Do you pay bills, buy stamps, shop from catalogs, play games, internet date, etc.?

Mind telling us what you do online?

I rarely shop online except for Amazon. Now my kids...that's another story. They love to shop online.

I don't pay bills, but want to begin. Any tips before I begin?

I never play games online, but my daughter does.

What else?

Great topic... I feel like we all learn from others and it's neat to share our idea.

I buy my yarn online for crochetting. I love having boxes at my door when I arrive home from work. Feels like Christmas.

I don't do alot of bill paying but am heading toward it. I do order my grocery shopping and I love it. Without a car, it is wonderful to have it delivered - and the quality and freshness is very good. I think I save time that way. I sit and place my order rather than walk the aisles and there tends to be less impulse buying.

I also use it to have dvd's mailed to my home which is a huge convenience - I get movies I really want to see and just drop them in the mailbox when I'm done.

I do alot of research - vacations etc online.

But my favorite part of being online is emails... I love getting emails from church friends, former co-workers and have made renewed friendships with old highschool classmates via email.

Donna

What do I do online? I pay bills; keep up-to-date with my finances and my mom's (bank accounts, investments, etc.); I buy, mostly from Amazon but from others too; I research lots of things; read news and blogs; I teach classes; I take classes; I get movies (Netflix - great idea!!); pay my car insurance; participate in forums; email; compare pricing for just about everything I buy; buy and sell stocks for my account; participate in surveys; do my taxes (and sometimes for others.) Wow, no wonder I have no free time! LOL

I have not written a check in about 8 years now. ALL online Bill Pay for me. I've been through four banks' systems regarding Bill Pay and online banking...so I consider myself an expert.

I do most of my marketing for our soap business online. LOVE doing that! And the communication to our customers.

Comparison shop as well, for the business.

Learn new techniques.

I use Yahoo Instant Messenger with my sister in the UK, whom I miss greatly. Also, email my two other siblings, but they do to "IM" very much.

Shop sometimes. Depends on what I am looking for.

Run both websites, although DH is the webmaster so he does the HTML stuff.

I still hesitate to pay bills online. I do have one small checking account that I use for those automaitic monthly decuctions, like MSN service etc. I still write checks....

The nice thing about Bill Pay and online banking, Chatty is that you can monitor it minute by minute if you want.

if you do not monitor, there is more of a chance for theft...and it could be way too late.

They are VERY secure!

I don't pay bills online, but we keep track of accounts online.
We seem to do alot of research. Especially before traveling
anywhere. I shop online somewhat. I also belong to a few
online communities, some for as long as 8 years now and
we have our daily live chats.
We are also regular eBay'ers : ) I could easily spend 5
hours a day online researching etc if I don't watch out, LOL!
Cindy

I have heard a few horror stories about banking online so I am really skeptical, but my girls have been doing it for years. I guess I should get "with it" real soon. It would make life a bit easier! I do shop online for lots of things from vacations, airline tickets, our Green Mountain Coffee K-cups (ummmm!!!), Lands End, LL Bean, Gap (Baby Gap of course!) and Bed Bath and Beyond. I research things like medical issues, check on my Medical Insurance coverage and payments to doctors, order my 90 supply meds online, check out real estate in my area and other areas, order entertainment tickets online like concerts, Broadway shows, sports events. I look up phone numbers and addresses (never use a phone book anymore). I really can't remember what I did without my online service before I had it. E-mail is like another phone in my home! I can communicate with lots more people in a day than I ever did without it. And of course, I can belong to this great boomer site by having online service!

I post a lot on Boomer Women Speak.

This is fun to read.

49er, food shopping online is relatively new in MD. I've thought about it, but since I work from home (this may sound crazy) but it's nice to run to the food store on occasion and run into people I know.

Yonuh, Tell us about the classes you take and teach online. I know our generation is doing more and more of this all the time. What sites do you take classes from?

Diamond, I am afraid to get involved with Ebay. I have a SIL who's addicted. She gets things dirt cheap, but spends so much time doing it. I don' think I have the patience. What do you buy through Ebay?

PamR, I'm with you on the getting with it and paying bills online. I know I would love it, bit since I work online all day, I don't want to be on the computer again at night.

Di, staying in touch with family online is so cool. DO you get to see your sister often?

JJ, I'm glad you post at BWS a lot. I love hearing your voice. Actually, it's better by phone because I can hear that funny accent!

chatty, I'm a check writer too and my 21 year-old son doens't understand why I need a check book. Everything for him is online or his debit card.

I do just about everything online, except grocery shopping. One thing I use the Internet for extensively is research - I research everything from bed sheets, electronics and toys to health issues, TV shows, computer problems and travel destinations.

