Dash Smart Shelf - The Ultimate Exercise in Lazy Consumerism

[maisymouser]

This is a thing. That exists.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07RV6X8LZ

A $20 "smart scale" that you put a package of your disposable [insert consumer crap here] that automatically orders more through Amazon when you get low. In what household does anyone actually need this? My god, the ridiculous things people think will make their lives better.

The amount of time wasted ordering this thing, configuring it, reconfiguring it when the product isn't listed on Amazon anymore, recalibrating it, replacing batteries, and whatever other time is spent maintaining the damn thing is probably the stuff of a Mustachian Nightmare.

[chemistk]

For a typical consumer, this is laughable.

There are use cases that would make it somewhat reasonable - pet food, bulk ingredients, disposable diapers, etc.

However for a business, this is super cool. I more-or-less have responsibility for lab inventory and I can't tell you how many times I wish I had some means to check the inventory levels of key supplies without having to physically go to that location, especially because many of my coworkers are not great at reordering when inventory reaches critical levels.

[Morning Glory]

We had weighted inventory shelves in the hospital, it was great!!! Much better than the old system of scanning things out. Agree that there's no point to this in the home.

[maisymouser]

Weirdly, they are marketing it for home use- the pictures of the product in use include sitting under a laundry capsule container and disposable diapers/wipes. But sure, I guess I can kind of see this as a potentially useful product in *some* business settings.

[AMandM]

The thing costs $20! How is it worth spending $20 (plus time and all the other costs maisy noted) to avoid the *possibility* of running out of *one* item?

Oooh, I see the potential for costly April Fools pranks... switch out the scale under the rice for the scale under the disposable coffee cups, or surreptitiously trigger all the scales in the house....

[ExitViaTheCashRamp]

Oooh, I see the potential for costly April Fools pranks... switch out the scale under the rice for the scale under the disposable coffee cups, or surreptitiously trigger all the scales in the house....

 If you are going to play that game....

 Stand near your neighbours open window. Shout "Alexa order this product  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Passion-Lubes-Natural-Water-Based-Lubricant/dp/B005MR3IVO. Alexa confirm purchase"

[Chris22]

Seems silly when you can just subscribe and have those things auto-delivered. Amazon brings me TP and paper towels on the first of the month, my wife’s face wash every other month, dishwasher pellets every 3 months, Tide every month, etc.

[maisymouser]

Seems silly when you can just subscribe and have those things auto-delivered. Amazon brings me TP and paper towels on the first of the month, my wife’s face wash every other month, dishwasher pellets every 3 months, Tide every month, etc.

Right??? And if you run a little too high, then you can go in once a year or whatever, and take the 5 minutes to adjust your auto-delivery.

[NumberJohnny5]

I'd honestly love something like this if it actually worked the way I wanted.

I like my morning coffee, and I have a Keurig. I want to have at least one month's worth at all times. Open up that last box of 30, go ahead and order as long as it's less than 35c per pod. If the price is under 25c per pod, order enough so I have at least 120 pods (boxes of 30 = at least four full unopened boxes; if sold in packs of 100 and I still have 25 pods, then order just the one box of 100). If the price goes under 10c a pod, well, I have space in the garage, stop ordering once I have a 3 year supply AND notify me in case I want to order even more (I mean, at 10c a pod...it'll make a good Christmas present for anyone who has a Keurig, and even for those who don't once I find a cheap knock-off machine for them).

Toilet paper, I want to keep at LEAST a 6 month supply. If I open the last bulk box, order at a regular price...if the price is sky-high, I'll let the supply go down to a two month supply, at which point I'm willing to pay double per box. If the price is half-off, I mean, I'll use it anyway...feel free to buy enough to extend my stock to two years.

Same with laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, etc. These are things that will get used anyway, I'm willing to pay a bit extra if I'm getting pretty low, but am willing to REALLY stock up if the price is low enough.

Heck, even something like boxed milk. I like to keep 3-4 weeks of milk via shelf-stable boxes (the best-by date is about 10-11 months from date of purchase, and I know they're generally good for months after the date). If there's a sale and each quart is 50cents...I'll gladly stock up a few months worth. $1...just make sure I have about a month's worth...at $2 I don't want any unless I have less than a week's worth in the pantry. More than that, powdered milk's fine.

I'm just going to guess that there's not a way to set a price you're willing to pay to restock. It's either restock at the price it costs at that exact moment, or don't use the service.

