I quit Amazon a week ago after relying on it very heavily to get stuff for the ranch for many years and then, during lockdown, also to daily entertain myself with boxes and boxes of crap. One week out from quitting and I’m embarrassed I didn’t quit sooner. And I’m horrified to clearly see what I was, I understand now, actively refusing to see before. The tentacles of amazon are insane—like I realized I also had to quit my audible subscription, which I have had for more than 20 years, and got long before bezos bought the company. But I am going to keep extracting myself from all the tentacles. I’m done with META, too. And I’m trying to shop only for things I actually need, and to source them locally/small shop.
Congrats! And thanks for sharing your experience. I find so much joy in trying to support small businesses and secondhand when I shop. It takes more time and it's not possible for everything, but just diversifying where we spend our money, and doing it thoughtfully, is such a worthwhile practice. I hear you with Meta. I still have my IG account for now (not posting anymore) but came here to find something deeper. So far so good, including connecting more with you. :)
Another thing I do is, if I’m feeling an itch to buy something, I will make myself inventory what I already have here—my yarn stash, my art supplies, my t-shirt collection, etc. I always, always find something I forgot I had and it feels like something new and the itch gets scratched without me buying more stuff I don’t actually need.
Yes! I love that. I used to not be able to leave a thrift store without buying something, but I discovered a simple trick that helped me. I love your idea of shopping your own closet, basically. Maybe I'll write a post with ideas about how to resist the purchasing itch!
Big shoutout to your local library. Use their services, which include ebooks. If they don’t have a particular book you want, ask them about it; they might be able to borrow it from another library for you. Also, I have found Thriftbooks is a good online used book seller.
And Libby, the online app through your library, instead of Audible and Kanopy for free videos, movies, and documentaries through your library. It's excellent and has so many wonderful documentaries. You'll have to wait, but that's part of breaking our instant gratification addiction!
I was in error when I said that Thriftbooks was owned by Amazon, my apologies! My brother told me that, and he's so trustworthy and knowledgable that I didn't fact check him. Thanks to Hillary who commented and spurred me to clarify for myself.
PS - I use the app “Libby” and our local library for FREE books and e-books now! If I have to order a book, I use Barnes and Noble or our local very small bookstore.
Thank you Krissy for a post that got me to pull my head out of the sand and take action in keeping with my values! I made it through the labyrinth designed to keep us from figuring out how to unsubscribe from Amazon Prime and feel cleaner and lighter. Kudos to Mr. Doe for the excellent proofreading 😊
...and Thriftbooks, too!?? Thank you for the list. Yesterday, I learned North Face contributed to the Orange Loon's campaign. I'm still finding that hard to believe. I quit Amazon a month ago, not looking back. It's kind of fun looking for other ways to find what we "need," and I do live in a rural area, so if I have to have it shipped, I'm happy to pay for shipping now in support of my postal worker. Have you seen the back of their trucks folx??? Do we really need all that S**T? My favorite past time is thrifting. FIrst of all who wants to wear the same item that 50 other people in your small town have purchased at Target? Slow food, slow consuming. The new trend.
I'm usually a library and local bookstore kind of gal, but I think it's important to say that ThriftBooks is NOT owned by Amazon. Abe Books is, but not ThriftBooks.
Thanks for that clarification, Hillary. There is conflicting information on the internet (of course) but looking at Thirftbooks' About Us page they say they still sell through Amazon but don't mention any acquisition. I'll edit my post (and correct my brother)!
You're awesome! Thanks for being conscientious and great. (I'm sure the private equity firm that does own them is up to its own terrible things, but at least they aren't a subsidiary of the Bezos behemoth?)
Hear, hear. I’ve been working on this and found nearly everything I would buy on Amazon is available directly from the suppliers. Usually with free shipping if you buy a minimum amount. (I’m a bit stuck on the ebooks, though.) Now, I just have to get my husband to see the light…
Yes! We do end up shopping online, even in a city, but I go directly to the manufacturer's website. I love free shipping, that's why I offer it in my web shop. For ebooks, there are a lot available through your local library and different titles with the Libby and Hoopla library apps.
Great post! When I feel like shopping, I hit the library. Nothing like coming home with an armload of free books - fiction, non-fiction, crafting, cookbooks, etc.
I removed Amazon from my phone about 10 days ago, and tried to open the app 3 times in the first 24 hours! That was an eye opener. I can share links to books from other sources, and I can shop elsewhere!
Congrats! Yes, the habit-breaking phase is real. There are wonderful independent bookstores in every big city and many smaller ones, and they should all have websites. I check books out of the library and use the Hoopla and Libby apps. And Half Price Books (hpb.com) has what I'm looking for about, well, half the time. :) My nephew uses The Storygraph to browse reader reviews. There are many other options!
