I found that when I turned off Audible and Kindle, I spent much less. I buy fewer ebooks and audiobooks now. I read what I can, and listen to what I can, on Libby. I am more selective about what I buy, and I enjoy those more now. I use Kobo and Libby. If something is very very very old, I check Gutenberg.org.
I quit using Home Depot, opting for a local hardware store instead. It is closer, and the staff are very helpful. I just had to change my mental habit, to thinking first to go to the locally owned hardware store. I feel like I'm more a part of my town now. I save fuel going there (actually a KIA e-car), and it's less hectic.
Amazon was easy during the pandemic. Now, I find it less reliable, too fill of junk, and not really a bargain in most cases. I got into the habit of planning shopping trips and writing things down. Without really trying, I quit using Amazon completely.
The switch from WaPo to The Guardian was a no-brainer. I didn't mind at all.
Other things are the same way. I had to re-learn pre e-commerce habits. I'm glad I do that now. I feel less isolated.
I'm using duckduckgo as browser and search engine. I think it's cleaner and safer than the bigger ones, and the ad content is way, way less. I turned off the ai in the settings.
I love that you highlighted the mood boost of face-to-face interactions with people in our own communities. I notice this, too! It’s a win-win-win all around, shopping local. It’s WILD to think about the cumulative impact of where we put our D-A-M, both on the positive and negative side of things. Thanks for keeping me inspired to keep doing this.
This was good- I had a physical exhale after reading. It felt very down-to-earth, honest, and human-lol. I found lots of resonance. Streamlining apps and online services- it's wild the attachment I feel to Amazon Prime. I barely use it anymore. Right now, I keep it to order bulk items for a youth program I manage- mostly.
I appreciate how you highlight the benefits of this process. I think a lot of folks feel exhausted even thinking about it or they only see what they’re losing. So important to remember what is gained by divesting, too—integrity, human connection, self-respect, a slower rhythm to life. Thanks for being a mapmaker!
LOVE that you're sharing this process with us, thank you. Very inspiring, and a helpful model for those of us who have not yet started and weren't quite sure where to begin.
Are you and your team considering Zoho to replace google docs, etc.? Our small print publishing endeavor — Small Robin Press (which started as Small Stack here on Substack) — moved from the google suite to Zoho, which doesn't share content with their AI tools.
Well - that’s a lot of ground to cover. 1) Amazon - I already buy local when I am in my small town in the U.S. But I also know plenty of Mom and Pop businesses that use the Amazon platform to sell beyond their local bricks and mortar limits. So maybe parse the Amazon boycott by not patronizing the “Amazon brand” items but respecting authentic U.S. products that use the platform.
2) Oy. I don’t even care about the data transfer. When I hopped over from ChatGPT to Claude after the Pentagon debacle, I found that Claude thinks “Oops” is an acceptable response when it makes things up; fails to check current sources; requires that I do due diligence on every single response. Are ethical AI and competent AI inherently different? And can we even take about the ethics of us as humans burning up finite resources to access cloud space for the frustratingly inane chats we have with Chat or Claude or (fill in the blank) AI?
I’m happy to realize that I’ve already done a lot of this in recent months. Minimal Amazon, though still a Prime member.
Minimal Target shopping.
Local shopping. Minimal driving.
Moved main personal email to Proton months ago-supposed to have better security.
Very minimal Google engagement- have used Duck Duck Go for years. Only an occasional form for my business. Still have Gmail but don’t use it.
Very curious about the ChatGPT to Claude migration.
I’ve had incredibly helpful experiences w/ChatGPT in dealing with various healthcare system issues and streamlining my business processes.
I’d love to hear a comparison in how they work, as I’ve wanted to ditch the company but first want to ensure that I can use Claude similarly and get good results. Not sure how to assess that- so I’m all ears on the topic!
I'm a huge fan of Libro.fm! They don't have every last title I go looking for, but their success rate is >90% for my reading list. Libby is also excellent for library titles.
I'm a proud customer of Sonic in the Bay Area. In Sac, where I was helping a family member, I was able to find a regional fiber provider called Fidium with the help of a local micro-ISP I found on Yelp. That micro-ISP didn't serve the zip code I was searching for, but they linked me to https://broadbandnow.com, where I found Fidium. Fidium has been a joy to work with — we had a particularly challenging install process due to lots of tree branches around the line, but they stuck with us and we now have fast, duplex fiber for much cheaper than the previous Xfinity service. Fidium's service areas appear fairly random, as they are not rolling out nationwide, but I recommend them highly if they serve your area.
Quitting Amazon Prime has been a joy. Occasionally there is an item I can't find anywhere else, and usually I can batch a few hard-to-find items to qualify for free shipping (take THAT, Jeff!) despite not being a member.
