| These days, with the ease of getting online | | | | limiting the amount of money you can spend, |
| provided by satellite Internet broadband, there | | | | you're less likely to go too far into the red. |
| seems to be no limit in the amount of shopping | | | | Begin shopping with a list. |
| you can do while mindlessly surfing the web. No | | | | Say you're looking for a new pair of work shoes. |
| longer do you have to drive or walk to the local | | | | While scrolling through all those pictures of lifeless |
| mall or shopping district and physically move | | | | brown leather loafers, it can be tempting to veer |
| yourself from store to store, accumulating your | | | | off into The Land of Strappy Sandals and Kitten |
| purchases in increasingly heavy bags that remind | | | | Pumps. But before you click "Add to Cart," you |
| you of how much you've bought. Nope, today all | | | | can glance back at your list and refresh your |
| you have to do is cozy up to your computer | | | | memory as to why you're on Zappo's in the first |
| while wearing your pajamas, and click away with | | | | place. |
| a credit card in hand. | | | | Remind yourself that online stock doesn't vanish |
| This ease of shopping has gotten some | | | | as quickly. |
| consumers into trouble. For them, satellite Internet | | | | One of the beautiful things about satellite Internet |
| has enabled a destructive pattern of debt | | | | is that shopping is no longer constrained by |
| accumulation. One moment, they're simply | | | | physical space. If the store in your hometown |
| browsing through some summer dresses, the | | | | doesn't have whatever you're looking for, you can |
| next they're $400 in the hole to the Gap. And it's | | | | go online and order directly from the company |
| so temptingly convenient too – the purchases | | | | warehouse in Connecticut, and maybe even get a |
| are delivered right to your door! | | | | deal! Remind yourself that this isn't like a sale in a |
| Well clearly satellite Internet is not going to go | | | | brick-and-mortar store – no one's going to |
| away, so the trick is to find a way to stick to a | | | | take the last "medium" 5 minutes after you walk |
| budget while shopping online. Here are some easy | | | | out the door, leaving you to die wondering what it |
| tips to follow that can help you curb your | | | | would have been like to own that mustard yellow |
| over-spending today. | | | | cardigan. It will be there tomorrow, and so you |
| Have a separate credit card for online purchases. | | | | can take a day or two to think it over and decide |
| Instead of using your regular card with a $20,000 | | | | if you really want (or, even better, need) it. |
| limit, have a card set aside for Internet shopping | | | | Compare prices. |
| that has a much lower limit – maybe $1,000 | | | | Another benefit to shopping online is the ease of |
| to $2,000 or so. This may make you feel like | | | | checking prices between different retailers. |
| you're back in college again, but what do you | | | | Theoretically you could drive to three different |
| really need to buy online that costs more than | | | | home supply stores to see who has the best deal |
| two grand? If there is such a purchase – say | | | | on lawnmowers, but who has that kind of time? |
| you're ordering a new washer and dryer for the | | | | Shopping on the Internet, there's no excuse. So |
| house – you can always make a specific | | | | do your homework and make sure you're paying |
| exception and use your card with a higher limit. | | | | as little as possible. Your bottom line will thank you |
| But these rare circumstances aside, by artificially | | | | for the extra 10 minutes of clicking. |