Amazon Prime Addiction

So it’s nearly that time of the year when i panic as a self employed person and have to file my taxes and generally sort out what i’ve been spending…and holy smokes…do i have an amazon prime problem.

I have been spending between £200-450 a month on Amazon prime this year… and i have to be honest that i’m not really sure what on. I buy endless books, mnay of which don’t get read…I buy bits and pieces for the house… I buy stuff for projects i’m working on…bits for bikes…often ‘useful’ stuff that i feel is justified in life.

Does anyone else have this problem? Is it time seriously to pull the plug?

Good lord. If your spending that much and not sure what on then yes, pull the plug.

I’ve a colleague who’s had various addition issues over the years but now get their little endorphin hit relatively harmlessly from a) buying useless tat from amazon and the excitement of the box turning up and b) returning bits of useless tat to amazon and getting the excitement from a little ‘ding’ on their phone when money gets refunded into their account.

If you are buying stuff you don’t want or need then Amazon is absolutely incidental in that. You’re just bored.  The only difference is all the transactions on your statement say ‘amazon’ instead of any other (or any number of other) retailers.

I can’t say I had an addiction as such but I when I used Prime I was buying carelessly, just because it was so easy. Need half a dozen AAA batteries? Prime. Some dried butter beans I forgot to pick up in Tesco? Prime. It was just too easy and justified to myself partly because there was no additional postage cost and I was getting more use out of my membership.

I cancelled the membership and buy a lot less from Amazon and probably also overall. Still miss it though!

I used to be bad for it, because it is so easy to click and then it shows up quickly with no effort whatsoever, but I can’t support billionaires anymore. Hoarding that much wealth isn’t good business, it’s inexcusably vile and we all pay the price.

https://mkorostoff.github.io/1-pixel-wealth/

What about taking any linked bank cards off Amazon Prime? I basically use Amazon list as a list of books, odd DIY bits etc that i would like, but don’t need, so you it as a list or reminder.

Then if i do want to buy that thing, i shop around first and try and go independent if i can, and not just automatically get it from there?

I’m not sure I understand. Surely you’re only noticing the amount because it’s all bundled under one retailer/basket rather than being split across multiple, smaller baskets?

My sister lives in a block of flats in London and one of her downstairs neighbours frequently has a delivery of probably six or seven Amazon boxes outside the door.

It’s a bit sad really, the flats aren’t big and accumulating that much stuff is going to make your life worse, not better.

My sister lives in a block of flats in London and one of her downstairs neighbours frequently has a delivery of probably six or seven Amazon boxes outside the door.

My neighbours – an elderly couple who barely leave their house – have a daughter who seems to use her parents house as a delivery address, presumably cos she’s out at work.

There are parcels being delivered every day. The couple are on first name terms with every delivery driver in the neighbourhood. So! Much! Stuff!

We probably have a Prime delivery at least every other day. We’re busy and have young kids so the convenience is priceless. 50% probably goes back and sometimes they let you just keep low value stuff.

Noticing your Amazon Prime problem a week before Black Friday presents its own challenge. Just order whatever presents you need from them and cancel Prime, because at least the cost of the postage will make you pause.

blaming amazon for a shopping addiction is like an alcoholic blaming the supermarket for selling alcohol.

I’ve tried supporting my local retailers but frankly they are useless so I won’t miss them when they are gone. I won’t be giving up my prime subscription any time soon.

I don’t mind supporting my local shops (it was great when Screwfix opened a branch just around the corner). However, I’m not expecting them to have anywhere near the range of goods I can order online. I can always try to avoid Amazon of course but then I’m either paying extra for delivery to the Scottish Highlands or they won’t deliver at all.

I’ve tried supporting my local retailers but frankly they are useless so I won’t miss them when they are gone. I won’t be giving up my prime subscription any time soon.

The problem, though, is that often the little convenient things you buy from Amazon Prime are vastly overpriced. In the summer I found myself needing some Garen Ties to support my tomatoes and chillies – I went onto Amazon and they were around £4 a go.  I ended up walking into town and getting the identical things for £1 from PoundLand.

I cancelled my Prime when Bezos actively stopped the WSJ from endorsing Harris. Its probably saved me about £150 of purchases since then which is a plus as well. As many have said it was just too easy to buy stuff that you didn’t actually need or could get locally. If you have to go to a bit of trouble to get something then you only get what you need.

things you buy from Amazon Prime are vastly overpriced

On some occasions, yes, but in that example you’re paying a £3 delivery charge on top of a £1 item. Factor in the bus or car if you can’t walk it, and Bezo’s your uncle.

