Point and click your way to great holiday gifts.

Whether you head to the local mall, downtown retail district or a dozen little boutiques around town, shopping for gifts can devour your time and energy. But thanks to the Internet, buying presents from the comfort of your own home has never been quicker or easier. All you need to complete your shopping list are a few good ideas, a credit card and some basic web surfing skills.

Shopping enthusiast Allyson Mitchell is proud to admit that she's made some of her best purchases from home. The Special Projects Editor of Lucky, a fashion magazine that focuses on shopping, Mitchell offers ideas and advice for those wishing to do their gift buying on the web:

• Options. Mitchell loves to shop online because it saves her time and aggravation, but also because she can find information and options online that she might never come across while picking through a store.

• Basics. You might want to start your Internet shopping adventure with some basic items like books, DVDs and CDs. Simple clothes and accessories are easy to buy online as well, but it might not be wise to buy big-ticket items, like a $1,000 cashmere sweater, unless you can see the quality in person.

• Subscriptions. Magazine subscriptions can be purchased online, and are an easy gift that speaks to someone’s individual interests. If you know someone who loves to ski, for example, sign him or her up for a year’s subscription to a skiing magazine.

• Shipping. Shipping costs can be the big variable when shopping online. Take your time and try to find websites that offer free or low-cost shipping and don’t fall for a low price combined with high shipping and handling costs. Another good idea is to plan ahead and then do all your online shopping at once, so you can combine shipping costs rather than paying multiple fees for lots of small purchases. Some websites even offer free shipping if your purchase is above a certain amount.

• Returns. Find out about a website’s return policies before you purchase. When in doubt, you can always buy gifts from an online retailer that has chain stores in your area, so you can take the item back to the store if there’s a problem.

• Ease and comfort. It’s always fun to visit real stores, but if you’ve got a long gift list to fill, it might be easier to sit at your computer, do a little surfing and get all your shopping done in the comfort of your own home.

Lucky. magazine
www.luckymag.com

Federal Trade Commission: Shop Safely Online
www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/cybrsmrt.htm

Amazon
www.amazon.com

Ebay
www.ebay.com

Macy’s
www.macys.com

Target
www.target.com