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Heather's avatar

Question for those more training in economics: If we don’t shop Friday, but then everyone shops Saturday, does it actually make a difference?

I had to stop reading the Strategist’s “things I can’t live without” bc it led to my buying shit I don’t need off Amazon, and Bezos can go to hell. I used to not be able to live without the WaPo, but that ended yesterday. Dick.

Some non-Amazon things I can’t live without:

1. The Libby App. I work it every day. When we got my son his first cell phone this year, one of the few apps we installed was Libby. I feel a little jolt of parenting pride every time I get a ping on my phone that he’s requesting more time with audiobooks from the library.

2. Bodyfit by Amy YouTube videos. I’ve gotten so much stronger doing these free, usually short, workout videos. In our 40’s we have to lift weights my friends. For our bones.

3. My favorite substacks and podcasts, including this one, AHP, HCR, and anything with my boyfriend Michael Hobbes. + Ezra.

4. Poshmark. Got a second hand Jenni Kayne cashmere sweater there this week for 1/3 the price of new. Looks new. Love it.

5. La Roche Posay double repair moisturizer with SPF. I’ve tried others, always go back to this.

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

I'm not an expert so don't quote me on this but I think of the no-shop day as an experiment in mass communication/quiet protest to see if it actually makes a difference (a sort of "Does this work?") I def can use a day of just trying to do no-buy but also at a time when it feels like there isn't too much we can do besides call our reps and maybe donate to charities/protest it might be another way to be heard. Also I may be full of shit so don't quote me!

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Colby Richudson's avatar

Also not an expert, but I think another reason is to try to make the ruling class pay attention, like a warning/demonstration of what we can and are willing to do, to remind them that we are actually people with minds and choices, even though they think we're just cogs in their money machine who will keep spending no matter what they do to us. And we'll get more people next time, and go longer next time, and we actually can bring the economy to halt like the women of Iceland did.

(there is an obvious but violent metaphor here I'm trying not to use)

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Christina Martinson's avatar

I have basically quit buying new clothes since I discovered Poshmark! And the Libby app is the best! Does your library have Hoopla, too? That's a good one and they have a ton of music if y'all don't have a streaming membership anywhere.

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Rachel Rosenthal's avatar

Do you have any Poshmark shopping tips? Granted my body is still VERY in flux, as I am eight months postpartum and just weaning, but I am so stressed about buying clothes I can't return if they don't fit/ I don't like them.

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

I don't use Poshmark as much as Christina does but I interviewed her for her tips for an issue awhile back! check it out here:

https://www.evilwitches.com/p/poshmark-and-ebay-for-beginners

I had a great Poshmark experience recently b/c a friend loaned me some booties for a dress-up affair and they fit/felt SO great I ordered the exact ones on Poshmark since the line isn't offered anymore.

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Kelly Turner's avatar

Another excellent source for not-new clothes is....eBay. They have easy enough searching and often the sellers have reasonable return policies.

I’ve gotten burned on Posh a couple of times and their customer service was a blood-boiling dead end. In one case the issue was a clearly mis-tagged/sized pair of Ugg house shoes (as in, by the factory). I’ve also had fine transactions there, but it’s about 50/50 for me.

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Kelly Turner's avatar

Another fun / “fun” place to find stuff you may or may not need is Goodwill.com. I first went down this rabbit hole during a Covid quarantine in my kids’ room and it was a real high point (as was being not that sick and flopping around on the bunk bed by myself for 5 days “for their own safety!”).

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Kristen's avatar

SAME! And I wasn't sure if this only works in larger cities but the second hand stores (little posh ones as well as standards like Goodwill) Washington DC and Boston have great finds. I'd also argue that anywhere with a high number of college students would also work. Bought some barely worn AllBirds for my husband for $10 yesterday!

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Kristen's avatar

ALSO ALSO, if you need house stuff or tools, estate sales give things away. Table saws for $1. Dining room tables for $5. The sites to find stuff are terrible but for every 50 weird things there's something amazing.

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Diantha Parker's avatar

Very into Poshmark too! I am just about to wade into selling, but have gotten so much good stuff there--often brands I know or stuff I already own/owned--and it feels very virtuous, but I'm often wearing something I got there (today, an almost new Jumper 1234 cashmere sweater for 1/3rd the price, much like Heather, above. I think if you pay close attention to measurements, or it's a brand you know re: your body, that's often the best.