I play some trivia games online, use an online translator to write letters to Cuba, listen to a wonderful assortment of music through my customized online radio program, buy books, music (especially hard-to-find stuff) and novelty gifts that I can't find anywhere else. And I also use the Internet to check store hours.

But mostly I use the Internet to connect with other people through forums, blogging and email.

Dotsie,
I teach for Axia College, which is affiliated with University of Phoenix. The classes I take are from the University of Arizona's Master's program in Library and Information Sciences. I have also taken online free classes through HP (go to: http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/welcome.html and click on small and medium business - there's a link to the learning center,) which has a lot of business classes as well as personal improvement - all free. There are also free classes and reading groups available through Barnes & Noble (http://university.barnesandnoble.com/)and Annenberg media project (http://www.learner.org/) which is really for teachers but has some great stuff - you can even learn a language!

What accent? Research, research and more research.

JJ

I manage my website and Bertha's Blogging and do my monthly Bertha-Zine. I track how Bertha's doing on Amazon and all my statistics on all the others, too.

I research for articles and workshops and to learn more about being in business for myself.

I use the on-line banking to balance my check book from time to time but not to pay bills.

Shopping...usually Amazon or some website with a business product that I want.

E-mail, e-mail, e-mail.

I take some classes on-line through Coachville.

That's about it.

Research, research and research everything from pet food to MSDS (material safety data sheets, i.e., household product ingredients) as I read all labels b/4 purchasing! Oh, shopping, shopping, and some shopping! Shopping saves gas if you plan and order on-line accordingly (i.e., free shipping events)! I found my adopted dog on-line 2.5 years ago!

Dotsie, as for eBay, it's mostly my hubby doing it but
we buy and sell audio/video and computer stuff. So far
we have done over 500 transactions over the past 6 years.
For awhile there I was also buying and selling the original
Strawberry Shortcake vintage items from 1979 : )
We've bought brand new clothing items, designer purses,
other things...alot of fun to do if you know what you are looking
for without taking all day.
Cindy

I keep in touch with family and friends, make new friends, (here)I do quite a bit of research for my writing online as well as a little shopping (mostly amazon) I keep up with my site and discussion board. I've gotten away from ebay lately, but still think it's a great place to find things. I used to play some games (slingo) but have stopped most of that too. My favorite things to do online are email and forums.

We do all our banking and bill paying online, have done so for years now. I regularly purchase merchandise online, but usually only from companies with whom I have done in-store business, or well established online companies, with good reputations, recommended by someone I know. I manage and maintain my web site, and enjoy corresponding with ladies who visit the site and contact me. This has been a very enjoyable experience for me for the past three years. Getting to know women from literally around the world, has been quite rewarding.

I spend a great deal of time on research, though it is becoming more difficult, with each passing year, to wade through the endless 'BUY! BUY! BUY!' sites, to discover the information for which I'm seeking. I still find it amusing to run a search on a particular subject, and find that no matter what it is, I can buy it on e-bay!

Something I find interesting, is that I'm the only one in my family who really jumped into the whole computer/internet thing, with both feet. I'll never forget that first pc moment. There I was, internet connection active, my hands poised above the keyboard, and the feeling I had of having the world sitting before me to explore! It wasn't long before I was learning a bit of HTML, accessing and utilizing various messenger services, eliminating personal long distance phone calls completely, and generally making myself comfy, in Cyber Land.

www.intouchwithjeannine.com

I do almost everything online these days, but I still have not done my grocery shopping on line. I have tried ebay, but I am not crazy about that site. Too much stuff to filter through.
I buy clothes both online and in the stores. I get my dvds online, too and send them back through the mail.
I do all of my travel research online, and most of my flights and hotel bookings.
We pay most of our bills online, but there are a few that I still write out checks for - too lazy to switch.
I email friends and family often and stay in touch with my coaching clients on line.
Oh no! I spend way too much time with a laptop sending electronic signals to my thighs.

Hi, all - I pay bills online, keep up with the latest entertainment news and do some surfing. I use the internet a lot at work for my customers. So, I use the internet daily for business and personal use.

Karen McKay

I am hesitant to do on-line banking over the internet. But I do maintain my writer's website, manage my Mary Kay business through my MK website, e-mail friends, instant message with my sister. I would love to find some little niche to sell on EBay--looking for ideas for that, and research, research, research for writing projects.

I do everything online that I can - bills, shopping, writing, eBay. It's so much more convenient. Plus I meet LOTS and LOTS of wonderful friends online!

Everything but sex!!!


Sorry i couldn't resist!! Its true though - banking, shopping, advertising, foruming (if that is a word), email, run websites, read newspapers, horoscopes and probably a lot of other things I can't think of right now.

I have no idea what I did all day before the internet was created!

Gosh, what don't I do online?

I use e-mail. Even using it to stay in touch with my many Internet e-groups I've joined. For example, I joined a Romance Writers Association chapter in my city and we stay connected via the Internet.

