5/1/12

Amazon.com: Tips for Saving

Amazon started out as a an online bookseller in 1995.  It grew from there and today it is the biggest internet store in the US, selling a huge variety of items.  Consider these money-saving tips for shopping at Amazon:

1.  Amazon Coupons

Amazon has a coupon page.  Each coupon you choose will be applied to your order.  Make sure to read the fine print on each coupon.  Some example Amazon coupons are shown below:

amazon_coupons_5

2.  Amazon Warehouse

Amazon sells items at a discount at the Amazon Warehouse webpage.  Amazon Warehouse items are open-box, customer returns, used, or may have damaged packaging.  Each item is given a condition rating, from “Like New” to “Acceptable, and prices are discounted depending on condition.  These items qualify for free-shipping and Amazon’s return policy.  We have had only great experiences with Amazon Warehouse items.

3.  Amazon Subscribe and Save

For items that you need to restock regularly, like diapers or laundry detergent, consider Amazon’s Subscribe and Save program.  You select items to be delivered every month (or less frequently, up to every 6-months), and you get 5% off the price. Enroll 5 or more items to be delivered on the same day and get 15% off the price.  You can cancel at any time.  There are over 100,000 products available for the Subscribe and Save program.image

4.  Amazon-Friendly Credit Cards

Chase Freedom and Discover It credit cards both have no annual fee and typically include Amazon.com in their quarterly 5% cash back promotions.  If you purchase from Amazon during specified periods, you get 5% cash back.  The period is typically 3 months of the year, often October-December.  To extend this, you can buy Amazon gift cards (from Amazon.com) during promotion periods, load them to your Amazon account, and then use those gift card amounts anytime through the year.

Amazon also has it’s own credit card.  It is only 3% cash back, but that is valid through the whole year.

These credit cards are only recommended if you pay off the full balance each month.  If you do carry a balance, high interest charges eliminate the benefit of these cash-back cards.

5.  Amazon Price Trackers

Many Amazon prices change over time.  For instance, cameras tend to be almost expensive when they are new on the market, then drop in price over time as demand switches to newer models.  For other Amazon items, the price can vary in a way that seems random.  Luckily for us, Amazon price trackers show price histories for each item, so we can know if the current price is a good deal or not.  Amazon price trackers can be found at camelcamelcamel.com and thetracktor.com.