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LN's avatar

I've been using the non-SPF La Roche Posay at night and it is so good.

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Christina Martinson's avatar

I think their Dry Touch sunscreen is the best, too.

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Hanna Jungbauer's avatar

Your number 5 is incredable! Agreed!

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Edan Lepucki's avatar

I also have and LOVE the "glasses shaped like cans" but I'd like to say that at first I thought you meant the other glasses, as in spectacles, and "cans" made me immediately think of the gross nickname for boobs (not sure why my mind went there!) so I want you to know that I imagined you in spectacles shaped like boobs. The end.

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

haha! This is pleasing to me

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Jane's avatar

YES! I also thought of seeing glasses and had to wonder if they were shaped like those dress-up glasses with slinkies.

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

I just got a 911 text from a friend asking worriedly "Sodastream is bad for your tummy???" and I want to clarify on that that I specifically was going through a weird tummy time recently that was significantly helped in part by cutting out carbonated water (which I drank by the lakeful). I'm hoping to go back to my bubbly ways soon.

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Holly P's avatar

Claire I'm so sorry and you probably already know this but anything with carbonic acid is bad for your teeth. Way less harmful if no sugar though!

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

like truly what is left for me. Maybe it's time to try this ketamine I keep hearing so much about

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Holly P's avatar

Pls don't annex my country! But if you do pls bring T@rget chocolate granola

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

Annex me! 🙏🏽

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Paige C's avatar

I learned this lesson the hard way re: bubbly water. It must be consumed in moderation if you're an acid reflux lady.

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Holly P's avatar

Things that started giving me acid reflux when I turned 40: Bananas. Oranges. Tomato sauces. Having a bad thought. Christmas.

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

you know what set me off? Eating too much salad and vegetables. Umm hello?? I thought this was supposed to be what I was doing. No it's brown rice and chicken thighs I guess until I die. (I am on the tail end of a FODMAPS experiment which I am sorry to say was successful.)

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Paige C's avatar

Sometimes reflux can feel like chest pains ASK ME HOW I KNOW

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

Oh I know about this! My husband's "heart attacks" that led to him cutting out coffee.

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Paige C's avatar

Mine was an overabundance of seltzer. SELTZER.

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Mia's avatar

Measuring shot glasses instead of measuring spoons. Great for cooking/baking or taking liquid medicine.

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Holly P's avatar

Concert tickets. If I want to see something, I'm going to see it, even if it's pricy. I'm going to see Bush next month!

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

oh that’s so fun! We are taking the kids to see Franz Ferdinand in April. Mentally preparing myself for when my 9 year old says he’s too tired and we have to leave after 45 min

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Christina Martinson's avatar

Thank you for this fun topic!

Your coffee choice reason for buying ground is exactly me! I just don't have the energy for the extra step. My husband and I drink coffee at very different times and I used to just buy coffee out all the time, because I couldn't stand the lukewarm sad remnant feelings. But, I remembered I am a grown ass lady with a job and bought a modest Mr. Coffee with a carafe and pour it directly into my beloved Zojirushi thermos and I feel like a smug, frugal problem solving genius every morning!

The Aquaphor stick. I bought them for every member of my family so that we don't have to share. The answer to all problems is "use your aquaphor stick." https://www.target.com/p/aquaphor-healing-balm-stick-unscented-0-65oz/-/A-86416642

Fairlife Milk. I have recently realized that I am lactose intolerant and I really missed drinking a big glass of milk. This stuff is genius especially for your perimenopausal protein needs! Supposedly the chocolate milk is even better, but I don't like chocolate milk, so I haven't tested it.

I also love Bombas socks! The no-shows are the only ones that I have ever found that actually stay on. Those teenagers with their cute crew socks will have to pry my no-show socks out of my cold, dead hands.

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lizzieohreally's avatar

that aquaphor stick it the GOAT. My kid refuses actual Aquaphor but he will accept the stick! he has his own personal one and it's incredible. Now I just need my scaly lizard husband to use lotion.

