Amazon Tips to Save Money
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, then you know how obsessed I am with Amazon. I mean, where else can you buy walkie-talkies, garlic powder, and festive home decor all in one place? (Yes, all 3 of those items are in my recently ordered section. )
If you love the convenience of shopping online while saving money at the same time, keep reading! You’re going to want to see these tips to save money on Amazon.
Click here to read about How to Sign up for Prime Day and Save BIG With These Pro Tips!
Today I am sharing my top tips and tricks on how to make the most of shopping on Amazon.
1. Amazon Prime
I’m starting with the obvious one. There are SO many benefits to being a Prime Member, with the biggest one being FREE 2-day shipping.
I don’t know about you, but I cannot stand to pay for shipping when online shopping! The fact that my Amazon items are shipped free AND arrive on my doorstep within 2 days, is just an added bonus!
Other awesome reasons to join include instant access to stream thousands of movies and TV shows, unlimited ad-free access to over a million songs, and eligibility to take advantage of #3, #5 and #7 listed below!
Go ahead, see what all the fuss is about for yourself and try Amazon Prime for FREE with a 30-Day Free Trial
2. Amazon Store Card**
**Available for Prime Members only
Before you dismiss this tip because the last thing you want is another credit card, WAIT! The Amazon Store Card
Think of it the same way you use your Kohl’s card to earn Kohl’s cash or your Target Red Card to save 5% on all of those dollar spot finds.
The Amazon Store card is an easy way for Prime Members to earn 5% back on EVERY. SINGLE. PURCHASE.
For avid Amazon users like yours truly, this can be a significant savings! And when stacked with the deals and tips in the rest of this post, it makes saving on Amazon that much easier!
Just set it up as you default payment method and then pay it off immediately after every purchase to avoid the high interest fees. Each month you’ll receive a statement credit that can be used for future purchases.
Easy peasy! Here’s the signup page.
3. Warehouse Deals
Amazon has a little known section of their site where they offer products at a discounted rate because they have been returned or had damaged packaging while being shipped to the warehouse. You can often find items marked down by 50% or more off their brand new price.
So before you buy a product on Amazon that’s new, consider if you’d be satisfied with buying it used or refurbished on the Amazon Warehouse Deals section
We have purchased multiple items through Amazon Warehouse including our living room coffee table, espresso machine and even our wide angle lens for our DSLR camera.
We ALWAYS check for deals there before paying full price! All used products are checked and tested with Amazon so you can be confident that the product you’re receiving is top quality. They thoroughly test the functional and physical condition of each item and give the product a specific grade before selling it (“Like New”, “Very Good”, “Good”, and “Acceptable”.)
Plus, all items bought through the Warehouse Deals section fall under the same return policy as new items, which includes free returns for any product that is damaged or not working properly.
4. Today’s Deals
Each day there are a select few items that are on sale and listed under the Today’s Deals
I like to set this page as a bookmark in my browser and check it daily! Or you can sign up to receive the daily deals email
- Deal of the Day: a single item (or small set of closely related item) that are discounted for one day only
- Lightening Deals: a sale item paired with extra savings for a limited 4-hour window or until all the available inventory is claimed. Since Lightning Deals are time-sensitive, it’s important to complete your order as soon as possible. When the lightening deal is available you will be able to see a status bar indicating how many times that deal has already been claimed and a timer showing how long you have to add the item to your Cart. Because people sometimes add items to their cart but never checkout, it is a good idea to click the ‘Join the Waitlist’ button and be notified if/when that item becomes available. But act fast, these deals are named Lightening Deals for a reason!
**Prime Member Bonus**
All Prime Members are eligible for Prime Early Access which gives you 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals! This can be crucial since many deals sell out quick!
5. Subscribe and Save
This is one of my favorite Amazon features! Amazon Subscribe and Save
Even better, when you subscribe to 5 or more products at a time, you’ll get 15% off!
I use this feature for things like paper towels, dog food, and coffee to make sure we are always stocked up. Plus, you can even clip instant coupons that can be stacked with your 5% or 15% discount. Double savings!
All you have to do is select the products you want from the Subscribe and Save store
You’ll also receive an email reminder before each subscription is sent out in case you need to make any changes, or you can always manage your Subscribe and Save items in the Account drop-down menu shown below.
This is such an easy way to save on your grocery budget while also saving you time!
6. Prime Pantry**
**Available for Prime Members only
Prime members are able to shop for everyday household and grocery items using Prime Pantry
This is a quick and simple way to get nonperishable items in everyday sizes delivered right to your front door. That’s saving you money in gas and time!
You can add as little or as much as you want to your PrimePantry box until it is full (Amazon tells you the capacity percentage as you add items). However, you will get the most value out of the delivery fee if your box is filled to 100%.
Plus, you can find exclusive coupons and deals on Pantry items to save even more money! Checkout the available deals here
Tip: Waive the shipping fee by selecting 5 qualifying items on Pantry orders
7. Amazon Lists
If you aren’t using this feature yet, you need to start! Most people think the Wish Lists section in Amazon is only for sharing with friends/family as gift ideas. Although this is really convenient, there’s an even better reason to create lists.
Because Amazon ultimately wants you to end up purchasing the items in your list, they will send you notifications when any of the items on your list goes down in price. It ends up being a built-in price tracker helping you get the best deal available on the items you want!
To setup a list is simple:
In the drop-down section under Account, click on ‘Your Lists’. From there you can create a new list as well as view current lists you already have. You can give each list a unique name and decide whether you want it to be public or private.
Once you have a list created, you can easily add items while shopping by clicking the ‘Add to List’ button below the area where you can view shipping info and add items to your cart.
8. Amazon Family**
**Available for Prime Members only
Amazon Family
That’s a huge savings for anyone with little ones. Stack that with the 5% back using the Amazon store card and that’s a 25% savings!
You can also save 15% on all Baby Registry items with the Amazon Family Baby Registry completion discount. Yep – create a baby registry through Amazon Family and then get 15% off any item you didn’t receive as a gift!
You can get 30 days free by joining Amazon Family 30-Day Free Trial
9. Amazon Student
Are you a college student or have children in college? Don’t miss out on getting all of the benefits of an Amazon Prime membership FREE for 6 months through Amazon Student
All you have to do is provide a .edu email address and proof you are taking at least one class. That’s free 2-day shipping, instant access to streaming music, TV and movies all for a whopping $0!!
10. Refunds and Credits for Late Shipments
I am always excited when my Amazon shipment is late.
Yep, you read that right!
Amazon has such great customer service, that if you are a Prime member and your order doesn’t arrive within the guaranteed 2-day shipping window, you can call Amazon and more times than not they will give you discounts. Sometimes it’s only the option to return it for free, but we have also received a free month of prime, account credits and sometimes even a replacement item.
So the next time your order is late, be sure to call Amazon and see what they can do to make up for it!
TIP: Receive a text letting you know when items have been shipped and delivered by setting up Amazon text alerts.
Bonus: Honey Browser Extension
Ok, so this isn’t an Amazon specific tip but it’s still a good one! Do you ever wish you had access to all of the available promo codes out there? With Honey, YOU DO!
Basically, this extension scours the web for coupons and discount codes so you don’t have to. All you have to do is sign up for a free account, install the browser extension into Chrome, FireFox or Safari and then start the savings!
Now I know what you’re thinking- Amazon never has site-wide promo codes. You’re right, but here’s why Honey is still a secret weapon when shopping on Amazon.
You might’ve noticed that when you’re looking at a product on Amazon, there are sometimes lower priced options available from other sellers. The lowest price offer isn’t always the default option and that’s where Honey steps in! With the Honey extension installed on your browser, they will detect if there is a better deal available and list it right there within the Amazon site.
In the photo above, you can see the honey button right above the price showing that there is a better deal available for $1.59 cheaper. When you hover you mouse over the orange button, it will show you the details between the two price differences.
I love being able to see automatic savings recommendations when I’m shopping to make sure I am getting the best price.
Honey works great within the Amazon site and is also really helpful when shopping on other sites.
And the best part, its free!
Head here to get honey setup on your browser and start saving now! It’s not always successful, but it doesn’t hurt to do a quick check just in case!
Alright friends! Those are my top 10 tips to save money on Amazon. Looking for more awesome Amazon deals? Click here to see all of my Amazon related posts.
Do you have any other tips to save money on Amazon that I missed? Please share! Us bargain hunters have to stick together! 😉
Up Next:
10 Surprisingly Awesome Amazon Finds To Upgrade Your Kitchen
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