4 ms·

I'm not too proud to admit that a large number of my amazon purchases are low-price impulse buys. I'd imagine I'm far from alone in this.

Yhippa 10y ago
An reason I used to use to stop that behavior in myself was "oh, it will take a few days to get here". It's difficult to use that logic these days. If one day Amazon could get it to me in an hour without extra fees I'm in trouble.
- lucasmullens 10y ago
  Is getting it to you in 2 hours without extra fees not good enough? I feel like we're basically there. https://primenow.amazon.com/ https://primenow.amazon.com/
  - grahamburger 10y ago
    That's a pretty short list of US cities to make the claim 'basically there.' https://primenow.amazon.com/onboard?sourceUrl=%2F https://primenow.amazon.com/onboard?sourceUrl=%2F It's too bad they haven't expanded faster - Walmart just barely rolled out their curb side pickup service where I live - if Amazon had made it here with same day delivery even just a few months ago we'd be customers for life, but as it is we'll probably stick with Walmart for groceries even when Amazon does eventually get here. (better the devil you know, etc.)
pc86 10y ago
Amazon and Steam are really the only places I impulse buy. I'm sure if you totaled up my Amazon purchases and my Steam library it's cost me thousands.
- Zikes 10y ago
  You can total up one of those here: https://steamdb.info/calculator/ https://steamdb.info/calculator/
- sosborn 10y ago
  I find that interesting because Amazon is a "no impulse buy zone" for me. Everything I buy there is meticulously planned. It is probably an effect of living in Hawaiʻi - shipping can kill a good deal very quickly (and Amazon, while I'm at it, you know where I live - stop telling me that the item is free to ship when it isn't!).
  - rdrey 10y ago
    Amazon doesn't deliver most physical things to my (current) home, so all of my purchases are Kindle (impulse) buys. I'm guessing that for a lot of international readers the Kindle Store is the most important part of Amazon.
  - vocatus_gate 10y ago
    I'm working in Antarctica and everything takes at minimum 3-4 weeks to arrive (often 6) after ordering, so it's really taken the starch out of impulse buys.
    - kirubakaran 10y ago
      Did you buy Minecraft by any chance? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11822993 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11822993
      - vocatus_gate 10y ago
        I didn't, but it's most likely at McMurdo (the largest U.S. base on the continent).
- FussyZeus 10y ago
  Oh man Steam sales cause ramen dinners in our house. The Wife and I are equally guilty.
marblar 10y ago
I solved this problem by putting it on the wishlist and buying everything I still want at the end of the week.

Yhippa 10y ago

An reason I used to use to stop that behavior in myself was "oh, it will take a few days to get here". It's difficult to use that logic these days. If one day Amazon could get it to me in an hour without extra fees I'm in trouble.

lucasmullens 10y ago
Is getting it to you in 2 hours without extra fees not good enough? I feel like we're basically there. https://primenow.amazon.com/ https://primenow.amazon.com/
- grahamburger 10y ago
  That's a pretty short list of US cities to make the claim 'basically there.' https://primenow.amazon.com/onboard?sourceUrl=%2F https://primenow.amazon.com/onboard?sourceUrl=%2F It's too bad they haven't expanded faster - Walmart just barely rolled out their curb side pickup service where I live - if Amazon had made it here with same day delivery even just a few months ago we'd be customers for life, but as it is we'll probably stick with Walmart for groceries even when Amazon does eventually get here. (better the devil you know, etc.)

pc86 10y ago

Amazon and Steam are really the only places I impulse buy. I'm sure if you totaled up my Amazon purchases and my Steam library it's cost me thousands.

Zikes 10y ago
You can total up one of those here: https://steamdb.info/calculator/ https://steamdb.info/calculator/
sosborn 10y ago
I find that interesting because Amazon is a "no impulse buy zone" for me. Everything I buy there is meticulously planned. It is probably an effect of living in Hawaiʻi - shipping can kill a good deal very quickly (and Amazon, while I'm at it, you know where I live - stop telling me that the item is free to ship when it isn't!).
- rdrey 10y ago
  Amazon doesn't deliver most physical things to my (current) home, so all of my purchases are Kindle (impulse) buys. I'm guessing that for a lot of international readers the Kindle Store is the most important part of Amazon.
- vocatus_gate 10y ago
  I'm working in Antarctica and everything takes at minimum 3-4 weeks to arrive (often 6) after ordering, so it's really taken the starch out of impulse buys.
  - kirubakaran 10y ago
    Did you buy Minecraft by any chance? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11822993 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11822993
    - vocatus_gate 10y ago
      I didn't, but it's most likely at McMurdo (the largest U.S. base on the continent).
FussyZeus 10y ago
Oh man Steam sales cause ramen dinners in our house. The Wife and I are equally guilty.

marblar 10y ago

I solved this problem by putting it on the wishlist and buying everything I still want at the end of the week.