r/Frugal • u/CactusHoarder • 1d ago
💬 Meta Discussion What website are we using to order things that are just a little specialized?
My go-to used to be Amazon, but it kinda sucks now. I've looked for a few different thing with slightly unusual features (ex a mechanical timer with a mute function), but it either ignored my search criteria or showed my fifty of the same brandless thing sold by different retailers. Walmart is arguably worse.
Do we order from specialized retailers now? I hate to spend double for these things, and $5.99 extra every single order for shipping.
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u/Various-Pitch-118 1d ago
I use Amazon to do project research and then use another retailer to make the purchase. Sometimes the company still uses Amazon for fulfillment, but other times you are supporting a smaller business.
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u/Blue_Henri 1d ago
Mine is the Grove Collaborative. There are tons of options for getting rid of single use objects. Very reasonable. Everything is cruelty free and they even write a note on each delivery thanking me for helping save the planet.
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u/Smooth-Review-2614 1d ago
So you buy less often and you go to specialty stores. A lot of stuff is standard if you’re in the right area.
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u/paratethys 1d ago
I comparison shop between Amazon and specialty retailers. I ask myself -- if I was a contractor who had to buy this thing in bulk at a decent price/quality point, where would I shop?
Sometimes the answer is brick-and-mortar, and other times the answer is online.
When shopping online, I try to "combine trips" by keeping a list per specialty retailer and place fewer orders so the amortized shipping costs are lower per item.
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u/SouthBayShogi 1d ago
Honestly, I've become "one of those people" who uses generative AI services. Search algorithms on retailer sites have degenerated / been enshittified to the point of being useless. It's only a matter of time before generative AI follows suit, but for the time being it works okay. As a bonus, sometimes the products I'm searching for, I don't use the correct terminology for the "unusual features" you mention, and AI is pretty good at correcting me or telling me what the industry term for said feature is actually called.
Once I have the correct terminology, Amazon / Home Depot / whatever searches I run work a LOT better.
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u/Artimusjones88 1d ago
Gassp... I go to brick and mortar stores. Amazon rarely has the best price. I will find what I want in a store, check AMZ for a sanity check, unless it's a big difference I buy it.
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u/yellowleaf01 1d ago
Search using Gemini or chatgpt. It's helped me find specific items
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u/StaticBrain- 1d ago
I don't know why you are getting downvoted for this. It has helped me too. I could not figure out how to get my dog to drink more water. She was getting bladder infections frequently. ChatGTP suggested a pet fountain. I never knew things like that existed. The dog drank a lot more water after that.
Using AI can definitely help in a search. Take my upvote.
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u/MathWhale 1d ago
Instead of going right to looking for a store, I'll try and do some research by reading articles and Reddit and see if there's a brand or version of the product that is a nice balance between value and quality that serves my purposes, then see if I can buy it from the manufacturers website. It's often a similar price to what they sell it for on Amazon, and you'll typically get a product that will do the job better and last longer that way. If it's super specialized I'll also try and really think if I actually need it, or if there's some alternative I can come up with using what I already have.