One of my over-spending weaknesses is Amazon impulse buys - it's usually something practical or for the house that doesn't feel like an indulgence, but is still just money out the door.
My new tactic is to do all the browsing and choosing on Amazon, and then once I've selected something say to myself: ok, that's what I want. Now how close can I get to that with what I have?
Today I wanted to go work in a cafe but I don't have a sleeve or anything protective for my iPad. Did some browsing, and then realized I could sew some old wadding (originally from insulator packs that came with a cold food delivery) into a tote I never used. Voila - padded iPad tote. Free, and 'delivered' in the two hours it took me to make it. Beat that, Prime.
Then I was eyeing up bathroom sink 'lids' - we don't have any counter space in our bathroom and I wish I had something I could put over the sink to make a temporary shelf for make-up etc. Browsed lots of $20-40 bits of plastic on Amazon, and then once I thought really hard about if I had anything that shape and size, realized I have a laptop lap tray for working on the sofa I don't use any more. Tried it, fits perfect, boom: instant sink topper.
Need a new comb because I changed my haircut. Even the cheap ones on Amazon are $3. Nearly succumbed because $3 doesn't sound so bad for something that's bugging me literally every day, but went on a house-hunt just in case and found that the dog-grooming (!) kit we bought to do early-pandemic-at-home-haircuts because all the human hair-cutting sets had sold out had a weird dog-detangling comb in it. Perfect for my new haircut (although now I'm worried about what that says about my new haircut).
It doesn't work for everything. I've got a Smart Watch sitting in my wish-list I'd have a hard time McGyvering out of household scraps. And I appreciate that my how-not-to-buy-stuff tactic is to already-have-bought-stuff which I probably shouldn't have bought in the first place. But today I easily could have spent $50+, waited days for delivery, and done a bunch of environmental damage/resource waste. And instead I've got a new comb, bathroom counter and ipad sleeve, instantly (ish), for free and my retail therapy itch is thoroughly scratched. Best store ever.
May 22, 2021 at 11:19PM
