I woke early in spite of having a gummy at 8:30 last night and being in bed at 10:00. It was an uncomfortable sleep; the kind where I know I was asleep, but only just barely. I woke just around 3:00a.m. and within 10 minutes felt a nap was in order. That will come this afternoon, surely.
One of the first posts I saw on Facebook when I opened it was from a local online friend. He’s been through a lot of crap and in recent days is recovering from the horrible storm we had a month or so ago. The place he lived had significant damage and he is now in the process of securing a different sort of abode. That, of course, is entirely his own story to share, but I was struck by one section of his post: (I have edited it down for brevity and relevance.)
I am spoiled by Amazon prime. As I plan the [work ahead], I order with deliveries the next day. The [supplies and materials] were all ordered and delivered overnight. Correction. I ordered the [supplies] this morning and they were delivered this afternoon.
The Amazon warehouse system is a marvel to behold. For an older human with no vehicle, the ability to purchase most non-food items without leaving the home, having it the next day, is absolutely fabulous. I can have a car or I can have what I need, I just can’t do both. How to survive on a micro budget.
I feel this, on several levels.
I’m not going to go heavily into the arguments about modern shopping, Big Box vs. Mom & Pop, online or in-person, self-checkout vs. full cashier service, etc., etc. Those arguments are, in my opinion, a waste of time and rarely convince those who make other choices.
I will say here that I was blocked on Facebook by someone who posted about the evils of using self-checkout. I commented I almost always use self-checkout and gave my reasons. My comment was clear in the use of “I” statements; i.e., my experiences, my reasons, and not a bit about what others should do. That person was highly offended and took it as a personal and deliberate insult. Fuck that noise. I have no need to coddle people so invested in minor details of living, especially the details of someone else’s personal life.
For an older person with limited funds and limited mobility access to physically go places, certain services have become an essential part of my existence — things like Amazon Prime, Instacart (for groceries), DoorDash (for restaurant food delivery), or Lyft/Uber (for rides to or from places), and several other similar services.
Yes, these services do cost money. It would cost even more money if I had a car and all of its related expenses — car note, insurance, gas, tires, oil, maintenance, parking fees to go certain places. When it comes to groceries, I have the choice to walk to and from Kroger (not advisable at my age and condition, and in this Texas heat), OR use Lyft/Uber to get there, OR use Kroger’s delivery service (which is silly because they just call Instacart anyway), OR can use Instacart. There is a slight upcharge when using Instacart, but it is less than if I used Lyft to get there since hiring a ride to get to Kroger would be around $25.00 for round trip, probably more when I add in a tip. Even including a tip for Instacart shoppers, it’s still less money, in my opinion. Plus, by using Instacart, I’m not roaming the aisles wearing myself out and resisting impulse purchases.
Similar for Amazon Prime. Besides the online entertainment options and other benefits, using Amazon Prime to get what I need saves me time, money, and energy that I would expend by going to a physical store.
At my age, it is obvious that shopping is not the same as when I was a kid. Some people want to make it a political statement or argue environmental impact or plead for workers, etc. I can’t change the world or make grand statements about other people’s habits. I do what I do in the way I do because it reduces stress.
And I absolutely don’t think I am “spoiled” by how things work these days. Without such access, I would be very dependent on others to take me here and there, or do other things for me. I am very resistant to the idea of becoming dependent on others for my regular daily needs. And there are others who earn their money by providing these services. The so-called gig-economy, staffed by gig workers, is here to stay.
Like I said, I can’t comment on how others choose to manage their lives. I have to do what works best for me, first.
I love Amazon Prime! Being out in the boonies makes it hard to get a variety of items. It saves me lots of gas and time.