not the person you're replying to but one trick I've found to be very effective is to find a product on amazon and then look for the vendor to buy from directly.

Also just a tip for an easy discount code or coupon:

1. Visit the manufacturer's social media account, if they are promoting an influencer, then visit the influencer's social media account.

2. That influencer usually has a discount code as part of a profit sharing deal with the brand. For many it's right in their bio.

3. Also searching youtube/instagram for "reviews" often finds advertorial style content that includes a discount code

This works particularly well if you're buying things like health supplements, but I've seen it for everything from tech to holidays.

I can often do that, but the biggest lament with the spouse is the easy returns on Amazon. You often have to pay for shipping to return an item and even then, only with an RMA and / or 15% restocking fee, while (if you have Prime), free on Amazon. I realize some of the "free shipping" is baked into the price at times - but I've yet to see it arriving faster or cheaper all costs considered from a 3rd party compared to that same item on Amazon. There's a lot less friction via Amazon.

If your goal is to delete all traces of Amazon, you should know that many vendors who sell on Amazon will use Amazon Logistics for shipping.

always buy local if you can. if you can't, buy directly from vendor or partner.