Is this post title dramatic? Possibly... But I really feel that strongly about the new habit I'm sharing with you today.
The Back Story
Let's start with a little back story to give credit where credit is due.
A few months ago, I was at a playdate with my son and his little friend. As I'm sure many parents can relate to, I look forward to his playdates as a time to connect with other new parents and my mom-friends in town.
So, anyway, my friend starts telling me a story about how her son really liked a toy he saw in his music class, prompting her to search for it online. Because of the wonder of Amazon, her son had his own version of the toy in his cute little hands the very next day.
We continued talking and my friend expressed doubts about this wacky world we live in. How can we teach our kids un-materialistic values when they decide they like something and immediately have their own the next day? Will they just grow up expecting this instant gratification, all the time?
Our conversation led us to reflect on our own childhoods, where gifts came on special occasions or the rare "yes" from a parent when we saw something fun at the store. It was a different world way back in the 1990s, especially for my friend who spent her early childhood in Ecuador.
Then she said something extremely wise - How can we teach our kids they can't just have whatever they want right away if we ourselves order things on Amazon as soon as we want them? Are we not teaching by example?
She explained that from now on, she and her husband had a new plan. If they like something, sure, drop it in the Amazon cart. But no ordering until the end of the month.
And thus, a new Amazon habit was born.
The Habit
Place items you want in your Amazon cart all month, but don't order until the end of the month.
Why You Should Try This Out
I picked up this idea and brought it home to my husband. I am not exaggerating when I say it has really changed our lives for the better.
Save Money!
I never thought I would save so much money doing this, but here we are! It turns out we buy a ton of stuff that we don't even want anymore just a few weeks later.
We always end up cutting so many products during our end-of-month cart review. Sometimes we don't want it anymore. Sometimes we see the entire cart total and nearly faint in shock.
It's crazy to think if we just ordered when we wanted (like we always used to do) we would have all this stuff we don't need and have spent all this money. Yikes.
Feel Better with Less Clutter
Less stuff means less clutter. Less clutter means a happier life.
I genuinely feel better in our spaces as we stop filling them with things we spotted on a daily deal or an Instagram reel. And I really shouldn't say "we" here - My husband is not guilty of this. It was all me (oops).
Shop Guilt-Free
Well, maybe not guilt-free. But definitely less guilty.
Knowing you are only buying what you need and saving money (see earlier section) helps you make smarter decisions when you do buy something. So, trust your gut, and shop confidently!
Be a Happier Person
It might sound crazy, but reducing our instant-gratification shopping habits has actually made me a happier person. We attach so much anxiety to material items that we "need" or feel we should have.
Turns out, we really don't need them. Maybe we do sometimes, but at least we know we don't need them RIGHT NOW. It's a wonderful, freeing feeling.
Teach Good Habits
Back to how we originally came across this idea. If you're a parent or other role model, what are you teaching? Are you teaching instant gratification and prioritizing material goods?
Would you rather teach smart spending, patience, and detachment from the constant stream of consumerism?
I'm sure I'll never get this down perfectly, but changing my online ordering habits helps me set a good example for my son.
But, but, but...
Not sold? Let's address some of the push-backs I'm anticipating.
What If I Actually Do Need Something Right Now?
You might be thinking: but, what if I need something RIGHT NOW?
Well, do you really though? Do you really need it RIGHT NOW?
There are so many things I thought I needed immediately, but it turns out they can wait until the end of the month.
I mean, what did people do before Amazon two-day-or-less delivery? (...Asked the shameless millennial to cries of outrage from older generations). Turns out that nearly everything really can wait until the end of the month.
I decided if there's something that cannot wait until the end of the month, I'll just complete that month's order early, and then wait until the end of the following month to order again. It hasn't happened yet though.
What If The Thing I Need Is No Longer Available? Or The Price Goes Up?
Well, rest assured that in our consumerist society, it will probably be available again soon. So far, nothing has gone out of stock before our end-of-month ordering.
Now, if something you really need is on a significant sale, go ahead, order early. But make sure it's worth it, because now you'll need to wait even longer for that next order.
Another thought - If you waited a few weeks, would you still want the item? Are you buying it because you actually need it or because it's on sale? Think about it.
What About Stuff That's Not on Amazon?
Yep, I wrote this entire post with Amazon on the brain. That's because Amazon is generally the place I order the most random, probably unnecessary items from regularly. I know, I know, Amazon is bad....But, here I am.
Anyway, apply this strategy to any online shopping, and I think you'll get the same result.
Wrapping Up
I hope you find this post helpful and that you try out this new shopping habit that helped make my life a little better. I'd love to hear what other strategies you use to shop smart Leave it in the comments or on Twitter (@annadunworth_)
And a final shoutout to my oh-so-wise friend who came up with this lovely strategy.
Happy shopping! (or...Happy Shopping Less!)
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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