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Paige C's avatar

I just watched a Tik Tok last night where a woman rated all of the various Aquaphor delivery vessels and she rated the stick last. So obviously she cannot be trusted. She also did not address the tub, which is high up the rankings for me.

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Paige C's avatar

I live a rich and rewarding life.

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Christina Martinson's avatar

I also enjoy the tub!

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Heather K's avatar

Aquaphor sticks are magic!!!!!!

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LN's avatar

What a great topic! I have been on a buying-less journey so I feel like I have a better read on the things I am extra-choosing not to live without, namely:

Fancy-ish hot cocoas. The right thing to have after dinner in the winter when you've eaten all the Girl Scout cookies. Right now I am drinking Equal Exchange Organic Dark Hot Chocolate from Target. I also really like the Mocha Hot Chocolate from Ghirardelli, but it does have actual coffee in it and one time I accidentally caffeined myself at 9pm so maybe don't drink it after dinner.

Pens for the office that are better than the pens supplied by the office

A couple of cans of Starbucks coffee beverages in the fridge, for the mornings when the toddler gets up so so early that I don't have time to make coffee beforehand

Carhartt beanie. I buy them, I lose them, I immediately replace them because they are just exactly right.

My Book of the Month subscription. Hear me out--I still support my local indie bookstores (a lot!). But something about the monthly "hey, here are our five choices!" model really fills my heart with glee. Getting the cute little box in the mail, et cetera. I skip fairly often too but I still like to see all the choices.

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Heather's avatar

Pen nerd here. Please share what are your favorite pens?

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

I got into TUL Gel Pens, Retractable, Fine Point, 0.5 mm. I love a retractable inky pen.

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LN's avatar

So I haven't gone fully down the fancy pen rabbit hole but here's where I'm at now: For work I've been getting the Pilot G2s in blue, in 1.0. For some reason blue ink = work to me and the bigger point is so satisfying. For general use it's usually PaperMate InkJoys in black (.5) or PaperMate Flairs in color, especially the "Candy Pop" colors, especially especially the Gummy Green one.

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Kelly Turner's avatar

It’s pretty fun to go into an art supply store and buy the Pilot G2’s in less common shades (I like sky blue and hunter green) or the short one. Using them makes me feel like I’m on track to crack the case (of whatever current conundrum).

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Kirsten's avatar

I randomly bought some Sharpie-brand clicky S-Gel pens lately and I love them - dare I say, more than the standard G2 in my household. :) I am usually a marker pen kind of person - like the PaperMate pens, or if I'm feeling really fancy, a Micron - but sometimes you just need a clicky pen!

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

Oh I like those too! I think I saw them in Max Greenfield's Strategist piece. My only complaint is I accidentally got a combo pack that includes some red ones and I can't articulate it but I can't use a red one any old time. It has to be for certain moments only.

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Paige C's avatar

Drinking vessels. Give me a new mug that will change my life & cheer me up every Saturday. A cute Owala in a new colorway? Add to cart! A Yeti in a new size that seems more ergonomic? Gimme. One for home and one for office. Also all the Ink Joy and S-gel pens in all the colors.

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Todd's avatar

The 2 biggest for me are:

my Haflinger slippers (I love the clogs too but I can’t wear them around year round in MN), which I bought 3 years ago. I was scandalized to pay almost $100 for them but I wear them 12 hours a day 9 months out of the year and they’re so warm and comfortable. They also have a rubber sole so if I need to run outside I can.

My Yetis. I have one I used for my daily iced tea (my preferred caffeine vehicle), which gets stained up and then one I use for water the rest of the day. Technically I have 4 water ones, as I change them out seasonally. Is this objectively insane? Yes but it makes me happy.

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Hanna Jungbauer's avatar

Thank you for bringing light to the economic blackout - but for this reason.

In Sierra Madre, which is MOST DEFINATELY effected by the Eaton canyon fire, the brick-and-mortar shops are sincerely having a time holding down the fort and not going belly up in bankruptcy. People here thing "Oh, a lovely ice cream shop, they are doing just fine." Yet, when 65% of your clientele burned to the ground, you feel it. It's been extremely hard watching the city do nothing to promote the shop local movement, so any word out there is a good thing. (Ps this would be an awesome story for the EW newsletter, featuring the women who are running this show.. Can I earn some points too? haha)

On the refuse to live with out list of high standards -

My Yeti water bottle which stays hot for hours and extremely cold for the same. $25 bucks at target for this simple metal canister with a simple screw off lid is a game changer

Almost as big as "Gone with the Wind" hat for $12 on amazon. Cheap, and keeping you in the shade, YES PLEASE. Ain't nobody got time for sun damage and aging.