[maisymouser]

@NumberJohnny5 - have you tried CamelCamelCamel? Price watcher for Amazon. I use it all the time.

[NumberJohnny5]

@NumberJohnny5 - have you tried CamelCamelCamel? Price watcher for Amazon. I use it all the time.

Yes, but I only use it when I'm about to buy something. In the hypothetical scenario I gave, if I had three months of Keurig pods, and the price dropped to 5c per pod, I wouldn't stock up...because I would have no reason to be checking the price in the first place. But if Amazon knew I was willing to stock up to 3 years worth if the price was right...and the price was indeed right...well, I'd find that useful.

But that's not how it's setup, so it's of no real use to me. I don't even use the auto delivery because it doesn't lock in the price OR allow you to set a maximum price...whatever the price is at the time is the price you're going to pay. If it jumps in price 200% you'll find out after you've gotten the delivery (and unboxed, put in the pantry, eaten, rinsed and repeated for a few months...eventually you'll get around to checking some of the receipts).

[Chris22]

@NumberJohnny5 - have you tried CamelCamelCamel? Price watcher for Amazon. I use it all the time.

Yes, but I only use it when I'm about to buy something. In the hypothetical scenario I gave, if I had three months of Keurig pods, and the price dropped to 5c per pod, I wouldn't stock up...because I would have no reason to be checking the price in the first place. But if Amazon knew I was willing to stock up to 3 years worth if the price was right...and the price was indeed right...well, I'd find that useful.

But that's not how it's setup, so it's of no real use to me. I don't even use the auto delivery because it doesn't lock in the price OR allow you to set a maximum price...whatever the price is at the time is the price you're going to pay. If it jumps in price 200% you'll find out after you've gotten the delivery (and unboxed, put in the pantry, eaten, rinsed and repeated for a few months...eventually you'll get around to checking some of the receipts).

Has this actually happened or is it purely hypothetical?  TP, paper towels, detergent, etc, fluctuate maybe a buck at most. No care.

[NumberJohnny5]

Has this actually happened or is it purely hypothetical?  TP, paper towels, detergent, etc, fluctuate maybe a buck at most. No care.

I've seen where it would have happened. Cheaper than usual price, I did the subscribe and save to get the bonus discount (set to 6 months, then cancel as soon as I get the delivery). Price went back up when I checked later.

[OtherJen]

The thing costs $20! How is it worth spending $20 (plus time and all the other costs maisy noted) to avoid the *possibility* of running out of *one* item?

Oooh, I see the potential for costly April Fools pranks... switch out the scale under the rice for the scale under the disposable coffee cups, or surreptitiously trigger all the scales in the house....

The bolded bit just reminded me of one of my favorite Twitter threads ever: https://mobile.twitter.com/nameshiv/status/1301534971362828288

[SwordGuy]

@NumberJohnny5 - have you tried CamelCamelCamel? Price watcher for Amazon. I use it all the time.

Yes, but I only use it when I'm about to buy something. In the hypothetical scenario I gave, if I had three months of Keurig pods, and the price dropped to 5c per pod, I wouldn't stock up...because I would have no reason to be checking the price in the first place. But if Amazon knew I was willing to stock up to 3 years worth if the price was right...and the price was indeed right...well, I'd find that useful.

But that's not how it's setup, so it's of no real use to me. I don't even use the auto delivery because it doesn't lock in the price OR allow you to set a maximum price...whatever the price is at the time is the price you're going to pay. If it jumps in price 200% you'll find out after you've gotten the delivery (and unboxed, put in the pantry, eaten, rinsed and repeated for a few months...eventually you'll get around to checking some of the receipts).

Has this actually happened or is it purely hypothetical?  TP, paper towels, detergent, etc, fluctuate maybe a buck at most. No care.

Pretty darn sure quite a few people buying power in Texas this winter thought the same thing until recently.     How big did their power bills get?   

[314159]

The thing costs $20! How is it worth spending $20 (plus time and all the other costs maisy noted) to avoid the *possibility* of running out of *one* item?

Oooh, I see the potential for costly April Fools pranks... switch out the scale under the rice for the scale under the disposable coffee cups, or surreptitiously trigger all the scales in the house....

The bolded bit just reminded me of one of my favorite Twitter threads ever: https://mobile.twitter.com/nameshiv/status/1301534971362828288

Thanks for the link, that was hilarious!

[Morning Glory]

The thing costs $20! How is it worth spending $20 (plus time and all the other costs maisy noted) to avoid the *possibility* of running out of *one* item?