Quitting Home Depot has been another joy. I can't recommend local ACE Hardware stores enough. They are all locally owned franchises AFAIK, and usually staffed with a grumpy old veteran of whatever building trade you're looking for help with. I would much rather talk to an <ahem> _opinionated_ old plumber who knows his shit than someone at Home Depot who has never installed so much as a faucet. Also, Home Depot very much supports the fascism. (Side note: I discovered that OSH is owned by Lowe's. They're mostly in CA I think; YMMV. They are very nice and helpful and well-staffed, but might support the fascisms, I haven't done the research.)
A year ago, I quit Spotify and now exclusively buy music directly from artists on Bandcamp. It will not work for everyone -- my favorite artists happen to be selling on Bandcamp. (There are more artist-friendly alternatives like Qobuz that also support buying files rather than just streaming, along with high audio quality.) I love buying FLAC files and plan to soon set up a Plex or other self-hosted media server that can be backed up to a NAS and accessed over the internet.
Someday I would love to move away from Google.. like you B, that is a much larger project. Their tentacles extend many layers. Keep up the good work!
I forgot to mention -- switching from Google Search to a privacy-focused alternative like DuckDuckGo is easy and I have not experienced any lacking features as a result. It can be a good first step in moving away from Google, and it's one of their primary data harvesting schemes, so it's a good place to start.
How did you pitch it to get fiber in your neighborhood? I've been trying to talk to ATT and I can't seem to find the right person so that we can get fiber in our neighborhood. They just say "we're not doing your neighborhood" yet.
Thanks for sharing your journey and laying it out so well and with your feelings included. I shared this.
We are buying less off Amazon. My elderly mom uses and pays for it. Buying more locally. My hubby rides his bicycle everywhere and does all the grocery shopping by bicycle. It helps that we live in a smaller town. About 55K humans.
I really hate AI and have turned it off as best I can. We don't use Chatgpt but it probably helps that we are both retired. It really fucking scares me. And pisses me off.
I didn't understand your computer nerd (your word?) stuff.
I found that when I turned off Audible and Kindle, I spent much less. I buy fewer ebooks and audiobooks now. I read what I can, and listen to what I can, on Libby. I am more selective about what I buy, and I enjoy those more now. I use Kobo and Libby. If something is very very very old, I check Gutenberg.org.
I quit using Home Depot, opting for a local hardware store instead. It is closer, and the staff are very helpful. I just had to change my mental habit, to thinking first to go to the locally owned hardware store. I feel like I'm more a part of my town now. I save fuel going there (actually a KIA e-car), and it's less hectic.
Amazon was easy during the pandemic. Now, I find it less reliable, too fill of junk, and not really a bargain in most cases. I got into the habit of planning shopping trips and writing things down. Without really trying, I quit using Amazon completely.
The switch from WaPo to The Guardian was a no-brainer. I didn't mind at all.
Other things are the same way. I had to re-learn pre e-commerce habits. I'm glad I do that now. I feel less isolated.
I'm using duckduckgo as browser and search engine. I think it's cleaner and safer than the bigger ones, and the ad content is way, way less. I turned off the ai in the settings.
Love every bit of this B. Starting a somewhat similar protocol but going to take some notes from you!
I love that you highlighted the mood boost of face-to-face interactions with people in our own communities. I notice this, too! It’s a win-win-win all around, shopping local. It’s WILD to think about the cumulative impact of where we put our D-A-M, both on the positive and negative side of things. Thanks for keeping me inspired to keep doing this.
A mood boost is no small thing in a world where being bombarded by heavy news. Part of "human thriving" is feeling good, feeling connected.
This was good- I had a physical exhale after reading. It felt very down-to-earth, honest, and human-lol. I found lots of resonance. Streamlining apps and online services- it's wild the attachment I feel to Amazon Prime. I barely use it anymore. Right now, I keep it to order bulk items for a youth program I manage- mostly.
I appreciate how you highlight the benefits of this process. I think a lot of folks feel exhausted even thinking about it or they only see what they’re losing. So important to remember what is gained by divesting, too—integrity, human connection, self-respect, a slower rhythm to life. Thanks for being a mapmaker!
A friend recently redefined "will power" not as the power to restrain yourself but the power to decide and chase after what you "will" have or do.
LOVE that you're sharing this process with us, thank you. Very inspiring, and a helpful model for those of us who have not yet started and weren't quite sure where to begin.
Starting is really hard. But it feels good to be in motion!
Are you and your team considering Zoho to replace google docs, etc.? Our small print publishing endeavor — Small Robin Press (which started as Small Stack here on Substack) — moved from the google suite to Zoho, which doesn't share content with their AI tools.
How is your team finding Zoho as a tool? What's working well and which features have been an adjustment for you?
