Online Gift Shopping for Expats

Christmas presents by heybucketme

Hi Everyone,
Today's post is my way of supporting expats and capitalism. Online present shopping can be a boon for expats. Christmas shopping can be challenging when you’re an expat far from family and friends, who live back in your home country. The years when I go home for Christmas, it is easy to buy gifts to take back with me. I usually buy gifts that are found here, in the Czech Republic. These presents will be the most exotic and different since they are from a foreign country. However, when I spend Christmas in the Czech Republic, I typically shop online for gifts for everyone back home. There are several benefits for expats who shop online for their Christmas gifts:

1. Shopping online saves money on postage. Mailing gifts back to the U.S. is not only costly, but you also have to worry about presents being broken, lost or stolen.

2. Checking “wish lists” makes choosing a gift easier. Wish lists make it easy to find the best gift for your loved ones or friends. Several online stores allow customers to create wish lists, including sites such as Amazon and other online stores.

3. Create one-of-a-kind gifts. You can even create one-of-a-kind gifts by visiting online stores such as Zazzle and Café Press. These shops are known as print-on-demand stores, where you can order a gift, and they will print it up and send it where you specify. You can use a favorite photo, a graphic image you’ve created, and more to create a unique present for family and friends. It’s possible to personalize all of the items available for sale at these stores. Each gift you create will not only be personally selected, but also created by you. If you aren’t artistically gifted, you can find many items that can be personalized to make wonderful gifts. One more note, Zazzle and Café Press allow you to offer your unique creations for sale to the public. This is a great way to earn some extra money to add to your expat budget and/or to use for holiday shopping.

4. Digital gifts are popular. Other gift options include digital gifts you can give via iTunes and Amazon, among other online shops. You can gift digital versions of music, movies, books and more through these shops. Another gift option is to make a present of a gift certificate for your giftee. You can specify the amount to be credited to the gift certificate. Many major online stores allow you to send real gift certificates via mail or virtual (digital) gift certificates via email. Digital gifts are wonderful for people who have e-readers, such as the Kindle or Nook, or who use tablet computers, such as the iPad or Kindle Fire. Digital gifts are also great for family and friends who have iPhones, Android mobile phones and iPod Touches. Digital gifts are easily downloaded onto the devices and computers of your giftees.

5. Several different payment options. Ordering presents online gives you various payment options. You can pay for online gifts using debit/credit cards, PayPal, electronic checks and even bank transfers.

Some people believe online shopping is too impersonal and that it doesn’t take much effort to choose or send a gift. I tend to disagree. Online shopping takes real time and effort, for by the time you take to check “wish lists,” read reviews and compare prices, you will have spent as much time shopping for the right gift as if you had been to several stores. And you may have to visit several online stores before finding the right present. Online shopping is a wonderful way to find personalized gifts for your family and friends.

Gift-giving can be challenging when you’re living in a foreign country. However, with all of these online and digital options, you’re sure to find gifts to please your family and friends back home. Online shopping is convenient when done from your own home and offers several types of payment options. Following “wish lists” and/or sending physical or digital gifts or gift certificates ensures you’ll find just the perfect gift to send back home. I personally have used each of these methods, and will do so this Christmas. These are just a few ideas to help you with shopping for Christmas gifts for family and friends back home.

Have a great day!

God bless,

Sher :0)

PS You can find unique Christmas gifts by following the links to my online shops in this post and below! You can find books about the Czech  Republic and Prague, along with travel gear and gizmos. You can also find unique gifts such as t-shirts and more made with photos and images I have created. 


If you use these links to make a purchase at Amazon or Zazzle, I will earn a small percentage from each sale. These programs are part of my freelance work online.

Have a great day!

God bless,
Sher

Czech Off the Beaten Path Website

Czech Off the Beaten Path T-shirts & More

Sher’s Stuff
Sher's Holiday Inspirations


Note:  Sher Vacik is a participant in the Amazon services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees and linking to Amazon.com.


Sher Vacik creates designs and images to sell on her Zazzle shops. Sher is also a Zazzle Inc. affiliate.  

© 2011 by Sher Vacik. All rights reserved.