Shopping
Ultra-Last Minute Shoppers - Gift Cards Are Thoughtful & Appreciated Gifts...
If there's anyone left on your holiday shopping list
no matter personal or professional a gift certificate
is always appreciated because the recipient can
select exactly what they want. No returns. No hassles
just selecting something they really want and having
it delivered to their door. Think about it, how much
do you appreciate receiving gift cards? They're not
impersonal and certainly not in those instance where
you know stores where the person likes to shop. But
even if you don't stop and think about places where
someone can find anything, like
Target
or
Amazon.com.
Everybody knows them and if they can't find
anything they like or want you probably would have
faired much worse had you actually selected
something for them in lieu of a gift card. Think
about it.
I mention Target for lots of reasons of course their mix of hip, well designed yet useful products places them at the top of my list so I give and ask for gift cards from them. I love going to Target for my shopping and its where I go about once a month to buy all sorts of things to run my house, life and business. I have dogs so I'm the guy with the 16-pack of Brawny paper towels in the bottom of his cart. But I love snaking through the aisles with my cart and checking out what I need and whatever else pops into my view. I also love checking out the end-cap merchandise that has been marked down. Last time we were there we found this really cool dinner plates in a great color and they cost all of 44 cents per plate. Style and value. Yes, I'll gladly take a gift card from Target.
I enjoy shopping in their online store both their own and their store within Amazon.com. Also, you can use their gift cards in the store and online so that's great if someone likes Target but doesn't have a store where they live, they can shop online and still redeem their gift card.
Gift cards from the following are always appreciated:
AA.com Hilton Sephora
Amazon.com Hyatt SONY
Apple, Inc. Home Depot Spa Finder
Atlantis, Paradise Island Hotels.com Target
Banana Republic iTunes Ticketmaster
Barnes & Noble Kayak Travelocity
Best Buy Kimpton Hotels United Airlines
bloomingdale’s Legal Seafood Wal-mart
Cabela's Macy’s
Circuit City Marriott
Continental Airlines NetFlix
Dean & Deluca Nordstrom
Delta Airlines Northwest Airlines
Dillard's Saks Fifth Avenue
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts Old Navy
Gap Priceline
Another great gift is a magazine subscription. It helps to know the person but again if you know anything about them you can select a publication for that topic, assuming it exists of course. For friends who like design and architecture I've given subscriptions to DWELL magazine. I love Architectural Digest but this is really great semi-new publication that tends to focus on modern design. Beautiful photography along with quality editorial makes for an interesting issue each time a new one arrives. Love it.
Click here to shop the incredible selection in the Magazine Subscription Center at Amazon.com
I mention Target for lots of reasons of course their mix of hip, well designed yet useful products places them at the top of my list so I give and ask for gift cards from them. I love going to Target for my shopping and its where I go about once a month to buy all sorts of things to run my house, life and business. I have dogs so I'm the guy with the 16-pack of Brawny paper towels in the bottom of his cart. But I love snaking through the aisles with my cart and checking out what I need and whatever else pops into my view. I also love checking out the end-cap merchandise that has been marked down. Last time we were there we found this really cool dinner plates in a great color and they cost all of 44 cents per plate. Style and value. Yes, I'll gladly take a gift card from Target.
I enjoy shopping in their online store both their own and their store within Amazon.com. Also, you can use their gift cards in the store and online so that's great if someone likes Target but doesn't have a store where they live, they can shop online and still redeem their gift card.
Gift cards from the following are always appreciated:
AA.com Hilton Sephora
Amazon.com Hyatt SONY
Apple, Inc. Home Depot Spa Finder
Atlantis, Paradise Island Hotels.com Target
Banana Republic iTunes Ticketmaster
Barnes & Noble Kayak Travelocity
Best Buy Kimpton Hotels United Airlines
bloomingdale’s Legal Seafood Wal-mart
Cabela's Macy’s
Circuit City Marriott
Continental Airlines NetFlix
Dean & Deluca Nordstrom
Delta Airlines Northwest Airlines
Dillard's Saks Fifth Avenue
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts Old Navy
Gap Priceline
Another great gift is a magazine subscription. It helps to know the person but again if you know anything about them you can select a publication for that topic, assuming it exists of course. For friends who like design and architecture I've given subscriptions to DWELL magazine. I love Architectural Digest but this is really great semi-new publication that tends to focus on modern design. Beautiful photography along with quality editorial makes for an interesting issue each time a new one arrives. Love it.
Click here to shop the incredible selection in the Magazine Subscription Center at Amazon.com
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blogMerit.com - Hot Topics...
I
have so many things buzzing in my head this morning I
decided to just start writing and see where the ride
takes us. This post will therefore have a rambling
quality but I'll do my best to stay on point long
enough to make my point. Wow I sound like a wing-nut.
