SOOO WHAT IS THE TRICK?
There are so many ways these days to save money when shopping. There are coupons on every corner that can be clipped an saved. And every store seems to be having a blow out sale that must be attended to "SAVE BIG". Many of the money saving hacks these days take so much time and effort on top of our already busy schedules that they usually tend to fizzle out. We typically decide that it's not really worth it. However, I've found 1 hack that is super easy and actually saves me time and tons of money! I purchase as many things as I can from Amazon. I'm not referring to just blowing money on Amazon's "good deals" as that is a lose-lose every time. I'm referring to the typical everyday spending like clothing, home goods, and toiletries. I'm talking about moving your Walmart and Target runs to Amazon instead.
WON'T I JUST SPEND MORE?
Now you may be thinking that this article is all about getting you to sign up for a bunch of things that will make you spend more in the end? Well the truth is... that's totally up to you. What I'm suggesting is to spend less time in the big box stores and spend even less time shopping all together. I'm suggesting to plan out what you need and schedule it. Then when you need to run to the store for something, instead hop onto Amazon and order it there. We all know that we can never just run to the store for 1 thing and more times than not things are never an emergency. We can usually wait 2 short business days for anything we "NEED" and if we can't then maybe we don't really need it to begin with?
Now obviously there are still times we need to go to the store like for fresh produce, bread, milk, maybe you're sick and you need some medicine. Typical food items you will still have to get from the grocery store. But running to Target for some socks that you "NEED" and then leaving with $150 of stuff that you also "NEEDED?" Now that's where I'm suggesting just hop on Amazon order those socks and then you save the time it took to run to the store, the gas to get there, plus the $143 of home decor that was on sale and just had to come home. Trust me I know....
Amazon is a great place to shop because it brings the best deals of pretty much every category to one place. There are so many easy ways to save through the Amazon portal. Once you have a few things in place they will save you money with little or no effort on top of what you normally do. You will never have to clip coupons, research sales, or wait until a holiday to get any of these killer deals. They are easy tips for shopping normal products everyday of the year.
Disclaimer: The links in this blog are things that I have purchased with my own money and recommend to you. *****As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases*****
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
Check out the full details HERE.
How does it work
You search for an item, next to the "Add to Cart" button you look for a "Subscribe and Save" button. Not all products have this option but the amount of products that do is growing rapidly. Click on that "subscribe and save" button and you will then see options for how often you would like the items shipped to your house. You can choose from monthly up to every 6 months. You select your preferences and from what I've seen you will typically get 5% back on most items just for subscribing to them. If you ever have 5 or more items delivered to your home in the same month you will get 15% off your total purchase. If you have Prime and have 5 items delivered you will get 20% off. Check out the details HERE.
What kind of items does it work with?
Items like toilet paper, diapers, toothpaste, vitamins, shampoo, conditioner, tampons... the list could go on and on but you get the point. 9 times out of 10 I've found that with the 5% deal on subscribe and save items and free shipping, Amazon typically has the most competitive price.
What if I want to skip a month or cancel an item?
Amazon makes this part really easy. Before they ship any item you will get and email alert that the item is about to ship. You can then track it or skip that scheduled delivery. If you no longer want that item you can cancel it altogether. I typically get the email about a week before it ships so even if I don't see it right away I have always had time to skip shipments that I don't need.
5% BACK WITH AMAZONS CREDIT CARD
About 8 month ago I signed up for the Chase Amazon credit card. THIS ONE HERE. Now you will get a sign on bonus when signing up but this changes all the time. I think I got about $70. I know most cards draw you in for the sign on bonus but for this card I could care less about that, it was just icing on the cake. I choose this card because Prime Members get 5% back on "ALL" Amazon purchases. Yes 5% and it is awesome! This 5% back is plenty over the year to pay for my yearly membership. The points you receive can be used as an amazon gift card or you can use it in Chase's travel rewards program. Either way at the end of the year it should be a few hundred dollars that you didn't have to start. This card might be a great way to have some cash at the end of the year for Christmas gifts!
Check out the full details of the card HERE.
FREE 2 DAY SHIPPING
This is one thing I'm sure you've heard of but read on to hear how I have hacked the system to use the free 2 day shipping to my advantage more than once.
The free 2 day shipping benefit that Amazon offers to Prime members is something that makes that membership all worth it to me. Anytime I shop online for something I will always check to see if the place I'm shopping also sells on Amazon because that means FREE SHIPPING! You will be surprised how many of your favorite sellers ALSO sell on Amazon.
One example is a company called Expressions Vinyl that I have loved for my HTV products. When I first found them I was always wanting to get vinyl from them but their shipping prices made the vinyl much more expensive than I wanted. However, I discovered they also sell their products on Amazon! So not only can I support a company I like who also has products I'm interested in, I can also get free 2 day shipping on item I purchase plus 5% back when using my Amazon credit card. This is literally a huge savings for me when purchasing products that I need for my online business.
Another example, is a company called SUREFIRE. My husband found a sweet surefire flashlight on the road once. The flashlight is over $100 and is rechargeable. It's very high quality and extremely bright. However, since it was rechargeable we needed a charger for it. We searched for the company's website and the charger was about $20 which is not a big deal but shipping was another $10. So we checked Amazon. Sure enough, they also sell their products on Amazon so we could get the same product with free shipping. Win-win!
Anytime your looking for something online it always make since to me to check the companies website and also check Amazon just to make sure that your getting the best deal you can.
LESS IMPULSE BUYING?
Now this one may be different for everyone but I find myself buying less impulse items when I shop on Amazon.
When I go out to shop at the store I see things that I "NEED" or "MAY NEED" in the future and I just add them to the cart. My thought process is that I'm going to need it in the future so I may as well get it now so I don't have to come to the store when I do need it. I always end up with things I don't need.
However, with Amazon it's so easy to buy things whenever I DO need them and I don't have to go anywhere to do it. I can litterally buy toilet paper while sitting on the toilet. Talk about multitasking! I can get on and purchase 1 thing that I need rather than feeling an urgency to buy everything I think I'll need in the next week or two. Also, if there's something I see that I may want or need I can just add to my "save for later" list. Then a week or month later I see that item and realized I never needed it to begin with and so I can just delete it.
LETS WRAP IT UP
I hope these 5 tips truly help you be more frugal with your shopping. I hope they save you money and help you save for things that truly matter to you.
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Check out my new Amazon Fall Sweater Haul!
Disclaimer: The links in this blog are things that I have purchased with my own money and recommend to you. *****As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases*****
Please note that the suggestions I have made in this post are not financial advice. They are just things that have helped me. Please do your own research on whether or not these things are something that will help you if implemented.
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