In this week's episode, we are discussing hacks for making the most of your Amazon account, whether or not you’re a Prime member. https://www.balancedfi.com/amazon-hacks/ Amazon Smile, Subscribe & Save, and Lightning Deals are some of my favorite features, as a non-Prime member.
Welcome to the Balanced FI Podcast, episode 34 - Amazon Hacks for Making the Most of Your Account - even if you’re not a Prime member.
Amazon has taken over so many areas of life, but some of those features are super helpful. Although some of the things we discuss require a Prime membership, some are still available to non-members.
Taking advantage of all the features of your Amazon account just makes good sense.
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Hey there, this is episode 34 of the Balance Five podcast. Amazon hacks for making the most of your account. Welcome to the Balance Five podcast, where we talk about balancing intentional debt payoff, saving money, and actually living your life. I'm your host, Raelia. Small business owner, wife, girl mom, non profit co founder, and money nerd.
This is an audio version of the Balanced Five blog, because I know how hard it is to find time to sit down and read literally anything. Instead, you can get quick bits of money knowledge on the go. I want to help you learn to control your money instead of letting your money control you. Let's get started.
A little Amazon hack can go a long way. These tips will help you save money on your next purchase by making the most of the features that Amazon offers. Whether it's finding an item for free, getting the best deals, or being able to find what you're looking for quickly and easily, these Amazon hacks have got you covered.
In the interest of transparency though, I just wanted to tell you that after having a Prime membership for years, Maybe even a decade or so. I cancelled my Prime membership about a year ago now. I was hesitant to do so, but the quote unquote two day shipping was slow enough that the fee no longer made sense for my family.
In addition to that membership fee, which is going to go up if it hasn't already, again, I Amazon's employment practices. When I can, I want to use my money to support businesses that treat their employees well, like Costco. Of course, that's not always an option, but setting that goal for my family makes it a little easier to live without a Prime membership.
I do still order from Amazon once a month or so. It's just not possible to buy what I need locally all the time, and I'm reluctant to do much in person shopping with a wheelchair using kiddo and a two year old in tow. Online shopping is even more important in rural areas. When I was growing up, we had to drive over two hours one way for back to school shopping.
So, who wouldn't want to shop online instead? Remember that buying from Amazon isn't necessarily bad, but I also don't feel great about supporting the company. Losing my business really won't hurt Amazon at all, but my purchases do make a huge difference to a small business. The first Amazon hack is Prime Day, where Amazon Prime members get early access to deals and the best selection of products.
Amazon offers a 30 day free trial for Prime Membership, so you can find out if it's worth your time before committing. Last year, Amazon offered some really great deals on Alexa enabled gadgets, like Fire Tablets, that were up to 50 percent off, as well as Prime Memberships discounted by 40%. Prime Day was June 21st in 2021, but that date does change from year to year.
Amazon Lightning Deals. Another great Amazon savings is the Lightning Deals that are available exclusively to Prime customers. The deals last for a limited time only. So if you're interested in an item that's listed as a Lightning Deal and it runs out of inventory before the deal ends, You can score a great deal, but you also have to be careful not to buy things you don't really need.
Buying crap during a huge sale is still buying crap. So Amazon customers who are not Prime members still have the chance to find great deals with limited quantities that are only available for a limited time. And that's DEALS with a capital D. Are updated every day, so you'll never miss out on the best Amazon deals and discounts, even if you're not a Prime member.
The deals usually aren't as good as Lightning Deals, but you can still save a lot of money. Free shipping on orders over 25. So you can get free shipping on any order that is more than 25, even without an Amazon Prime membership. The seller does have to be like, you know, a certain qualification. I don't really understand the details, but most things either have sellers who qualify or you can find an alternative.
So I Don't know if I've ever ever really paid for shipping even since cancelling my Prime membership. And luckily for my nieces and nephews, this means that they get an extra 5 added to their birthday gift budget so I can hit that 25 threshold. If I have to choose between paying for shipping or spending 5 more to hit the free shipping limit, you bet I'm buying more stuff.
It just gives them more money. Awesome gifts, I guess. I'd rather get more gifts, or a more expensive gift, than waste money on shipping fees. With Amazon's free Super Saver shipping program, there may be an additional charge if your item weighs more than 17 pounds, or it has dimensions larger than 18 by 13 inches.