I use the Internet for research for my writing and everything else I need to look up. From some medical term my doctor used to who was in the show I watched last night that looked so familiar.

I do my banking online.
I order my prescription refills online (from Walgreens)
I order books from Amazon and Barnes & Noble via the Internet.
I maintain a blog online.
I maintain a writers' forum online.
I belong to several other forums, that I check in with daily, such as the BWS forum, a bird forum, an eskie forum, my publisher's forum, etc.
I play a very cool game called World of Warcraft online.
My doctor belongs to RelayHealth (on the Internet), and I can e-mail him any time I need to, get test results, and schedule appointments.
I can schedule telephone conferences with the Internet.
I maintain my calendar on the Internet, so that my husband and I are always up to date with each other's schedule.
I use Stamps.com and do all my mailing of packages online without having to go to the post office.
I maintain my own website online.
I probably do a lot more that I can't remember right now. But, I rely on the Internet and my computer a LOT!

Vicki,
I tried to mail a package online (that is, to pay and print off the bar code), but it didn't work, I couldn't get it to print off at my end. It took me many, many phone calls and time on hold to speak to a real person. The customer service rep supposedly processed a refund but I never received it. So that's about the only thing I won't do online now. It WAS a problem with a program file on my end, but of course I had no way of knowing that the program wasn't going to work properly until I had already paid and tried to print out the bar code! Anyway, it cost me close to $10 for nothing.

Most of our banking is online. El Hubbo has put himself in charge of finances, so that's mostly his domain.

I go to an infinite number of websites and READ. Poetry, essays, short stories. And sometimes stuff that -- I have no idea why I'm there, but I am -- techie sites, articles I never knew I needed to read, but...

Research. Research. Research. Everything and anything.

Tried ebay (both for selling and buying) but didn't particularly like it. Too many machinations, like auctions which are annoying. Did buy a dvd player and some Calphalon from Amazon.

I like to try on clothing in person, so would probably not go that route online. And I work at farmers' markets, where I get the best food possible.

I have never been much of a phone caller, so I looooove email!

Did I mention the 10 games of Scrabble I'm playing online?

I have 3 websites, 2 jewelry and one bead supply, and have had customers from Ireland, England, Australia and Thailand, as well as many closer locales. I think it's really cool that my creations have travelled around the world, courtesy of the internet! I just sent an order out to a woman in Hawaii whose sister in Pennsylvania recommended me.

I love everything about my computer and being online, except for my expanding Internet butt.

My husband pays many of our bills online -- he takes care of most of that. I keep up with a lot of my friends that are scattered all over the world thru email, do research when we're planning a trip, check out a couple of favorite forums (BWS, Sparkpeople, some other groups -- one is a private forum made up of friends I made when I was active at Hystersisters which is another online forum for women facing or who have had hysterectomies)look up information on any topic that I'm interested in at the moment, look up medical info, etc. I also have found many free crosstitching patterns online and I'm a sucker for free samples that I can sign up for online, although I've learned to be really careful about what I sign up for! Occaisonally I'll shop online.....or use the internet to find a local location that sells a specific product I'm looking for, and if I can't find it locally, will purchase it from the internet. Sometimes when my husband has a fishing tournament coming up that is not nearby and we can't find buy a lake map locally we'll order that online.
I also get together with a group of friends now and then for an online chat -- it's great!!

I shop for little things when I can, reading christian site, linking, networking with my site, play games too relax,uploading poems to other site and my own.

I research.places gardening queries.Books
Contribute to a poetry site
Contribute to a gardening TV programe via newsletters

Keep in touch with my son and friends.

If I miss church see the intimations

Dont pay for things but do the primary research then telephone orders.Love getting parcels.

Read some newspapers other than my daily paper.

Check weather forcast.

Answer and send dozens of emails a day...

Moderate on Authors Society several times a day...

Post here at least an hour a day, usually more...

Check my three websites for messages etc...

Writing number two of three novels... That takes most of my time...

Writing for several online sites...

Checking out authors all my friends sites...

And then I collapse, literally, into my rocker and crochet, not on line, in person!!!

Check newspaper sites --about 3 of them.
Participate in 2 internet forums, including this one.
Check job ads that are worthwhile to click open. Sometimes must apply for jobs directly online via website so I can be in a recruiter's database.
Read articles at certain websites/1-2 blogs, to keep abreast of my profession.
Plan for trips
I don't shop online, but do book hotels/b'n b.

Anything I can! I keep an eye on all my accounts so it doesn't bother me to do business on line.
I don't like to shop at malls so I shop online. Amazon is one of my favorite places to shop....all those books! Other things I do online is banking, job search, book motels, listen to talk shows, and do tons of research to name a few things. I'd buy all my groceries online if I could.

