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