Well - that’s a lot of ground to cover. 1) Amazon - I already buy local when I am in my small town in the U.S. But I also know plenty of Mom and Pop businesses that use the Amazon platform to sell beyond their local bricks and mortar limits. So maybe parse the Amazon boycott by not patronizing the “Amazon brand” items but respecting authentic U.S. products that use the platform.
2) Oy. I don’t even care about the data transfer. When I hopped over from ChatGPT to Claude after the Pentagon debacle, I found that Claude thinks “Oops” is an acceptable response when it makes things up; fails to check current sources; requires that I do due diligence on every single response. Are ethical AI and competent AI inherently different? And can we even take about the ethics of us as humans burning up finite resources to access cloud space for the frustratingly inane chats we have with Chat or Claude or (fill in the blank) AI?
The untangling is complicated.
You are in the Palm Springs area? Me too. Are you doing anything locally?
I’m happy to realize that I’ve already done a lot of this in recent months. Minimal Amazon, though still a Prime member.
Minimal Target shopping.
Local shopping. Minimal driving.
Moved main personal email to Proton months ago-supposed to have better security.
Very minimal Google engagement- have used Duck Duck Go for years. Only an occasional form for my business. Still have Gmail but don’t use it.
Very curious about the ChatGPT to Claude migration.
I’ve had incredibly helpful experiences w/ChatGPT in dealing with various healthcare system issues and streamlining my business processes.
I’d love to hear a comparison in how they work, as I’ve wanted to ditch the company but first want to ensure that I can use Claude similarly and get good results. Not sure how to assess that- so I’m all ears on the topic!
Really appreciate this post-thanks!
I'm a huge fan of Libro.fm! They don't have every last title I go looking for, but their success rate is >90% for my reading list. Libby is also excellent for library titles.
I'm a proud customer of Sonic in the Bay Area. In Sac, where I was helping a family member, I was able to find a regional fiber provider called Fidium with the help of a local micro-ISP I found on Yelp. That micro-ISP didn't serve the zip code I was searching for, but they linked me to https://broadbandnow.com, where I found Fidium. Fidium has been a joy to work with — we had a particularly challenging install process due to lots of tree branches around the line, but they stuck with us and we now have fast, duplex fiber for much cheaper than the previous Xfinity service. Fidium's service areas appear fairly random, as they are not rolling out nationwide, but I recommend them highly if they serve your area.
Quitting Amazon Prime has been a joy. Occasionally there is an item I can't find anywhere else, and usually I can batch a few hard-to-find items to qualify for free shipping (take THAT, Jeff!) despite not being a member.
Quitting Home Depot has been another joy. I can't recommend local ACE Hardware stores enough. They are all locally owned franchises AFAIK, and usually staffed with a grumpy old veteran of whatever building trade you're looking for help with. I would much rather talk to an <ahem> _opinionated_ old plumber who knows his shit than someone at Home Depot who has never installed so much as a faucet. Also, Home Depot very much supports the fascism. (Side note: I discovered that OSH is owned by Lowe's. They're mostly in CA I think; YMMV. They are very nice and helpful and well-staffed, but might support the fascisms, I haven't done the research.)
A year ago, I quit Spotify and now exclusively buy music directly from artists on Bandcamp. It will not work for everyone -- my favorite artists happen to be selling on Bandcamp. (There are more artist-friendly alternatives like Qobuz that also support buying files rather than just streaming, along with high audio quality.) I love buying FLAC files and plan to soon set up a Plex or other self-hosted media server that can be backed up to a NAS and accessed over the internet.
Someday I would love to move away from Google.. like you B, that is a much larger project. Their tentacles extend many layers. Keep up the good work!
I forgot to mention -- switching from Google Search to a privacy-focused alternative like DuckDuckGo is easy and I have not experienced any lacking features as a result. It can be a good first step in moving away from Google, and it's one of their primary data harvesting schemes, so it's a good place to start.
DAM!! Love this! I find the Disengage Toolkits from Punching Up Press (with worksheets and all) really helpful.
https://www.punchinguppress.com/
Also check out Rebel Tech Alliance’s Big Tech Walkout: https://rebeltechalliance.org/collectiveaction.html
How did you pitch it to get fiber in your neighborhood? I've been trying to talk to ATT and I can't seem to find the right person so that we can get fiber in our neighborhood. They just say "we're not doing your neighborhood" yet.
I'm also extremely frustrated with Google. The oozing mess of it. Stealing into every crack and crevice. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Thanks for sharing your journey and laying it out so well and with your feelings included. I shared this.
We are buying less off Amazon. My elderly mom uses and pays for it. Buying more locally. My hubby rides his bicycle everywhere and does all the grocery shopping by bicycle. It helps that we live in a smaller town. About 55K humans.
I really hate AI and have turned it off as best I can. We don't use Chatgpt but it probably helps that we are both retired. It really fucking scares me. And pisses me off.
I didn't understand your computer nerd (your word?) stuff.
Thanks for doing you and the with you do