That's great, Melissa! For food, it depends on where you live. I no longer shop at Whole Foods. In Austin, we have H.E.B. grocery stores, and they have a higher end version called Central Market that carries more local and organic options. Farmers markets are great across the board, or look into CSAs. We also have Wheatsville Co-Op here. So look for local, organic, co-ops, farmers markets in your area. The important thing is to be curious and aware and learning, you don't have to be perfect. If you have any other questions I'm happy to try and help!
I quit Amazon a few weeks ago, figuring anything I could get from Amazon, I could probably find from the actual company itself. It took a little digging, but was not too hard. I also turned to Etsy. Living in a small town with only Walmart, this can be challenging at times, but I’d rather do without than subsidize Bezos.
Congrats, Susan! It definitely takes more effort, but I find that rewarding. There are some scammers abusing Etsy at this point, but I just take a moment to examine the profile, reviews, where it's shipping from and usually I can suss out what's legit.
Thanks for the encouragement, I'm about a month into unraveling my Prime dependence. We initially got it when we moved to a more rural area and had a baby, and kept it for subscribe and save foods that worked with our fams food allergies. Now I'm finding subscriptions through the food companies themselves, and even if it costs a little more, I'm saving on impulse buys and also just my own conscience.
That's awesome! It's really not that hard to live without it, you just have to switch some habits and put in a little more time and effort. Congrats, I'm so glad you're feeling good about it. :)
Secondhand and vintage is my first choice, and you can really get the majority of your stuff that way. Vintage, when it's old enough, is very often better quality than contemporary. And congrats on the spending freeze, I'm certain you'll learn a lot! I did "no new clothes for a year" in 2009 and it changed so much for me.
I call it amaCon. I get a bigger dopamine hit from reusing, repurposing, and buying small than freaky fast that falls apart. My own sister once called me cheap. Nope, I'm frugal and thrifty.
Thank you for writing this, I'll happily share it!
Thank you, Alli! "amaCon" made me laugh. :) I have felt very alone in my shopping habits so it's really nice to find kindred spirits. I am a reuse and secondhand nut. I use almost all secondhand materials and tools in my art studio. Once you get into it, it's really rewarding, no?
I quit Amazon a week ago after relying on it very heavily to get stuff for the ranch for many years and then, during lockdown, also to daily entertain myself with boxes and boxes of crap. One week out from quitting and I’m embarrassed I didn’t quit sooner. And I’m horrified to clearly see what I was, I understand now, actively refusing to see before. The tentacles of amazon are insane—like I realized I also had to quit my audible subscription, which I have had for more than 20 years, and got long before bezos bought the company. But I am going to keep extracting myself from all the tentacles. I’m done with META, too. And I’m trying to shop only for things I actually need, and to source them locally/small shop.
Congrats! And thanks for sharing your experience. I find so much joy in trying to support small businesses and secondhand when I shop. It takes more time and it's not possible for everything, but just diversifying where we spend our money, and doing it thoughtfully, is such a worthwhile practice. I hear you with Meta. I still have my IG account for now (not posting anymore) but came here to find something deeper. So far so good, including connecting more with you. :)
Another thing I do is, if I’m feeling an itch to buy something, I will make myself inventory what I already have here—my yarn stash, my art supplies, my t-shirt collection, etc. I always, always find something I forgot I had and it feels like something new and the itch gets scratched without me buying more stuff I don’t actually need.
Yes! I love that. I used to not be able to leave a thrift store without buying something, but I discovered a simple trick that helped me. I love your idea of shopping your own closet, basically. Maybe I'll write a post with ideas about how to resist the purchasing itch!
I quit Audible a while ago and as an alternative I recommend Libro.fm it is similar and you can pick a local bookstore to support.
Big shoutout to your local library. Use their services, which include ebooks. If they don’t have a particular book you want, ask them about it; they might be able to borrow it from another library for you. Also, I have found Thriftbooks is a good online used book seller.
And Libby, the online app through your library, instead of Audible and Kanopy for free videos, movies, and documentaries through your library. It's excellent and has so many wonderful documentaries. You'll have to wait, but that's part of breaking our instant gratification addiction!
I was in error when I said that Thriftbooks was owned by Amazon, my apologies! My brother told me that, and he's so trustworthy and knowledgable that I didn't fact check him. Thanks to Hillary who commented and spurred me to clarify for myself.
PS - I use the app “Libby” and our local library for FREE books and e-books now! If I have to order a book, I use Barnes and Noble or our local very small bookstore.
I love the library. Let us pray that it's not destroyed by fascists.
Thank you Krissy for a post that got me to pull my head out of the sand and take action in keeping with my values! I made it through the labyrinth designed to keep us from figuring out how to unsubscribe from Amazon Prime and feel cleaner and lighter. Kudos to Mr. Doe for the excellent proofreading 😊
That's wonderful, Patricia! Thanks for reading :)
...and Thriftbooks, too!?? Thank you for the list. Yesterday, I learned North Face contributed to the Orange Loon's campaign. I'm still finding that hard to believe. I quit Amazon a month ago, not looking back. It's kind of fun looking for other ways to find what we "need," and I do live in a rural area, so if I have to have it shipped, I'm happy to pay for shipping now in support of my postal worker. Have you seen the back of their trucks folx??? Do we really need all that S**T? My favorite past time is thrifting. FIrst of all who wants to wear the same item that 50 other people in your small town have purchased at Target? Slow food, slow consuming. The new trend.
