subject: The Value Of Online Shopping [print this page] Interestingly while I understand the benefits of online shopping I had a real epiphany moment the other day. I went to purchase nappies for my 7month old and wanted to get them from a great warehouse discount place (we are going through a lot of nappies at the moment). Their delivery fee was $7 so I thought that I would go out there and save the $7, only to realise on the drive there that I had now spent way more than I was saving getting there!
As I was driving out there I started to think about the cost-value equation.
To get nappies from this discounted I save around 10cents per nappy (Huggies) and then I buy a pack of 3 Huggies 240s wipes and the price is the same as paying for 2 and getting one free (about $16) with most other retailers, so the savings are worthwhile. There is a delivery fee however of $7 and this really put me off getting the products delivered! It was a real sticking point!
So I got both children ready and in the car, drove the half hour to get to the discount warehouse, spent 5 minutes in the warehouse and then drove the 30minutes back home! Crazy right?!?
On the drive however I started to analyse the value equation and kept thinking Im Mad!!!!! Here I am trying not to spend the $7 because I think it negates the point of buying discounted nappies, when I suddenly realised how much I was spending by driving to get the nappies. Not only was I using up a lot of petrol by driving for 1hour - 45 kilometres in total, equating to the value of around $30 (worked out at 0.70c per km). I was also wasting valuable time of mine (1.5 hours) (which really is at a premium) that I couldve spent with the children doing something fun!
And the more I thought about it, the crankier I was with myself! The last two times we have bought nappies while at the shop I have had to go to at least two different stores to get the right sized nappy. Then I have to figure out how to get these big boxes back to the car with two children.... And yet I couldve simply placed an order over the Internet and spent $7 to avoid all of this and perhaps spent the time at the park or in the garden....
Never again will I moan over a reasonable delivery fee when I consider its value to my petrol, time and how carefree it makes my life.
by: Lorraine Salvi-MumsDelivery
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