I appreciated the permission in the original article and I appreciate the reflectiveness in this one. I was one of the people for whom the events around inauguration, as well as the DEI rollbacks, were the final straw of motivation I needed to get uncomfortable and change my habits. I cancelled Amazon prime (and stopped shopping there unless I couldn't find something anywhere else) and gave up Target at the same time. That meant I had to find new places to get like 90% of my household goods.
It has certainly slowed down my consumption and that has probably saved me the most money of all. And it kind of feels good to have to think a little and even be creative about where I could find what I'm looking for. I realize that I'm very privileged in the fact that at the time, my town had a lot of options within close driving distance. I've since moved across the country and during that time, signed up for a month long free trial of Prime which I've cancelled before I got charged, just to help me out when I was in a new city and most of my stuff in storage. Figuring out where else to buy things is helping me get to know my new city better!
I did that too for my last 2 moves and it helped tremendously. My husband was against it because he didn't believe I would cancel it on time after having the convenience for a month, but I proved him wrong :)
I started using Amazon in 2000 when it was just books and shopped so much they gave me a free mug one year. I wish I had invested in it then. I find the proliferation of brands overwhelming and random so I don't use it for much. We have taken so much of the friction out of consumption that I think anywhere we can bring it back is probably a good thing.
I haven't really reduced my already minimal Amazon usage, but with all those changes I am bringing even more thoughts into my consumption in order to reduce the grip capitalism has on my brain and life... I also love that the budget-free approach allows us to be openly imperfectly trying new things, thanks for creating this space of growth!
I’m with you all the way, Dana; thanks for deftly steering the ship through the straights of perdition.
I, too, recently cancelled my Amazon Prime subscription, mainly because I think Jeff Bezos is as big a dick as his spacecraft looks.
Another perspective which maybe some readers here haven’t considered is that the entire economic system of the US is corrupt (and, for the most part, I believe that’s the case) and, thus, maybe it’s worth considering shedding all the trappings and making a new start in a country that values people over profits.
I moved to France six years ago, and am now a card-carrying resident. Put simply and succinctly, yes, France has its own problems, just like any place you might choose to live, but #1 on my list is that democracy is quite strong here and wealth inequality (more important than income; a topic for another conversation) is much lower than than most other western countries. Contrary to what right-wingers might say, France is capitalistic; in fact, France has several billionaires, too, including one in the top five world-wide (Bernard Arnault). But, there are about 1/5th as many billionaires as in the US per capita. That’s by design.
It’s not just philosophical, although if you’re worried about being arrested by mask-wearing ICE agents it may be more practical in nature. Lower inequality means the cost of living is lower. I’d say we’ve halved our typical expenses versus living in Colorado where I came from. Perhaps the most extreme example I can give is mobile phone service. The exact same service we get in the US that costs us $60/mo is $16/mo here. The difference is monopoly and regulatory power of corporations in the US—and I speak from experience, as my professional background is in the telecomm industry. Everything else, including health care, food, housing, insurance, etc., are lower here. The main thing that’s pointed to by right-wingers is the high cost of fuel. Yes, we have a car, but it’s a tiny model that gets 50 mpg, and now six years old with 17 kmi on the odometer: We hardly every drive it, because we don’t have to. Everything we need is within walking distance. What a concept.
When I die, France will take a substantial portion of my estate in taxes; no $23 M exclusion as in the US. Personally, I’m opposed to dynastic wealth, so that’s OK. And, in the mean time, I get to live a decent lifestyle for half the cost of the US. And I feel safe. C’est la vie!
Hi David, can I ask what you do for work? I studied abroad in France and loved the lifestyle changes, even as a single college student, I could tell something felt different. I’d love to just up and move there but there is much to consider - how to earn an income, missing my family members, missing the sense of “home” here even though the US has many issues.
I think that framing boycotting as an individual activity is an oversight. Boycotting is inherently communal, it takes a mass effort to be effective where, yes, every individual matters. I opt not to shop at a variety of places in order to live my values, and those are individual choices I make. A nation-wide boycott is absolutely not the same thing. There is a huge difference between saying “I will not apply a moral weight to those who rely on the convenience of Amazon” and straight up saying it doesn’t matter.
If you shop at Amazon because you face restrictions on where you can shop due to financial struggles, disability, or lack of other options within your community, I fully understand that sometimes our moral values are superseded by our material needs. You are not a bad person for it.
