online shopping - Age With Charm Footlose Old-timer Sat, 31 Aug 2024 06:28:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 Apps to Get the Best from Online Shopping /apps-to-get-the-best-from-online-shopping/ Mon, 12 Aug 2019 12:11:10 +0000 / It seems it was only yesterday that I and my family (wife and two kids) looked towards the weekend for our shopping spree, followed by movies and dinner. Then time passed unnoticed. My children grew up and got married; my wife died, leaving me alone – too old and cranky to rummage through large and...

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]]> It seems it was only yesterday that I and my family (wife and two kids) looked towards the weekend for our shopping spree, followed by movies and dinner. Then time passed unnoticed. My children grew up and got married; my wife died, leaving me alone – too old and cranky to rummage through large and cavernous malls to buy my “things.” So I go online shopping. Cool, huh Nah! A lot of seniors do, too. Data gathered in 2016 showed that 82% of people aged 65 to 69 go online daily. What they do online is shown below.

Pros and Cons of Online Shopping

People have an inherent love for shopping. For some, touching, smelling and fitting rows and rows of personal items and other products is like an opiate – it gives them a “high.” Of late, however, a huge chunk of them have opted to do it in the comfort of their homes. They are the online shopping crowd – another upside of the Internet age. But just like anything, online shopping has its Pros and Cons. Here are a few:

Pros

  • It saves time – no need to travel far to buy what they want
  • It saves transportation expense – this is a corollary to the above
  • Online shops are open 24/7
  • There’s no waiting line
  • They can avoid a jostling crowd

Cons

  • There’s a big delay between ordering and delivery
  • No touch, smell and feel the experience
  • Risk of wrong or defective product is always present and return is almost impossible
  • Lack of shopping experience
  • The variety of choices make decision-making difficult

Apps for Easy and Convenient Online Shopping

Seeing the potential of elderly online shoppers, businesses wasted no time in making online shopping more appealing, easy, and convenient for them by introducing the Apps – mini-software with specific applications. There are currently more than 650 thousand online stores in the U.S. Of these,  about 103 thousand are generating at least $ 12,000 annual revenue. And since apps allow for laser-sharp marketing, it can be assumed that each one has an app. Seniors, however, often have specific or special needs. To that end, the following are the best elderly-friendly apps in the market:

One-stop-online shop

Amazon
When it comes to online shopping, who hasn’t heard of Amazon It is practically a by-word for online shoppers and the first choice for people who shop online. And they couldn’t be wrong. With 25 years of experience and 606 million products in its catalog, it is easy to see why. You can have an Amazon on your desktop by opening an account or an app on your mobile device by clicking on the word Mobile below and you’re ready to go. Mobile  For seniors, going through Amazon’s cavernous catalog may be too taxing. So if you have something specific in mind and you are in a hurry, the following apps are priceless.

Nutritious Foods

Forty-four percent of seniors going online surf for food information. You can make your search simple and fast by having these on your phone:
1.  Buy Me Pie
No, this is not about pies but an app for easy online shopping of nutritious foods. It is easy to use – just like crossing off items from your grocery list in the real-world It has both free and premium versions, either in IOS or android
2.  Seafood Watch
This app comes from the desire of the Monterey Bay Aquarium to help fish-lovers satisfy their culinary delight without fear of mercury and other toxins present in a lot of sea products. The app classifies fish into best choice, good alternative, or avoid. And if you hunger for tuna, the app gives you 29 tuna types to choose from. The app also gives you a deeper understanding of how and why they are graded that way. The Seafood Watch app is available both in IOS and Android, and both are free.
3.  Veg Ease
This is an online store specifically for vegetbles and fruits. The app lists a dozen foods with the most pesticide residue and 15 of the least. This is an indispensable tool for seniors saddled with chronic diseases. A wrong choice can spell the difference between enjoying life to the fullest or having frequent hospitalization. To be sure, there are more apps for nutritious foods but the above lead the pack. If you find them lacking, you can surf for those that suit your needs.

Prescription Drugs

An online survey done by the AARP showed that 80% of people aged 65 and above, regularly take at least two prescription drugs a day. This is not surprising considering that chronic illnesses start appearing around this time in a man’s life. They either buy them from their favorite drugstores or online. And here’s the rub: 95% of online pharmacies selling prescription medications are not complying with state and federal laws and the standards set by the NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy). Moreover, fake drugs are a constant headache for law enforcement. To avoid potential risks to your health and throwing away good money, use these apps when buying prescription drugs online. Not only do they sell products of unassailable quality, but they also give occasional discounts:
1.  Rx Saver
RX Saver was the first to create apps, three, in fact, to help people get the best value for their prescription drugs money This app allows you to search, view, and compares prescription drug prices at leading discount pharmacies in your neighborhood. Not only does it allow ease of purchase, but you save at the same time.
2.  GoodRx
GoodRx is your typical new-kid-on-the-block that’s making waves. Established in 2011, it boasts of 4 million visitors each month. Just like RxSaver, GoodRx compares prices of prescription drug prices to give you the best value for your money. But it does it on a wider scale – it tracks prices of 75,000 pharmacies in the U.S.
3.  Blink Health Rx
It is common knowledge that prescription drug prices are prohibitive for most. Even if your insurance covers medications, your policy does not always cover everything. Enters Blink Health Rx. This app is a no-commitment, no-fee service that gives you access to over 15,000 prescription drugs for a fraction of their retail prices. And it is easy to use. All you have to do is search for your desired medication on its site, pay online, then pick it up at a local pharmacy near you. These are the three top apps for purchasing prescription drugs online. You can search on Google is you want to have more options.

