Amazon’s Prime Day is a major shopping event. Even if you are not an Amazon customer, you may notice that another Prime Day is about to happen when all of your favorite sites suddenly start to list deals.
While it may be tempting to shop at Amazon during Prime Day, it is usually better to play it cool and not fall into the trap of overspending on items that you may not even need or are not the best choice.
Here are five tips.
Tip 1: Prime Day does not mean you get the best price
While news outlets and sites try to paint Prime Day in the best light possible, it is always a good idea to compare the price on Amazon with other marketplaces.
Sites like Idealo or Google Shopping help finding the best price for most products. Other options include searching for the product name using your favorite search engine or searching for items on marketplaces like eBay.
Tip 2: Make a list of what you need before Prime Day
Visiting the Amazon website or app on Prime Day is like being a kid in a candy store. Products with discounts are shown left and right, and it is easy enough to get distracted and add items to the shopping cart because they are discounted, and not because you may need them.
It is a good idea to create a list of items that you need or want to buy prior to big shopping events. I have a list of about 15 items that I would buy during Prime Day, Black Friday, or other shopping events, provided that the price is right.
Yes, that sounds like a lot of stuff, but many are replacements for items that need replacing in the coming months or the next year.
Tip 3: Do not overspend
Regardless of whether you have created a list of articles or not, it is a good idea to set a budget for Prime Day. It is quite easy to overspend during major shopping events.
Before, during, and after you add items to your shopping cart, you will see promotions or other items. It is often just a click or two to add these to the cart as well.
Even if you stick to the plan, you may overspend. Either, because you did not compare prices, or because you opted for something more expensive. Why not buy the phone with more storage, the slightly larger TV, or the video card that promises more frames? Because you may overspend in that case.
Tip 4: Do not rush yourself
Many offers may be limited. Amazon may not have endless stock of an item, and when it is gone, it is gone. While that speaks for rushing and buying immediately, rushing also means that you may not compare prices or may buy items that you do not really need, but fear missing out on.
Even if an item sells out quickly, you may still be able to purchase it at a later point in time. Black Friday is just around the corner, and so are the dozen or so other “sales” that happen regularly online.
Tip 5: Do not browse randomly
It can be tempting to check out a few categories. If you like to play Switch or PlayStation games, you may be tempted to browse deals in those categories.
Browsing may lead to buying items that you did not have any intention of buying. This may lead to overspending and you ending up with items that you may not have researched properly before buying them.
What about you? Do you buy items regularly on major shopping events such as Prime Day or Black Friday?
I find more and more that Amazon is not the least expensive store for a lot of products. It is probably most convenient online store though and I still use it a lot but not as much as before.
I also do not get Prime popularity. I almost never have desire to to have something delivered to me next day. Standard 5 day delivery is just fine. And if you need something urgently you can buy it online and pick it up next morning in Walmart at comparable price. Or even wilder idea: drop by your local store and buy it off the shelf immediately.
And final recommendation. Stay away from single seller sale days such as Prime days unless you have enough money to overspend. Each product you buy has few best times in a year to get the best price from almost every retailer. For example, it took me one search to find out two best times in a year to buy new laptop.
Tip #6: Compare prices.
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Many things are often cheaper on Amazon then they are from the people who make them. Many other items are much cheaper somewhere else.
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Tip #7: Don’t settle for the result Amazon shows you.
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The top search results are items Amazon profits most from and these aren’t always the best deal or the best quality.
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Tip #2 up there is a big one.
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We always have a big list of smaller items. There are some items like Corn Huskers Lotion we can’t find at the brick and mortar anymore and JVC makes these $7 ear buds we love but always break the cords on.
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Whenever we need to “add $9.18 to get free shipping by Amazon” we turn to that list.
Tip #7: Don’t settle for the result Amazon shows you.
Absolutely amazing tip Tachy. There is statistic out there that none-brands that are dropship from China and other similar countries spend 33% of product price on Amazon search marketing (getting one first page). So if you buy on Amazon from well known brand from their own Amazon store at somewhat higher point than from Chinese dropshiper, you will actually get much better value.
I’ve already spent my quote this month and don’t have any spare cash left. Consequently, I simply deleted the email when it arrived.
But am I correct in stating that “Prime shopping” requires you to be signed up to Amazon Prime? If so, then I’m not and never will be. It’s only necessary to spend €20 on Amazon to get free delivery and that takes place usually within three days. So what’s the point in paying a monthly fee for free delivery? It’s a contradiction in terms.
That said, I would be more than willing to sign up to Prime if it meant I could get free deliveries from the UK to the Netherlands for the countless DVDs I buy from the UK site, but Prime says it only applies to your own country and Belgium. So no use to me.
@TelV
I just looked in Amazon FAQ
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GUZZFPRQHPWM6DK5
In short for US:
“Prime Day is a shopping event with deals exclusively for Prime members. Anyone can participate in Prime Day by becoming a member of Amazon Prime. If you’re not yet a Prime member, you can participate in Prime Day by signing up for an Amazon Prime free trial or paid Prime membership.”
At least in US you have to be Prime member to participate in sales. A lot of people sign up for savings and then continue paying or even update to Prime Video streaming for about $7 more.
@Tom Hawack
Black Friday is different from Prime Day because it is sale day across most online retailers. You can compare from a lot of choices. It is also a day or technically a week when a lot of electronics has its best discounts. However, it is not the only day. As I said in other posts, you can search the web right now and find out that any type of item that is sold online has more than one deep discount days/weeks each year. Black Friday is just one of those days/weeks for a lot of items.
I don’t pay attention to major shopping events such as Prime Day or Black Friday, nor must I say to sales, at least for most of them. In my case these are vectors for buying what I don’t need. When I do decide to buy I scan the best opportunities in terms of quality/price ratio of course, avoid credit by sparing before rather than increasing the price with the credit cost. Emotionally speaking I’ve always deeply disliked the hysterical rush, push & pull environment where many — many, not all — loose their minds, empty their wallets for the sake of a few bucks and moreover for things they often do not need. In fact I react similarly to my hatred of advertisements when these aim to excite rather than to inform, which is the case in 99% perhaps. As I see it, of course.
People are always welcome to come to my Storage Unit and purchase a box of “high quality” clutter or some awkward piece of furniture. Prime Day, shopping days, are great if one knows he/she needs something; e.g., I like to have an extra keyboard on the shelf and Prime has the Logitech MK270 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse for $20.
I think twice. Am I sure I don’t have a keyboard in the Storage Unit? Do I want to spend $20 today for something I may not use for two years? A 3-IN-1 Caulk Tool would come in handy down the road; no, I don’t have a project in mind. Hey, if I had the tool, I would have a reason to re-caulk an area which would mean I would have to find quality caulk on sale, which is nearly impossible.
And that’s how sales work for me–one desire fulfilled leads to numerous other desires needing fulfilled because the one product purchased requires several other products in order to be truly beneficial. Or usual scenario.
Shoe deals are irresistible! Then a new pair of pants, then a new shirt, then some socks, etc.