How To Save Money On Amazon

*This post has been reviewed by an Illinois Registered CPA. However, when making important financial decisions, it's best to speak with your financial advisor.

Last Updated on July 16, 2022

A Beginner Guide: How To Save Money On Amazon

Amazon is the largest e-commerce site in the world. To see how much the company grew over the years, here is an example. According to CNBC, an investment of $1,000 in Amazon in 1997 today would be worth more than $1.36 million.

There are plenty of reasons why this e-commerce company is so successful. Amazon has a wide selection of products that lets people choose and buy from their salaries. Depending on what consumers are looking for, Amazon could be a one-stop-shop.

It is a superstore that offers innovative technologies and services. You can find different products on their site. For example, you can buy a book about how to fix your credit score. You can check out some bestsellers, like Dave Ramsey. You can even invest in your personal growth, find out why you can’t save money, and do something about it. There are also food products, CDs, clothes, and various other items.

They also invested in services like:

  • Amazon Prime – that also allows you to stream videos
  • Kindle – e-reader with tons of books
  • Amazon Music – an online music store
  • Game Studios – gaming department with fun games
  • Alexa – virtual assistant technology

You’ve likely bought something on Amazon at least once. You probably are also wondering how to save money on Amazon since you buy everything there.

We’ll explain to you how you can save on Amazon with coupons. Also, you are going to find out what extra saving is. Finally, we are going to focus on some tricks to reduce your costs and have the best Amazon experience.

How To Save On Amazon With Coupons

Coupons are a great way to save money on Amazon. Lucky for you, Amazon offers plenty of deals and coupons. They are a way for you to get what you want at a reduced price.

Amazon has a whole section where they offer coupons on anything. Go to the section “Coupons” to see the best deals. When you find the perfect coupon, clip it, and it will apply on its own.

Also, make sure to take advantage of the Daily Deals. They have a section where they post the best Today Deals. There are discounts on thousands of products. You can choose something you may have wanted for a long time. If it was too expensive for you to get it back then, now would be a perfect time. There are three types of deals:

  • Deals of the day – running all day long.
  • Lightning deals – posted every 15 minutes.
  • Best deals – ongoing promotions and savings.

On top of this, they have a section about upcoming deals where you can check future deals. If there is something you like, you can save it, and Amazon will notify you when it is live.

You could also save money on their digital products. Search Amazon for items like eBooks, video games, and software, and you could find these items at a reduced price.

What Is Extra Saving

Okay, so let’s say you are an Amazon employee and you are looking for ways to save money. There is an option for you too. They have a program called Amazon Extras which is only for their employees. Basically, you would enjoy amazing discounts in many categories.

If you have a big family, you can use the Amazon Extra program to buy things for them. You can organize a trip for your whole family and pay for it with a discount. Also, you can book a hotel, cruise, and car rental. If you have kids, you can buy tickets for the zoo. All that with huge discounts.

The deals change a lot, so you should check them out on a regular basis. To get one, you should do the same steps as for the other deals. There is no better perk of being an Amazon employee than this one. You can save around $5,000 every year if you use this program.

Use Amazon Prime Membership To Save Money

Prime membership has a lot of benefits. Basically, if you are a regular customer, this is a must for you. It can save you money in the long run. Some of the perks of the Prime membership are:

  • Free shipping
  • Free delivery with Amazon Fresh (depending on the location)
  • One free book every month
  • Exclusive discounts
  • Access to sale events

The good thing about Prime is that it allows you to read books for free through Prime Reading. That way, you won’t have to get Kindle books and waste extra money. You can choose from many different books and magazines. If you buy clothes, there is an option to Try Before You Buy which lets you see if the clothes fit. That way you won’t have to spend extra money on something you do not know if it suits you.

Image source: YayImages

Also, there is an annual Prime Day for all members. On that day there are special sales for members. You can hold on with some purchases and try to make them on Prime Day since it saves you a lot of money. Within those 24 hours, you can score huge discounts, and this year it will happen in July. You could also collect four stamps in order to get $10 credit.

How much does it cost?

Prime membership costs $139 per year. If you prefer a monthly subscription, it costs $14.99 per month.