So there are some things that don't qualify just because of their size. Prime members can still take advantage of Amazon's free Super Saver shipping on any order without having to add the Amazon Prime membership fee. Camel Camel Camel. There's a link in the show notes, but it is actually camelcamelcamel.
com. It's a website for tracking price changes on Amazon goods. Amazon is a great way to find deals, but the prices can fluctuate up and down a lot, especially if it's something that you are looking at a lot. Camel Camel Camel tracks Amazon price changes across the internet so that you know when Amazon has hit its lowest point, and you can get a better deal.
If you're patient, you can score amazing deals like Harry Potter books for a penny. There's no guarantee that you'll save that much, but knowledge of the price changes will help you make an informed purchase. You'll also know when a sale is really a good deal. Warehouse. Amazon Warehouse is the store for Prime members.
that sells returned Amazon products. So, warehouse goods are used, pre owned, or open box products that have been returned to Amazon. Warehouse can be hit or miss with the great deals it offers, and you don't always know what condition an item will come in. Uh, they're supposed to be good, but that's kind of the subjective term.
If you want to take a chance on something like this, make sure to read the reviews before purchasing. Outlet. Amazon Outlet is the other reseller of used items, which includes clothing and jewelry from brands such as Nike and Calvin Klein, among others. The majority of out of stock items are discounted by at least 60%.
You do have to scroll through pages of no name brand items, so there isn't much of a guarantee that you'll find something great or that it'll be easy. But Amazon Outlet can be an Amazon hack for folks who are willing to take the risk and invest the time. Trade in program. So Amazon has a trade in program where you can order items and then send them back, often with free shipping, once you're done using them.
For example, the trade in program lets you trade in old video games for credit, or a gift card that can be used toward the purchase of a new game. This is also a great way to get rid of all those books that are taking up space in your home. Get Amazon credit and minimize your possessions. When you want to pay off debt, but just don't know where to start, I've got your back.
The Debt Payoff Planner is a free, downloadable guide that will walk you through three easy, actionable steps to create a customized debt payoff plan. You'll gather all of your debt information, choose a payoff method that works for your life, and create a plan that includes monthly payment amounts. Go to balancedfi.
com slash debt payoff planner to download now. Let's move on to my favorite hack, subscribe and save. Subscribe and save is a program that lets customers enjoy the convenience of having their favorite products delivered on a schedule that they said, with no minimum order size. If you are a Prime member or an Amazon student member that likes saving money by purchasing products in bulk, this is the perfect deal.
Subscribe and Save allows those households to shop 30 percent off everyday essentials and household items like laundry detergent, paper towels, and dish soap. Even without a Prime membership, you can still access Subscribe and Save for the routine delivery and discount features. It is so nice, as a mom, to not have to worry about reordering the things that we use regularly.
Wishlist. If I'm going to buy something as a gift for someone else or I need to keep my eye on what I want to purchase for my own family, the wishlist feature is the perfect Amazon hack. I'm not always sure if I'll find what I need at stores and sometimes it's difficult for me to keep track of everything on my list.
The wishlists do all the work for you by sending alerts when a product or size that you're looking for becomes available. You can make a wishlist through amazon. com on the app or by clicking create a list at any time when you're in your Amazon account. Prime members can even add Amazon gift cards to their wishlist.
My sister has created wishlists for each of her kids, which makes it super easy for me to purchase exactly what they want. They think I'm a great gift giver, but I don't have to put too much effort into their birthdays. Wish lists have reduced so much stress for me. Having wish lists for gifts also helps me keep Christmas frugal too.
I choose gifts that I want to purchase and watch for deals or sales on those items starting in mid November. Sometimes I'll buy something similar or I will use Camel Camel Camel to watch for hard to find or more expensive gifts to go on sale. Pay. So Amazon Pay is a newer service that lets you make payments with your Amazon account from third party websites and apps on all platforms, including desktop computers, mobile devices, and tablets.
You can even pay companies like Uber using your Amazon account. Amazon Pay eliminates the need to remember every password, credit card number, or address associated with your account since you can log in using just one password. Your Amazon password. All of the payment methods you've entered in your Amazon account are available to use through Amazon Pay.
