This is something I have been thinking about for a while. Originally I wrote “this year” in the title, but I really hope I can give it up completely and forever. One of my best friends, Emily, gave up Amazon last year and I was so inspired by her that I had to give it a try. It is strange to think that I need to or even want to explain this decision, but I have a lot of thoughts about this and wanted to spill some ink about it below. Before you disagree with what I am saying, I hope you read this entire thing.
Amazon and Privilege
I have a hard time sitting on a high horse telling people what they should or shouldn’t do with their money. I do believe in the power of the consumer and where you do or don’t spend your money matters-at the very least, for yourself. But we all know there is not ethical consumption under capitalism. I am nowhere near a perfectly ethical consumer, but I do try my best. The reason I am able to proudly declare that I ended my Amazon prime account is because I know I have other options I can easily access in order to get the things I need.
There are many perks to using Amazon (cheaper prices, accessibility and expedited shipping) but I know I am privileged enough person that doesn’t need these service to get by. Someone who is financially unstable, living with a disability or doesn’t have easily accessible options to safely shop would definitely reap the benefits of Amazon more than myself. Not to mention, I don’t really get 2 day shipping anyway, since all my packages get stolen from my building. When I used to order things from Amazon, I would have to drive all the way to my parents’s house which is 25 minutes away from my apartment.
All of that being said, I can understand why people shop at Amazon. But I am challenging myself to not shop at Amazon, and if you feel like I do, I wanted to give you some tips and share my thoughts.
De-Influencing and Shopping Less
I am so tired of seeing Amazon hauls on my phone. It is true that I was once very influenced by the random items creators would post on their stores and feed. But by this point, Amazon Hauls are the same as Shein Hauls (to me). No sorry, I really don’t want to check out your Amazon store front. Gee, no thanks. Any item of clothing that is less expensive than $10 was definitely made in unethical conditions. I was seconds away from making an Amazon storefront in 2022, until I got the ick and closed the tab. And good thing I did! I love seeing all of these un-influencing videos, but it seems like. Amazon is just not something they are willing to let go of. I tried to block the words “Amazon” “amazonfinds” and “haul” from my TikTok but I still manage to see those videos. Ugh.
I love seeing “shopping ban” videos too. One of my best friends, Ashley, and I just read “The Year of Less” and it was very eye-opening. I am not at that extreme that I can give up all shopping but I can appreciate the sentiment and have already made a lot of changes in the last few years involving my shopping habits. This Amazon ban is just another rule to add to the list.
Amazon and Ethics
Do I really need to sit here and explain to you why I don’t want to support a billionaire? Okay, fine. I don’t like giving Jeff Bezos money. It is unethical to be a billionaire. It has been hard for me to find a bunch of articles about the ethics of Amazon (is that because Bezos owns publications like the Washington Post?) I found this article which goes into the ethics of Amazon but I also wanted to provide a good source on how much a billion is, because I don’t the average person can even conceptualize how much money Bezos has and how there is no way he earned it ethically. It seems like a losing battle, but I think small changes, like ending my Amazon Prime membership, can make a big difference in my personal consumer experience.
Instead of Shopping At Amazon:
If you are looking to make this shift away from Amazon like I did, here is what I have been doing since I started my ban:
- Get up and go to a local store. It’s like the olden days! Instead of ordering something online, go to a physical store and find it there. This can help your local economy.
- Buy from small businesses. In this house, we support all local businesses!
- Buy whatever you need secondhand. You’d be surprised what you can find from your local thrift stores!
- Borrow or rent it. If you know a friend has something you can borrow, or there is a website that you can rent something, then go for it! All you have to do is ask or do a little extra research.
- Don’t buy the item at all. Not being able to just add a useless something or other into a shopping cart has helped me really consider and rethink if I really want to buy something. Having to get creative and work harder to actually obtain the object has proven to be a great vetting process.
How I Feel So Far
We are only like a month in, and I’ve already noticed that I continue to add random things I may have previously added to an Amazon cart to a Target cart. I know you’re probably thinking that those are pretty similar, but there is much less available on Target. And I have the option to pick it up from my local store. Most times, the app just acts as a shopping list. Things like packing tape, one of those security bars you put at your front door, moisturizer and a grind guard are not the easiest things to come by, but definitely not impossible to get.
I am expecting this is going to get difficult when it comes to my Kimberkopys and Halloween costumes. I also have a lot of big plans for blog posts for the Eras Tour and I don’t want to link anything to
Amazon, even if I got something I am used for the tour or a picture from Amazon previously. I will continue to not link things to Amazon, but I will always be transparent on if I got something I am wearing from Amazon before my ban.
I will definitely have to get creative when I want to watch an Amazon Prime exclusive show. But its a good thing I am constantly staying at other people’s houses for petsitting. One thing I just could not give up is my Kindle Unlimited Membership. Yes, I still have a Kindle and I read off of KU every single day. One day I hope I can cut those ties, but today is not that day.
If you made it through this entire post, cheers to you! I hope this gave you some food for thought on being a more ethical consumer. Remember there is no ethical consumption under capitalism, but there are small changes you can make everyday that can make a small difference.
Thanks for reading! xx