shopping online

If you shop a lot online (yes, that's me), you know there's a trade-off for the convenience of shopping from the comfort of your computer: the wait for the goods. If you want something closer to instant gratification but haven't signed up for Amazon Prime, now there's another option for paying for speedier delivery: the members-only site ShopRunner.

Much like Amazon's fast-shipping service, paying an annual membership fee ($79 after a free 30-day trial) promises you two-day shipping at several popular online stores. You shop as you normally would on each site, but once you log in with your ShopRunner username, you get the shipping upgrade and can track all your orders from the ShopRunner site. You can also do a search using the site's Marketplace page for a product.

Sounds good so far? Find out which sites are included in the membership after the break.

Bing's shopping function has always allowed users to compare prices and check item reviews, and starting today, a new search feature will make your holiday shopping a little bit easier. Shopping List For Bing works in conjunction with the search engine's product search, and through Facebook Connect it allows users to share their shopping lists with friends and family.

Find out how to create and share your own list after the break.

Not into the shopping madness of Black Friday? I don't blame you, but you shouldn't worry about missing out on any deals on electronics just because you want to skip the 4 a.m. wake-up call. Cyber Monday is quickly becoming the shopping holiday of choice for Internet-savvy geeks, and for good reason — you can score serious deals without ever leaving the comfort of your couch!

Making purchases online can be risky though, especially during the holidays, so you should be extra careful to make sure the site you're buying from is legit before you click that "Buy" button. But there's more — find out one easy way to help protect your finances this holiday after the break.

It's wedding season here on the Sugar Network, and if I know my geeks, you like the simplicity and ease of buying things online instead of battling the stores. Why shouldn't this practice extend to buying a wedding dress? Although slipping into a few wedding dresses to see how different styles fit before your big day may be a traditional (if not required) act, you don't have to settle for something you don't love just because you can't find it in the store. We caught up with Emily Newman of the fabulous Once Wed (one of my favorite blogs, not only for wedding and party inspiration, but for their massive online used wedding dress store), and she gave us some tips and advice about buying a bridal gown online. Spoiler: it's easier than you might think!

• What should a bride know before starting her online search (i.e. measurements, the type of shoe she will be wearing, etc)? The first thing a bride should know is what type of style she is going for on her wedding day. The dress can really set the tone and mood for the entire wedding day and should coordinate appropriately. For example, if she is having an outdoor garden wedding, then a tea length dress would be sweet. However, if the wedding is inside a formal hotel ballroom then she might be better suited in a full-length gown. Of course, nothing is set in stone and some rules are meant to be broken.
• What are some potential pitfalls when going online to purchase a wedding dress? Unfortunately, there are a lot of scammers out there, so it is important to be cautious when it comes time to buying the actual wedding dress online. I always suggest using secure payment options like Escrow when buying online. Never pay for a dress online with a check, wired money, money order, or cashiers check.

To see what Emily has to say about return policies, online sources to start your search, and more, just keep reading.