Amazon Prime Day is here and it’s two days, not one. Teacher sites all over America are curating the best deals for their classes. Amazon’s released thousands of Amazon-brand products, and this year, I’ve noticed school supplies. I’ve tried their brand, and it’s good. I have yet to have a problem with Amazon Basics brand quality and price is low. But I do have an issue.
My issue is this: It’s right in the middle of our No-Spend (on school) Summer Challenge. I keep seeing pins and posts dedicated to the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your classroom. Thanks, but no thanks. We’re going to pass!
Here’s how you can use Amazon Prime Day properly.
First: Buy yourself an Instant Pot.
Seriously. For years, I mocked people who waited for Amazon Prime Day. Sure as Santa ends the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and starts off Christmas Shopping Season, the Instant Pot starts off Amazon Prime Day spending.
Amazon knows you better than your spouse and therapist combined. They spend millions studying your every breath, heartbeat, click, each step you take. They know all this because they see you click online and shout at Alexa when your friends won’t come over because you’re always busy correcting papers and making lesson plans.
They even know where you are every minute of the day because they’re best friends with your Fitbit, next-door neighbors to your AppleWatch, you keep liking everyone’s Instagram posts with your geolocator on, Facebook sold your check-in data, and you willingly give them the rest when you check “I agree” every time you download something.
Because they have all this data, they know how to make you buy.
“The force is strong in this one…”
Marketing, ad retargeting, and artificial intelligence is getting stronger every day. They know what you want before you do.
“I never knew I needed a new (insert anything random here) but come to think of it, I do! Thanks, Amazon!”
It’s futile. We can’t resist the force unless we decide to become minimalists or freegans.
But we can take action. We can stay true to the No-Spend Summer Challenge. This Amazon Prime Day, when Amazon tells you there’s a flash sale on a gallon of Amazon Basics brand classroom glue, sticky notes, pens, pencils, notebooks, papers, markets and (AHHHHH!!!!) whatever, click away. Do not spend your paycheck on your job!
Buy yourself an Instant Pot get something for you or your family instead. Or, if you prefer, skip the day altogether, and enjoy yourself. Save the cash for something you really want down the road.
(Spoiler alert… I’ll be using my Instant Pot to whip up a Broke Teacher Back-to-School meal book because nothing makes me sadder than teachers eating frozen boxed lunches and Uncrustables… Stay tuned for that).
Here’s the link back to the No-Spend Summer Challenge which will give you the downloadable logsheet and all the help you need to stop school spending today.