10 Strategies for Saving Money on Amazon

What’s not to love about Amazon?

OK, I am sure someone can tell me why they don’t love Amazon, but I’ll be the first to raise my hand and say I am a fan. In fact, thanks to Amazon, my husband and I did 99% of our Christmas shopping for the kids last year while sitting in bed watching “Fringe.” If only they had offered Sunday deliveries then, we never would have needed to go to the store.

Amazon pricing already tends to be a bit lower than that of brick-and-mortar stores, but there are even bigger bargains to be found. Here are some of the secret ways diehard Amazon shoppers shave even more money off the store’s prices.

1. Amazon Associates

Amazon Associates is the website’s affiliate program. It is really geared toward bloggers and small businesses, but anyone can sign up.

The key to making it work for you is to find a friend who is a regular Amazon shopper and also willing to sign up. See, you can’t earn an affiliate commission on your own purchases but you can on someone else’s.

So you and your friend both sign up as affiliates. Then, when you shop on Amazon, you use their affiliate link and when they shop, they use yours. It’s an easy way to make 15% cash back on each other’s purchases.

2. Subscribe and Save

If you want to be sure you never run out of toilet paper or laundry soap, you can use the Subscribe and Save feature available on many household items.

Basically, it works like this: You agree to receive regular, automatic shipments of certain products and in exchange you get free shipping and 15% off.

And I’ll let you in on a little secret. Since you can cancel at any time, some people sign up for Subscribe and Save, receive one shipment at the reduced price and then cancel.

3. Amazon Prime

For heavy-duty Amazon buyers like me, Amazon Prime is the way to go. It costs $79 for an annual membership but you get free two-day shipping, which can more than pay for the price of the membership.

Plus you can borrow from an extensive Kindle library for free. And that “Fringe” my husband and I were watching while Christmas shopping? Yup, that was streaming free, compliments of Amazon Prime.

Maybe you aren’t sure you spend enough at Amazon to justify shelling out $79. You’re in luck. Amazon gives you a free one-month trial before they charge you — a one-month trial that may be perfect for, say, that month right before Christmas.

4. Deal Tracker Sites

Regular Amazon shoppers know that prices at the online store fluctuate all over the place.

That’s where deal tracker sites come in handy. Websites such as CamelCamelCamel.com and TheTracktor.com can show you historical Amazon price data as well as send alerts when a price on a certain item reaches a preset amount.

You can price watch on your own by clicking “Save for Later” on the items that interest you. Creating a wish list is another option. Sometimes, if you put an item in your cart and leave it there for a few days, the price will drop.

5. Amazon Mom

Moms are big business for retailers. All those diapers and wipes and baby supplies add up quick, but you can get 20% off with Amazon Mom.

Unlike Amazon Prime, Amazon Mom is free to join, plus you get a free three-month subscription to Prime’s free two-day shipping option. In addition, you get 20% off diapers and wipes as well as 20% off other household items when you Subscribe and Save to five or more eligible products.

6. Amazon Student

Why should moms get all the savings? Poor college kids need a break too.

Amazon Student is essentially a reduced-price version of Amazon Prime. For $39 a year, you get the same benefits of a Prime membership plus special student offers and promotions.

One difference is that you can get a six-month free trial of Amazon Student compared with the 30-day trial offered to Prime members. During those six months, you don’t get access to free video streaming or the Kindle lending library, but with six months of free two-day shipping, it’s hard to complain.

To get an Amazon Student membership, you need an .edu email address or must be able to otherwise verify your enrollment status.

7. Unearth the Deep Discounts

Every day can be like Black Friday on Amazon if you know where to look.

Used items. Amazon allows third-party sellers and individuals to sell used items through its site. Some of these “used” items are actually brand new and sold at deep discount. Look for items that are eligible for Prime or Super Saver shipping. In addition, watch out for those penny books that come with $15 shipping and handling charges.
Deal of the Day. Every day, Amazon has a new deal. You can find it by clicking on “Today’s Deal” next to the Amazon logo at the top of the page. As I write this, the current daily deal is 50% off Ravensburger puzzles and games.
Lightning Deals. These are also found on the Deal of the Day page. They offer a limited number of deeply discounted items for only a couple of hours. Examples of past lightning deals include 71% off the “Cloud Atlas” Blu-ray edition, 82% off a men’s Sturhling Aviator Swiss Quartz watch and 55% off bocce balls.
Outlet Department. The Amazon Outlet can be buried on the site and may be difficult to find unless you stumble on it. Here’s a direct link to the Outlet, and that’s where you’ll find some of the best deals on new items.

8. Warehousedeals.com

Warehousedeals.com? What’s that all about? Aren’t we talking about Amazon here?

Sure, and Warehouse Deals is the quick link to Amazon’s warehouse where you can find all their refurbished and open box items. Let’s see what’s there right now: iPad minis for $273, Platinum Keurig coffee makers for $136 and the second season of “House” for $9.

9. Amazon Freebies

Amazon regularly offers promos including free music downloads, free apps, free e-books and free streaming video credits.

In addition, look for items that come with built-in freebies. One of the most common deals to find on Amazon is a free instant video for streaming with the purchase of select movies.

10. Get Your Swag on

Finally, one of the best ways to save on Amazon may be to go off Amazon. A number of rewards and survey websites let you earn points that can be redeemed for Amazon gift cards.

Swagbucks.com seems to be all the rage right now, but MyPoints.com – one of the Web’s oldest rewards sites – also offers Amazon gift cards. Another option is to shop through Ebates.com and get up to 8% cash back depending on the department of your purchase.

This post originally appeared on Money Talks News.

Image: iStock