Between her demanding job and holiday prep, the end of the year always feels like a race to the finish line for Ashley. This year it’s still a race, but the finish line is looking a little different. Ashley’s job has gone remote, but with planning virtual events, it’s just as demanding as ever. The perk is that now she works from home, which gives her more time with her two roommates — and also more time to make holiday plans throughout the day.
Here’s how Amazon Pay — a speedy payment method that requires no sign-up and no new passwords — can make it easier for Ashley to take care of all her holiday shopping and still feel like she has time to spare.
About Ashley, the panic shopper
Age: 28
- Priorities: Lifestyle, personal and others’ satisfaction
- Influences: Trends, reviews, targeted emails and other promotions
- Drivers: Good deals and discounts
- Barriers: Cost of items, shipping options, and no brand loyalty
Ashley’s Diary — Thursday
7am: Waking up and working out
I wasn’t always a morning person, but ever since my roommates and I started working out together, I feel like there’s something to look forward to. I put on my new pair of high-rise leggings from Summersalt, which I recently bought after I saw my roommate wearing them. They molded right to my body in such a comfortable way.
By the time I’m out in the living room, our three yoga mats are already on the floor next to each other. Nat asks, “Alexa, play my winter workout Spotify playlist” while he hands me a cup of Alani Nu’s pre-workout supplement. We’ve all come to love this complement to our routine, not only because it helps us maintain our high energy while we sweat, but also because it comes to our door every four weeks like clockwork. I got a subscription that I was able to conveniently order with Amazon Pay, and it feels like nothing has ever been easier.
After our HIIT Workout, Nat takes a shower while Charlotte and I hang out in the kitchen on our phones, scrolling through TikTok, and waiting for our turn to use the bathroom. We start talking about how with all of the restrictions on travel this year, it doesn’t make sense for Char to go home for the holidays. Char is my best friend, and I’m excited by the idea that we get to spend the holidays together. But it also makes me really nervous because I suddenly realize that I need to get going on my holiday shopping.
9:30am: Working remotely
The day hasn’t technically started, but I’m sitting at my computer with my coffee all dressed for the day anyway, trying to figure out what’s on my to-do list while I idly go through my emails to see if there are any new promotions I want to take advantage of. I check in with my team as they show up on Slack—we’re really a tight-knit group because we work in such high-pressure situations. This year, because we’re remote, we’ve decided to do a Secret Santa gift exchange with everyone sending someone else a present. Not going to lie, I was pretty excited about this until I drew the super quiet guy who almost never divulges personal information and seems kind of serious. A tough person to get a gift for. Luckily, I saw in our last Zoom meeting that he has a dog—so I think I’m going to get him something for his pet.
12pm: Taking a lunch break
Sometimes, we all take a break to have a quick lunch as a house; other times, we do our own thing. Today, the three of us are in the kitchen, but we’re kind of all looking at our phones—sometimes occasionally sharing what it is that we’re finding. I scroll through Instagram while I’m eating, and see Bocce’s bakery is offering a holiday-themed dog treat — cute looking Lumps of Coal — that would be perfect for the office Secret Santa. Without any hesitation, I buy them right from my phone, and because I’m using Amazon Pay, I can easily find his address that I have stored in my Amazon address book. I hope all of my holiday shopping is this easy…
After that, I decide to check my email to see if they’ve sent me an order confirmation and I notice that 7 for all mankind is having a sale, so I head over to their website. I’m scrolling through their styles, but my instincts aren’t offering any inclinations on which jeans to get. My preference has always been skinny jeans. I ask Char and Nat which ones they think I should get. Almost without hesitation they’re like, “Bootcut is in” — so, I shrug and think, ok then, bootcut it is. I’m just happy that I’m getting them on sale. I order them in just a few clicks, using Amazon Pay, again—oh, and there’s the Bocce order confirmation!
1:30pm: Working, interrupted
One of the things that’s nice about Zoom meetings is that when things are happening that don’t concern me, I can keep scrolling through my open tabs, getting a sense of what’s out there. What I’m going to get Char for the holidays has been lingering in the back of mind all day—it’s making me totally anxious. I want to get her something special and unique, but that doesn’t feel too serious. Something that will actually feel like it was picked for her personality.
I temporarily snap out of my stressful back-to-back meetings when Alexa lights up with a yellow ring, letting me know that a package I ordered is being delivered. Yes! But I wonder, which item I bought recently that would be arriving? I’ve been kind of spontaneously splurging lately as the holiday season nears. I reach the door and I realize it’s my brand-new waterproof iPhone case, the Stash Waterpocket. Listen, I know that in my life right now, the most adventurous thing I do is sometimes walking around in the snow, but I saw a girl on Instagram wearing it as she jumped into a pool, and it felt like setting intentions for the future. Summer will be here before we know it, and it’s a practical thing I can totally see taking to the beach with me when the weather gets warm, so, no regrets.
But that makes me wonder where all of my other packages are, so I check-in asking, “Alexa, where’s my stuff?” I just really like knowing where everything is.
5pm: Finding the perfect gift
Instagram comes through again! I’m following this girl I went to college with who’s kind of an influencer now, and she snapped a photo a few hours ago of her with a really cute necklace from Mason Miru that says “chill” on it — It’s called their Chill Pill Charm Necklace. It’s exactly the kind of thing that Char will like, because even though she’s all about the hustle, she also likes to take a step back and appreciate things as they come. I click through Instagram and buy it on the spot, thanking my lucky stars that I’ve found it with enough time to give it to her for the holidays. The rest of the workday goes by in no time.
7pm: Ending the day
I go to the fridge to see if there’s anything that we can make for dinner—we’re a little low on groceries. All we have left pretty much is eggs. “Alexa, add spinach,” I say, adding to my grocery list. At this point, I don’t want to know how long it is. Char and I decide to order takeout—Nat is going on a socially distanced date with some boy he met on an app—so we get to have a girl’s night in. I live for these moments of spontaneity. The second Nat leaves we’re instantly jump into a discussion of what to get him for the holidays, then curl up on the couch to stream an episode or two of a new Hulu series while we scroll through our phones, bouncing ideas off each other.
While we’re looking for Nat, we decide that we should also put together a cart of items to make the home a little more festive. The place where we got our rug, Lulu and Georgia, has plaid stockings that give the holiday classic a kind of cute modern twist. We decide to get one for Nat, too. I’m happy that the holiday cheer is finally taking over—and I’m glad that even though I waited until the last minute, all of the gifts are starting to come together. Maybe as the night progresses, I’ll find just the thing for Nat, too.
To learn about more ways you can use your Amazon account to make the holidays a little easier, check out 160+ unique finds in our Holiday Gift Guide.