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FReeper Canteen ~ Online Shopping 101 ~ November 22, 2005
22-NOV-05 | Gummy News

Posted on 11/21/2005 5:59:15 PM PST by GummyIII

Christmas Shopping
Gummy Style!

gift          

Newsflash:  Gummy Hates to Shop
November 22, 2005


I hate to shop.  I know. You are thinking, "She's not normal."  Perhaps I should clarify.  I hate to drive to a busy mall or store, get out, fight the crowds, look in umpteen stores for the best bargain, and come home with nothing but achy feet and head.  When Al Gore invented the internet, he did it for me.  Honest. (Psssst....He would have told you that, but he's afraid you wouldn't believe him.) OK,  you've guessed it...I do all my shopping online.  Below are my best tips for online shopping. Oh, there is ONE drawback, gentlemen...you can't wait until Christmas Eve to shop.  It's a good thing I believe in Santa Claus! He brings me my present EVERY year.

(Hint:  if the animated background bugs you, hit the "stop" button on your browser.)

We Support Our Troops!!!!  Thank you for your service!!!

Shop Online Safely

Use credit cards. The big three credit card issuers, American Express, MasterCard and Visa, have a zero liability policy. You pay nothing for unauthorized transactions if you notify your financial institution.

For extra fraud protection, sign up for MasterCard's SecureCode or Visa's Verified by Visa. These are password challenge programs for online shopping.

Look for signs that online purchases are secure. At the point that you are providing your payment information, the beginning of the Web site address should change from http to shttp or https, indicating the information is being encrypted. Your browser may also signal that the information is secure with a symbol, such as a broken key that becomes whole or a padlock that closes.

Never enter your personal information in a pop-up screen. When you visit a company's Web site, an unauthorized pop-up screen created by an identity thief could appear with blanks for you to provide your personal information. Legitimate companies don't ask for personal information via pop-up screens. 

Keep your computer secure for safe shopping and other online activities. Protect your computer with spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, pop-up blockers and a firewall, and keep them up to date. Go to http://www.staysafeonline.org and http://www.onguardonline.gov to learn more about how to keep your computer secure. Or use El Gran's wonderful site:  Canteen Resource Center.

Disclaimer: Not suitable for Grinches or Scrooges. Santa reads this news, too!!

Tips for Saving Money and Sanity

Try online coupons. Many online stores provide regular customers with promotional codes. These codes are entered during the online checkout process. They save you money, just like a traditional coupon. Coupon Cabin, Current Codes and Naughty Codes are three websites that list promotional codes for online stores. (Google "promotional code" and the name of the store from which you are purchasing.  Others may show up.)

Promotional codes usually offer free shipping or a reduced price. Often, online stores offer multiple codes, but you'll probably have to use one or the other. 

Use disposable e-mail. You must register an e-mail address with stores when you purchase online.  The store e-mails a confirmation of your purchase and, often, tracking information. Additionally, it may send you promotional codes. But it may also send you unwanted e-mail.
There are a couple ways to handle this. You could create a new e-mail address. A number of sites offer free e-mail, including Hotmail (www.msn.com), Yahoo (mail.yahoo.com), Techemail (www.techemail.com) and Netscape (www.netscape.com).

Or, sign up for a disposable e-mail address. Free services such as spamgourmet and Sneakemail allow you to create a temporary e-mail address. They forward mail to your "real" one. Sign up for a temporary address before making a purchase. When you've received your purchases and are satisfied with them, you can eliminate the temporary address.

COMING NEXT WEEK:  
All I want for Christmas is..........

Gummy News is produced  as a service to our troops.  Volume 1, Number 1. 

grinch

Comparision Shopping 101

Yahoo, Inc., Shopzilla, Shopping.comGoogle Inc.'s Froogle.com, PriceWatch, PriceGrabber, NexTag and ShopLocal are a few of the top contenders for online comparison shopping.  Take the time to see how each one works.  Most will sort by price, look for items within a price range, and look for specific brand items which you specify. 

Many of the above sites have ratings for you to check the product.  Other sites are cnet.com, zdnet.com, consumersearch.com, epinions.com, PCMagazine, BusinessWeekOnline, ConsumerGuide, and many others.  Also, many of the consumer online sites offer customer reviews.  Use those in conjunction with other reviews. For example, Amazon.com and Circuit City's online store are two sites with customer reviews.



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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Free Republic; Technical
KEYWORDS: bath; computer; ecommerce; heroes; ma; online; shopping; troops; troopsupport; trouble; woohoo
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To: MS.BEHAVIN

Thank you so kindly.

Found them.

Ya'll did great.

Good looking too.


521 posted on 11/22/2005 8:48:38 AM PST by TASMANIANRED (Conservatives are from earth. Liberals are from Uranus.)
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To: LUV W
It's ticking me off. Why do people do this. I had a virus, caught from my daily scan yesterday and deleted. Then I did a free scan just to be sure and things are wacky right now. I told you what happened in the past. It gives me the creeps. I guess now, I have to spend time going through everything.

Something is still not quite right
Image hosted by TinyPic.com

522 posted on 11/22/2005 8:48:43 AM PST by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: Lady Jag

Regifting....

LOL...I've done it...


