Ugh — I Ordered Something on Amazon Prime Day
by Katy on July 13, 2023 · 40 comments
I try not to buy brand new stuff, and I especially try to keep my Bezos related purchases to an absolute minimum. So when Prime Day came along I wasn’t exactly rushing to my computer to scope out the alleged bargains.
Instead I went about my day as I normally would, which happened to include pulling all my kitchen dishes so I could wipe down the grimy shelves. Which of course slippery sloped into a reorganizing and decluttering project. Very satisfying.
This one thing to Goodwill, that one for Buy Nothing and even a few pieces set aside for when my son no longer shares a kitchen with three roommates and will need more supplies.
One thing became abundantly clear though, which is that some areas in my kitchen were organized by low level monkeys. Specifically, the mug area had too much dead space. My sister (who just bought a house) lets my family use her Prime account and I’ve been observing her kitchen organizing purchases with shock and awe. Her kitchen is going to be an organizational marvel, the likes of which not seen since Tutankhamen’s 5000 burial objects. We should all bow down.
I knew there’d be a product designed for my precise problem. I suppose I could’ve looked an another website, but I didn’t. I opened my laptop and found an item precisely designed to double stack mugs and clicked “Buy Now” and slunk back to the kitchen. On effing Prime Day.
I hate Jeff Bezos, but I’m an imperfect person. Oh well, at least my mug storage will reflect my homo sapien organizational skills.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
Click HERE to follow The Non-Consumer Advocate on Instagram.
Click HERE to join The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group.
P.S. Please enjoy that I don’t post affiliate Amazon links. Never an Amazon link.
Like this post? Then please share it with your friends!
Like this:
Like Loading...
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
Know that you can use it forever, and that is ok, and your life is a little more comfortable now.
I have a cupboard plate rack that holds plates in three stacks rather than just one giant stack, probably from Target, probably closer to 40 years old rather than 30, probably purchased when I watched my money carefully, probably has worked out to about 25 cents a year, probably will outlive me when that cost has gone down even more and it someday goes in a yard sale. Great purchase.
I also avoid Amazon whenever possible.
Me three as well as Walmart whenever I can (some Rx are less expensive and less gas for an unexpected item (read during the work day) is about it).
The place where I bought my plate/bowl “stacker” is out of business I think (or at least left my state). But unless one is being really rough and careless), they too will likely outlive me.
I have this organizer and love it. I hope it works as well for you as it has for us. Oh, and I looked for one everywhere before I bought it from Amazon. Don’t be too harsh on you. I believe it’s what you do most days that really counts, not what you do rarely.
Not just with shopping, but with everything in life.
I try to not use Amazon also.
I use the stacking cup racks from my grandmother’s house so probably circa 1950’s. They are metal covered with a heavy red plastic/vinyl stuff . They are precious because they do the job and they were my grandmas.
JC
Those sound cute!
Red kitchen items seem to be rather rare and usually vintage? My parents had a red dish drainer, which I have not seen elsewhere.
I still have a frosting (icing) spreader with a sturdy red plastic handle from a set my parents had received as a wedding gift in 1947. It’s the perfect size and it’s precious because it reminds me of them.
I inherited all of my maternal grandmother’s kitchen utensils and mixing bowls. They have to be at least 60 or more years old. But I still use them every day and think of her each time I do.
I try not to be store specific because I need to focus on my budget and stay loyal to my budget, so the price being best at one store is what will lead me to buy the product there. Not everything is easy to get for free or cheap, so kudos to you for hopefully sourcing the best price if you do have to purchase something new.
I am not a prime member and don’t normally purchase on Prime day. However, my 10 year old weed whacker needs replaced, I bought the same brand with a leaf blower and bush trimmer, with two battery packs and a charger for about $200. It was a good bundle deal, they ship it to my house, and yea…I’m good with it.
I also was sent a $15 off $50 chewy coupon and decided to use it last night to order cat food. Plus free shipping as the order was originally $50 before coupon. I’ll take it. It’s a better price than if I bought in store.
Money is such a juggling act!!!
It really is.
Sometimes you simply cannot find what you need used. I go to thrift stores frequently. I rarely see those wire covered organizer shelves. I have some that I bought new. Don’t remember where I bought them, but they were new. I usually shop in brick & mortar stores. I like to examine what I want to buy. I think a useful purchase even though it was bought on the “hated” Amazon. (I’m mad at Amazon right now for closing down my account due to lack of use. I had some GC on my account.)
As I live rural, and the closest town has 2 wal-marts, Fred Meyer and a Target,which I don’t care for, I do shop Amazon alot more than before covid. Gas is pushing $5 a gallon again, and its never a sure thing, those above mentioned stores will have what I want.
I do have 3 little thrift shops that I shop at.
Love the wire rack, I’ve thought about that for my spices. I double stack, and they tend to tumble, when I’m looking for something
I’m beginning to see how needs are manufactured. I suddenly decided I need that cup stacker.
Sorry. I guess I have to change my moniker to “The Consumer Advocate.”
Don’t – it is totally acceptable garner ideas/suggestions/options from others. If a cup stacker keeps your cups from chipping or breaking, that ain’t all bad.
No, don’t change a thing! Most of us have needed or wanted that one thing to make life a little easier and have succumbed to the pull! You and others here can safely say we are 99.999999999999……..(into infinity) % Non Consumers.
“The Imperfect But Still Nonconsumer Advocate” 😀
Appreciate this post. I’ve done the same consuming when absolutely necessary. You are forgiven!
In case you need more, I have been able to find 6-8 of these at thrift, Salvation Army, and Goodwill stores over the last year.