If you are a student, you can take advantage of the student discount. First, they offer six months for free with two-day shipping. Then you would have to pay a subscription for $7.49 per month. There are also discounts for other groups. The Amazon Household Program allows you to share Amazon benefits with up to 10 members.

If you can’t afford the Prime paid membership, there is another tip for you to save money. Try the free version of Amazon Prime. They offer a 30-day free trial with all the benefits included. In that period, you can test if Prime is a good option for you. After 30 days, if you do not want to proceed, you should cancel the trial. That way, it won’t charge you money automatically. The company also offers a refund in three days if you forget to cancel the trial.

How to get free shipping without Amazon Prime membership?

If you do not want to subscribe to Prime, there is still an option for free shipping. Amazon has a clever marketing strategy to make customers spend more. They offer free shipping on qualifying orders that cost more than $25. When you buy certain products that exceed $25, you can check the option for free shipping during checkout. Then it will deliver without extra costs.

Use Subscribe And Save Option

The Subscribe and Save option is a great way for you to get your money back. It is a no-commitment program. It offers you 15% back of the original price. You also get free shipping on any product. With the Subscribe and Save option, you can get discounts on everyday products, like groceries and home products.

Besides this option, Amazon also offers Subscribe and Save coupons. Basically, you can save money even when there is a discount applied. These coupons apply only to some brands.

Amazon Warehouse And Its Benefits

Amazon Warehouse is a place where they store a lot of used products. It is a great way to save money since they are cheaper. The products go through a strict check-up before the company displays them on the site. After that, the company groups them into four categories as shown in the table below:

Category

Description

Used, but Like New

Almost perfect products. Small damage to packaging, but functioning with all its specifications.

Used, but Very Good

Good condition but can have some minor flaws. Some accessories might be missing.

Used, but Good

Good, but with no original packaging and with some cosmetic damage. It is obvious that it was used before.

Used, but Acceptable

The product shows signs of wear and tear. Items could be missing parts or the instruction manual.

When you decide to buy from Amazon Warehouse, be sure to check the category. Read the description to see if it fits your needs. If you order a product but you are not pleased with the results, you have the option to return it in the next 30 days. This program will save you a lot of money since the products have discounts.

Use Amazon Credit Card

Amazon has a credit card that comes with a lot of perks. If you sign up for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card, you get a pass to special discounts and promotions. As a welcome reward, they give you a $50 gift card for you to spend on any product. That way, you become part of their Rewards Point club, and you can collect points to use later. With those points, you can also save a lot of money.

Image source: YayImages

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to save money to be able to buy on Amazon?

If you want to save money and use it to buy products on Amazon, you need to budget your income. You can do it with the help of some well-known methods, as explained in the table:

50-30-20 Method

Digital Envelope System

Half Payment Method

You spend your income according to three categories.

An online tool that helps you save money.

You save money based on your bills.

Needs = 50%

You categorize every envelope in a bank of your choice.

You pay your bill till the due date and never get in debt.

Wants = 30%

You store money in every one of them.

Divide each bill in half and save money from every paycheck.

Savings = 20%

Keep track and repeat.

Pay the bill in full at the end of the month.

What apps save you money on Amazon?

Some of the best apps that save you money on Amazon are:

  • Amazon app
  • Ibotta
  • CamelCamelCamel

What are the best days to shop on Amazon?

The best day to shop on Amazon is on Prime Day. You could subscribe to Prime and take advantage of this day since there are great deals and discounts.

What is the Amazon list price?

It is a list where sellers show the suggested retail price of their product. Basically, it shows savings to customers.

Sources:

Leonhardt, M. Carter, M, S. Sep 5, 2018. If you invested $1,000 in Amazon in 1997, here’s what you’d have now. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/05/if-you-invested-1000-in-amazon-in-1997-heres-what-youd-have-now.html#:~:text=If%20you%20had%20invested%20%241%2C000%20during%20Amazon%E2%80%99s%20IPO%20in%20May%201997%2C%20your%20investment%20would%20be%20worth%20%241%2C362%2C000%20as%20of%20September%204%2C%20according%20to%20CNBC%20calculations

Amazon Prime. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/amazonprime