Oooh, I see the potential for costly April Fools pranks... switch out the scale under the rice for the scale under the disposable coffee cups, or surreptitiously trigger all the scales in the house....

The bolded bit just reminded me of one of my favorite Twitter threads ever: https://mobile.twitter.com/nameshiv/status/1301534971362828288

Thanks for the link, that was hilarious!

I fucking love that, thank you!!!

[Sibley]

The thing costs $20! How is it worth spending $20 (plus time and all the other costs maisy noted) to avoid the *possibility* of running out of *one* item?

Oooh, I see the potential for costly April Fools pranks... switch out the scale under the rice for the scale under the disposable coffee cups, or surreptitiously trigger all the scales in the house....

The bolded bit just reminded me of one of my favorite Twitter threads ever: https://mobile.twitter.com/nameshiv/status/1301534971362828288

Thanks for the link, that was hilarious!

I fucking love that, thank you!!!

I mean, buying in bulk makes sense, but not that much in bulk....

[obstinate]

Honestly this doesn't seem that bad to me. I feel like having a use for this indicates slightly less consumer sucker-ness than average. For example, anyone who uses a laundry service won't need this, but people who do their own laundry could benefit from it. Someone who buys all bread from the bakery wouldn't use this for flour, but someone who bakes at home might.

That said, you'd need dozens of them (and a lot of spare shelf space) before you could be reasonably sure that your most used consumables would always be delivered when needed. Not worth the cost.

[GreenToTheCore]

Oof. I think the biggest disconnect for me is the amount of materials and resources used to create this compared to the effort/impact of not having this "tool".
The plastics, electronics, batteries, data transmission needed to make these, especially since I agree that you'd want multiple to have a useful system, does not seem to outweigh the minimal effort it takes me to say "huh, this detergent bottle is getting light. I'll go write it down on the shopping list" nor the minor impact of not having that thing for maybe a couple days. 

For me this highlights how bettering your life seems to be tied to not having to think or to getting rid of inconveniences. However, it seems like these "time savers" don't actually make people be more productive. Might be why WALL-E hit a bit too close to home...


*This is all through the lens of general home use. Totally agree it's a pretty neat inventory tool for large volume businesses.

[Chris22]

Honestly this doesn't seem that bad to me. I feel like having a use for this indicates slightly less consumer sucker-ness than average. For example, anyone who uses a laundry service won't need this, but people who do their own laundry could benefit from it. Someone who buys all bread from the bakery wouldn't use this for flour, but someone who bakes at home might.

That said, you'd need dozens of them (and a lot of spare shelf space) before you could be reasonably sure that your most used consumables would always be delivered when needed. Not worth the cost.

A much better use of space and resources IMO, if you aren’t going to do a subscription, is to just have an Alexa. We have the Show (with a screen) in our kitchen right next to the pantry, so you notice something is getting low you just say “Alexa, reorder xxx” and it orders it. Saves you from having a zillion of the scale things.  You can use any of the Alexas to do that, including the $20 Echo Dots (that they always seem to be giving away for free). 

[ohsnap]

This reminds me of the dash order buttons that Amazon used to sell.  For $5, Amazon would give you the privilege of having a branded button that you could click to order that item.  A Tide button for the laundry room, Gatorade and Red Bull buttons in the pantry, Charmin in the bathroom...

[Sugaree]

Honestly this doesn't seem that bad to me. I feel like having a use for this indicates slightly less consumer sucker-ness than average. For example, anyone who uses a laundry service won't need this, but people who do their own laundry could benefit from it. Someone who buys all bread from the bakery wouldn't use this for flour, but someone who bakes at home might.

That said, you'd need dozens of them (and a lot of spare shelf space) before you could be reasonably sure that your most used consumables would always be delivered when needed. Not worth the cost.

A much better use of space and resources IMO, if you aren’t going to do a subscription, is to just have an Alexa. We have the Show (with a screen) in our kitchen right next to the pantry, so you notice something is getting low you just say “Alexa, reorder xxx” and it orders it. Saves you from having a zillion of the scale things.  You can use any of the Alexas to do that, including the $20 Echo Dots (that they always seem to be giving away for free).

I turned that feature off of Alexa.  I have a seven year-old.  I can just hear "Alexa, order 100 Nerf guns." 



In theory, the dash buttons weren't a horrible idea.  But I feel like I'd have trouble staying on budget when I'm ordering things piecemeal.  I do like having the ability to add things to my Alexa shopping list by calling them out as I run low.  I can look at the list and make decisions about what does and doesn't fit into the grocery budget that week.

