Most people understand what a boycott is. Their success often varies depending on a number of factors, including type, breadth, and duration. If you need a quick refresher, let’s hear from Merriam-Webster. boycott (verb): to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (a person, a store, an organization, etc.) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions.
Since January 20th, 2025 at approximately 12:01 pm, many people I know have worked to “thank” all the billionaires who supported Trump by finding alternatives to using their websites or products (looking at you, Amazon/Whole Foods). In addition, the many brick and mortar stores who so easily and quickly cowed to Trump’s anti-DEI demands soured a huge swath of American consumers. Companies like Target, Walmart, and Lowe’s caved without any pushback by January 24th! And although Home Depot claims it can’t know when ICE (or Fake ICE) invade their properties to intimidate and nab brown people looking for day labor jobs, that company’s lack of action to protect people on their properties has pissed off plenty of folks.
Each of those companies have seen sales tank and adjusted or removed financial guidance for the quarter or year based on the “uncertainty” among consumers. On any given weekend now at our local Target, the parking lot looks like a ghost town. Well done, everyone. And golly, like the others, Target just can’t figure out why everyone is staying away.
Conversely, both Costco and Apple roundly and immediately refused Trump’s attempts to clamp down on their DEI programs, noting the positive impact that DEI has for their customers and employees (duh!). Not long ago, I happened to stop by my local Costco. It was a Wednesday afternoon, not near any special holiday, nor was it on or near the 1st or 15th of the month (typically busy days). On this terribly average Wednesday afternoon, you could have mistaken the parking lot for a Christmas holiday, it was so hectic. Now, THAT’S how you resist a tyrant! Support the companies that support you and ALL their employees.
To that end, a couple months ago, I decided to challenge myself to see how many household items I could find without using the usual go-to places, which for me were mostly Amazon and Whole Foods. Some items were easy. I simply went to the website listed on the product and purchased directly from said company. I quickly discovered that, if you buy in large enough quantities (usually specified clearly on the website), you receive free shipping. YAY, free shipping!
Here’s an example of how I got started. Toothpaste. My husband and I use different brands, so that meant finding two different places. I use Tom’s of Maine. He uses Sensodyne. I went to the Tom’s of Maine website to order, planning to grab a couple tubes and see how long the shipping process takes. However, I discovered that if I ordered five tubes, I got free shipping. Did I need five tubes? No. Can I eventually use five tubes? Of course!
So, ordering enough to get free shipping makes sense. As for the Sensodyne, that proved a bit more difficult as you cannot purchase directly from the company. They do, however, refer you to all the places that currently carry their product. Obviously, this makes it very easy to avoid the Target and Walmart stores (which were at the top of the list in this case), but it also listed Costco. I had purchased some Sensodyne several months ago at our local Costco once, but as often happens, I never saw it there again. Yet it was on the list. So, I went to the Costco website and guess what? Not only do they carry Sensodyne there, but as a Costco member, the shipping charge is minuscule; just 29 cents on a 4-pack order of $31.99. Score!
Aside from the obvious additional cost of purchasing more items (that you will, of course, use eventually), there is the necessary reset of expectations which may be the most important part of this process.
For the most part, you will need to plan ahead. Face it, we’ve all gotten in the habit of “instant or near instant” gratification. Hell, in the past, I’ve ordered something from Amazon and not once but twice had that item show up on my doorstep 45 minutes later! And you know what? Both times, it was shit I didn’t NEED in 45 minutes. But there you are. So, plan ahead. I’ve found that a good rule of thumb is to order when you have just opened the last of an item and NOT when you have USED the last of the item.
Now, I know that some of you are shaking your head at the obvious logic of this statement, but I have found over the years that there are usually TWO types of people in a two-person household. One always gets items on the list before the grocery run while the other is texting to request the forgotten item as you are in the store. You each know who you are, admit it.
That said, I’ve discovered that you should allow as much as two weeks for the arrival of an item THE FIRST TIME YOU ORDER IT. I’ve also found that later purchases, essentially once you are in their system, take much less time, anywhere from 4 days to a week depending on from where the item ships.
I was so proud of my first couple of finds that I created a spreadsheet to track my discoveries AND to have a handy list available for future purchases. The list continues to grow and include more and more items. I am making it available for you as well and hope that you can add your own finds to it.
Now, go out there and make a billionaire sad (while impressing your friends with your ingenuity).