6 things I'm doing instead of shopping Prime Day

Today’s post is, fittingly, sponsored by Bookshop.org (#ad). The work they’ve done to support and sustain independent bookstores in the face of Amazon has been inspiring and necessary. I’m a big fan.

If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet lately, you’ve surely come across a number of posts promoting Amazon Prime Day this week. Influencers sharing their favorite deals. Lists of must-have products. Endless reminders that something is on sale. But, as we all know by now, a sale isn’t actually a great deal if it’s not something you need.

So today, I’m here to de-influence you. Instead of spending hours scrolling for things to add to your cart, I’d love to offer a different idea: spend your time doing something that is good for your mind, good for your community, and maybe even good for the planet, too.

Now, to be clear, I’m not anti-buying things. I buy things all the time. But I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how some of the best parts of summer (and life, overall) that I love can’t be found online. They’re found in bookstores and libraries, gardens and parks, long afternoons with a good book, and conversations with people who share enthusiastically about what they love.

And speaking of bookstores: one of the simplest ways I’ve found to support the literary ecosystem I care about is by choosing alternatives to Amazon when I buy books. I use my library for e-books and audiobooks, buy books from local bookstores whenever I can, listen to audiobooks through Libro.FM, and shop through Bookshop.org when I’m ordering online. To date, Bookshop.org has generated more than $47 million for independent bookstores, which trickles down to supporting our communities and independent thought.

So, in the spirit of a slower, more intentional summer, here are a few things I’d recommend doing this week instead of scrolling Prime Day deals.

1. Visit your local independent bookstore or library. Get an iced coffee. Invite a friend. Walk there if you can. Then ask the booksellers or librarians what they’ve read lately. One of the things I love most about indie bookstores is that they are filled with people who genuinely love books and want to talk about them. Last week, I was in one of my local shops buying this anticipated new release when I overheard a bookseller telling a customer that she’d personally hand-sold more than 100 copies of this book and it reminded me, once again, of the value of people over algorithms. If you’re not able to make an afternoon of it, you can still support from your couch. Bookshop.org is offering free shipping this week, making it easy to buy books and support the literary community you love.

   

2. Tend to your garden (or grow something). This is at the top of my priority list for how I want to spend my free time this summer. Most afternoons for the last few weeks, I’ve spent a bit of time outside watering, tending, and caring for the flower bed I planted this year. It’s become one of my favorite rituals, an excuse to step away from my computer, put down my phone, and spend time outside. There is such a simple joy in watching something grow. In a world that feels focused on speed and convenience, how refreshing it is to slow down and pay attention to small daily changes. Part of what inspired me to focus on this this summer was because of this book I picked up in a tiny bookshop on the Isle of Skye during our recent Scotland trip. When I brought it to the counter, the bookseller smiled and told me she’d been eyeing the same book herself. Proof, yet again, that books really do help connect us!

   

3. Get off your phone for an afternoon. We’ve already seen the endless posts and lists circulating about what deals to take advantage of on Prime Day. So I’m planning on just avoiding social media for a few days. This book drastically changed my mindset around social media and what I give my attention to these days. You don’t have to quit the internet altogether, but why not play hooky for the afternoon and read a few chapters to kickstart a summer of less phone use.

   

4. Visit your local thrift store. Thrifting is having a moment right now, and I am here for it. Earlier this spring, I made a list of my local thrift stores and I’ve slowly been making my way through the list. It’s taken me to new neighborhoods, introduced me to a few hidden gems, and encouraged me to get more creative with my wardrobe. What I love most about thrifting is that it slows down the act of shopping. You can’t search for exactly what you want, compare dozens of options, and have it arrive on your doorstep a day later. Instead, you wander. You browse. You stumble across things you wouldn’t have thought to look for. Plus, there is a special kind of satisfaction in telling someone, “Thanks, it’s thrifted,” when they compliment your outfit. In a week dedicated to buying more things, consider spending an afternoon exploring what’s already out there.

   

5. Make a summer list instead of a shopping list. I am all about experiences over purchases, so instead of making a wishlist of things you want to buy, make a wishlist of experiences you want to have this summer. Some things at the top of my list: bike to get ice cream, visit my local indie bookstore on the release day of a highly anticipated book, have a pizza picnic at the beach with friends, spend a day biking around one of the local islands, and go to a solo movie matinee (there’s something so delightful about escaping the heat in the movie theatre, isn’t there?)

   

6. Take yourself on a reading picnic. Before you buy something new, spend some time enjoying what you already have. Grab a blanket, pack whatever snacks you have on hand, and bring along a book (or three). Then head outside. Your backyard, a local park, the beach, a shady patch of grass. Wherever feels inviting. In a week dedicated to adding more things to our carts, there is something wonderfully rebellious about spending an afternoon fully immersed in something you already own. Need some recommendations? I’ve got plenty. Here are some great summer reads, romances, and literary beach reads to sink into. And if you do decide you’d like to add a few books to your summer reading stack, Bookshop.org is offering free shipping this week while supporting independent bookstores around the country. That’s a combination I can happily get behind.

Happy reading, and happy summer! I’d love to hear what you get up to instead of scrolling deals this week.

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Until next time,

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