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Sunday, December 22, 2013

Save that Money, Honey!: 12 Ways to Save on Amazon!



I have become a diehard fan of Amazon just because of all the amazing deals/offers available for moms like me trying to care for their family in the most economical way possible!

Below are a list of perks I have found to be the reason I use Amazon to do so much of my online
shopping:

1. Amazon Prime: For only $79 a year, Amazon Prime offers free two-days shipping, access to the Amazon lending library to borrow one Kindle book per month (only useable for those who actually own a Kindle), and access to tons of free movies and TV shows!  

I cannot tell you how much i LOVE this membership!  I have managed to cut back on my satellite bill (roughly $600 a year) and gas for my car since I am making less runs to the store and still getting great prices online.  Nothing is more convenient than coming home to boxes of necessities at your door after a long day's work!  Just on those two points alone, I am STILL saving money despite the membership fee.

2. Amazon Mom: You do not actually have to be a mom to join Amazon Mom!  This program also costs $79 a year and you will always get 20% off diapers and wipes.  If you have a small child, you will quickly earn back your membership fee.  You will also get the two-day free shipping, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows, and you'll be able to borrow a Kindle book (again only available for those with a Kindle) for free each month.  It works just like Prime but with mom discounts!  

3. Amazon Student:  This programs costs just $39 per year for four years.  To join you must be willing to show proof that you are a student.  This program is also similar to Amazon Prime, however, you won't be able to access the free streaming and free two-day shipping is only available for six months. The cool thing about Amazon Student is that you can earn back that membership fee through friend referrals-$5 per referral to be exact!

4. Amazon Trade-In Store: How can you further save on your Amazon bill when you are shopping for those household necessities?  Well trade in your old college textbooks, books, electronics, movies, video games, or music to the Amazon Trade-In Store and earn gift cards to apply on your next purchase.  Amazon pays the shipping fees so there is absolutely no out of pocket costs to you!  Love it!

5. Amazon Subscribe and Save:  Have I told you how much I love Amazon?  If not, I do- and by that I mean Amazon Subscribe and Save has been a God-send.  When you order through this program you will be saving 5% off each item ordered - not bad.  But it could be better.  When you place five subscribe and save orders to be delivered in the same month you will save 15%!  If you are an Amazon Mom member your savings increases to 20%!  Many times, coupons are also available to "clip" which magnifies the savings!  In-creeee-dible!

So you know, you are also in complete control of the delivery schedule.  It can be as frequent as every month or as infrequent as six months.   Shipping is always free and if you decide you no longer want this item to be shipped to your home, you are under no obligation to continue.  Simply cancel your subscription and move on to the next item!

Just as a side note, I also like to earn Amazon gift cards through surveys which I apply to my subscribe and save orders.  This takes my final cost WAY down and leaves more cash in my pockets.  Me likey.

6. Filler Finder: Let's say you don't subscribe to any of the aforementioned programs and you simply want to make purchases through Amazon- you will find that you will need to meet the $35 minimum requirement for free shipping.  That is a real pain when you are only a few dollars short.  But that can easily be eliminated by using a Filler Finder to find objects that will help you meet the requirement!  Save on paying more than you need to!

7. Gold Box Deal of the Day: These are heavily discounted items - sometimes up to 75%.  Awesome deals to be had here!

8. Lightening Deals: These are found on the same page and are again, awesome deals.  These only last four hours or until they are sold out!  Stay abreast of this page as the deals will change often!

9. Amazon Warehouse Deals: Check out this area of the site for quality open-box or refurbished items.  Amazon guarantees these items so you can request a refund if doesn't end up meeting expectations.

9. Price Guarantee: If a price drops on an item within 30 days of when you bought it, call or chat online with customer service and ask for the difference to be refunded.  You will need to check back on your orders but if you are like me and love to get your family's needs met for next to nothing, this is worth the time.

10. CamelCamelCamel.com: If you are looking to purchase something from Amazon (especially big ticket items), check this site first!  It will send you an alert when an item hits your target price!

11. Save for Later or Add to Wishlist: I use these options all the time when contemplating items to purchase.  (It helps me avoid unnecssary impulse buys.)  The cool thing about "save for later" items  is when you visit your cart, you will receive an alert stating whether one of these items has increased or decreased in price.  You can monitor these items and when the price is right, you will know it is time to purchase if you're still interested!

12.  Shop with Points: You can use your Chase credit card points to shop on Amazon!  Yay free money!  Seriously, if you have any of the cards below, including an Amazon Visa (which is not shown), you will be able to apply whatever earned points you have towards your Amazon purchases at checkout!  Too.  Cool.

I intend to keep adding to this list as I discover more ways to save on this site.  I'd love to add your recommendations too.  Please share with us in the comments below!

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