So long Target and Amazon

As I’m coming down off the high of the holiday season and the reality of all those purchases is hitting me, I decided to take a good hard look at how I’ve been spending my money. 

It made me want to throw up.

I calculated what I spent at Target over the last three months between shopping for holiday gifts, birthday gifts, and groceries and the average was $645 each month. I did the same for Amazon and the average was $282.

Between these two retailers, I handed over $927 on average each month. 

I basically said, “Here, take 21% of my paycheck.”

And I didn’t bat an eye. I willingly did it. 

Now I’m asking myself, “Why?!”

I know the numbers are inflated, because I included all the holiday gift and grocery shopping. I’m sure if I averaged the rest of the year the amount would be significantly lower, but seeing these numbers were enough for me to give myself a challenge in 2024.

I Quit!

I can’t keep handing over my hard earned money to these two behemoths, but I need a plan of action. So here it is:

Shopping for groceries should be easy as I have three different plans. I like hitting up Aldi and there’s one within 10 minutes of me. The only issue I have with Aldi is that sometimes they don’t have all the things I need. 

So, my Plan B is to go to Hy-Vee, a Midwest grocery store chain that is employee owned and is within five minutes of where I live. That part I love. The part I don’t love is that their prices tend to be A LOT higher, so I’m going to have to be very specific about what I need to get there when Aldi doesn’t have what I want. 

Plan C is to occasionally go to Trader Joe’s. I love that place and can get a lot without spending a ton. The downside is that it isn’t close to me. It’s at least 20–25 minutes away. 

The shopping part around the holidays and birthdays will be more of a challenge. I like the convenience of both Target and Amazon. I can procrastinate and still get what I want. 

However, this will allow me to do more to support local, independently owned businesses. I just need to be a better planner. That starts with writing down places in my area where I like to shop and what I can get at each of them. 

Ideally, I will need to be more organized and shop earlier for gifts. Therefore, my spending will be spread out throughout the year instead of being clumped together in one huge spending spree in November and December. 

What’s Next?

Now that I have faced the demons of my spending at Target and Amazon and have come up with a plan of action, I’m going to hold myself accountable by writing about it.

At the end of each month, I will write a piece about what went well that month, challenges I didn’t expect, and what I can do better. I hope you will come along for the ride and see how it goes over the next year. 

And, if you’re up for the same challenge (or a similar one), here are some suggestions:

1. Take time to find out where you’re spending your money. 
2. Decide which places you’re going to cut out, but don’t pick too many and make sure you understand why you’re doing it.
3. Have a plan (and a second and third back up) in place for your shopping needs. 
4. Take time each week to reflect on how it’s going, what you’re learning about your spending, and how you can improve moving forward. 

Until the end of January, be well friends!