We all like to have a plan for the holiday season. We know when we need to cook, decorate, clean and receive gifts. But all too often things don’t go as planned. As always happens in life, the unexpected can happen. Maybe you get overwhelmed at work and have to stay late. Or maybe you unexpectedly volunteer to make costumes or snacks for your child’s Christmas play. Or maybe some relatives decide they’re going to stay with you at the last minute, and you have to host unexpectedly. A lot can happen and suddenly you find yourself scrambling at the last minute to get gifts for family and friends.

If this sounds like your life, consider an easier way to complete your holiday shopping: shop online. For the purposes of this article, let’s say you’re shopping for a stuffed animal. This is an easy example because stuffed animals are one size fits all and can be an easy gift for anyone, unlike, say, clothing, where you need to know someone’s size and taste to get something appropriate. Stuffed toys are also appropriate for any age and make great holiday gifts. So, here’s how to make online shopping save you a ton of time this holiday season.

open all the time

Unlike department stores, websites don’t go out of business just because it’s after 9pm. You can shop at any time convenient for you. Maybe you wake up at 3 am with insomnia, there’s no reason you can’t do your Christmas shopping at that time! The internet never closes, so you don’t have to stick to store hours, just shop when it works for you.

saving time

Shopping online is a great way to save time. Let’s say you need to pick up some quick gifts on your lunch break from work. You could drive to the store and fight all the other shoppers during your lunch hour to find a parking spot. You could then wait in line behind these same shoppers to make your purchase. Buying online is much easier. Spend the time you could have spent traveling, parking, and waiting browsing the products in stores. By the end of your lunch break, your chosen stuffed lion and stuffed cat could already be on their way home, without any trouble on your part.

More options

Online stores always seem to have more variety than anything in stores. Perhaps this is because there is more space in their warehouses than in stores, and things are less likely to be picked up and run out. So if you’re looking for a stuffed lion, you can find many more varieties than in a store, and you just might find one that’s unique.

Better organization and more categories

This is another way that an online purchase can save you time. Good online websites put their products into easy-to-understand categories, making it easier to shop than scouring a big-box store looking for something. For example, if you’re looking for a stuffed cat, there might be a category like “Stuffed Animals for Pets,” or if you’re looking for a stuffed lion, there might be a category called “Jungle Stuffed Animals.” This way, you don’t have to search the entire toy department like you would in a physical store.

save gasoline

Not having to leave the comfort of your own home or job can not only save you time, but also money, by not having to waste gas on another trip to the store. Even when you have to pay for shipping, you can sometimes save money, depending on how far away the store is. In fact, there are many online stores that have free shipping offers, so you will definitely save some of your hard-earned money and avoid polluting the environment. Here’s a tip for shipping: have it delivered to your place of business. This way, you don’t have to be home when your stuffed lion or stuffed cat is delivered, and you don’t have to interrupt your day at all or have to make another gas-wasting trip to the post office.

So, as you can see, there are five great reasons why online shopping is better than regular shopping. It is a great way to save time and money. Find an online store that meets your gift-giving needs, and before you know it, holiday shopping will be a doddle.