Is it time seriously to pull the plug?

on the surface, yes. But are these things proving useful; and can you afford them? If yes and yes, I guess it’s less vital.

I obviously don’t experience quite the same issue, but definitely enjoy the thrill of finding just the right thing. I’ve gone down the route of focusing on trickier to get things though – CDs that are no longer produced and were only ever released in limited quantities, at sensible prices; books at decent secondhand prices etc. It makes it more satisfying knowing I’ve not paid through the nose for it.

Latest purchase was a new Japanese import CD of Skeewiff’s Greatest Wiffs – mainly for the track ‘Delta Dawn’

I don’t mind supporting my local shops (it was great when Screwfix opened a branch just around the corner).

I don’t really class Screwfix in the local store category.

Had a similar issue. I broke it somewhat by having it delivered to an Amazon locker – then if I didn’t pick it up it was returned for a refund, with no effort. Not a long term solution but after not picking up two books I really wanted at 9pm on a Sunday, but no longer wanted the following morning it helped me break they one-click purchase cycle.

“I don’t really class Screwfix in the local store category”

Why not? It employs local people, you have physical premises to chat to people about stuff and discuss issues (my two local branches are super helpful and I know the staff quite well. One of them is my neighbours son who loves working there so the conditions can’t be too bad either.

Crucially it is also owned by a UK FT listed entity (Kingfisher PLC) which pays the requisite amount of UK tax.

I don’t really class Screwfix in the local store category.

:-). They are literally my most local store. I can the roof from my house. I mean, I could avoid using them and drive to Inverness and back for that tap washer, assuming there’s a shop in Inverness that has the right size. I’m most likely, in that case, to end up in B&Q but I’m guessing they don’t count as a local store either?

I mean relative to my CRC/Wiggle firesale addiction last year, I really can’t judge OPs spending but then that at least had an end point

spending between £200-450 a month on Amazon prime

That’s more than I earn!

 I could avoid using them and drive to Inverness and back for that tap washer, assuming there’s a shop in Inverness that has the right size.m I’m most likely, in that case, to end up in B&Q but I’m guessing they don’t count as a local store either?

For gods sake man the very first shop you see is Highland Industrial Supplies! Why drive past them to get to B&Q

You’d get your washer – once you’ve negotiated the maze – and you’d also come out with a ghillie suit, a trouser press and an anecdote.

Why not?

they have an app that is up to date with stock levels, if they don’t have stock they will get it within a day or so and actually notify me.

everything that my ‘local’ stores don’t and I live in a reasonable size market town.

you’d also come out with a ghillie suit, a trouser press and an anecdote.

Exactly 🙂

On some occasions, yes, but in that example you’re paying a £3 delivery charge on top of a £1 item. Factor in the bus or car if you can’t walk it, and Bezo’s your uncle.

Well yes, I was just highlighting that sometimes things are not the bargain you think they are, and convenience can come at a price.

Definitely; hard agree.

Am guilty of not using my legs when I very much should!

they might be ruthless moneygrabbers, but they do have a decent deal on the nicest allen keys around..

We probably have a Prime delivery at least every other day. We’re busy and have young kids so the convenience is priceless. 50% probably goes back and sometimes they let you just keep low value stuff.

How can you order stuff that you don’t know for certain you want to keep? I am baffled but surely we all pay the price for this.

I last used Amazon in September because I usually find the things I want are substantially cheaper on Ebay or by looking for the Amazon sellers own website but I would only ever return something if it was faulty

How can you order stuff that you don’t know for certain you want to keep? I am baffled but surely we all pay the price for this.

Well, i can believe a bit of buyer’s remorse, the odd thing that’s the wrong size and things that are just not up to scratch but consistently returning 50%?

That’s just mad.

I can relate to the OP as I regularly scan sites like hotukdeals for “bargains” which I don’t really need.

The are certain items like bike lights, multitools (both bike and Leatherman type), USB chargers and other gadgets that I will buy if something I fancy comes along despite having perfectly good items already.

There is definitely a “hit” associated with it and Amazon Prime makes the purchase very simple. I have reduced this over the past year but still have a bot of an issue with it if I am totally honest.

It’s like something out of Brave New World on here at times…