time and money

Last week, I spent an hour or so looking at plane tickets on various sites (Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, etc.). Then, I spent another hour reading about digital SLR cameras on dpreview.com, and several minutes using Froogle, Amazon, and other sites to look at current prices. I also read several Epinions reviews about auto insurance, before getting some quotes.

I've found that as information has become widely available online, I've made better purchasing decisions and become better informed about consumer products. I've also spent a lot more of my precious time researching, comparing, and bargain-hunting. Now, instead of calling up my travel agent, giving her a set of parameters, and trusting her to find the best deal, I run through a standard set of at least five travel sites looking for deals that fit my schedule. I wonder if, in the long run, it's all worth it? I do get a small sense of accomplishment from doing all the research, so I guess for now, the answer is "yes".