Wednesday, December 10, 2014

I Am A Consumer.

I can tell it's Christmas season by the sheer number of packages appearing in my mailbox.
 
And, you know, the lights and decorations and the fact that it's December. But let's stick with the online shopping for a moment.
 
Oh, xkcd. You have a comic for everything.
 
I love online shopping. I love the prices. I love being able to peruse and come back later. And since a "quick run to town" will almost always end up being at least a three-hour deal, I love the convenience.
 
But most of all, I love that it keeps me from spending money.
 
Kind of counterintuitive, but hear me out.
 
I have come to realize that I am a reckless consumer. Not just "stuff" -- there are also lattes, snacks, and the ever-present catch of "just one more thing for Shorty and I'm done." As I consume ... just about everything, a trip into town very quickly turns into a late-morning coffee, the necessary shopping, lunch somewhere, and if I linger too long, a beer elsewhere.
 
It would help if there was something I didn't like, but seriously -- coffee, tea, soda, beer, wine, just about all food ever known -- I consume it all.
 
Too much detail! Okay.
 
Shopping online means that when all is said and done, the odds are much better that I only have what I was actually looking for. No impulse buys as I approach the counter. No extra pounds because I can't say no to a mall pretzel. [Seriously, what do they put on those things?! ... Don't answer that.]
 
And while there are certain risks -- like running out of time on a return because that's the wrong size and oh no it's December 20th -- the ease of it for this backwoods girl is hard to ignore. Particularly since sometimes my only free time is at 11PM, long after everything but Walmart has closed.
 
Besides. Amazon is frequently cheaper. And then maybe I can spring for that necklace I've been eyeing...


... Everything.

No comments: