I do the same but take 1 or 2 additional steps.

If it is not an emergency, I put the item on my wish list. Whenever I'm on the site I check my wish list and cull/retain.

If I still feel I need something after time X, I use a site (local here in Austria) called Geizhals (translation: "miser," "skinflint," "scrooge," "cheapskate") that searches the internet for exact products at the lowest prices. Sometimes it is Amazon, often a local shop.

I'm guessing there is something like Geizhals in the US. This allows me to use the Amazon reviews like you do without buying from Amazon.