The title of the post is the sidebar here at
blogMerit.com
is
giving me fits (so are some other aspects of the
rebuild) but right now I'm focusing on the
sidebar, hence the posting title. Please bare with
me while work through the kinks on the final phase
of our brand new blogMerit.com.
So, I'm laughing this morning, which is actually a normal day for me. Lots of laughter. I live and work in my home, and its home occupied by creative people writer and artist. Living and working at home creates an environment of opportunities. Open, critical thinking, I'm on a constant question open my mind and continue learning and growing because in this environment I'm capable of creating so much for myself and my dogs. We live in a society that has us chasing income instead of creating it. I have a lot to say on this topic because it continues to come up in conversations with friends, family and professional contacts. Fascinating topic to me for a myriad of reasons. But I think that point will be shared via a separate post where I'll share a story and my thoughts on a solution.
So, let's talk about holiday shopping. What are the hot items or hot toys this shopping season? I'm aware of the popularity and scarcity of one item the Nintendo Wii game system. In fact one the reasons I'm laughing this morning is because I've joined a message thread at Amazon.com whereby the posters think they're being ripped off. Let me give you some background. Basically, you should be able to get the Nintendo Wii system for around $250.00. Stores like Target, Wal-mart, Sears, K-mart would sell around that price and they do really well even with limits on how many people can buy. Most stores aren't letting you buy more than two sets. Well, people are buying or bought their two units and resold them on eBay or Amazon.com for a profit. We live in a free market economy so I personally don't have a problem with this. The reason why is simple you don't have to pay or buy anything. Remember, Free Market economy the operative word being free, you're free to choice NOT to buy the item and be patient and not wait.
Perhaps if fewer people defined themselves via their ability to acquire or buy stuff. In other words, don't buy into the bullshit including the bullshit of having to get the toy because your child wants it. I know we want to give the gifts that our children want but we never lack quality items to select for gifts. So what do you do, well instead of whining you need to own your part of this dynamic you'd like to think you're a victim of and start making different choices. Be resourceful and you'll find a creative solution that might actually provide more than some bogus gift obligation.
I say start with finding your joy. Stop what you're doing and really think about what brings you joy. Its yours, own it and become empowered. Jump off the hamster wheel and start making healthier choices for yourself first. Grow and nurture yourself first because once you're empowered you're in position to help your friends and family, co-workers and so on.
I realize it's frustrating trying to run around sourcing all these business and personal gifts. Remind yourself of effective the internet is and stick with it. I've been 'on the net' since the 1990s and I've only learned more become more productive and informed. As a writer the need for quality research is open ended and the internet places the world literally at my fingertips for the majority of my research. In addition to being a very powerful informational tool its also a distribution channel (they ship you the item to your home or office per your instruction) remembering this piece and really leveraging the power of the internet you can make a lot of your tasks more time effective for you. Luckily, I realized that early on because don't we all have other things that we want and need to be doing? It's not like our list is ever truly finished the next section of the LIST is sitting there waiting for you to notice it and the cycle remains intact. Stop and pause consider is this still my best option or best practice?
Back to the crazy holiday shopping period. I'd like to know what the HOT items are this season and except of the popularity of the Nintendo Wii game system nothing else has risen to that status. Please post comments and share your experience so we can open this up to a constructive dialog. If I have solutions I'll get them posted ASAP to facilitate. For example, I was hoping to be able to include a link to the company that sold me my Nintendo Wii which arrived 3 days ago but it's no longer a deal. They've raised their price to $499.00 and I don't blame them. It's a seller's market when you have a white hot in demand item. I would buy from them again it shipped within a few days of the order being placed and arrived as described, brand new. I only paid $349.00 but $499.00 is no deal but want or need one the web page states they have them in stock.
Sorry for the rambling post I'll double-back and edit this post with a clearer head. Enjoy the day.
Stay warm, cool or dry whatever the case may be. Again, please share what's hard to find. What you're buying. What you're still looking for that's hard to find. Or just a question maybe one of us can help.
So, I'm laughing this morning, which is actually a normal day for me. Lots of laughter. I live and work in my home, and its home occupied by creative people writer and artist. Living and working at home creates an environment of opportunities. Open, critical thinking, I'm on a constant question open my mind and continue learning and growing because in this environment I'm capable of creating so much for myself and my dogs. We live in a society that has us chasing income instead of creating it. I have a lot to say on this topic because it continues to come up in conversations with friends, family and professional contacts. Fascinating topic to me for a myriad of reasons. But I think that point will be shared via a separate post where I'll share a story and my thoughts on a solution.