Groceries

Who doesn’t need groceries Unless you are a hermit, we all do. In fact, its importance in our daily lives is manifested by their presence – from small convenience stores to huge outlets all around you. But no matter how near they may be, going out for groceries can be a challenge for a lot of seniors – especially those who live alone or those who could no longer drive. Thanks to apps, you can now access several grocery stores in your neighborhood, instead of going to them. Here are some of the most popular grocery apps:
1.  GoGo
Grocery Pal goes over your grocery list and provides the best available deals at local supermarkets.
2.  Out of Milk
Out of Milk simplifies the shopping experience by letting users create, manage, and share shopping lists. The app also allows users to build and manage shopping lists – adding or deleting items while keeping track of price, quantity, coupons, and more.
3.  AnyList
This app contains a database of items for creating multiple lists. Just type in the name of an item and the app completes the entry to speed up the process. You can add items by voice through Siri, and stores recipes to give you more added convenience in preparing your meals.

Video Games

I never play video games (I watch online movies), but I have seen a lot of seniors in coffee shops do so from their tablets. And why not It’s not easy to be old and we don’t know the torments they face each day. So being a little childish a few hours each day will be a great help. Video games are entertaining. They are a great hedge against loneliness, slow down cognitive decline and, if played with friends, a perfect way to socialize and bond. If you are into it, here are some video games for you to choose from:
1.  TETRIS
This is a new version of the old Tetris, with colors and cool features added to it. But this is still a brick game and the mission is to clear your play area by orienting each block to solve a horizontal line or two.
2.  Words with Friends
If you have a good vocabulary and interested to expand it more, then this is your kind of app. This is teeming with word games, word puzzles, and more ways to challenge your brain – and your friends – than ever before. With a friend, this app is competitive at the same time expands your vocabulary in English, Spanish, German, Italian, Brazilian, and British English. Though the app is free, you can buy things from your app.
3.  Hangman
This is often used by teachers,to practice spelling, vocabulary, or just for fun. This online app gives you the option to choose vowels and consonants to try to guess what words are hidden. Good to provent congnitive decline among seniors. There are more than a dozen online game apps to suit your tastes and preferences. If you are not into online tech, go to Telstra and start getting into the groove.

News

Research done by the Pew Research Center shows that seniors aged 65 and above spend at least 83 minutes a day reading the news. And another study (shown by the infographic above) shows that 66% of elderly people who go online each day read the news and weather bulletins. By “news,” I mean in digital form. And this fact has forced a lot of traditional media organizations to go digital, too. Thus, creating news apps. And here are the top news apps for you to download into your phone:
1.  Google News
This replaced the Google Play Newsstand. And it has the polish and smoothness typical of Google. The app allows you to surf news from around the world. It can set up a daily briefing of the most important news of the day, save a story or download specific publications for later reading.
2.  Microsoft News
Formerly known as MSN News, this app is a lightweight, easy-to-use way of getting the news you need. Upon opening for the first time, it will ask you to select the topics you’re interested in and you have it. Should you want to change topics, you can do so any time with ease.
3.  CNN News
The first cable news channel also has an app that offers a wide variety of articles, though biased towards U.S. audiences. But it offers a lot of original content not found anywhere else. Technology has redefined how we live our lives. And depending on one’s perspective, a great help for seniors. It has made things easy, convenient, and fast for them. It practically put things within reach of their fingertips. And more are coming… Please share to help other seniors.

~oOo~

   

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]]> How to Get the Most from Online Shopping /how-to-get-the-most-from-online-shopping/ Mon, 15 Apr 2019 12:16:24 +0000 / Bargains, bargains, bargains, and more bargains. Every day, there are bargain sales going on somewhere and they never fail to attract a throng of shoppers – like ants to a slice of cake. They trigger emotions like excitement, happiness, pride in having saved a few bucks and a sense of winning or achievement. Bargain sales date...

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online shopping
Online Shopping

Bargains, bargains, bargains, and more bargains.

Every day, there are bargain sales going on somewhere and they never fail to attract a throng of shoppers – like ants to a slice of cake.

They trigger emotions like excitement, happiness, pride in having saved a few bucks and a sense of winning or achievement.