Hmmm...a lot of things. I, too, love to do whatever I can online and am one of those who would buy my groceries there if I could, as Cookie said. I read the local newspaper, check the weather, take online courses, visit business sites, visit places around the world with Google Earth, do my banking, love to shop Amazon, too!...shop for birthdays and Christmas, maintain my website and my local diner's website, email, of course and most importantly visit here at BWS!

Hi Dotsie --

Per your posted excerpt that you're on the computer all day and don't want to spend so much time on it at night.... guess what?
It is soooooo much faster to pay bills online, you will gain free time using online.

Even tho I'm a computer user, I hesitated for all the same reasons as the other gals - is it secure? can I keep track? None of those issues were problems, the security is tight, the reports really do allow instant tracking such as "Did I pay that bill yesterday?"

But the bigger bonus I found is this
No stamps
No envelopes
No fees
Fewer checks to write
Don't have to find the checkbook
Don't have to find a pen
Easier to balance bank statment
Can pay a bill from anywhere
Can plop them in there, to be paid say on the 15th when you're out of town.

Just takes two seconds to pay a bill - again no stamps, no envelopes, no pen, no checkbook at hand...

Convinced?

I rest my case...

Helen

Just a suggestion..before you do anything online..read John Deaver´s, "The Blue Nowhere" which is a term for the place hackers work from..the blue nowhere. There is nothing that is SAFE online..there is always someone who can get to you if they want. John Deaver does research for his books..this is a thriller, written in the 90´s..and it certainly has changed my outlook on doing any banking over the net.

I see daily what the younger generation can do with the net..how much they can by pass and change..there is nothing SAFE on the net..ever.

Just a thought along the way...

VICKY..do you play WoW on the net?????? What level are you on??? Do you hold your own??? I am very very interested! Do you hold down a job, too. How do you find time to keep up? I have kept away from this game as I have 2 avid players here at home and I see how much time it seems to take. How do you manage??? I am serious!

Grateful for an answer when you can!

I just won a Scrabble tournament

meredith, do you ever play literati?

Gims, I have way-back-when, but I like the larger (full-size) scrabble board better. But I'm always up for a game

I pay bills, manage my money (online banking), buy most of my books and products from Amazon or some other online store, order and watch movies (Netflix), blog, teach and take classes, share pics, Twitter....and I used to date online, until I found and married my hubby..:)

My first preference is always to do whatever I can do online first.

Bringing an old thread back to life.....but noticed a reference to WOW (World of Warcraft)...any players here?

What do I do online? Procrastinate!!!!!!

And let dust bunnies hop over my feet.

i play wow when at my sister as they have 3 floors to their house with several computers on each floor (brother in law builds them) my new systrem that needs xp or vista insalled will be for wow then i will have my owen account to play and interact with my sister.

she a 60 with several types of creters but not the hordes iv always been under 20 then i am delated lol. it will be soon i keep my opwen account then i meet and do tasks with you

i did bankonline but i was never quite certine it was ok and i do stupid things like close dowen without sighnin out.
I do shop on line
i am current;lie researching a trip to DISNEYLAND both paris and florida,

i have accesed athens and used the research to finish my masters disatasion when in another countrie. I have bought and sold on ebay, jewlarie and making up and selling hypnotheripy cd's.

i very bad with my e mail and prefaire msn instant or text.

i do this forum, i tend to stay away from facebook ths days and wont do bebo ever, its just seems to be for stalkers! (no offense to anyone)

i reallie whish i know more about blogs to catch up with people and mauybee if i like it to try doing one myself, is it an internet crime never to read blogs?

i go all mistie at u tube and music sightes, i love being able to instantlie access any soong nearlie or video.

i spend hours consumming information.

i have even meet and had online reomancses which weer fun!

qurkie alone and eagle i have that cleaning and procrastinasion thing too BUT when iv had enough information i take care of it lol.

Celtic...another WOW player...kool! Sadly, I access the internet with a satellite connection and while it's the fastest available....it results in a 2-3 second delay which means for MMPOGs like WOW...if you depend on me to heal you..you'll prolly die!! LOL Even my kids have quit playing with me and so I'm mainly a solo player...

I check other peoples blogs, like JJ's and Diannes Narrow Dog blog. But mostly am on BWS chatting. When writing I am on the web referencing one thing or another.

I play www.freerice.com to relax. The United Nations donates grains of rice for every word you get right while you build your vocabulary and help feed people.

I check in at BWS, do email, listen to teleseminars, go to MySpace, Facebook, and other fun places related to my blog and book including research.

Keeps me very busy.

yes those few seconds mean a lot at times lol but we do best we can my computers old and slow too hence why i play when at my sisters but i do love it . Have you tried the new extension to WOW? came out about 1 mounth ago heer