[Chris22]

Honestly this doesn't seem that bad to me. I feel like having a use for this indicates slightly less consumer sucker-ness than average. For example, anyone who uses a laundry service won't need this, but people who do their own laundry could benefit from it. Someone who buys all bread from the bakery wouldn't use this for flour, but someone who bakes at home might.

That said, you'd need dozens of them (and a lot of spare shelf space) before you could be reasonably sure that your most used consumables would always be delivered when needed. Not worth the cost.

A much better use of space and resources IMO, if you aren’t going to do a subscription, is to just have an Alexa. We have the Show (with a screen) in our kitchen right next to the pantry, so you notice something is getting low you just say “Alexa, reorder xxx” and it orders it. Saves you from having a zillion of the scale things.  You can use any of the Alexas to do that, including the $20 Echo Dots (that they always seem to be giving away for free).

I turned that feature off of Alexa.  I have a seven year-old.  I can just hear "Alexa, order 100 Nerf guns." 



In theory, the dash buttons weren't a horrible idea.  But I feel like I'd have trouble staying on budget when I'm ordering things piecemeal.  I do like having the ability to add things to my Alexa shopping list by calling them out as I run low.  I can look at the list and make decisions about what does and doesn't fit into the grocery budget that week.

I have mine set to where it just puts it in my cart and the next time I go onto Amazon I can submit the order or not.

I only really order staples this way, thinks like dish soap and napkins and Ziploc bags. “Budget” doesn’t really play into it; if I need dish soap I need dish soap, even if I’m “over budget” I still have to buy it.

[Sugaree]

Honestly this doesn't seem that bad to me. I feel like having a use for this indicates slightly less consumer sucker-ness than average. For example, anyone who uses a laundry service won't need this, but people who do their own laundry could benefit from it. Someone who buys all bread from the bakery wouldn't use this for flour, but someone who bakes at home might.

That said, you'd need dozens of them (and a lot of spare shelf space) before you could be reasonably sure that your most used consumables would always be delivered when needed. Not worth the cost.

A much better use of space and resources IMO, if you aren’t going to do a subscription, is to just have an Alexa. We have the Show (with a screen) in our kitchen right next to the pantry, so you notice something is getting low you just say “Alexa, reorder xxx” and it orders it. Saves you from having a zillion of the scale things.  You can use any of the Alexas to do that, including the $20 Echo Dots (that they always seem to be giving away for free).

I turned that feature off of Alexa.  I have a seven year-old.  I can just hear "Alexa, order 100 Nerf guns." 



In theory, the dash buttons weren't a horrible idea.  But I feel like I'd have trouble staying on budget when I'm ordering things piecemeal.  I do like having the ability to add things to my Alexa shopping list by calling them out as I run low.  I can look at the list and make decisions about what does and doesn't fit into the grocery budget that week.

I have mine set to where it just puts it in my cart and the next time I go onto Amazon I can submit the order or not.

I only really order staples this way, thinks like dish soap and napkins and Ziploc bags. “Budget” doesn’t really play into it; if I need dish soap I need dish soap, even if I’m “over budget” I still have to buy it.

With things like dish soap, I try to put it on the list before I'm actually out, so that I have one or two shopping trips to make it fit into the overall plan before it's an emergency situation.  Yes, I have to buy it, but I might buy it during a week where I'm spending less on other things.

[Chris22]

Honestly this doesn't seem that bad to me. I feel like having a use for this indicates slightly less consumer sucker-ness than average. For example, anyone who uses a laundry service won't need this, but people who do their own laundry could benefit from it. Someone who buys all bread from the bakery wouldn't use this for flour, but someone who bakes at home might.

That said, you'd need dozens of them (and a lot of spare shelf space) before you could be reasonably sure that your most used consumables would always be delivered when needed. Not worth the cost.

A much better use of space and resources IMO, if you aren’t going to do a subscription, is to just have an Alexa. We have the Show (with a screen) in our kitchen right next to the pantry, so you notice something is getting low you just say “Alexa, reorder xxx” and it orders it. Saves you from having a zillion of the scale things.  You can use any of the Alexas to do that, including the $20 Echo Dots (that they always seem to be giving away for free).

I turned that feature off of Alexa.  I have a seven year-old.  I can just hear "Alexa, order 100 Nerf guns." 