Bargain sales date back centuries ago when. Then it looked like mayhem. You have to be fast on your feet and hands to grab an item before someone else does.

The Internet gave it a face-lift. Oh, there are still the grab-and-pay types, but people now prefer to do it online. And this sits well with the elderly. For reasons of mobility and limited finances, they go online to look for bargains. In fact, of the seniors who regularly go online, 77% do so to shop. This group of shoppers buys to the tune of $7 billion each year. 

Online shopping is not all roses, however. There are thorns you must know before diving into it…

Pros and Cons of Online Shopping:

Pros

Prices of items online are generally cheaper due to a lack or minimal overhead and other incidental costs. And it has the following advantages:

  • You can do it in your pajamas
  • You can save on gas and avoid the hassle of looking for a parking space
  • Online stores are never closed and no aggressive salespeople to deal with
  • Allows a wider range of choices before making a final decision
  • No annoying crowds and long check-out lines
Cons

Some sellers intentionally raise their prices before offering them at a bargain. Other disadvantages are:

  • You can’t inspect or try on the item purchased
  • Offers no way of price negotiation and payment terms
  • It may take a long-time before the item is received
  • The online store offering such bargains may not be legitimate
  • There may be hidden costs on returns
  • There is usually no one to talk to in case of problems.

With all these, you may ask: Where do the seniors fit in all these?

Senior citizens occupy a significant chunk of the eCommerce business. Studies show that 28% of the entire population who buy online are senior citizens, while 41% are baby boomers.

Online shopping, however, is not a panacea for seniors who are loathed to go bargain shopping. There are pitfalls you must be wary of. And with the prevalence of “identity theft”  and online scams victimizing seniors, you cannot be too careful. So here are some tips to get the most of your online buying experience.

Getting the most of your online shopping experience

Online shopping is the current mode of purchasing items, be it for personal use, for gifts, home improvement, health, and wellness, and even airline and hotel reservations. But it is not simply a “click and you’re done,” thing. Other than trying to get the best deals, safety is a major concern. To satisfy both, the following are recommended:

1.  Secure your device

Be sure to protect your device by having a unique and strong password. For seniors, this is is a difficult task. Fortunately, there are several sites that can help you do this. Once you have one, never share it with anybody.

Then, install anti-virus software on your device to minimize the risk of corrupting your files. Reformatting your laptop or desktop is expensive and time-consuming.

As an added measure of protection, have your device protected against hacking. Finally, back it up so you sleep soundly at night.

2.  Plan what to buy

Plan what to buy and put a budget on it. Never overspend or indulge in splurge shopping because “they are cheap.” According to Greg Tucker, marketing director of Marketing Clinic, 42% of elderly people 55 and above, feel guilty after buying online – especially big-buck items.

There will always be another day, so buy only those you need, not what you want. Besides one of the major worries of elderly people is the sufficiency of financial resources. 

3.  Choose the right store

Choosing the right store can be daunting. There are so many of them out there. For example, Finder.com lists the top 50 online stores for 2019. Being on the list, however, is no guarantee that you will get the most out of your online shopping. Look for more.

In choosing one, be sure to:

  • Check it’s reliability. The Internet is full of fraud sites that will leave you holding an empty bag
  • Read reviews of the quality of their products and service

Once you’ve decided, be sure to know the following before you hit the “Add to Cart” button, check the following items:

  • Delivery lead time
  • Payment options, i.e. cash, credit or debit card
  • Shipping charges
  • Policies on returns. Some merchants want returns handled by a chosen courier free of charge while others have shipping charges. Some will just refund a purchase, rather than have it returned.

Note: Never give any information than what is necessary for the purchase.

Then hit the Add to Cart button.

4.  Post-purchase tips

My daughter is fond of buying online. I don’t know her success/failure rate, but mine is 50/50. The last time, bought through FB, was so bad I developed an online shopping phobia.

The point is that what you get may not be what you had in mind. So when you receive your purchase check that it is the right color, the right model and fits you perfectly (if it is something worn). Scrutinize for any factory defects or shipping damage.

On the non-physical side, take note of these:

  • Unless the purchase is on a COD basis, never pay in cash. In fact, you should have an account with reliable payment processors like PayPal, and charge your online purchases through it.
  • Always check your purchase records and file a complaint with your bank when you see some irregularities.

Online stores or eCommerce, emerged in 1991 as a direct by-product of the Internet with Amazon the first to offer retail business online. Now there are 110,000 online stores in the U.S. Though it still leads the pack, following closely behind are Walmart, Etsy, Target, etc. Together, they racked up a sales volume of $504.6 billion in 2018. And there are no signs of it leveling off or tapering off.

The bottom line is if you are not into online shopping, it’s high time to start doing so now. A lot of seniors like you have already done so and enjoying its benefits of fun, easy, convenient, and a real money-saver.

Please share for the benefit of other seniors

~oOo~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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