Run errands from the comfort of your own home

For the mom who doesn’t want to pack her brood in the car, trudge all over town, and lug packages home every day to complete a list of errands, there’s a lifeline sitting in the living room, kitchen, or home office. It’s the computer. The Internet lets you do more than send cute e-mail photos of first smiles or stumbling first steps. With a few quick mouse clicks and a credit card, a harried mom can take care of everyday errands without leaving the house.

We all need to eat

Going to the grocery store with a baby or toddler in tow is a dreaded errand for many moms. But with online grocers like Peapod, FreshDirect, Amazon and NetGrocer, a mom can point and click her way to home delivery of even fresh produce and frozen food. And business is booming for these online sites. Projected sales for this year are up to $4.2 billion, owing to features you’d find in brick-and-mortar stores, such as services like deli-meat slicing options and cubing cheese. Plus, many restaurants, especially pizza chains, are starting online ordering. A mom can point and click through menus and set up delivery, instead of waiting on hold to place an order.

Online pharmacies

When a mom needs antibiotics for her little one’s strep throat, she can’t wait for a mail order shipment, but online pharmacies are great for everyday prescriptions. You can mail, fax, or have your doctor call your prescriptions into an online pharmacy and have your medications on rotation, with e-mail updates set to remind you for point and click refill orders. As an added bonus, prices are often lower than at regular pharmacies. And online pharmacies provide the same products as your corner pharmacy, like shampoo, toiletry items, and even photo ordering. Brick-and-mortar pharmacies offer online refill order services ,too, but you often have to go pick up your medication. As a busy mom, you may also want to consider ordering your next contact lens prescription online. You’ll not only save time and a trip to the optometrist, but also a few pennies, because online retailers can be cheaper than the doctor’s office.

Banking and bills

The first online bank was set up in 1983 by the Nottingham Building Society, but although that was over twenty years ago, more people than not, moms included, still traipse to the bank to do their banking. The reason for this trek is primarily fear of online fraud. In reality, credit card fraud, signature fraud, and I.D. theft are more common offline than online because a mom leaves something behind, is observed at an ATM or gets something stolen. Because of advanced encryption and password protection technology, online banking is safe. Really, a mom only needs to watch for phishing scams, making sure to be on the lookout for someone claiming to be from her financial institution and asking for account information. And you can securely pay your utility and other bills online, too, saving trips to the post office for stamps.

Shipping

Of course, a mom will still need some stamps, and now you can both order stamps and ship a package without leaving home. By visiting the postal service website at UPS.com , a busy mom can order stamps and schedule a postal service pickup right at her front door. By calculating the appropriate postage for your package using the calculator on the website and printing the postage and paying with a credit card, you’ll have it ready to go when the postman comes to pick it up. UPS and FedEx provide similar services through their web sites.

Shopping for the whole family

Everyone in the house needs clothes, shoes and toys, mom included. A mom shouldn’t go too long without treating herself to a few extra mouse clicks just for herself. The Internet is a shopping mecca if there ever was one. Forget the Mall of America; you’ve got everything at your fingertips if you’ve got your computer turned on. Yearning for an exotic new thimble for your collection? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to find just the right one online.
While the Internet can help you get errands checked off your list from the convenience of your home, it’s easy to get too much done without getting in the car and facing the world. If you aren’t careful, you may end up clicking your way into a case of cabin fever. It’s okay to go to the grocery store once in a while, if only to remember that checkout girls can sometimes still be rude and baggers still put milk atop the bread, crushing it to oblivion.

References:

http://www.cbsnews.com http://en.wikipedia.org