
Amazon Anonymous, Anyone?
(I hope I haven't offended anyone with the cheeky post title.)
But.
It's true.
My name is Smella and I'm an addict.
My Amazon spending is way, way, way out of control.
I know I am not the only one struggling with this. I hate Amazon, and everything they stand for! I hate their packaging. I hate everything I've learned about labour conditions in their warehouse. I hate the quality of their products, and the preponderance of counterfeit. I hate that their interface allows me to purchase impulsively, while zoned out on a screen. I hate that this purchasing keeps me out of local business that I want to support. I hate that all the dollars I spend at Amazon on god-knows-what make me feel like I can't afford to buy well-made, sustainable products.
But despite all this, I haven't been able to change my ways.
I'm seeking Amazon avoidance tactics, accountability buddies, and if there's interest, maybe a group of YNABs to do a 30-Days-Without-Amazon challenge (yes, my orders are that bad, and that frequent, that 30 days is the longest break I can even fathom at this point).
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Yes (standing with my hand up) I'm an Amazon addict. I don't enjoy the whole shopping experience (in brick and mortar stores), especially grocery shopping, and have come to rely on Amazon and their 2-day free shipping prime. In 2018, I placed 85 orders, and already in 2019 (2 months!) I've placed 33 orders. Ah, but, sadly .... I'm not ready to cease Amazon shopping completely yet. A 30-day fast challenge from Amazon is scary to me presently. Yup, I'm an addict.
However, on a positive note, yesterday, I DID change all my monthly bills currently being charged to Amazon Rewards card (autopay) to my checking account/debit card ... in order to get a better handle on my shopping. Using the Amazon Rewards credit card was so painless for me -- no pain such as will be felt coming directly out of my checking account this month. I don't need the Amazon reward points, really; just encourages more shopping.
Another positive for me is that I've never paid interest to Amazon on my purchases. I make it a point to pay off the current balance every Friday, no matter what. But I still spend more than I really want. Oh, and yes, I most often find Amazon has cheaper prices for me than locally. Sad, but true.
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I didn't use Amazon for almost 2 months, but the last week and a half I have spent ... a lot. But I always looked for alternative sources, and my tween and I went through and really trimmed the list down to the bare minimum.
And then when he wasn't looking I put a few things back to surprise him, because it's for his birthday. :D
But the winnowing process was helpful, and I went to Target for some items I've gotten from Amazon in the past, so that also felt better. Amazon is not the first place I look anymore. -
I used to be like that - spending money on Amazon without thinking. Partly it's because I could afford it, but this year, I have really been trying to cut back on my expenses to prepare for retirement at the end of the year. I still have my Prime account and plan on keeping it for at least one more year, but have actively stopped buying stuff through Amazon. A couple of things I do - I will put stuff in my cart but leave it there, The longer it stays there, the more I am inclined not to buy it (or move it to the lower level or delete it). I've also discovered that many items are cheaper elsewhere, so I will first check around with other retailers. I was getting ready to buy a large Pyrex bowl on Amazon for around $20, and found it at Target for $11. And everyone's advise about books is great - use your library first. I have subscriptions to five different library Overdrive accounts (all in my state) so I can almost always find it there. There are sometimes books I want to re-read over and over, but I plan for those purchases.
At this time, I have not purchased anything on Amazon since Christmas - and that's even with $50 worth of gift cards sitting in my account. :)