Even though it already offers some pretty heavy discounts, people always want to know new ways to save money on Amazon. To meet that demand, here are some options for how to make online shopping even more affordable. Read below about these six ways to save money on Amazon.

1. Take advantage of Amazon Warehouse

Getting something that’s absolutely perfect is ideal, but buying something that’s slightly less than perfect is usually a lot cheaper. The products that don’t meet Amazon’s intense, mint condition quality standards get shipped off to Amazon Warehouse, where you can find major bargains.

There are five categories in which Amazon places items that are ineligible for the main site: “new” (never been opened but the packaging is damaged), “like new” (someone returned it immediately after buying for no particular reason), “very good” (some cosmetic damage, but the product is totally in working order), “good” (large cosmetic damage or missing accessories) and “acceptable” (signs of fairly substantial wear).

As the quality of the package goes down, so do the prices. “New” products are hard to find but there are plenty of “like new” and “very good” items available if you hunt around. Amazon doesn’t publicize Amazon Warehouse for pretty obvious reasons, so it isn’t particularly easy to find. But this extensive article on Debt Roundup shows you where to go and answers most other questions you might have.

2. Subscribe and save

If you buy household items from Amazon on a regular basis, you will immediately start to save money on Amazon with this tip. The Subscribe and Save section for everyday items offers a 15% discount on a lot of different products like razors, toothpaste, pens and a much, much more. This can help you save money on Amazon to the tune of hundreds or even thousands, depending on how much you shop, so I would highly recommend checking it out.

3. Sell back items (especially textbooks)

The internet giant makes it very easy to save money on Amazon by offering you the chance to sell products that you don’t want or need anymore to other customers. The biggest success stories for making your money back are with textbooks, the outrageously priced necessities for basically any college student. Amazon eases the pain of the ridiculous prices by letting you buy and sell your textbooks from fellow students from across the globe. Here is where you can sign up to become an Amazon seller.

4. Subscribe to Amazon emails

You probably wouldn’t prefer to clutter up your inbox further, but if you seriously want to save money on Amazon, then you should at least consider subscribing to their email newsletter. You can do that on this page and choose what categories you want to be updated about. I would lean towards only subscribing to the categories that you regular shop on Amazon for. Otherwise, you’ll quickly get overloaded with emails. However, you can of course always unsubscribe at any time.

5. Utilize your wish list

This is a big one. A wish list is one of the biggest assets Amazon offers its customers. It’s a totally win-win option. Amazon earns your loyalty by giving you a great way to keep track of the changing prices of items you’re interested in purchasing at some point, and you have a central hub that shows you opportunities to save money on Amazon. A smart shopper uses wish lists to save money on Amazon and make it more convenient to buy the things they want.

6. Hop on CamelCamelCamel

One of the best services around if you want to save money on Amazon is the website CamelCamelCamel, an Amazon price tracker that alerts you when prices drop for specific items. CamelCamelCamel also offers price history charts that show you how their costs have fluctuated over a long period of time for products, so that you can get an idea of exactly when the right time to buy is. The Everything Store itself offers you a lot of ways to save money on Amazon, but services like CamelCamelCamel make it even easier to get the best possible deal.

Featured photo credit: Online Shopping/Tim Reckmann via flickr.com

We all like to dream about being financially wealthy. For most people though, it remains a dream and nothing more. Why is that?

It’s because most people don’t set their mind to achieving that goal. They might not be happy in their current situation but they’re comfortable – and comfort is one of the biggest enemies of growth.

How do you go about developing that millionaire mindset? By following these simple steps:

1. Focus On What You Want – And Take It!

So many people are too timid to admit they want something and go for it. When there is something that you want to accomplish don’t think “I could never actually do that”, think “I could do that and I WILL do that”.

Millionaires play to win, not to avoid defeat.

This doesn’t mean to have to become a selfish jerk. What it means is becoming more assertive and honest with yourself. You don’t have to grab off other people. There is a big pot of unclaimed gold in the middle of the table — why shouldn’t you be the one to claim it? You deserve it!

