376
It’s Surprisingly Easy to Live Without an Amazon Prime Subscription (slate.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/frugal@lemmy.world
122 comments fedilink hide all child comments
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 6 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Same here. Never ordered anything off Amazon. Not sure about the U.S., but I've never had trouble finding anything in other places, so I never had to resort to Amazon. Maybe certain things are harder to get in the U.S. except on Amazon? Some kind of monopoly thing?

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Sort of. For me, it is the trouble finding things elsewhere part, but maybe not quite how you’re thinking.

    There are all sorts of stores, way too many stores, stores in all directions, stores of all sizes, but especially really big. If I want to get something, I need to go to one of these stores, more likely multiple of these stores. Even the biggest store will only have a limited selection and only at a specific price. Back in the old days, I might spend a day shopping to find what I wanted, I might look for it many weekends in a row, I might pay attention to sales so I can get a better price, then go in as the store opened so I could get it before it sold out. Why do that to myself? Why waste so much of my time and attention? Why drive around so much? It doesn’t make sense. Meanwhile Amazon has it, every brand and variation (even if most are identical), usually to be delivered in a couple days. If it’s not a good price point, I don’t have to click on it.

    Amazon has made my life much easier by reducing the time and travel I spend on various necessities. Now in a typical week, my only “chore” driving might be to goto the grocery

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    Oh, right. I completely understand. Shopping sucks. I always order everything online too, because I hate shopping. But I've just never needed Amazon for it. Pretty much every store delivers and if you don't want to pay for delivery, you can just order and pick up at the store. This way you don't have to physically 'shop around' and you don't run the risk of something being sold out. Kinda like take-out.

    Absolutely not against ordering stuff online, it's a time-saver. It's just.. Amazon in particular. I prefer not condoning their terrible employee treatment.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    I can order stuff from Amazon and ship them to my house for cheaper than walking 100m to a store. During COVID this was a game-changer, post-covid it's still super convenient.

    I'm not even talking about the Amazon drop point that's across the street from the store. I mean to the 24-hour BlueBox drop in my building for no-contact deliveries I can pick up any time.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent