Posted by swistle on 13th July 2011
Categories: Fashion, Food, Health and Safety, Toys
16 comments
One reason I love “saved items” area of online shopping carts is that it takes me a long time to decide to spring for something. Well, or else it doesn’t, like when someone mentions something and I have it on its way within 2 minutes. But MOSTLY I have to think for awhile. Here are the things I’m currently thinking about:
I am on a bit of a break with Postcrossing, but I suspect I’ll be going back to it. I already have way more postcards than I can possibly send—but Pantone color-chip postcards (photo from Amazon.com) are making me very tempted.
I ordered a new swimming suit this summer. The bottom is like a black miniskirt, and the top is also black and has bunched-fabric sides that tie in bows at the hip. I like the skirt, but the top is a lot of fabric and the bunched-up sides make me look thicker in the waist. I’m looking for replacement tops. I like this one (photo from LandsEnd.com), but would the grey trim look okay with a black skirt? Or should I buy the matching skirt? But then I see the skirt is available in green, and I wish the top were, too. Maybe I should mix colors? But WHICH colors? Pink and green? Green and blue? Pink and black? I wish there was an option to see how a top and bottom would look together on the same model. And it’s expensive to buy both pieces—maybe I should just buy the top, since I already have an acceptable skirt. Indecision keeps this in the cart.
I’d like to get Elizabeth a lovey for her tonsillectomy recovery. Her favorite is this black-and-white cat (photo from Amazon.com). But it’s $19, and this same-size cat by the same company is $12. And other same-size cats by the same company are $9, or $10. The price difference perplexes me and it feels unfair, so I keep not-buying the cat.
I think I might like coffee syrups (photo from Amazon.com). But that’s a lot of money to drop on something I don’t know if I’ll like. I keep thinking I should buy just one bottle and try it, but the per-bottle price is so much higher, and trying one flavor won’t tell me if I’d like the other flavors. I wish they had a sampler pack, like in miniature-liquor-bottles size.
One of our 10-year-old carbon monoxide detectors started flashing the “replace unit” light, so we need a new one. So why has the replacement (photo from Amazon.com) been sitting in my cart for two weeks? Because it is so boring. Well. That is a silly reason. I’m ordering it right now.
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Do you do this save-in-cart-for-later dithering, too? What things are you dithering about right now?
I think that I remember that you hate Walmart. But the one in my area sells those Torini syrups for cheaper then Amazon. The other thing you could try that I used to do when I worked at a coffee shop is to have a cup of regular coffee with a shot of syrup. Any little coffee shop should be able to do that, then you can try the different flavors one cup at a time until you find one you like
My favorite was Irish Cream, the other girls I worked with liked caramel and roasted marshmellow.
Megan | July 13th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
That same black-and-white cat is only $13 from the company’s website. I don’t know if shipping would be worse, though. Strange that it cost so much more on Amazon…
http://shop.auroragift.com/products/productdetail/Tux/part_number=31145/1570.0.1.1.17696.0.0.0.0?pp=12&
Elisabeth | July 13th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
Megan- It is true that Walmart and I are not buds. But I do venture there for a few things, and I will add the syrup to my list. Thanks for the tip!
swistle | July 13th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
We are pretty crazy about coffee syrups (we get DaVinci ones from Sam’s Club). English toffee is particularly good. Plus some syrups can also be used with seltzer to make tasty bevs. Raspberry syrup + lime juice + seltzer = lime rickey. Coconut syrup + lime juice + seltzer = delish, and plays well with adult additives.
Jenny | July 14th, 2011 at 12:20 am
Check out your Home Goods store. They have coffee syrups often.
Bonus… you get to go to Home Goods.
Gail | July 14th, 2011 at 3:45 am
Oh, yes, I do this! I have stuff in my Amazon cart, for example, that’s been there for over a year - I always kind of hope someone I know will see the cart (though how they would do that is beyond me, and sending out links to a “wish list” seems, I don’t know, presumptive of their gift-giving so I don’t do that) and buy me something but of course (rather unsurprisingly) they never do. So occasionally I cave and buy the odd thing myself. I also have stuff in my Cath Kidston cart because I looooooove her things but find them expensive and money is tight and I can’t justify them but I WAAAAAANT THE PRETTY THINGS. *sigh*
Short answer, YES, I keep stuff in carts.
Kirsty | July 14th, 2011 at 11:59 am
Yes, saving stuff in shopping carts RULES for us dithery types! And on the coffee syrups: is there a Cost Plus near you anywhere? They sell smaller bottles in addition to the full-size ones; they are only $1.99 whereas the larger bottles are usually $6.99 or so. I like the small ones because you can try a flavor without committing to an entire giant bottle and then being stuck with it if it’s gross. Some of the grocery stores around here sell them too, it’s definitely worth checking your local grocery stores!
shygirl | July 14th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
My amazon cart is always full of things that are saved for later. Especially books and movies that I want, but don’t need. I love when I see the prices drop, that’s what usually will motivate me to actually make the purchase.
Melanie | July 15th, 2011 at 3:34 pm
Oh yes I am a terrible cart ditherer. I use it to save things and go back and check and ugh decide and…yes.
Lands End is having a huge sale this week. I’d bet that your suit is on sale.
Amanda | July 19th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Fiestaware! Instead of matching dishes, I have several 4-piece place settings in different colors. I definitely don’t NEED any more place settings, but I keep the colors I don’t have yet in my shopping cart, waiting for them to hit the magic price point (Just over $25, to qualify for free shipping and not be outrageously priced). I also have a couple sets of postcards in my basket, but I’m also on a Postcrossing hiatus.
Buttercup | July 19th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Well, I’ve worked at two different coffeehouses now and I can tell you Sterling makes a much nicer syrup, imo, than Torini. Except their pumpkin spice! Get any other brand of pumpkin spice!
Sarah | July 19th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
I think this is funny because from a corporate perspective, of which I am a part, for my office job, it’s always, the “abandoned” cart. WHY did they abandon it? WHY didn’t they purchase? Poor little cart. Hee hee. Well, probably not for Amazon - they probably understand us ditherers. (I dither, but only on my Wish List. I have items from YEARS ago on there!) But I know some of the smaller clients I’ve worked with want to KNOW, and then want to know how to convince you to click “Submit payment.”
el-e-e | July 19th, 2011 at 4:02 pm
Oh, el-e-e, I LOVE LOVE LOVE insider stuff like this! “Abandoned” cart! And research into why oh why! SO INTERESTING! I think I need to work in every job that exists, to collect this sort of information!
Swistle | July 19th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
I do keep things in my Amazon cart, but when I go there to dither, I get the YELLOW. IMPORTANT. MESSAGE that tells me the price of X has changed from 19.86 to 19.83 since the last time I logged in. I Hate that with a capital H.
Christy M | July 19th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Torani DOES have mini bottles of SOME flavors!!!
Alicia C | July 19th, 2011 at 10:03 pm
My cart ALWAYS has a few things in it. I try and clean it out every now and then. Right now I have a Crayola lap desk in there, so perfect for trips! But I don’t have any trips coming up so I don’t *need* it yet. There’s also a dog toy but I’m holding out hope that I’ll make it to the pet store soon and I can just get it there.
vegas710 | July 26th, 2011 at 9:03 pm