Kicking the Amazon habit

Ah, Amazon Prime! A quick search, press a few buttons, and anything – ANYTHING – will be delivered to your door in hours or days. It was an easy habit to get into, particularly in the weeks after my daughter was born. It was a bitterly cold winter, the sidewalks were iced over, my body was still recovering, and there were so many things I had no idea I needed until the moment I needed them. And so it began.

I’m not unique nor even particularly bad in my online shopping habit, by any means. Overall, I think I buy less than many others, though not enough to qualify as a true minimalist. Still, living in small apartments, and the experience of decluttering, has taught me to be careful about what I acquire, to ask myself if I will truly use an item, if the space it takes up will be worthwhile, if I’ll be putting it out on the sidewalk the next time I do a thorough cleaning.

Yet, I still use Amazon to buy new toys, books, and necessities for my daughter, along with other things, from gifts to household items. And I do most of my clothes shopping online, not usually from Amazon, but on other sites that require packaging and shipping, which amounts to the same thing.

So, from now on, before I buy anything online, I’m going to ask myself two questions:

1. Can I buy this locally, from somewhere that I can bike, walk, or take public transit to?
2. Do I need it so urgently, or have so little time to shop locally, that it justifies delivery?

I started yesterday, by buying running gear from JackRabbit Sports, and a book from the Community Bookstore. (Normally, I read as much as I can in my Kindle, to reduce paper waste and clutter and because I love reading as I fall asleep, but I wanted to be able to pass this book on to others after I’m done.)

On the other hand, I ordered a game from Amazon a couple of days ago because I was – let’s face it – too lazy to call around to see if anyone was selling it. The challenge for me is likely going to be those items that are easy to find online, but hard to know where to look for in the local stores.

Reducing paper mail

Nothing feels more wasteful than getting the mail, only to immediately throw half – or more – of it away.

The last time we moved, I used CatalogChoice to opt-out of as many catalogs as I could, especially ones going to our old address! Since then, the number and variety of catalogs we get has been creeping up again, and it’s time to get back to work opting out of them.

Starting today, when I want to throw an item out immediately upon receiving it, I’m going to save it, and once a week I’ll go through the pile and add the catalogs to my CatalogChoice opt-out list. By collecting all the junk mail in one place each week, I should also be able to note progress as the pile should shrink over time!

Flyers and fundraising solicitations are tricky. It seems like those require a phone call to the organization. I’m going to start with the NWF and Tanglewood, both organizations that I’ve made donations and purchases from, but don’t need mailings. (It particularly irks me to get solicitations from environmental organizations!)

This site, DMA Choice, allows you to take your name and address off of lists that various catalog, magazine, and direct mail companies use to try to get new customers and subscribers. It only takes a minute (and $2) to remove yourself from all the lists. However, if you purchase something from a company, this won’t prevent you from getting catalogs and offers from them.

I don’t get many credit card offers, but Opt Out Pre-Screen lets you opt-out of them for 5 years (if you do it electronically) or permanently (if you do it by mail). For now, since I’m not near a printer, I went with the 5 year option.

Accountability

1. Taking public transit instead of a taxi when out late.
2. Using cloth napkins instead of paper, and cloth to clean up instead of paper towel.
3. Getting off of catalog lists, and reducing junk mail of all kinds.
4. Actually using my re-usable mug at school (instead of paper cups).
5. Kicking the Amazon habit: buying from local stores, that I reach by bike, on foot, or on public transit, instead of ordering online.
6. Eating less red meat, and then…
7. Eating less meat of all kinds, and maybe…
8. Becoming vegetarian (again).
9. Exploring the world without flying.
10. Offsetting carbon from flying.
11. Line-drying instead of the dryer.
12. Buying secondhand instead of new clothing.
13. Creating notepads from wasted paper (at school).
14. Growing herbs.
15. Kicking the meal-kit habit.
16. Going one month without buying any plastic bottles, and then…
17. Going three months without buying any plastic bottles, and then…
18. Going a whole year with none!