JANUARY 2012 WATCH SALE

     I've always loved Bulova watches! Whenever I browse through amazon.com, I always check out the latest price and designs on Bulova watches. Purchasing an expensive watch at half the price is definitely the best part.

 BULOVA WOMEN'S WATCH STARTS AT $29.99

BULOVA MEN'S WATCH STARTS AT $47.09

My personal favorite is this diamond accented watch, check out the price!

Bulova Women's 98R107 Diamond Accented Calendar Watch

List Price:	$399.00
Price:	$183.95 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save:	$215.05 (54%)

 I seriously needed a new watch, and figured, 2012 should be a good year to replace my old too expensively bought and completely not-worth-it fossil watch.  It was only a "swarovski" accented leather watch. I bought it during the hype of the ultra big leather watches that screamed, "TIME!". Although I still think it's pretty, the fact that I overpaid for it really bums me out. It cost me $202.00 or P8,900. I could've had a nicer watch for a cheaper price.

MY FAVORITE ONLINE SHOPS:

1.)AMAZON.COM - I've bought so many things from clothes, to watches, bags, electronics and pet supplies in amazon.com, and so far so good, I've never had a problem with shipping, damaged goods, or whatnot. Amazon offers so many products, and at least for me, their online shop is almost complete, product-wise. More importantly, amazon accepts international credit cards! I pay my items using my internationally issued C.C, and have it shipped to my country via my favorite & trusted forwarding company, either via air or sea cargo.

2.)NORDSTROM.COM- Just like amazon.com, nordstrom has made a name for itself in the online shopping world. They also accept C.C's that have an international billing address. Product-wise, well, they're more into clothes, accessories, shoes and the likes. I feel like they should've & could've offered more. Never had a problem with their shipping service, and never had any damaged goods sent to me.

3.)CIRCUITCITY.COM- Electronics, circuitcity.com is one of my favorites when it comes to laptops and gadgets. They have a lot of electronic products that you can choose from, but like I said, my first priority when I go online shopping is to check their method of payment, and yep, they accept credit cards with an international address, and you can also check out with PAYPAL.

4.)VICTORIA'S SECRET.COM- Lingerie, VS products is my favorite when it comes to my intimate necessities. They're also the first online shop I visit when I need to replace my worn 3 yr old leopard undies. Do they accept international C.C's? Yes!

ONLINE SHOPPING 101

Okay, so you want to try online shopping? 

Things to consider:

1.) Credit Card/Paypal payments- Most U.S. based website accepts credit cards (Mastercard/Visa) or Paypal but normally require a U.S billing address. So please check before finalizing your order. I can assure you that amazon.com accepts Philippine issued C.C's (BPI, BDO, EASTWEST BANK,SECURITY BANK) it's the shipping address that's a bit tricky.

2.) Shipping address- Do your research about forwarding companies based in the U.S where you can have the items you bought online shipped directly to them(U.S based address), and they'll have it delivered to you in the Philippines. You can choose between sea cargo or air cargo, depending on the service that the forwarding company is offering. 

3.) Shipping cost- It's not exactly cheap to have items shipped from the U.S to the Philippines. Some forwarding companies charge per POUND(LBS.), some per the size of the box. 

     AIR CARGO-The cheapest one I've used so far is $5.99 per pound (air cargo) with a 2 pound minimum, so if your item only weighed in at 1 lb., be prepared to pay the amount equal to 2 lbs, and this does not include a 12% charge for vat, and a $5 handling fee..A total of $18.42 shipping cost for a 1-2 lbs item. The weight of the BOX used to store your goods is also included in the weighing process, so it can really get expensive. 

• PRO'S-Takes only one to two weeks delivery time for your item to get to the Philippines. 
•  
• CONS-Shipping fee can be quite expensive, specially if your item is heavy. No consolidation. They will ship as they receive your order.

     SEA CARGO-I'm not a big fan of having my items shipped via sea cargo as it takes such a  long time to arrive in P.I. Average time frame is 1.5 months, sometimes even 2 months. A small box would cost an estimate of $30. Sounds more expensive than air cargo? Not really, with sea cargo, you can CONSOLIDATE items, this would be perfect if you're planning on getting more than one item, or ordering from several websites. Normally, air cargo will be shipped as soon as your forwarding company receives them, they will NOT wait for your other orders. Sea cargo waits for each and every item you order and pack them altogether in a box, waiting period is around 30 days (as I'm told by my brother who has his mind set at having his goods shipped via sea cargo). 

• PRO'S-Consolidating orders is allowed (max 30 days). Cheaper shipping fee.
• CONS-1.5 to 2 months average shipping time frame from U.S to the Philippines.