My Dark Secret
Read this issue to find out everything
Something that scares me when I send a newsletter is the dark truth about me involving my love for Amazon and products in general.
I feel like if I share too much of this passion and let people know the real Elliott, they won’t like him.
They will say that Amazon is ruining the planet and its founder is a maniac.
But all I know is that when I stare into my wishlist throughout the day and usually before bed, I am enthralled by the possibility that converting money into objects can create for me.
And who is to say that these haters are pure in all their actions? No one is perfect, as everyone has shit stains in their underwear when the day ends (ok not everyone has those).
Shopping is an escape. It’s a way out from having to face the reality of the situation.
Everyone has their wishlist. It might not be on Amazon but even worse in a clothing store where the sizes are dwindling every week.
In the music store there is often only one or two of the items on hand if you want it now.
Yet we have to remember that as long as we’re not hurting anyone but ourselves, you don’t have to live in shame.
For the past few months I have been learning how to use You Need a Budget with the help of a coach.
In many sessions I felt like I have a severe learning disability with money and finances, but as I’ve stuck with it I am able to see my habit of funding my passion for music ahead of my need to have food and shelter.
If you also have a shopping addiction, the main thing is to only do business with stores that have a solid return policy. It helps when you have one of those Haagan Daaz couch days that women often talk about.
Watch how emotions come and go. The frustration of being a mortal who will one day fold into the ground like a sack of decaying bones is often the main frustration that we have.
Give those emotions space and you will find that the myriad of gadgets in your home are quite sufficient if not need decluttering themselves.
The Art of Wishlisting
The other thing you can do is really use a wishlist and let items sit on there. Be careful about impulse buying anything.
I try very hard to not watch YouTube videos that are showing off a new product so that I can be woefully ignorant of what is going on.
When an item on the wishlist has matured and shows that it has a place in your life, then by all means strike. And there’s nothing wrong with getting a bargain later this month if you’ve really thought about that item for a while.
I also enjoy not getting the latest version of a product but one version back which is usually the one being cleared out.
Ok I wouldn’t write all that and not give you some juicy info about what I had researched this season. Coffee mug warmers. Perfect for cold winter mornings. Let’s get into it.
There are tons of mug warmers on Amazon now, but in the $20-30 CAD range, two products in a row were giving off a toxic plastic odour. And that odour did not go away in the time it was supposed to. I have a feeling that those devices were getting too hot for the amount of plastic that encased them1.
I ended up settling on the $10 Salton, which is a known Canadian brand that is known for their kettles and other kitchen stuff. This is your typical mug warmer that you would see an admin using in a cubicle.
It doesn’t get too hot, but it maintains the temperature of tea and coffee. It’s also useful for letting tea cool down and then it will stay stable at a good temperature when you’re ready for it.
Other people use them to warm candles to get the scent out of them but we’ll have to save the topic of candles for another edition because there’s so much garbage out there on the market.
The flashy Amazon warmers often have features like a weight sensor to turn itself off when there’s no mug on there, and usually three different temperatures. This Salton has none of those, just a classic light switch on and off.
You have to be on your toes but this temperature would likely not toast your home any time soon, but could definitely burn your hand.
Ode to Thompy
A quiet little piece on the dobro guitar.
In memory of a great man who touched the lives of many people in his relatively short lifetime.
Live every day and week as if they are your last. Nothing is guaranteed in the three dimensional plane known as the world of form.
Reviews on Amazon are getting harder and harder to decipher. Ones with 5 star ratings overall can be duds, whereas ones with 4 stars can be perfectly fine but haven’t been rated enough. Then all it takes is for one idiot with delusional expectations of a $20 item to bring the rating down to 4 stars.
I keep wishlist in my notes app but this newsletter has inspired me to upgrade to putting those items on an Amazon wish list.