With Amazon Flow, you can have your Amazon purchases delivered to a nearby locker. The lockers are located in places like grocery stores and check cashing centers. So, when they're close by, Amazon will deliver the item there. This is especially helpful if you live in an apartment without a mailbox or parcel locker on site.
Because You can pick up your package from a safe location. If you're an Alexa user, this hack might be especially helpful. Amazon Flow lets you order from Amazon with just one word. You can just say, Alexa, order paper towels. It can be used with Amazon's one click ordering, Prime Membership, and Amazon Fresh.
Fresh. Amazon Fresh is a grocery delivery service that is available in more than 100 cities across the U. S. This service offers customers an easy way to order their groceries and other household essentials without having to step foot outside of the house. Prime Now. Prime members can get unlimited free one day shipping on many items, but you have to order Amazon Prime Now items before midnight.
This feature is available in more than 50 cities and offers delivery on everything from fresh produce to home goods, so you can get everything your heart desires delivered right to your doorstep really fast. Family. If you're a parent, this Amazon hat can save you tons. With Amazon Family, you can save up to 20 percent on thousands of products like diapers and wipes, vitamins, and food items.
This also comes with exclusive deals not available anywhere else. Amazon family members enjoy free two day shipping on eligible orders over 25 and access to all unlimited benefits including streaming TV shows, movies, and music online. Drive. Amazon Drive lets you store files in the cloud while also having access to them from any device that has an internet connection or a web browser.
It's similar to Google Drive or Dropbox. Every Amazon account gets 5 gigabytes of storage for free. Music Unlimited. This Amazon hack is a great music service that lets users stream more than 50 million songs to their devices so you don't have to worry about what to play next. Amazon Music Unlimited is available for 19.
99 per month right now, on top of your regular Prime membership fee. So it does cost a little more. The music playback works seamlessly with Amazon Alexa devices, too. Video. This Amazon hack lets you watch movies and TV shows. There are more than 150, 000 titles, so there's going to be something to please every type of viewer.
Amazon Video is available through Amazon Prime. Dash. This hack lets you reorder products through simple one click buttons that are connected to your home Wi Fi network. If you run out of the specific item, that you order often, and you have the little button, you can place another order with just the push of a button.
You don't have to go to the Amazon app on your phone, find the thing, buy it. Pantry. Amazon Pantry lets Prime members enjoy deals and delivery of everyday essentials and household items. It's available to customers who purchase from the grocery section on Amazon, including a selection of popular food brands that are not found in most other stores.
Just fill up a box with whatever products you need from the wide variety of available items, including food. And after adding all the things you want to that box, there's nothing else to do but wait patiently while Amazon does the rest. You do have to buy a certain amount, and there is a small fee, I think it's like 5.
So, you want to make sure that you are Buying enough to make it worth it, but it is a great way to get you know shelf stable staples delivered Student if you're between 13 and 18 years old or currently enrolled in a university degree program This Amazon hack might interest you with Amazon student college students have access to prime benefits like the two day shipping through Prime Pantry as well as other exclusive offers like 30 percent off textbooks from third party sellers.
Prime Reading. This service allows you access to a rotating selection of more than 1, 000 books, audiobooks, and magazines in a digital format. Amazon Prime members also have the opportunity to read as many Kindle Unlimited books as they want with no due date or minimum commitments for about 10 per month.
You don't have to be a Prime member to have a Kindle Unlimited membership, but you do only get the eBooks through that. The Kindle app is available on iOS devices like an iPad or an iPhone, Android phones and tablets, or ePub readers like Kobo Reader. Additionally, there is no due dates or minimum commitments required, so you never have to worry about missing out on a good book because your membership ran out.
To recap, there are tons of different programs offered by Amazon, and you're almost certain to find one that meets a need that you have. Just remember that local businesses and companies with more ethical practices are likely to offer something similar. So what should you do next? Decide how you're going to support Amazon, if at all, and take advantage of some of these programs to save a little extra.
Thank you for listening to this episode. If you enjoy the Balance Fi podcast, I'd be so grateful if you left us a review on iTunes or told a friend. As always, you can head to balancedfi. com to connect with me and stay in touch. I'm on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter at BalancedFI. Until next time, stay intentional and look for balance.