I'm in a pretty similar boat to you. Not great financials, not a lot of spare time, I live in a remote location with limited purchasing options. But I made the decision a long time ago to not use Amazon. That does mean purchasing from multiple sources, seeking vendors who will sell products, and maybe pay a little more.

The thing about Amazon is that their pricing is artificial. The whole package, from item price to shipping is meant to capture you, the consumer, into their ecosystem. I am willing to spend a small amount extra to not support hegemonic practices. It isn't even that much money, and the time investment to find sources is just that (an investment). For most of my mail order stuff, I already know the vendors to use.

I don't like to castigate folks for using amazon, and I apologize if I was too confrontational, but I do want to encourage people to engage in their options before amazon is all we have.

Best wishes finding quality sources!