4 Reasons to Do Your Holiday Shopping on Amazon This Year

Here's why shopping on Amazon could be a smart move.

It's almost that time of the year -- the time to start making your holiday shopping lists and gear up to hit the stores. Or should you do your shopping online instead? Whether you're a Prime member or simply use the site on occasion, Amazon could be a great source for all of your holiday purchases. Here are a few reasons to do your shopping there.

1. You won't have to deal with crowds

Stores tend to be crowded during the holidays. If the idea of having to wait in long lines doesn't appeal to you, then it pays to shop online. And if so, you might as well turn to a retailer with a broad selection and competitive prices, like Amazon.

2. You may have an easier time tracking prices

When you shop at stores in person, tracking prices can be time-consuming. That's because you'll need to make repeat visits to see how prices are trending. With Amazon, it's easy to track prices. You simply add items to your cart, save them for later, and then wait and see how the cost of buying them changes from day to day or week to week.

3. You can save money on gas

Although gas prices aren't as high as they were back in the spring and early summer, they're still high nonetheless. If you do your shopping on Amazon, you won't have to bear the expense of gas at a time when you're spending extra on a host of items.

It especially pays to consider doing your shopping on Amazon if you live in a more rural area where retail shops are very spread out. If it takes you 30 minutes each way to drive to your closest department store, that could easily end up being a costly round-trip based on today's gas prices. And even if you're not a Prime member and therefore don't qualify for free two-day shipping, you can still snag free shipping on your Amazon orders simply by meeting a small minimum of $25 (which, let's face it, is probably a lot less than your total holiday haul).

4. You can capitalize on promotions that come down the pike

Amazon recently ran a Prime Early Access sale during the first half of October. But that doesn't mean the online retail giant won't offer up a steady stream of deals between now and the holidays. In fact, Amazon routinely releases lightning deals where you can snag items at a fraction of their original price. If you're vigilant about tracking those deals, you might end up with a much lower credit card tab in the course of doing your holiday shopping.

It pays to turn to Amazon this holiday season

Amazon isn't the only online retailer offering discounts for your holiday needs. But given its generally lower price point and fast shipping, it's a good option to consider -- especially if you like the idea of avoiding crowded stores and spending less money at a time when life seems to have gotten almost unbearably expensive.