To feel bad for using amazon prime?

[iwannaseeyou]

So, to begin with I wanted to get my money's worth. I'd order a couple of items a week, especially school resources when we were home schooling.
But now I've fallen into a habit where if I can't be arsed to go to the shop, or forget something on the weekly shop then I'll just amazon prime it.
So a single bottle of deodorant, £2 with free postage, shower gel £1 with free postage, hot chocolate powder £1.50, batteries, kitchen roll, antibac wipes, etc etc.
I know that in theory I'm taking money away from the high street, but on the other hand I'm saving petrol, reducing the risk of spreading covid, saving time, less pollution.
Plus the amazon vans are all electric, and they come to my neighbours pretty much every day anyway, so they are still coming this way whether I use them or not.
The packaging situation annoys me, but I recycle almost all of their packaging.
Is it ok to use prime this often, or should I be using supermarkets?

I don't feel bad for using it it's multiple times a week for us and a godsend for those shielding. I just got a whole food order placed for delivery in the morning avoids the crowds in store

Well I don't need a takeaway or a real estate agent. Nor a shitty carpet or fishing tackle. So my local shops are pretty useless.

I don't want to take the risk of going inside places, so I'd rather shop online & Amazon has all kinds of stuff & prime makes the delivery a no brainier over the likes of WH Smith etc.

The local(ish) farm shop was an utter rip off pre Covid, so although it's pretty to look around and have a coffee (pre Covid) they only have themselves to blame if they go under.

I'm still supporting businesses I used pre Covid as much as I can.

@iwannaseeyou. I just put things in my basket until something is urgent, then
Order up whatever is in my basket. I have ended up with split orders & single things arriving but I always feel embarrassed.

I don't know why I've never thought of adding to my basket and then when urgent buying in one go.
I'll definitely do that from now on.
I just hit by now every time, which obviously sends it as single items!

@Meraas

So a single bottle of deodorant, £2 with free postage, shower gel £1 with free postage, hot chocolate powder £1.50, batteries, kitchen roll, antibac wipes, etc etc.

These are ridiculous items to use Prime for, especially as single items. I’m actually disgusted.

Oh sorry do you want to give us a list of 'Approved Amazon Items'

No, I’m not interested in what you buy. OP asked for opinions, I gave mine. I never did this, even when Amazon gave me a free Prime trial.

I love Prime

I’m not interested in what you buy
That happy medium where neither cares what the other one thinks. Those are always the best.

I love Amazon prime. Didn’t have any time for shopping pre-lockdown so it saved the day many times.

I use subscribe and save for most of our toiletries! Works well for us and I try not to feel too guilty. I buy as many things like gifts and cards from small businesses, and we have a milk man who delivers milk/eggs/juice from a local farm so there's things like that too. Subscribe and save is just great though. I love knowing there's always the next toothbrush head or hair dye and plenty of baby wipes in the house. I am a hot mess and this just helps us keep on top of things.

I do that.
I didn’t even think it was something to feel bad about.
When I think of it I get it.
Ummmmmm so no judgment here!!

Online deliveries are providing a lifeline for many families, OP both by allowing people who can't go shopping for myriad reasons to get what they need and for a new cohort of drivers who can work flexible hours and provide a wage for their families, as well as providing a living for warehouse workers.

Don't feel guilty. It's the way it is.

I just add things to my basket for a few days until they reach an amount I think is reasonable for a delivery.

No reason to feel guilty. As others have said, sellers are selling on the platform so you are supporting small businesses shopping this way. The other thing is that by ordering from Amazon, you are actually removing one element of carbon footprint. The stuff is coming straight from warehouses as and when it’s needed. Whereas in retail, it goes the extra step to a store and sits there adding to inefficiency and environmental impact. Finally the delivery drivers are in the area so your package is added on. The carbon footprint argument against online shopping was only true when it was a niche industry. Now the efficiencies in tech make it more sustainable.

@Meraas

So a single bottle of deodorant, £2 with free postage, shower gel £1 with free postage, hot chocolate powder £1.50, batteries, kitchen roll, antibac wipes, etc etc.

These are ridiculous items to use Prime for, especially as single items. I’m actually disgusted.

Disgusted? Why?! 😂

You need to calm yourself down.

I add to basket until Tuesday and then buy it then. Every Tuesday.
I don’t feel bad for using it.

You can order with prime and have a set delivery day. So say select Monday. And everything you order from the next week will be delivered on Monday. So your only getting one delivery a week, or as people said add to basket and save for later.

I don't feel remotely guilty. I might if they were making a special journey to deliver just to me, but they aren't.

@Meraas

And when Amazon has a monopoly they’ll be able to ramp up prices. And those of use who don’t use it or use it rarely will also suffer.

This is the most overused and non sensical argument ever, along with what will happen to all the jobs when automation takes over. Well here’s an overused answer for an a overused argument, did Henry Ford monopolize the car industry so that prices went up and cause all the horse and coachman to be out of jobs? Did Microsoft monopolize computers to the point that no one can now afford one and typists could find no other work?

You can choose 'Amazon day' as the delivery day. Mine is a Thursday - so everything gets grouped together and sent out on a Thursday.

Also if you do a grocery basket, it will all come together.

And as pp mentioned, use 'subscribe and save' - again items will come together once a month.

dont feel guilty, no need
it suits your lifestyle, works for you so im not seeing a problem

@Meraas disgusted? Bit far!!

We had Amazon prime for ages before we realised how good it was for bulk buying! We bulk buy our nappies and wipes every month and it saves us an absolute fortune, we've done the same with wash tabs and fabric softer and some other household bits too

Amazon deliver about 20 parcels each day to the road upon which I live. Surely that’s more fuel efficient than twenty cars going off to the shops.

Use Smile Amazon, then at least you are donating something to charity.

I buy from Amazon using Prime. Generally I buy things I can't get locally like DR. Pepper Diet or Welch's Grape Soda. But if I'm getting a delivery I generally add more, just to make it worthwhile.

It did surprise me when a big Amazon Pantry delivery came in a box roughly the size of a pantry.

I use Amazon similarly. Getting to shops isn't easy for us.