I have a problem.
I can walk into any Wal-Mart or Target with a list in hand, and come out with at least twice that. Maybe sometimes even more. Send me to Wal-Mart to get toilet paper, and I will come home with a new movie, People magazine, Little Debbie snacks, some apples, 12 things from the clearance aisle (they were only a quarter each!), a new razor for shaving my stubbly legs, and maybe the toilet paper I needed in the first place. As you can see, Wal-Mart stores are a time-sucker for me. How many times have you gone to Wal-Mart or Target and spent way too much time looking through the clearance aisles, throwing items into your cart you don’t need, and probably will later regret buying anyways?
*waving hand wildly* ME! I do that!
My typical Wal-Mart expedition is for every one item on my list, I have to stop and gawk at probably 2 or 3 additional items, one or two—or three—(GOD, I’m addicted) – of which will probably end up coming home with me on that 12 mile journey.
Surely there is a 12-step program for this, right?
One of the other problems we have is that we don’t live “in town” anymore. We have to get on the interstate and TRAVEL to Wal-Mart – which is about 12-13 miles. And Target is even farther. It’s not a jaunt down the road anymore, so we always feel the need to stock up when we go. A trip to Wal-Mart on any given weeknight or weekend requires at least 90 minutes to drive there, shop, and drive home.
And I am being conservative on the 90 minutes. With us, it’s usually more like 2 hours.
About a month ago, someone recommended Alice.com to me. If you have read anything about my obsession of having an Alice in my house, you can understand why just hearing her name perks my ears up a bit. I decided the other day to see what this Alice chick was all about, and like Janet Jackson croons, ask ol’ Alice “What have you done for me lately?”
ooo, ooo, ooooooooh, yeah…
So Alice. You’re FREE to sign-up and open an account with. You offer FREE shipping. As a first-time customer, I don’t even have to order the 6-item minimum (but I SO did anyway), and your prices are OK. What’s your catch?
I looked around on her website, and I decided to give Alice.com a try. First I tried looking for the shampoo I use (Garnier 2-in-1 Shampoo/Conditioner) and found they didn’t carry it. BUT, they do have a pop-up box you can click to suggest an item to them.
Which, of course I did.
Because I like telling people what to do.
Looking through their site, I noticed there are several ways you can do your shopping. You can shop by room (bathroom, kitchen, pantry, laundry room, etc), shop for only Green/Organiz products, By Brand, By Coupons, or you can just simply type in what items you are looking for in the Search box. I chose the minimum 6 items, all of which are items I regularly use. I picked a variation of liquid items, heavy items, and bulky items to test out their packaging and shipping process. Here are the items I chose:
Garnier Volume Injecting Mousse: $3.40
Skintimate Shaving Gel: $2.51
Angel Soft Double Rolls, 12 rolls: $7.47 – $0.50 coupon = $6.97
Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent, 2x Concentrated 50oz. (32 loads): $4.92
Bounce Dryer Sheets, 160 count: $7.45
Jet Dry Dishwasher Additive, 4.22 oz. : $3.05
When checking out, it gives you suggestions of other items which have coupons available. (For example, it suggested Dove deodorant with a $1.oo off coupon) in case I stink. Also, Duracell batteries with a $0.75 coupon, in case I need batteries for um, something. Adding in a “Tailored Just for You” idea of Cover Girl mascara ($1 off!) made me question just what the hell type of person I am?
Deodorant, batteries, and mascara?
Apparently, someone is thinking I am a stinky downtown street corner hooker that uses the heck out of her sex toys?
Ahem. Anyways…
I got to the billing/shipping page, plugged in my address and moved on the final page. The payment.
Alice.com currently only accepts credit cards (or debit cards, as long as they have Visa or MasterCard logo on them.) I input my debit card information and my order was sent. Depending on where you are located in the country, it indicates order can take anywhere from 1-6 business days to arrive. Because Alice.com is located in the Midwest, I was given a 2-3 day timeframe for my shipment to arrive.
To be continued… in 2-3 business days!
Disclosure: Alice.com was recommended to me by some fellow bloggers at the recent I_Blog Conference. I am not being paid or rewarded in any way for my opinions. I just wanted to share my online shopping experience.
