Practical things you didn't know you could buy online.

Once upon a time (yes, I am deliberately starting this as if it is a fairy tale because it was so long ago now…) I would spend days upon days wandering through stores looking for things that took my fancy. Sometimes I would spend those days madly rushing around looking for the one thing I desperately could not find.

Nowadays, I shop every single day. When I sit down to have my coffee in the morning – I shop. When I break for morning tea – I shop. Waiting for the kids at school pick up – I shop. Instead of rushing around lost and exhausted in the maze of shopping centres though, I shop online and I could not be happier.

Every day I thank the internet Gods for online shopping where I can score everything from groceries and gifts to handmade, beautiful things I would usually have to spend hours scouring the markets for. With online shopping, the world is my shopping centre and there are no limits to what I can lust after.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Cash Passport Prepaid MasterCard®. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words. 

Here are four of the most practical things you didn’t know you could buy online:

1. Handmade heaven – Etsy.

Planning a celebration or just want something beautiful for your home? Be warned – you are now entering a market on an international stage. Want that gorgeous silk, hand painted scarf from a tiny little store tucked away in the markets of Turkey? Or a vintage inspired dress from the latest hip boutique in SoHo? Yep. All on Etsy. You’ve been warned.

2. Baby EVERTHING – Diapers.com.

New mums do not have time to shop, but with online shopping, everything can be squeezed in, even during the 3am feed. Becoming a new mum seven years ago was like falling down the rabbit hole of the online shopping world, and with so many overseas choices this Alice is still having a ball.

3. House stuff – Designers Guild.

Have you ever gone out shopping for Manchester and given up trying to carry everything out to your car, exhausted and flustered from the weight of it all? I know I sure have. But my sister is building a new house and in one click she had ordered all her doonas, bed linen, cushions, pillows and throws and it was all delivered straight to her new place. Even more important was that every little thing she bought from this online store was absolutely beautiful.

4. Online sales – Anthropologie, Macys, Nordstrom and SAKS Fifth Avenue.

This has to be the most awesome part of online shopping for me. Nothing beats waiting for the holiday weekends in the US when stores go on sale and then diving online to snap up not only incredible bargains. Even better – many of these stores have not even opened their doors in Australia yet. Cyber Monday, Black Friday, Boxing Day – I have a wish list saved for each of my favourite stores, so get out of my way when those online sales launch.

If you are sitting here wondering how this can be practical with exchange rates and hidden fees for international transactions let me tell you a little secret – the Cash Passport Prepaid MasterCard makes it worth it. I have the ability to pay online in the website’s local currency and can load up to ten different currencies, with a fixed foreign exchange rate. There are no additional overseas transaction fees and competitive foreign exchange rates that you can lock in when you like. Buy it online and have it delivered to your house or at a local Australia Post.

With Cash Passport, you can feel smart and in control of your hard-earned money without being surprised by unexpected rates, fees and charges of shopping on overseas websites. Now with your money managed and set, get those fingers ready for some savvy online shopping.

What are your favourite online shopping destinations? 

We can’t get enough of online shopping in our office. Here are some of the cool things we’ve found online lately.

Cash Passport is a great way to save when shopping on overseas sites. It’s a prepaid MasterCard® that lets you load money at locked in exchange rates*. This means you can pay in local currency on overseas sites, so there’s no need to convert your money to Australian dollars – helping you avoid extra currency and transaction fees*.

Plus if you load $200 (AUD equivalent in foreign currency) onto your card before 31 December we’ll add a bonus $10 to your account. Simply use the code MM10 when you apply.*

Visit cashpassport.com.au to find out more and purchase your card.

* T&Cs apply, visit www.cashpassport.com.au for full details. Bonus $10 will be applied to your account within 30 days after loading $200 AUD equivalent on a new Cash Passport Prepaid MasterCard. Offer available to the first 500 customers using code MM10 until the 31st December 2015.