In theory, the dash buttons weren't a horrible idea.  But I feel like I'd have trouble staying on budget when I'm ordering things piecemeal.  I do like having the ability to add things to my Alexa shopping list by calling them out as I run low.  I can look at the list and make decisions about what does and doesn't fit into the grocery budget that week.

I have mine set to where it just puts it in my cart and the next time I go onto Amazon I can submit the order or not.

I only really order staples this way, thinks like dish soap and napkins and Ziploc bags. “Budget” doesn’t really play into it; if I need dish soap I need dish soap, even if I’m “over budget” I still have to buy it.

With things like dish soap, I try to put it on the list before I'm actually out, so that I have one or two shopping trips to make it fit into the overall plan before it's an emergency situation.  Yes, I have to buy it, but I might buy it during a week where I'm spending less on other things.

Dish soap I buy in a 3-pack, and I order the 3-pack when I open the third one of the last pack. It’s not an “emergency”, it’s just a system to ensure I don’t run out. If I was “over budget” I would do something like skip eating a steak or something and eat burgers instead. Frankly, I’ve always treated groceries as a place to splurge; if I skimp on groceries that will invariably lead to eating out which will cost a lot more than just getting what we like from the grocery store. Unless you’re paycheck to paycheck, delaying buying staples to balance out a budget seems silly; no point in spending $100 one week and $97 the next; just spend the $103 and $94.  It’s all the same.

[Sugaree]

Honestly this doesn't seem that bad to me. I feel like having a use for this indicates slightly less consumer sucker-ness than average. For example, anyone who uses a laundry service won't need this, but people who do their own laundry could benefit from it. Someone who buys all bread from the bakery wouldn't use this for flour, but someone who bakes at home might.

That said, you'd need dozens of them (and a lot of spare shelf space) before you could be reasonably sure that your most used consumables would always be delivered when needed. Not worth the cost.

A much better use of space and resources IMO, if you aren’t going to do a subscription, is to just have an Alexa. We have the Show (with a screen) in our kitchen right next to the pantry, so you notice something is getting low you just say “Alexa, reorder xxx” and it orders it. Saves you from having a zillion of the scale things.  You can use any of the Alexas to do that, including the $20 Echo Dots (that they always seem to be giving away for free).

I turned that feature off of Alexa.  I have a seven year-old.  I can just hear "Alexa, order 100 Nerf guns." 



In theory, the dash buttons weren't a horrible idea.  But I feel like I'd have trouble staying on budget when I'm ordering things piecemeal.  I do like having the ability to add things to my Alexa shopping list by calling them out as I run low.  I can look at the list and make decisions about what does and doesn't fit into the grocery budget that week.

I have mine set to where it just puts it in my cart and the next time I go onto Amazon I can submit the order or not.

I only really order staples this way, thinks like dish soap and napkins and Ziploc bags. “Budget” doesn’t really play into it; if I need dish soap I need dish soap, even if I’m “over budget” I still have to buy it.

With things like dish soap, I try to put it on the list before I'm actually out, so that I have one or two shopping trips to make it fit into the overall plan before it's an emergency situation.  Yes, I have to buy it, but I might buy it during a week where I'm spending less on other things.

Dish soap I buy in a 3-pack, and I order the 3-pack when I open the third one of the last pack. It’s not an “emergency”, it’s just a system to ensure I don’t run out. If I was “over budget” I would do something like skip eating a steak or something and eat burgers instead. Frankly, I’ve always treated groceries as a place to splurge; if I skimp on groceries that will invariably lead to eating out which will cost a lot more than just getting what we like from the grocery store. Unless you’re paycheck to paycheck, delaying buying staples to balance out a budget seems silly; no point in spending $100 one week and $97 the next; just spend the $103 and $94.  It’s all the same.

That's pretty much how it works at home.  On the weeks that I need to buy X, Y, or Z I plan on making less expensive meals and on weeks where I have room left over after I get what I "need" then I can get the steak or seafood.  Groceries have always been a weak spot in my budget.  Let's just say that it's a good thing that there's not a Whole Paycheck near me. 

[ChickenStash]

The scales are a neat idea for small offices or somesuch. The price is a bit steep to use more than a few, though. I don't think I'd have much use for one at home.

The old dash buttons were slick. I never had a branded one but they did sell "developer" buttons where you could code your own actions for single, double, or long press. I think the default was that it would be setup to trigger an AWS Lambda function but I think IFTTT was available, maybe with a wrapper in Lambda - this was a while ago. It was a fun toy. I lost mine in a move before I got to do much beyond a few simple 'hello world' type actions. :(