Being Wilma Flinstone

When I was 8 years old, I wanted to be Wilma Flintstone.   The epitome of the 1950’s housewife, she kept her little stone house clean, watched soap operas on TV, and made dinner for the loudmouth she lived with.   However comforting it was to watch a show where life was so simple, it wasn’t her orderly life or her animal appliances that interested me.   I waited each day simply for what I called the  ‘Charge IT” moment.  Eating my peanut butter and jam sandwich, I would wait for Wilma to drop the elephant she was vacuuming with and run for the door.  Brandishing her credit card and with as much glee on her face as a cartoon character can muster, she’d take off into the sunny afternoon with her buddy Betty yelling “CHARGE IT”.  The message was clear, the thrill of charging it made her ho-hum life worthwhile.

Wilma’s battle cry stuck with me as I grew, but as they say, times have changed. 3 small children and rising gas prices has put the curb in my tires as far as tearing off to the mall whenever I would like.  The thrill of finding a great deal lost a lot in the reality of screaming kids and strollers.   Instead, I wake up in the morning, take my coffee and my computer, and peacefully fulfill my need to Charge IT in cyber space.   I am not alone.

“I shop online because I can,” laughs Brook, a stay at mom of 2 daughters.  “My girls are only 4 and 1, and I just don’t have it in me to struggle with them at the mall.  I want them to have great clothes and toys, but I don’t want to fight to get it.  It ruins the thrill of shopping.”

Online shopping is definitely bringing back the thrill for stressed out moms who are full time parents.  Sites are popping up all over the Internet catering to this much sought after demographic, because although they aren’t out there making the money themselves, they are definitely the individuals controlling the card.

“I certainly have my online favorites, “ says Brook.  “I am a frequent Gymboree shopper, and the lure of the Gymbucks makes it that much more fun.”  Gymbucks allow online shoppers to redeem up to 50% off their purchase during certain times of the year.

Not only does Brook find deals online through retailers, she also shops second hand sites and tends to find the best bargains there.

“I’ve found the best way to save money on my kids stuff is through free selling sites like Kidswap.ca.”  Brooke explains. “You buy from other moms who are selling their nearly new stuff, and the deals are really unbelievable.” The community aspect of online shopping is not lost on Brook or thousands of stay at home moms who feel the pinch of isolation when raising their small children.   “If I find something really great, I can pop into the forum and tell my online friends about it.  It’s a lot of fun.”

Although the era of Wilma and Betty has been replaced by ecommerce and online forums, the thrill remains the same if you know where to look for it.  The next time you are in front of your computer perusing retail therapy, go ahead and yell out “Charge IT”.  I swear, the kids won’t think you are crazy.

There are literally thousands of sites online that offer both brand new and used clothing, but if you want to stick closer to home, Brook’s favorites are Kidswap.ca, ebay.com, and craigslist.com .