You barely buy anything. Just think of it as your birthday and Xmas present for the next 5 years. Juuuusst kidding. Enjoy it. As I was reading your post I started thinking I needed that shelf thingy, too. But then I said I could only buy it if I pulled everything out of the cabinets and reorganized and wiped the shelves, and I am feeling way too lazy for that. Lolz.
I purchased 3 amazon prime deals but they have been on my list for a long time and they were great deals. A robot vac, a small hand held but plug in (it has a lot of power) pet vac which can also be used in the cars. And generic ear buds for me when I walk. I’m not a big consumer and these items weren’t exactly lavish so I’m okay with it!
The low level monkeys made me laugh out loud I think they work at my house as well! And, on a sidenote, I’m so glad that your posts are more frequent these days. I really enjoy them and your writing.
Thank you!
I’m mad at Chase and Amazon now, too: As I think I’ve said in a previous comment, Chase shut down our Amazon Prime Visa card faster than you can say “Jeff Bezos” when I phoned to report DH’s death as the primary cardholder, even though I’ve been an authorized user for years and even though we never missed a payment. You’d think they **wanted** to lose business. Oh, well, at least our unused Amazon points were credited on the final bill, which was a small consolation prize.
Capital One canceled my card in a flash after my DH died- exact same scenario. Never late, always paid in full, & I was an authorized user. I was so angry, as there were airline miles on it. They reimbursed with a check, but it was so galling during such a fraught time. I now get offers to come back- never in a million years!!!
Bank of America decided my husband was dead and closed his credit card – and he was just fine! Lol It was pretty weird calling their Estate Department.
I order from Amazon. Not a fan of JB either. But I do enjoy
The thought that when I order Jeff is working for me. Ok,
there are many holes in this thinking, but in my world, it
works!
“Jeff is working for me” – love it!
We had one of those shelves for 25 years in the coat closet of 2 different homes to better store hats and gloves. Moved it to our new home and it is now in a clothes closet! They are versatile but I sure don’t remember where I bought it. I do shop Amazon mostly for consumables with the thought that every supply chain has its people I would rather not deal with or enrich. After this move it has been better than frequently driving to different stores that say they have items and then finding they don’t! Happily there is a Buy Nothing group here which has me very happy. Must do a day of checking out the close by thrift stores.
Storage type items sell out immediately at thrift stores. I looked for ages in the Goodwills and on eBay for the same kind of shelf that Katy finally had to buy and wound up buying an undershelf rack from the Home Goods store instead. It was the only thing that would work in the small amount of otherwise wasted space I desperately needed to use inside a kitchen cupboard.
The kitchen of our old house was modernized by a flipper before we bought it and they saved money by putting in the bare minimum of shelves in the cheap cabinets. So we have had to rejigger things over the years with free-standing shelves or cut our own. We often thank Heaven they left the rest of the house pretty much untouched.
I hear you about buying homes where poor remodeling decisions were made. Our new house has no pantry cupboard and the linen and coat closets were removed. Good thing it’s just two of us and we don’t have that much stuff. Still, storage expanders have been bought in the few months we have lived here.
I’ve bought many organizing gizmos at Goodwill through the years, as well as curb picking them. It’s just that the item I wanted was so specific and I wasn’t feeling patient.
You recently asked for opinions about Aldi. This is just the kind of thing that Aldi carries from time to time, and this is the time! This week their “stuff” aisle is all dorm room and organizers. I bought a set of those for $7.99 and immediately put them to work in my small kitchen- we recently downsized and it’s a project.
You know, I didn’t actually go down the stuff aisle, as we were shopping for airplane snacks. Maybe I should have!
Oh don’t be too hard on yourself…wink, I say this because I, too fell off the No Prime Purchases wagon. I do live 30 minutes from the nearest stores, I purchased a pair of deeply discounted safety goggles and then found the exact same ones at a garage sale with the stickers still on them for $1, so returning the $10 pair. I also bought 2 underthings for 60% off the last price I paid. I bought the rewiring kit for my livestock trailer, I tried to get it at the manufacturer for a 1-3 month wait and twice the price. Back to our regularly scheduled program of No Prime Purchases!
If you were closer, I could have easily gifted you two of those – and still have a handful left here! I asked my mom to get me ONE of those – and she brought my 5 two packs of them from TJ Maxx (the were $6.99 each). Then she refused to take them back, or give me the receipt, and ripped the tags off – so I still have them. She has a terrible habit of getting more than I need (along with stuff I DO NOT need), and insisting that I *need* it – and it really irritates me. I have a whole pile in my basement of stuff to organize a kitchen. She redid her kitchen, and then didn’t want her “old” organization stuff . . . she wanted NEW. I have enough stuff to organize three kitchens here. Its ridiculous! I don’t understand why she had to buy new, and then she dumped all her unwanted junk off on me – after I told her NO repeatedly. I had also redid my kitchen, but I was trying to have less . . . not more. And here I am, with all this organization stuff! I had finally got rid of all the unwanted school supplies she dumped off on me (I gave away a HUGE box to a lady homeschooling 4 kids). Its neverending, and frustrating for me. She is currently mad at me for telling her to not bring me stuff . . . she has no boundaries. She has no concept of space. She wants to fill my house, and then gets mad that I give stuff away, that she gave me. Anyone else have parents like this, or is it just me??? Thanks for letting me vent!
Oh dear. Sounds like a Helicopter/Hoarder Hybrid. Keep giving it away, you’re under no obligation to let that stuff weigh you down. When she asks about it, feign delight at how it’s living its best life fulfilling someone’s need?
I don’t like JB either, but there aren’t a lot of choices where I live, and sometimes I need to fill the need and move on.
Said the woman who was yelling at the NPR Walton Foundation halo schpiel this morning: “You could start by paying living wages!!”