Hilara Dress with build in shorts with easy access for bathroom breaks. Yes, I found this ad on Facebook or Instagram, but for a $30 price point, looking cute but having pockets.. is effortless.

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Margaret's avatar

The grinder -> spoon -> coffeemaker steps are tedious, but we have solved that issue with a grinder that can be set BY CUP AMOUNT. So if I'm making 8 cups of coffee, I just turn the grinder knob to 8 and when it's done, just dump it all into the coffeemaker! At this point, it's easier than scooping the coffee grounds out, no spoon involved at all! It's a Capresso burr grinder.

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Kamalei's avatar

I got the cuisinart burr grinder two years ago and am thankful for it every day. Very well worth the counter space.

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Lara's avatar

I'm doing a pretty good job divesting myself of buying things from major brands (no more Amazon or Target, clothes from Poshmark or ThredUp, eco- or local cleaning goods, etc.) but one thing I feel guilty about (bc of price and the owner corporation) but CAN'T stop buying is my skin routine from SkinBetter (owned by L'Oreal). I've tried ALL the fancy, small-business owned skin brands and they just do not compare to how my skin looks from this overpriced corporate monster of a company. I'm trying to balance this with being really thoughtful about many of my other purchases but damn them - they really got me.

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Annette Silveira's avatar

I think that’s fine. We do what we can.

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Rebecca Braverman's avatar

So glad I'm not the only one who narrates their life via Strategist-esque lists. Perhaps this is a new recurring feature for Things Witches Can't Live Without/Witchfluencing? I need all the frivolity I can get these days.

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Claire Zulkey's avatar

I will definitely take this under advisement!

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Heather K's avatar

For the good soap crowd I cannot possibly explain how wonderful the soap from soap distillery is!!! I am an agave peel in the shower honey whiskey at the sink lady and they have very good plastic free lip balms and a magnificent exfoliating bar (not soap just exfoliator). Plus I feel like many witches would enjoy that their signature scent is “beer & cigarettes” which smells like only the good bits of those things.

I cannot live without my manta sleep mask and my ll bean intense winter slippers and my straight stitch only sewing machine.

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Rachel Rosenthal's avatar

Things that are not only my faves now, but have been for a long time:

1. My Le Cruesset and Staub enameled cast iron dutch ovens. I felt so bougie when I got them but honestly I love them and use them both at least once a week. Definitely a quality over quantity thing. Plus, they're so beautiful.

2. Custom ear plugs, like the ones musicians wear. My husband snores (a lot) and the ones from the drugstore always fell out. I got these a bunch of years ago and they are so much more comfortable, don't fall out, and make sharing a bed while sleeping tolerable.

3. My Owalla water bottle. I am a big water drinker and have tried many brands over the years, but this is by far the best. Keeps the water cold, has a straw, doesn't leak, is very easy to clean.

4. Birkenstocks. I have bad feet and they are the only shoes I wear where I am not conscious of wearing shoes. I have sandals for the summer, boots for the winter, and clogs for taking my daughter to the bus in the morning.

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Kate S's avatar

We got the Mill food composter and it’s pretty awesome. The actual device is still slightly at a beta level but it does not smell, it composts/grinds overnight at a white noise machine sound level and basically gives us a second “food scrap only” trash can. You pay a monthly charge to send the grounds usps to their processing center where they turn them into chicken feed and other stuff. I’m not 100% sold on the mail them back thing (mostly because I currently have 4 boxes of grounds in the back of my car because Chicago post offices are a pain) but I love the device. My husband has started to bring multiple Tupperware to restaurants to carry home leftovers both for eating and for composting.

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Quinn Emmett's avatar

Yes! I have a Mill. Love it. Not cheap, but it's amazing how much less garbage you have (at least, my family of 5 has).

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