Overconsumption is built into the way we shop and Amazon makes buying more, faster, almost frictionless.

This episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs originally aired in August 2025, but I wanted to bring it back now because the conversation feels even more relevant today.

I’m talking about how to quit Amazon (or at least drastically reduce your reliance on it) in a way that’s actually doable.

We look at the real cost of convenience, from plastic waste and overconsumption to the pressure Amazon’s business model puts on local and independent businesses. I also share how my family has mostly moved away from Amazon, what we do instead, and the few situations where we still use it.

We also talk about the power of boycott. One person choosing to spend differently might feel insignificant, but collectively, where we spend our money matters. Choosing to buy less, shop locally, support independent businesses, buy secondhand, borrow, or simply wait before purchasing are all ways to push back on a system designed to keep us consuming.

This isn’t about pretending everyone can completely avoid Amazon. It’s about finding the places where you do have some wiggle room and building sustainable habits that feel realistic for your life.

Because intentional living doesn’t have to mean overhauling everything overnight. Sometimes it starts with pausing before you click “buy.”

Takeaways

• How Amazon’s business model encourages overconsumption and makes convenience hard to resist.
• Quitting Amazon is about spending in ways that better reflect your values and support your community.
• The environmental cost of convenience, including packaging, plastic waste, and unnecessary purchases.
• Why boycotts and collective consumer choices can have real power.
• Practical ways to buy less without making your life harder.
• How shopping local, choosing independent retailers, buying secondhand, borrowing, and using what you already have can reduce your reliance on Amazon.
• The three mindset shifts that helped my family: Pause, Buy Local, and Shop Secondhand.
• Why even reducing how often you order can be a meaningful step toward more intentional living.

One Small Shift

Try a “pause rule” for online shopping. Choose one day each week — or even each month — to place online orders, and let everything sit in your cart until then.

You may be surprised by how many things you no longer want or need by the time ordering day rolls around.

Resources

• Buy Less, Buy Better: My Favourite Canadian Brands
• Facebook Marketplace
• Buy Nothing Project
• Poshmark (invite code SUSTAINABLESRB)
• DePop
• ThreadUp
• Kijiji
• LEND-IT.CA

Related Episodes

Ep. 11: Money, Enoughness, and Community Care with Women’s Personal Finance

Ep. 32: Overstimulation, Overconsumption, and the Pressure to Do More

Ep. 37: Sustainable Decluttering — Why Letting Go Isn’t Neutral

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

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