The "Amazon Prime Pantry" great experiment.

"My name is Loleeta and I am addicted to Target..."  There really should be a support group for people like me.  Not the Target in the big city that's full and dirty, but our Target.  Nice, clean, friendly, lovely atmosphere with soft music, and full of really. fun. stuff.  "I'll just go in for toothpaste REALLY QUICK".... An hour and $100 later.... ARGH!  How does this happen?

There have been several news articles lately about how shopping online for household items can save a person money as it restricts impulse spending.  We've been trying to cut our spending back, wayyy back, so in the interest of the family budget I am very (ok extremely) skeptically trying the "Great Experiment".

For one whole month I am not stepping a foot into Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and the like.  For one whole month we will purchase perishables at the grocery store and bountifulbaskets.org and the rest of our household needs will be purchased through Amazon Prime Pantry.  The reason I chose them was: because they deliver here.

The fun part was announcing it to THE FAMILY.  My oldest boy's mouth dropped open as he gasped in a bit of a panic "No TARGET?! How will we survive?"  My feelings exactly.

The first order was placed on Saturday.  With a notebook I went through the house from kitchen to back bathroom listing items that we use on a regular and necessary basis.  I then sat with my list in front of my laptop and searched the inventory on Amazon Prime Pantry.  They do not have a lot of options yet, let me state that right now.  However, I did find most of what we use:  Tide Free and Clear (has to be that kind for their skin), organic tomato sauce, the cereal Dave eats, granola bars free of hydrogenated corn syrup, etc.  Kept reminding myself to order ahead.  You get an estimate with each item how much of the box it will fill.  Toilet paper fills 22% of the box while a jar of tomato paste fills 1%, etc.  When your box is full you check out.  Items can then be added to the ongoing next box or kept on your list for future purchase.  The nice thing is you can quickly re-order next time.  It was a blessing (hate to admit it) to calmly be able to read ingredient labels in the quiet and comfort of my own home.  Added a bag of Blue Corn Organic CHIPS! to the box.  Really?!  How are they going to ship that?!  But, the price was excellent so in the box it went.

PRICES?  Hmmm... Here is where everyone who shops at a dent-and-bent or lives in South Carolina should stop reading, especially my mother. They do not have the generic brand option, but I did find that most of the prices name brand to name brand were comparable or better then I am used to. They even automatically applied a few coupons that were available.  The total of my box came to $98.10 with shipping.  I was a little surprised as I had a few high priced items such as a giant bottle of laundry detergent in there, but then realized:  NO TAX!  Here that is a big, big deal.

Four days later THE BOX shows up.  Note:  The chips were opened and smashed just like I thought.  Epic fail.  Note to myself:  Check sizes next time.  HUGE box of cereal (score!), teeny tiny bag of crackers, enough pasta sauce to feed an army of teenagers.

Do you think I'll make it a month without Target?  Not sure.  Do I think I will save money?  Probably.  One thing for sure:  it will be good for me.  (And the oldest son.)


Bonus:  You get a giant size box for the kid of the house to hide in!

PS:  Since writing in about the smashed chips 20 minutes ago, they've already issued my $2.69 refund!