How can you make your Amazon shopping work harder for you? Today we take a look at smart ways to optimize your Amazon shopping experience hassle-free. So whether youâre a regular Amazon shopper or only hop on a few times a year, youâll soon be shopping like an Amazon pro!
1. Price tracking
Amazon.com prices are generally competitive- but that doesnât mean they canât be better! Amazon prices are also prone to fluctuation, so that you can leverage that to your advantage.
Try to shop when youâre not in a hurry for the item. Otherwise, you will have to pay whatever price the buyers at the time set. The more time you have, the better the chances of finding a bargain.
Install some tech to help. Amazon Assistant is the price-tracking in-browser add-on you can use, although theyâre not always the most accurate. So be sure to stop by Amazon itself a few times a week, too.
Once you have a product or two to track, add it to your cart or âsaved for laterâ list to easily see whatâs happening with its pricing. Amazon will notify you of any price changes at the top of the page when you log in!
In fact, learn to keep curated wish lists dedicated to certain interests. You could, for example, keep one for your car, one for immediate purchases, and one for ânice to haves.â With things broken up logically, itâs far easier to see whatâs happening- and ensure you donât miss a deal.
If youâre a brand devotee, be sure to click âfollowâ next to the listing and receive updates when their offerings change.
2. Consider Amazon brand items
The suppliers for Amazon Brand items vary, but most of them are, in fact, white-label versions of well-known, reliable brands. This means you can access that same quality for a lot less. In particular, Amazon batteries and Amazon speakers have both earned a ferociously good reputation.
These brands also typically go on steeply-discounted sales several times through the year, giving you more bang for your buck. So one of the best Amazon shopping tips we can offer is to try out their own branded products.
3. Use 3rd-Party sellers- carefully
Many of Amazonâs 3rd-party sellers offer steeper discounts than those available on Amazonâs own products. This is a double-edged sword, however. Not all of them have the quality control you will receive from Amazon, and itâs not unknown for fake items or bad dupes to be shipped.
So use reviews carefully (remember to watch out for fake reviews, too) and determine if the 3rd-party seller is worth taking a chance on. Naturally, you will find some secret gems. However, that will help you stretch your cash further.
4. Shop the bottom of the page
Search algorithms will preferentially stack results- but it may not always be to your advantage. Be willing to scroll to the bottom of the page to scan for other sellers of your product. They may be offering you a better deal.
They didnât pay Amazon for the listing perks to appear at the top of the page.
5. Work Amazon Prime and other subscriptions to your advantage
Amazon Prime offers subscribers several advantages. The biggest drawcard is their free- yet expedited- shipping of thousands of products. While itâs mostly one- and two-day delivery options, there are some products you can access in a matter of hours, especially groceries. If Amazon fumbles the delivery date, you could even get a free monthâs subscription, too.
Prime also offers free streaming on a ton of music and movies, discounted groceries, and other perks that could be useful to you. For example, through a deal with Whole Foods, you can get 10% off permanently, as well as varied weekly specials.
You will also get âlightning salesâ or early access to products. Prime membership can also be shared among household members, so you can all use the perks.
Going back to music streaming. Audible, which is an Amazon company, is rarely free of discounts. Promotions are always running. If you love streaming and exploring music, this is the service to use.
Readers can access a Kindle âlibraryâ for $10 a month, too, giving you access to a bewildering amount of reading material for just the sub fee.
Lesser-known perks include free cloud storage for photos, their âAmazon Prime Rewards Signature Card,â which allows you to accrue 5% âcash-backâ on purchases from Amazon and 2% from a host of other day-to-day stores, and a 2-day blowout sale intended to mimic Black Friday deals.
In addition, Amazon Family, Amazon Mom, and the Amazon subscribe and save service offer permanent discounts on items such as diapers.
If youâre willing to risk it, Amazon Key allows the owners of certain car makers (mostly Volvo brands and others using SmartKeys) to purchase a âhome safeâ lock and have items dropped off to their car regardless of if theyâre home or not.
The slightly less risky Amazon Day service allows for delivery schedules, while you can also have your stuff delivered to an Amazon Locker if you donât have reliable hands at home to help you.
Actively enrolled students can access the Prime service at a steep discount, as can holders of EBT cards and Medicaid. Meanwhile, everyone can try it out with a 30-day trial. You can also cancel at any time if youâve never had a Prime-eligible order go out.
Whether or not the varied perks are worth it will depend on your family and most common purchases, but itâs worth consideration.
6. Amazon Warehouse is your friend
Amazon Warehouse offers you thousands of unboxed, used-once, and even pre-owned items. The bulk of these are sold at a steep discount yet will arrive at your door almost as-new.
Their rating system clearly indicates the state of the item, and they have their usual return policy in play so you can have confidence while shopping, too. While we wouldnât recommend it for every item, itâs a great place to score a deal.
Their Outlet âstoresâ offer great places to search for beauty bargains and much more, too. It works the same as any other outlet store- just minus the lines and the people!
7. So is the Daily Deal page
No matter what youâre looking for, start here. Smart Amazon shoppers know that âTodayâs Dealsâ is updated daily- sometimes hourly- and can easily lead you to the deal you want.
In fact, if youâre using the Amazon App, youâll find several ways to filter by deals, making it that much easier for you to find what you need at the price you want it. This is also where you will find Amazonâs coupon page.
8. Shopping for a TV? Start with Amazon
While this is a little specific, anyone looking for TVs should know that Amazon will price match if you take them a legitimate cheaper quote from anywhere else. So to access all the usual Amazon convenience at a better price? Yes, please!
9. Recurring grocery deliveries earn discounts
You can get up to a 15% discount on items you regularly buy if you opt to have them delivered on a repeat scheduled delivery. You will set up a start date, frequency of delivery, and desired amount, and your parcel will arrive on time, every time- and with a sweet discount applied to boot!
10. Students ârentâ textbooks from Amazon
This is probably the least-known Amazon buying tip out there. The high (and ever-rising) cost of textbooks has become a running joke among students everywhere.
Amazon offers you a chance to ârentâ your books instead, with the promise that they will always be in good condition with minimal underlining and marks. You then return them at the end of that study period. You can save up to 80% on textbook costs this way.
11. Put your change to work
Plagued by loose coins? Coinstar will allow you to change deposited coins into Amazon gift cards, meaning a few cents here and there can add up to some sweet free cash down the line instead of merely cluttering your pockets and mantle.
While it can be tiring to do, you can also earn free points to trade for Amazon gift cards on several survey-type sites if you desperately need to make your cash stretch further. You can trade in some older devices directly to Amazon for Amazon gift cards as well.
12. Price Match with ease
Remember how we mentioned Amazon would price match TVs? If youâre using their app, you can easily snap-and-scan products in the âreal worldâ and compare their prices on Amazon.
That way, youâll always know if you can get a better bargain online, without the need to waste time going back to your PC to check.
Keen to put these handy Amazon shopping tips to work? DealDump.com is always on hand to help you save money with Amazon shopping deals with smart tips that make the most of your shopping money.
So donât be afraid to get stuck on the site, and let us help you find the very best Amazon deals out there.
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