Shopping: Internet solutions for inconvenient locations....

Online ordering, driveway deliveries, and select merchants

Great Value & Convenience...

As slow as my internet connection can sometimes be, at least I have it.

Remembering back to the days of living in the country as a teenager and waiting weeks for something ordered by mail to arrive...I really don't think I have that much patience left.

Without leaving my chair, or driving who knows how many miles with gas costing how many dollars, I can pretty much order anything I want - online. Need garden tools or plants? How about a fountain - indoor or outdoor?

All of that is available - as long as you know what you are looking for - it's here, or there, or somewhere online.

Unfortunately there is also a lot of, well, crap available online.

But you will not find any of that here. We're going for a quiet, peaceful, civilized shopping experience...we'll save a lot of time and in many cases save some money as well.

Below and linked to the left are some tried and true online merchants with great quality products, fast shipping and excellent customer service. For those living in a rural location, these companies fulfill the need for variety that is often lacking via local options.

Internet shopping is a great convenience, particularly for those of us who live in a rural area but it can also be annoying and frustrating. Too many merchants still do not service rural areas, shipping can be ridiculously high, and sometimes you still can't find what you want.

Food is a great example...

The more specific or exotic your intended purchase, the more LIKELY you will be to find it online. For more routine purchases...Shop Local.

Whether you live there or just visit, every rural area usually has an abundance of local produce and other organic and/or homemade items that are not to be missed. This is one of the greatest advantages of living in a rural area - especially if you take the time to find out where the best places are for specific things.

To find a local Farmer's Market in your state, the USDA offers this handy search.

Here is a handy link to a great article from Food & Wine magazine for working with that great fresh produce.

There may be a strawberry field where for a nominal fee, you can pick strawberries until you drop. In my case, neighbors often have eggs at near giveaway prices and the weekly farmer's market in the next town has everything from organic soaps to handmade picture frames - with a lot of fresh food in between.

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What is sometimes lacking locally is variety and the ability to make a special choice of meat or seafood (as example),when you want it. Grocery stores are manipulated by what corporate marketing tells them the local demographics want or will buy...and that is what they carry. Not to worry...the internet is more than ready to assist.

Organic meats, seafood, delectable desserts, gourmet and fancy foods, gourmet herbs and spices, and the tools you need to create fantastic meals at home, are all available online.

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Shipping is always an issue when considering online purchases but even that is not always a true concern. Online merchants will sometimes offer free shipping on purchases over a certain amount spent for product and, for the moment, not paying state sales tax can provide enough savings to cover or nearly cover the cost of shipping.

Plow & Hearth - The Country Consumer's Best Friend...

One of my favorite examples of all of the benefits of online shopping - for quality of products and speed of shipping, is Plow & Hearth.

If you aren't familiar with Plow & Hearth, they offer a wide variety of products for, as they say, "Hearth, Home, Yard and Garden." Since I have all four of those, I spend a fair amount of time and money with Plow & Hearth and none of it has been wasted.

I have been a satisfied online customer of Plow & Hearth for about 8 years and give them a true "5 Star" rating as an online merchant. Quite a few of their products are linked here - in fact a whole page worth of reviews is available if you are contemplating a wood stove purchase.

Here's a handy little search box to get you started but I'll warn you, shopping Plow & Hearth can be addicting!

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While you are in the country, outdoor frame of mind, you might also be interested in creating outdoor living spaces, selecting outdoor furniture, researching plants, bulbs and trees, or reviewing some awesome indoor and outdoor fountains buying a garden tool or three researching new cordless tools or, buying some new lighting for your garden or outdoor living space or, viewing some beautiful garden statues

Enjoy!

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