Should I buy online and save a trip to a store? If I do so, I don't have to make a trip to a store, but then I might have to stay at home for when the purchase is delivered. If I buy online I sort of buy "sight unseen", having only word description and maybe a picture. On the other hand, online may be the only way to buy a particular product, especially if it is only available out-of-town. For example, we could not find a tree-planting bar in any local store, but found one online from a hardware store in Georgia.
Should I buy in person and support the local economy? If I go to a store I can see and handle the product. Well, not always because some products are so encased in plastic that one can only visualize how they work. If I decide I like the product, I can go home with it and use it the same day. And I don't have to pay shipping charges. This is a benefit if I stop at several stores on the same trip.
If I generally follow the rule if I can get it in town, I'll buy in town.
For example, I recently wanted to buy a particular used book. Maybe I could have gotten it in town, but I would have had to scan shelves in many stores. I went to abebooks.com and looked for it. abebooks found several available copies in various conditions and prices. I found one I liked and ordered it; it arrived in about ten days.
On the other hand, if I had gone to a used book store, I might have found some other books I didn't even know I was looking for.
