Time=Money

What amount in shipping fees do you deem reasonable to spend over what you would have spent on an item if you had purchased it in the store, which would have entailed you navigating said store through throngs of people and chaos and mess?

Saturday (after a great lunch with Melis up in Baltimore!), I "swung by" Target to do some shopping for my office holiday party prizes (more on this later, I promise). I had a reasonable idea of the purchases I needed to make, but was also going to need to browse a few items.

For example, I knew I needed an ipod shuffle, and the Harry Connick Christmas CD. But then I wanted to find a household/ kitchen item that was gender neutral and around $40. (Don't ask too many questions now, it's a very complicated prize system I've made up here.) (Oh - and I love what I settled on - single cup espresso machine, anyone?)

I spent two hours in Target getting my 13 prizes and wrapping paper. A small fraction of this was my fault in not being able to decide on items. But the rest was trying to get up and down aisles through hundreds of other shoppers, and being so fortunate that two of my items were in locked cases - in. separate. departments - and I had to wait twice for an employee to come and unlock the case. Oh, and they had to be wrung up separately. Lovely.

So Sunday I decided to online shop. Mike gave me a budget for everyone, and away I went. Mike's gifts? Check. Joe and Barb? Check. David and Lauren? Check. The office girls. Check. Jenelle? Check. Patricia? Check. Aunt Rita? Check. Terry and Sara? Like a mini-check.

And some more thrown in there.

It still took me hours. I probably spent from about 12:30-4:00 p.m. on the computer. And I still had my moments of indecision. And I almost called and cursed out one company whose Web site kept freezing on me during the check out process.

But, with tea in hand, cinnamon simmering on the stove, and Christmas music playing, I think it was worth the shipping costs.

Just don't tell Mike I took the liberty of only counting the base price towards everyone's budgets. I mean, it's not fair to give $5 less of a present just because it was ordered online!