A lot of people find online shopping therapeutic: A way to zone out and destress at the end of a long day. For some people, simply browsing—and maybe adding items to their virtual cart with no intention of actually buying them—is enough. But others can’t resist going through with the purchase, knowing that once they click “Place Order,” they can look forward to receiving the item(s) in the mail.
However, in most situations, buying things you don’t need isn’t a great idea. Not only are you spending money that you may not have, but the packaging used to ship your order creates unnecessary waste, and now you have something else cluttering your home.
In 2019, we suggested browsing Airbnb listings (but not actually booking them) as a way to avoid stress shopping. Now we’re back with something better: Requesting books and other items from your local library as a way to curb impulse shopping. Here’s what to know.
Request items from your library instead of impulse shopping
While some people can page through items for hours without feeling the need to actually buy anything, others have difficulty concluding their online shopping session without making at least one purchase. Regardless of which category you fall into, requesting materials from the library may help.
In addition to all the books in the library’s regular catalog, most also offer free subscriptions to sites (and their apps) like Hoopla, Libby, and Kanopy for those with a library card (which are also free). Between these resources, you’ll be able to borrow physical books, ebooks, audiobooks, music, films, and periodicals, and browse to your heart’s content.
For those prone to impulse shopping, being asked to enter their library card number and password may feel like the equivalent of entering their credit card information in an online shopping transaction.
If you’re going to request physical materials from your local library, keep in mind that you’ll have to pick them up yourself. Also, be sure to check your library’s request and hold policy: Some may charge a (nominal) fee if you order a book, but don’t pick it up. (Though the fee would be going to a good cause.)
And there’s a bonus: When you check out the materials you requested, or borrow online items, it’s not only included in your library’s circulation numbers, but it also provides your library with data on which resources the people in your community utilize the most.