I caved. On December 30, I bought a book from Amazon that was 80% off ($35.55 versus $175). Mad Dreams and Monsters on effects artist Phil Tippett. It’s $126.56 on Thriftbooks and the book has been on my wishlist since it came out (I met Phil in 2014). I did buy it with a Christmas Amazon gift card I received, so technically I didn’t spend the money. But, that card could have gone towards household needs rather than wants.
I know we’ll both enjoy the book, so I’m fine with the purchase. I realize that this is not so much about not buying but more about not being intentional in purchasing. It still resets the clock, but I had a pretty good run. Our finances have never been better and I only “slowed my roll” for two months. I was spending between $800 – $1200 a month on Amazon. We spent $9614 on Amazon last year. $1800 was categorized as fun, but I don’t know that I’m always honest. Is an avocado knife fun or kitchen? Probably a bit of both but definitely a waste.