Shop Early, Shop Right

The ‘ber’ months have obvious ways of reminding you the holidays.  If you won’t take advantage of the generous time it gives you to prepare, you are sure to find yourself on the aisle with other last minute Christmas shoppers.  Worse, the eleventh-hour always requires budget sore and stress.

To make your holidays enjoyable, early shopping is a must.  Prepare a list of people you want to share your blessings as well as the presents you’d like to give them.  Always include a budget so you won’t go overboard spending.  Be sure to include extra gifts.  You’ll never know who would turn up on Christmas - a forgotten godchild, a long-lost friend, a visiting relative.  The trick here is to get something suited for anyone.

Next is to create a timetable so you won’t have to spend all at once.  September could be your month for buying gifts for your godchildren, October for your family, November for friends and so on.  Having a schedule will give you time to think of a nice gift.  Remember to give items that the receiver would appreciate. 

Another way to make your Christmas shopping a breeze is to shop online.  It will eliminate time wasted on going to the malls.  An online shopping site like DLP Teleshopping offers just as many great gifts as there are in the stores without the long queues.   Shopping online cuts your delivery expenses too.  

Quit the holiday rush and take pleasure in giving presents important people in your life would appreciate.  

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 Online Shopping Tips

Thanks to the internet, shopping is not confined anymore in malls and stores.  Your shopping cart is loaded with mouse clicks and you can pay conveniently using your plastic money.  Online shopping is a pleasant experience especially when you’ve gotten through a rigid physical shopping the past years.  There are ways however to make it more smooth sailing.

Check the online store that suits your budget and needs.
There are online stores that offer delivery in a particular zone or country only.  If you’re going to send presents to your relatives I the Philippines for example, choose a site like DLP where you could save on shipping fees.  DLP’s wares are already in the Philippines so you spare yourself additional expenses if you’ll order from a local teleshopping, have it delivered at your place and send it to the Philippines.

 Compare price tags.
The ease of internet shopping gives you ample time to check prices of the items you wish to purchase.  Go over miscellaneous costs like shipping fees and add-ons like gift wrapping.  Most importantly, review the specifications of the items before purchasing.   Especially in techno items, prices can change significantly with a digit difference in memory capacity.  An iPod in higher GB is definitely more expensive than one with a lower GB.

You’ll be entering credit card or banking information when you purchase online so make sure the site is secured.  Fraudulence is as inevitable in unsecured sites like theft in a crowded mall.


Shop Early
Even online stores post ‘sold out’ and you don’t want to settle for anything other than your gift in mind right?  Items like iPods get off the rack faster than other gift items so if you’re eyeing one for a loved one, better send an early package than wait when will it be available again.

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 Gift Suggestions

For kids,

Fun and worship comes alive with the Papuri Videoke Mic, an exceptional microphone that contains 1065 Christian songs and Hymns and the New International Version Bible.    Yes, you can read the scriptures in small or large font, turn pages in adjustable speed and opt to put picture and music background. Click here for more details

For teenagers, computers and gadgets are perfect.   You’ll never go wrong with an iPod this year if your young adults don’t have one yet.  Cellphone is still a hit.  Just make sure you’ll get them models above their present mobile phones.  There are also perfumes and jewelries to accent their holiday get ups.

For men and women, consider home appliances and furniture.  Check what they have and what they want to have.  If there’s budget restriction, find an item that will accessorize the present home furnishing of the receiver.

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 Online Shopping Shields

Extra protection should be seriously considered in online shopping.  For one, you are not face-to-face with the seller.  The best connection you had would be voice in case of calling sales or customer service after you checked the website.  It’s definitely assuring to know that you have certain rights you could stress.

In black and white. 
Expect written confirmation of the transaction after you placed an order.  Details of how you can cancel the order, guarantees and customer service hotline should be included in the document.

Before purchasing
Make sure you are provided with details such as a description of the goods or services such as the price (including taxes) and payment arrangements, delivery fees and arrangements and company name and contact details.

