It's Dai Time

Katie & Scott & Simon & Cecily.

Tag: shopping

Day 321: prime

December 30, 2009 / / 0 Comments

In a little over two weeks, my three month dalliance with Amazon Prime threatens to perish.

When an offer for a trial of Amazon Prime popped up in October, I bit.  I knew that, most likely, we wouldn’t be traveling this holiday season (what with Katie’s baby belly) but we’d probably still be exchanging Christmas gifts with family.  So, in a unexpected bout of foresight, I signed up for the trial primarily for the last minute Christmas shopping and shipping we were sure to do.

And it did come in hand over the past week, especially the part where I could extend my membership to four additional family members, meaning my mom and most of the Dahls got free 2-day shipping from Amazon as well.

But what a tricky business it is, the knowledge of Amazon Prime’s power at your disposal every day.  How tempting it is to buy everything on Amazon when you know it’ll be at your doorstep in less than three days.  How much more quickly your finger clicks the checkout button on Gold Box deals when there’s no minimum purchase required to get free shipping.

I’m sure that having Prime has caused me to buy a few things from Amazon over the past three months that I wouldn’t have otherwise.  I’m sure that’s an effect that the Amazon geniuses hope for.  It’s just so easy.

The question is: do I continue my Prime membership.  Is the convenience and burden worth $79 annually (though less, if I can split it among family members)?  Or is it just $79 being anted up for a much bigger pot of Amazon spendings spread over the next 12 months?

Day 286: black friday creep

November 24, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Christmas creep this year has been unprecedented.  Decorations, music, ornament aisles, all up well before Thanksgiving.

But even Black Friday creep has been apparent and, from recent memory, is also a first.  Amazon had a full week of deals starting today.  Several large retailers, like Walmart, are having sales on Thanksgiving day itself.  Sears is running television commercials about Black Friday sales all of this month on Saturday!

It’s madness.  And the stores may tell you that it’s an attempt to spread out the shopping madness that causes riots and stampedes and unfortunate deaths, but I think it’s really because of the downturn in the retail economy.

I think that this year, Katie and I’ll just stay home.  There isn’t anything we really need this year, other than baby stuff, and with a belly full of not just turkey but also baby, I’d want to be extra careful not to get into the middle of a Black Friday mosh pit of despair.

Besides, with my free trial of Amazon Prime, what can’t I get through the Internet anymore?

Day 268: christmas in october

November 6, 2009 / / 0 Comments

It’s not just me, right?  This year, the harbingers of Christmas have popped up earlier than usual.

Before Halloween candy was on sale, I was hearing Christmas music being piped through mall speakers.  Before pumpkins disappeared from the front of grocery stores, aisles were being lined with wreaths and ornaments.

I have nothing against you, Christmas, but isn’t it a bit premature?  Isn’t it a bit mean to take all that thunder away from not only Thanksgiving, who’s gotten used to being an opening act for you, but also Halloween?  Where’s your Christmas spirit?

My gut tells me that this has something to do with the recession, that retailers are hoping to somehow get people to think that a end-of-year holiday shop-a-thon should actually start three quarters of the way through the year.  I just hope it doesn’t backfire, where people get so tired of being reminded about Christmas for three months that they don’t buy anything in late December.

That would mean our retail market would fall apart and I wouldn’t get any presents.

Day 108: relax?

May 30, 2009 / / 0 Comments

With our east trip coast being a bit packed with things to do (and not as much simple relaxation) and a full day of work today, I feel rather tired.

Not sleepy tired, just like I want to just relax for a day or so.

I think I’d like to see a movie tomorrow.  Perhaps Pixar’s new triumph, Up?  Maybe something light and funny like the new Night at the Museum?  Maybe well-received Star Trek?  Maybe something action campy like Angels and Demons?

Whatever the choice, it might be nice to just blend into the shadows in a movie theater for a few hours, eating something screamingly unhealthy and letting the screen wash over me.

Or maybe I’d be equally happy just letting a few hours melt into my Wii or Xbox, playing some of the games on my backlog.  Nothing too hard, nothing too taxing.

Or maybe shopping, for a few hours.  Walking around an air-conditioned mall with a Cinnabon break, buying some clearance Gap clothes.

Or I could just sleep all day, eating ice cream and pizza in bed.

I’ll figure something out, and let you know what happens tomorrow.

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