I'm usually a library and local bookstore kind of gal, but I think it's important to say that ThriftBooks is NOT owned by Amazon. Abe Books is, but not ThriftBooks.
Thanks for that clarification, Hillary. There is conflicting information on the internet (of course) but looking at Thirftbooks' About Us page they say they still sell through Amazon but don't mention any acquisition. I'll edit my post (and correct my brother)!
You're awesome! Thanks for being conscientious and great. (I'm sure the private equity firm that does own them is up to its own terrible things, but at least they aren't a subsidiary of the Bezos behemoth?)
So true. Like I said, the cards are stacked against us. The more independent and individual retailers and makers we can support, the better!
Hear, hear. I’ve been working on this and found nearly everything I would buy on Amazon is available directly from the suppliers. Usually with free shipping if you buy a minimum amount. (I’m a bit stuck on the ebooks, though.) Now, I just have to get my husband to see the light…
I’ve been looking into a Kobo eReader to get away from Amazon.
Yes! We do end up shopping online, even in a city, but I go directly to the manufacturer's website. I love free shipping, that's why I offer it in my web shop. For ebooks, there are a lot available through your local library and different titles with the Libby and Hoopla library apps.
Great post! When I feel like shopping, I hit the library. Nothing like coming home with an armload of free books - fiction, non-fiction, crafting, cookbooks, etc.
Thank you. I love the library. I've always got a half dozen books out. And there's no guilt for impulse shopping there. :)
I removed Amazon from my phone about 10 days ago, and tried to open the app 3 times in the first 24 hours! That was an eye opener. I can share links to books from other sources, and I can shop elsewhere!
Congrats! Yes, the habit-breaking phase is real. There are wonderful independent bookstores in every big city and many smaller ones, and they should all have websites. I check books out of the library and use the Hoopla and Libby apps. And Half Price Books (hpb.com) has what I'm looking for about, well, half the time. :) My nephew uses The Storygraph to browse reader reviews. There are many other options!
Yes! I use storygraph, bookshop.org and Libby also!
Seconded on these, the library apps here like Hoopla are great as well and free with your library card.
I want to do this and am going to do it. Question: what about Whole Foods? Where do you shop for food that feels ethical? Thank you
Thank you!
That's great, Melissa! For food, it depends on where you live. I no longer shop at Whole Foods. In Austin, we have H.E.B. grocery stores, and they have a higher end version called Central Market that carries more local and organic options. Farmers markets are great across the board, or look into CSAs. We also have Wheatsville Co-Op here. So look for local, organic, co-ops, farmers markets in your area. The important thing is to be curious and aware and learning, you don't have to be perfect. If you have any other questions I'm happy to try and help!
I quit Amazon a few weeks ago, figuring anything I could get from Amazon, I could probably find from the actual company itself. It took a little digging, but was not too hard. I also turned to Etsy. Living in a small town with only Walmart, this can be challenging at times, but I’d rather do without than subsidize Bezos.
Congrats, Susan! It definitely takes more effort, but I find that rewarding. There are some scammers abusing Etsy at this point, but I just take a moment to examine the profile, reviews, where it's shipping from and usually I can suss out what's legit.
Thanks for the encouragement, I'm about a month into unraveling my Prime dependence. We initially got it when we moved to a more rural area and had a baby, and kept it for subscribe and save foods that worked with our fams food allergies. Now I'm finding subscriptions through the food companies themselves, and even if it costs a little more, I'm saving on impulse buys and also just my own conscience.
That's awesome! It's really not that hard to live without it, you just have to switch some habits and put in a little more time and effort. Congrats, I'm so glad you're feeling good about it. :)
I only buy secondhand and vintage from now on. Previously, it was about 2/3 of what I would buy and now I’m on a complete spending freeze.
Secondhand and vintage is my first choice, and you can really get the majority of your stuff that way. Vintage, when it's old enough, is very often better quality than contemporary. And congrats on the spending freeze, I'm certain you'll learn a lot! I did "no new clothes for a year" in 2009 and it changed so much for me.
I call it amaCon. I get a bigger dopamine hit from reusing, repurposing, and buying small than freaky fast that falls apart. My own sister once called me cheap. Nope, I'm frugal and thrifty.
Thank you for writing this, I'll happily share it!
Thank you, Alli! "amaCon" made me laugh. :) I have felt very alone in my shopping habits so it's really nice to find kindred spirits. I am a reuse and secondhand nut. I use almost all secondhand materials and tools in my art studio. Once you get into it, it's really rewarding, no?