Cooling-off period
At least seven days after receipt of the items, you may cancel your order unless the goods are personalized or packaging is removed.  You ar entitled to refund but may have to shoulder the cost of returning the goods.  Seller must refund your money within 30 days.

Delivery
Should delivery date be way out of what was agreed in the contract, you can cancel your order.


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 Apple iPod

Even Pope Benedict XVI has one.  His was a white iPod nano, a gift from a group of Vatican Radio employees.  As of last buzz, the Pope seems to enjoy his iPod with special Vatican Radio programming and classical music.

The Pope is not alone.  Wall Street Journal listed iPod as a consistent holiday gift trend for three consecutive years.  2005 particularly notes the popularity of iPOd nano, a really slim version of a full-size iPod.  To be exact, it is 0.27 inches by 3.5 inches and weighs 1.5 ounces.  Apple deems it as 62 percent smaller than the discontinued iPod mini.  Literally fits in your pocket. 

No wonder iPod appeared many times in Santa’s list this holiday season.  But before the good old man in the sleigh heads up to the mall, go get one for your family and friends.  It’s a little steep to be an ordinary gift so if you’re picking special for your favorite person this year, why not top it with an iPod?

 
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 Cancun package

The Carribean sea is the famous benefactor of Cancun beaches.  The powdery white sand enclosing the warm blue water is simply invigorating.  Water activities are fun options.  Try beach volleyball or snorkeling.  Better yet, just ease out and enjoy watching people in different languages and skins.

A 14 mile long area also called “zona hotelera” is Cancun’s tourist area.  The backdrop is a seamless line up of hotels and other accommodations.  Don’t miss the Laguna Nichupte, a fabulous lagoon and home to numerous marinas, malls and waterfront restaurants.  Also a must in your itinerary is the “party zone” where nightlife is at the summit. 

More stops in this city will surely leave you hanging out for more.  This season, you can choose to celebrate it differently with a Cancun experience.

Check the dlp usa website for a Cancun travel package.

In less than a decade, over 200,000 Pinoys are employed in call centers or business processing outsource companies. For sure you’ve heard of call center agents. Yup, your niece or sister or cousin or grandson who virtually shares your time zone. Still no idea?  He sold you the rechargeable phone card. 

Somehow, we’ve changed Pinoy mindset on work. The night is no longer reserved for the underground. You could even here moms comment, “Night shift si Christy, Call Center e.” But that’s moving forward. I’d like to talk about us first.

We live in a mug, either company provided or bought from Starbucks. Coffee runs in our veins. Pizza rules. There are perks in rising from the grave though---the graveyard shift, I mean. Nice pay on the average, free coffee, carpeted office etc. Just that we’ve forgotten the last Eat Bulaga jokes since we normally catch zzzs during noon. Breakfast in the late afternoon, lunch at midnight, dinner in the morning. Happy time is usually 9am. Work = nightlife. 

Sweaters are staple in the get up. Freezing cold in our workstations, I wonder if management’s trying to make us feel we’re in the US.  They’d better put styrosnows as well. I almost forgot, we all have shades to look cool and sort of cover our eyes from the sun when we log out in the morning. Would that pass why this industry is called “sunshine”?  You bet.

That pretty sums it up. The lifestyle, that is but our share of limelight continues. We’ve just made taxi drivers happy, extended food chain store hours, invested stocks in coffee shops (I wish) and added lines to PGMA’s speech. That’s all in our mugs and more stories kept in our lockers.

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 Members’ Feedback

DLP Members speak of their choice raffle prize!

“A chance to meet my favorite celebrity when we go back to the Philippines or concert ticket of my favorite artist like Sharon Cuneta.”
- Edna Domagas, Cerritos CA
 
 “Still a round trip ticket to the Philippines.”
-  Amparo Hidalgo, San Francisco CA

“A car.”

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