A good use for Amazon.com

I prefer to use the small business owner when possible. They provide service and expertise that more than offsets any cost difference.

After that, between big box and online, I'm pretty ambivalent.

But here's a good use for Amazon online we haven't used before.

Child away in college. Rehearsing for a school play til 11pm most nights, attending classes and fitting in sorority when she can, running out of personal items and cleaning supplies.

Calls Mom, tells her, Mom says give her a list, she will pick up what she needs at the store, box it up, and mail it to her.

She figures out - after she went to the 2nd store to get something - what a huge waste it is to do that, particularly when Amazon will ship it free, 2 day shipping.

That's an ideal use, to me. Saves shopping at multiple stores, the labor to box it all up yourself, and the cost to ship it yourself.

I have a feeling this will be done a few more times before she graduates.