It's hard to believe but for 26 years people have been buying stuff online and this year I just made my first online purchase... Then, my second. Then... It's gotten a bit out of hand according to my wife but I am making an investment, dammit! It can be addicting and I may need help.

What was the first thing sold on the internet? A Sting CD according to this story.

There are a bunch of tricks to shopping online but the #1 rule I learned this year is... Keep those boxes the stuff came in. Some of it is returnable IF, IF you kept the original packaging. Some things you buy are just turds you just can never flush, like a noisy, nosey neighbor. If you kept the original packaging, a lot of stuff can be returned for a full refund or at last gift card credit for more shopping!

The other tricks to saving big are: Don't be a sucker and pay full price online. I check ALL OVER the internet and local places for the best prices. A lot or most of the time, a local place has the same options available in the same price range.

The nice thing about a place like Amazon is, some of their products are so easy to return. Sometimes, they tell you to just keep stuff instead of returning it. We have gotten a few of those this year. I have also seen more Michigan businesses popping up on Amazon. So, you still can support Michigan business buy buying on Amazon. Just keep the boxes the stuff comes in... You may need it again.

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