savings? Cost Estimating software, of course.

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