We Need Speed Bumps (re: Online Shopping)

Hear that jingling sound?

That’s right friends. 

Christmas is exactly two budget-committee meetings away and our wallets are collectively cringing. Funny how a holiday that started as a pagan celebration of impending spring then morphed into a celebration of a dude who denounced materialism has led us here. But that’s a different kind of newsletter. 

I don’t know about you, but after the holidays I feel like I just ran a financial and social sprint. I’m tired, grumpy, and looking forward to spring break when I don’t have to buy anything and I can travel wherever I darn well please. That’s such a shame. If we slowed things down a bit during this time, I wonder if we might feel a little differently. What if we tried to aim for a marathon pace instead? 

Speaking of slowing things down, did you know that the speed bump wasn’t invented until the 1950s? Automobiles finally got fast enough and prolific enough to start killing people regularly. Our technology outpaced our biology and we needed to put some safety measures in place. (Social media… I’m lookin’ at you.) I’ve found myself thinking about whether  we shouldn have similar things in place around online shopping. 

I LOVE online shopping. Who doesn’t?! A lightbulb breaks, you get invited to a party where you know you’ll see your ex, BookTok convinces you that this is the best historical romance of the year? Well, lucky you. That halogen bulb, that sexy dress, that book can be on your doorstep within literal hours. How wild is that? 

Do you want to know how much I’ve spent on Amazon-shipped products alone this year? Gulp. ::peeks through fingers at YNAB::

$12,598. 

I am not proud but I am also not surprised. 

Hyper-speed is no one's friend when it comes to financial decisions. But companies aren’t dumb. They know the more they grease the road toward their product or service, the better. For them. 

Now, am I telling you that you should abandon online shopping altogether? Of course not. I’m not a monster. And I’m trying my best not to be a hypocrite too. What I’m asking you to consider is installing a speed bump for yourself. 

Put things in your cart for 48 hours. 24 hours. I would bet my already-spent money that move alone would have shaved off 25% of that $12k in Amazon spending. Print out a little sticky sign that you put on the top of your laptop that says “GO SLOW.” Delete the saved credit card information in Google (sneaky sneaky) so you have to manually enter it every time. I don’t care how you do it but give it a try. See what happens. 

I’m going to leave you with a question. 

What kind of speed bump would be the most effective for you? Tell me. No literally, hit reply and tell me. 

I’ll go first. My plan this month is to go to Target instead. If I want it that badly, I can make the step to drive for it. Instant gratification be damned!