However, this greater movement? It matters. How we spend matters. Buying in excess on Amazon when you have the means to shop slower and at places that ensure all employees have a livable wage? That matters. Acting as though it doesn’t is not as empathetic as it is framed here. In saying it’s 100% okay to spend here whenever and however much you want is saying that the working conditions of the laborers Amazon exploits do not even factor in. Neither does the cost of the environment. There are nuanced ways to have this conversation and this absolutely isn’t it.
heya dana! i arrived to this post from an admittingly not very supportive comment because I know certain spaces of the internet attract people who have a hatred towards major capitalistic brands and ultra billionaires (very fair, not a fan either) but also a holier-than-thou moral high ground where they preach at gospel towards ppl for buying a t-shirt from zara.
i want you to know that i’ve enjoyed reading this perspective and am completely neutral towards it! i think we don’t need to have an opinion of everything - I suppose that’s my opinion, and I’ve the opinion that this is a brave, honest, and great piece and I’m glad through this process you’ve found more intentionality and focus in your spending. we will always find the best deal for ourselves, and best can look differently for different people, and this is a good view of that :))
still have my amazon prime membership. it is, unfortunately, too useful when I’m in a pinch for time and destinations. maybe the internet haters think I’m selfish and destroying the planet for getting a vacuum on two day delivery, but this dust isn’t going to clean itself (i’m still doing that)
Actually no. You don’t understand my comment, which makes sense given the massive anti-intellectual movement sweeping this country. Libraries are free, just as a suggestion…... If someone writes something, you’re allowed to engage with their writing. That’s not scolding. You sound very juvenile and politically immature, so I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you’re a child or a teenager.
People living in the West especially need accountability. I just don’t buy what I don’t absolutely need, I buy second hand, and I understand how capitalism functions and the need for all of our behaviors to change for the betterment of greater society and the world…if you think that suggests privilege, that’s projection, and again you really need to read a book or five.
Americans are so dense they can’t imagine an entire world filled with people who survive without online shopping. That there was a whole time in American history without online shopping….Critical thinking and history remain hard for people to grasp. American chauvinism and hegemonic thinking are a danger to everyone living in the Global South….i hope you all realize it sooner rather than later—-better than continuing with these fallacious claims that online shopping fulfills a human need.
I appreciated the permission in the original article and I appreciate the reflectiveness in this one. I was one of the people for whom the events around inauguration, as well as the DEI rollbacks, were the final straw of motivation I needed to get uncomfortable and change my habits. I cancelled Amazon prime (and stopped shopping there unless I couldn't find something anywhere else) and gave up Target at the same time. That meant I had to find new places to get like 90% of my household goods.
It has certainly slowed down my consumption and that has probably saved me the most money of all. And it kind of feels good to have to think a little and even be creative about where I could find what I'm looking for. I realize that I'm very privileged in the fact that at the time, my town had a lot of options within close driving distance. I've since moved across the country and during that time, signed up for a month long free trial of Prime which I've cancelled before I got charged, just to help me out when I was in a new city and most of my stuff in storage. Figuring out where else to buy things is helping me get to know my new city better!
I did that too for my last 2 moves and it helped tremendously. My husband was against it because he didn't believe I would cancel it on time after having the convenience for a month, but I proved him wrong :)
I started using Amazon in 2000 when it was just books and shopped so much they gave me a free mug one year. I wish I had invested in it then. I find the proliferation of brands overwhelming and random so I don't use it for much. We have taken so much of the friction out of consumption that I think anywhere we can bring it back is probably a good thing.
Oh my god give me a fucking break
I haven't really reduced my already minimal Amazon usage, but with all those changes I am bringing even more thoughts into my consumption in order to reduce the grip capitalism has on my brain and life... I also love that the budget-free approach allows us to be openly imperfectly trying new things, thanks for creating this space of growth!
“Openly imperfectly trying new things” YES!!
I’m with you all the way, Dana; thanks for deftly steering the ship through the straights of perdition.
I, too, recently cancelled my Amazon Prime subscription, mainly because I think Jeff Bezos is as big a dick as his spacecraft looks.
Another perspective which maybe some readers here haven’t considered is that the entire economic system of the US is corrupt (and, for the most part, I believe that’s the case) and, thus, maybe it’s worth considering shedding all the trappings and making a new start in a country that values people over profits.
I moved to France six years ago, and am now a card-carrying resident. Put simply and succinctly, yes, France has its own problems, just like any place you might choose to live, but #1 on my list is that democracy is quite strong here and wealth inequality (more important than income; a topic for another conversation) is much lower than than most other western countries. Contrary to what right-wingers might say, France is capitalistic; in fact, France has several billionaires, too, including one in the top five world-wide (Bernard Arnault). But, there are about 1/5th as many billionaires as in the US per capita. That’s by design.
It’s not just philosophical, although if you’re worried about being arrested by mask-wearing ICE agents it may be more practical in nature. Lower inequality means the cost of living is lower. I’d say we’ve halved our typical expenses versus living in Colorado where I came from. Perhaps the most extreme example I can give is mobile phone service. The exact same service we get in the US that costs us $60/mo is $16/mo here. The difference is monopoly and regulatory power of corporations in the US—and I speak from experience, as my professional background is in the telecomm industry. Everything else, including health care, food, housing, insurance, etc., are lower here. The main thing that’s pointed to by right-wingers is the high cost of fuel. Yes, we have a car, but it’s a tiny model that gets 50 mpg, and now six years old with 17 kmi on the odometer: We hardly every drive it, because we don’t have to. Everything we need is within walking distance. What a concept.
When I die, France will take a substantial portion of my estate in taxes; no $23 M exclusion as in the US. Personally, I’m opposed to dynastic wealth, so that’s OK. And, in the mean time, I get to live a decent lifestyle for half the cost of the US. And I feel safe. C’est la vie!
Hi David, can I ask what you do for work? I studied abroad in France and loved the lifestyle changes, even as a single college student, I could tell something felt different. I’d love to just up and move there but there is much to consider - how to earn an income, missing my family members, missing the sense of “home” here even though the US has many issues.
I think that framing boycotting as an individual activity is an oversight. Boycotting is inherently communal, it takes a mass effort to be effective where, yes, every individual matters. I opt not to shop at a variety of places in order to live my values, and those are individual choices I make. A nation-wide boycott is absolutely not the same thing. There is a huge difference between saying “I will not apply a moral weight to those who rely on the convenience of Amazon” and straight up saying it doesn’t matter.
If you shop at Amazon because you face restrictions on where you can shop due to financial struggles, disability, or lack of other options within your community, I fully understand that sometimes our moral values are superseded by our material needs. You are not a bad person for it.
However, this greater movement? It matters. How we spend matters. Buying in excess on Amazon when you have the means to shop slower and at places that ensure all employees have a livable wage? That matters. Acting as though it doesn’t is not as empathetic as it is framed here. In saying it’s 100% okay to spend here whenever and however much you want is saying that the working conditions of the laborers Amazon exploits do not even factor in. Neither does the cost of the environment. There are nuanced ways to have this conversation and this absolutely isn’t it.
heya dana! i arrived to this post from an admittingly not very supportive comment because I know certain spaces of the internet attract people who have a hatred towards major capitalistic brands and ultra billionaires (very fair, not a fan either) but also a holier-than-thou moral high ground where they preach at gospel towards ppl for buying a t-shirt from zara.
i want you to know that i’ve enjoyed reading this perspective and am completely neutral towards it! i think we don’t need to have an opinion of everything - I suppose that’s my opinion, and I’ve the opinion that this is a brave, honest, and great piece and I’m glad through this process you’ve found more intentionality and focus in your spending. we will always find the best deal for ourselves, and best can look differently for different people, and this is a good view of that :))
still have my amazon prime membership. it is, unfortunately, too useful when I’m in a pinch for time and destinations. maybe the internet haters think I’m selfish and destroying the planet for getting a vacuum on two day delivery, but this dust isn’t going to clean itself (i’m still doing that)
Actually no. You don’t understand my comment, which makes sense given the massive anti-intellectual movement sweeping this country. Libraries are free, just as a suggestion…... If someone writes something, you’re allowed to engage with their writing. That’s not scolding. You sound very juvenile and politically immature, so I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you’re a child or a teenager.
People living in the West especially need accountability. I just don’t buy what I don’t absolutely need, I buy second hand, and I understand how capitalism functions and the need for all of our behaviors to change for the betterment of greater society and the world…if you think that suggests privilege, that’s projection, and again you really need to read a book or five.
Americans are so dense they can’t imagine an entire world filled with people who survive without online shopping. That there was a whole time in American history without online shopping….Critical thinking and history remain hard for people to grasp. American chauvinism and hegemonic thinking are a danger to everyone living in the Global South….i hope you all realize it sooner rather than later—-better than continuing with these fallacious claims that online shopping fulfills a human need.