So, let's talk about holiday shopping. What are the hot items or hot toys this shopping season? I'm aware of the popularity and scarcity of one item the Nintendo Wii game system. In fact one the reasons I'm laughing this morning is because I've joined a message thread at Amazon.com whereby the posters think they're being ripped off. Let me give you some background. Basically, you should be able to get the Nintendo Wii system for around $250.00. Stores like Target, Wal-mart, Sears, K-mart would sell around that price and they do really well even with limits on how many people can buy. Most stores aren't letting you buy more than two sets. Well, people are buying or bought their two units and resold them on eBay or Amazon.com for a profit. We live in a free market economy so I personally don't have a problem with this. The reason why is simple you don't have to pay or buy anything. Remember, Free Market economy the operative word being free, you're free to choice NOT to buy the item and be patient and not wait.
Perhaps if fewer people defined themselves via their ability to acquire or buy stuff. In other words, don't buy into the bullshit including the bullshit of having to get the toy because your child wants it. I know we want to give the gifts that our children want but we never lack quality items to select for gifts. So what do you do, well instead of whining you need to own your part of this dynamic you'd like to think you're a victim of and start making different choices. Be resourceful and you'll find a creative solution that might actually provide more than some bogus gift obligation.
I say start with finding your joy. Stop what you're doing and really think about what brings you joy. Its yours, own it and become empowered. Jump off the hamster wheel and start making healthier choices for yourself first. Grow and nurture yourself first because once you're empowered you're in position to help your friends and family, co-workers and so on.
I realize it's frustrating trying to run around sourcing all these business and personal gifts. Remind yourself of effective the internet is and stick with it. I've been 'on the net' since the 1990s and I've only learned more become more productive and informed. As a writer the need for quality research is open ended and the internet places the world literally at my fingertips for the majority of my research. In addition to being a very powerful informational tool its also a distribution channel (they ship you the item to your home or office per your instruction) remembering this piece and really leveraging the power of the internet you can make a lot of your tasks more time effective for you. Luckily, I realized that early on because don't we all have other things that we want and need to be doing? It's not like our list is ever truly finished the next section of the LIST is sitting there waiting for you to notice it and the cycle remains intact. Stop and pause consider is this still my best option or best practice?
Back to the crazy holiday shopping period. I'd like to know what the HOT items are this season and except of the popularity of the Nintendo Wii game system nothing else has risen to that status. Please post comments and share your experience so we can open this up to a constructive dialog. If I have solutions I'll get them posted ASAP to facilitate. For example, I was hoping to be able to include a link to the company that sold me my Nintendo Wii which arrived 3 days ago but it's no longer a deal. They've raised their price to $499.00 and I don't blame them. It's a seller's market when you have a white hot in demand item. I would buy from them again it shipped within a few days of the order being placed and arrived as described, brand new. I only paid $349.00 but $499.00 is no deal but want or need one the web page states they have them in stock.
Sorry for the rambling post I'll double-back and edit this post with a clearer head. Enjoy the day.
Stay warm, cool or dry whatever the case may be. Again, please share what's hard to find. What you're buying. What you're still looking for that's hard to find. Or just a question maybe one of us can help.
Are Affiliate Commissions Getting Smaller?
So, has anyone else noticed some affiliate
commissions being reduced, in some cases by 50%? Now,
the rates have trended lower for higher ticket items
like computer and electronics but now I'm seeing that
commissions that were a meager 2% have been reduced
to 1%. Is it me or is sending a message to marketing
affiliates that we're not needed or valued but we'll
throw you a tiny bone for the sale? I tend to promote
products that I'm personally using which is why my
reviews tend to generate notice with some converting
to sales. I share my story and my review of the
product or service and the rest happens as people
pick up the article/review while searching Google or
elsewhere. Oh, just to provide some perspective, say
your referred customer spends $100.00 you've made all
of $1.00 [volume is key in retail, I guess] Yikes
makes me wonder if I should bother, the bummer is
we're talking about my favorite high-tech. companies.
I'd love to hear back from others, share your story,
opinion, etc. I’ve been an affiliate marketer from
the beginning. I joined Amazon’s program when it
began along time ago; their associates program is
still the best on the internet; all in, control
panel, commissions structure, et al. Also, what’s
with the harrassing emails from ‘affiliate mangers’
telling me I’m not doing enough to promote their
brand and that giving me monthly targets, this is BS.
I have traffic but people aren’t converting (I have
no control over where or even if, the consumer will
decide to buy. The consumer has more purchase
opportunities than ever before and more ways to
conduct research to facilitate making more informed
purchase decisions. Content is king, it’s not just
about traffic, I learned that years ago and internet
customers are in a unique sub-set of their own. I’ll
stop for now because I didn’t intend for this become
a rant. Enjoy the day.