523 posted on 11/22/2005 8:49:46 AM PST by TASMANIANRED (Conservatives are from earth. Liberals are from Uranus.)
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To: GodBlessUSA; beachn4fun

Awww....poor lil' pup looks like a snow poodle!:) Have you ever seen an Arizona snowman? lol


524 posted on 11/22/2005 8:51:16 AM PST by AZamericonnie (~www.ProudPartiots.org~Operation Seasons Greetings~Serving those who serve us!)
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To: GodBlessUSA

It is creepy....and that is the cutest graphic! LOL! Hope you get it taken care of. EGS might be able to help you if you need it....if he's still around here somewhere.


525 posted on 11/22/2005 8:52:06 AM PST by luvie (Our will is strong, our nation is united, and we will settle for nothing less than victory. GWB11-11)
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To: Old Sarge
{{{{{ Old Sarge! }}}}}!!!!
Yippee, Old Sarge is here! ;)
Image hosted by TinyPic.com

526 posted on 11/22/2005 8:52:38 AM PST by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: Jack Deth
Hi, JD! I enjoyed your cat haikus yesterday and didn't get to say so, thanks for the second opportunity.

Are you considering adding cats to your beautiful haikus?


527 posted on 11/22/2005 8:53:09 AM PST by Lady Jag (Honor - Dignity - Courage - Troll Consumption)
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To: AZamericonnie
I love to try new recipes.

You can generally tell by reading them if they are worth the effort.

EG..I am never going to cook any thing with molasses in them. I can taste the vaguely sulfurous taste from across the room.

I won't like it.
528 posted on 11/22/2005 8:53:20 AM PST by TASMANIANRED (Conservatives are from earth. Liberals are from Uranus.)
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To: TASMANIANRED; AZamericonnie

TAS!!! Connie!!!! ((((((hugs)))))

I thought for a little bit that I was all alone. I was talking and talking and no one answered! :o(


529 posted on 11/22/2005 8:53:38 AM PST by luvie (Our will is strong, our nation is united, and we will settle for nothing less than victory. GWB11-11)
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To: LUV W

That's so cute! Thank You! :)


530 posted on 11/22/2005 8:54:38 AM PST by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: AZamericonnie

LOL! :)


531 posted on 11/22/2005 8:55:14 AM PST by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: GodBlessUSA

You're welcome!


532 posted on 11/22/2005 8:55:28 AM PST by luvie (Our will is strong, our nation is united, and we will settle for nothing less than victory. GWB11-11)
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To: LUV W
Hey, I make you feel alone??? LOL!Image hosted by TinyPic.com
533 posted on 11/22/2005 8:59:22 AM PST by GodBlessUSA (US Troops, Past, Present and Future, God Bless You and Thank You! Prayers said for our Heroes!)
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To: Colonel_Flagg

What else, for the Fobbit Hole: "Lord of the Rings"!


534 posted on 11/22/2005 8:59:34 AM PST by Old Sarge (In a Hole in the Ground, there Lived a Fobbit...)
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To: tomkow6; LUV W; All

Hey Tomkow how screw up is O'Hare airport in Chicago reason I asking I watching CNN earlier last night didn't have choice I was over my parents house drop something off

Well report off UK Mirror report that top Dowing street memo is making wave according to Memo Dubya want bomb Al Jabezza network in Quatar after Sept 11 but was talk of out it by Tony Blair

WHY???

Also another report off Drudge site has update on the CNN X out Dick Cheney mug report that CNN claim now it was computer tech error YEAH RIGHTT CNN still saying they investigating YEAH RIGHT


535 posted on 11/22/2005 9:01:12 AM PST by SevenofNine ("Not everybody in, it, for truth, justice, and the American way,"= Det Lennie Briscoe)
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To: TASMANIANRED
Regifting.... LOL...I've done it...

Mine is it always for revenge merely because I never get quality gifts for regifting. Not too good for my Christmas spirit, but apparently okay for the Scrooges - and you know who you are.

536 posted on 11/22/2005 9:01:57 AM PST by Lady Jag (Honor - Dignity - Courage - Troll Consumption)
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To: GodBlessUSA; tomkow6; LUV W; All

Well report from Fox news guess who finally get indict for try build dirty bomb into the US Al Quada suspect Jose Padila I got question how come it took so long HELLO


537 posted on 11/22/2005 9:03:25 AM PST by SevenofNine ("Not everybody in, it, for truth, justice, and the American way,"= Det Lennie Briscoe)
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To: LUV W
{{{{{ DUBS! }}}}}

It just takes a while, but I'll ALWAYS say something!


538 posted on 11/22/2005 9:04:34 AM PST by Old Sarge (In a Hole in the Ground, there Lived a Fobbit...)
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To: beachn4fun
...I seem to be missing so many ...

Don't look at me, I woke up 15 minutes after you posted that.


539 posted on 11/22/2005 9:05:03 AM PST by Lady Jag (Honor - Dignity - Courage - Troll Consumption)
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To: GodBlessUSA

I thought you had gone to deal with 'puter issues! LOL! Now you just put a smiley face on girlie!


540 posted on 11/22/2005 9:05:30 AM PST by luvie (Our will is strong, our nation is united, and we will settle for nothing less than victory. GWB11-11)
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