2. Become Goal-Orientated

It’s almost impossible to achieve anything if you don’t set firm goals. Only lottery winners become millionaires overnight. By setting yourself attainable goals, you will get there eventually. Don’t try to get rich quickly — get rich slowly.

Let’s take the idea of making your first million dollars and expand on what kind of goals you might set to get there. Let’s also say you’re starting at a break-even position – you’re making enough to get by with a few luxuries, but nothing more.

Your goal for the first year can be having $10,000 in the bank within a year. It won’t be easy but it is doable. Next, you need to figure out the steps you need to take to achieve that goal.

Always look at ways to make growth before cutbacks. With that in mind, you might want to see if you can negotiate a pay rise with your boss, or if there’s another job out there that will pay better. You might be comfortable in your old job but remember, comfort stunts growth.

You may also have other skills outside of your workplace that you can monetize to boost your bank balance. Maybe you can design websites for people, at a fee of course, or make alterations to clothes.

If this is still not enough to make the money you need to save $10,000 in a year, then it’s time to look at cutbacks. Do you have a bunch of old junk that someone else might love? Sell it! Do you really need to spend $10 on your lunch everyday when you could make your own for a fraction of the cost?

If you are to become a millionaire, you need to start accumulating money.

Here’re some tips to help you: How to Become Goal Oriented and Achieve More in Life

3. Don’t Spend Your Money – Invest It

The reason you need to accumulate money is for step three. Millionaires tend to be frugal people, and that’s because they know the true value of money is in investing. Being your own boss goes hand-in-hand with becoming a millionaire. You’ll want to quit your regular job at some point.

Stop working for your money and make your money work for you.

Rather than buying yourself a new iPad, that $500 could be used to invest in the stock market. Find the right shares (more on that later), and that money could easily double within a year.

There’s not just the stock market — there’s also property, and your own education.

4. Never Stop Learning

The best thing you can invest in is yourself.

Once most people leave the education system, they think their learning days are over. Well theirs might be, but yours shouldn’t be. Successful people continually learn and adapt.

Billionaire Warren Buffet estimates that he read at least 100 books on investing before he turned twenty. Most people never read another book after they’ve left school. Who would you rather be?

Learn everything you can about how economics works, how the stocks markets work, how they trend.

Learn new skills. If you have an interest in it, learn everything you can about it. You’d be surprised at how often, seemingly useless skills, can become extremely useful in the right situation.

Start developing the habit of learning continuously: How to Create a Habit of Continuous Learning for a Better You

5. Think Big

While I advise to start off with small goals, you absolutely should have a big goal in mind. If you have a business idea, then that is your ultimate goal – to start that business and make a success of it. If you want to invest your way to millions of dollars and do little work other than research, then that is your big goal.

There is no shame in not achieving a big goal. If you run a business and aim to make $1 million profit in a year and “only” make $200,000, then you’re still significantly ahead of most people.

Aim for the stars, if you fail you’ll still be over the moon.

6. Enjoy the Attention

To be successful, you have to be willing to promote yourself and enjoy the attention to a certain extent. Now the attention doesn’t need to be on yourself, it could be on your brand, but attention definitely attracts money.

Never be embarrassed to get your name out there. That means finding a spotlight and being brave enough to step right up underneath it.

If you run a business, try contacting the local papers. You’d be surprised at how amenable they often are to running a story about you and your business, and it’s all free publicity.

Above all, remember: You control your own destiny. Push hard enough for anything and you’ll get it.

More About Thinking Smart

• 20 Things Smart People Don’t Do (And What They Do Instead)
• 15 Inspiring Ideas to Boost Your Motivation for Success
• How Millionaires Manage Their Money Differently?
• 5 Ways to Cultivate a Growth Mindset for Self Improvement

Featured photo credit: Austin Distel via unsplash.com