These days, Amazon is a huge player in the online market and they’re even starting to open up brick and mortar stores in the United States. With services like free shipping, scheduled orders and a wide selection, a lot of customers have turned to the website as their go to choice when it comes to shopping for just about anything and everything. Of course, the real question is: Does Amazon really save you the money that you think it does? There’s a few answers to this questions because you have to look at different aspects of the site. Here’s ten sections that will help guide you to decide whether or not you should shop with Amazon when it comes to a few popular items.
1. Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is one of the main draws of the website for some shoppers. For less than $100 a year you get access to free two-day shipping, exclusive coupons and sales, streaming videos and music, as well as a free book a month. The 2-day shipping itself will help save you up to $6 a purchase and, if you’re in no hurry, you can opt out of the free 2-day shipping for free standard shipping if you’d like to receive a discount on a movie rental and music or e-book downloads. Apart from the free videos you can stream, you can also enjoy commercial free music too, which would normally cost around $9 a month. The coupons that Prime members get access to will help save you a bundle, especially if you’re shopping in the home department. Often, the coupons will apply directly to purchases, so you won’t even have to browse through the numerous coupons that appear on the website each day. If you’re still not sold on the $100 price tag, Amazon offers sales throughout the year so you can purchase it at a lower price. Students will also get a discount on their membership and you can share your services with up to 4 people.
2. Streaming Videos
If you’re already paying for a streaming service, then there’s a good chance you’re paying around $8 to $15 for the service, which ends up being about $94 to $180 a year. For the same price as the basic streaming services, you’ll get access to a wide variety of streaming movies and shows that could keep you entertained for hours on end. Plus, you can pre-order, rent and digitally purchase seasons of your favorite shows as well as blockbuster movies. In comparison to other services, like GooglePlay and iTunes, the rentals cost about the same amount of money, but if you’re not in a hurry to watch your rental, you can leave it for up to 30 days before finally viewing it, if you so please. Of course, rentals and purchases aren’t just for Prime members, anyone with an account can enjoy this service.
3. Ebooks
Electronic books are a huge trend, especially in the world of self-publishing. Although most online book stores will offer digital books as a purchasing option, they probably don’t have near the selection of Amazon as it is known for hosting self-published novels by the thousands. This gives you a wide assortment of options to choose from and, you never know, you could be reading something from the next big someone in the book world. If you’re not into independent books, regular e-books are also at a competitive price. Sometimes, Amazon will even keep track of purchases and offer you coupons for authors you love. You may even be able to find some extraordinary pre-ordering prices. Amazon Prime subscribers don’t just get to check out this wide selection, but they can rent a free book a month and loan out and borrow books from people in their network. Recently, Amazon even offered Kindle Unlimited, which allows you to check out as many books as you want for a monthly fee.
4. Household Goods
Amazon is a great place to buy household goods, especially if you prefer to shop for items in bulk. Often, you can find some of your favorite brands on the website for less than you would your local store, which is helpful if you’re on a tight budget. Household goods are one of the more popular items Amazon likes to produce coupons for too, which is also a bonus. One of the latest features for Amazon is the subscription purchase, which generally takes away a percentage of an item. The only catch is you have to sign up for a monthly or bi-monthly subscription of these services. Of course, you can cancel the subscriptions when you want, but if you like the convenience of the service then you may end up spending way too much money. Generally, when you shop you get the chance to price check items, with this service you won’t get to as it will automatically ship to you after each time period passes.
5. Technology
One of the more popular searches on Amazon is technology, because they are always said to have good deals. Plus, the selection is so much better than a lot of other stores. You can find anything from basic accessories to top of the line gaming computers on Amazon, but you may be surprised to hear that you’re not always going to get the price when you shop with Amazon. In fact, when searching for laptops, phones and many other items, there were cheaper prices at stores like Amazon and Target. For instance, a quick search for an RCA 58 inch LED TV, led to WalMart hosting a better price at $499 opposed to Amazon’s $574.98. It isn’t just TVs that didn’t make the cut during a basic search though. Walmart again took the cake with a Toshiba Jetback Laptop for $249, while Amazon sells the same laptop for $374. Keep in mind, both Amazon and WalMart offer free shipping on these items, so you’re not losing money there. So, unless there’s a major sell going on, you may want to skip out on the tech section of Amazon.
6. Clothes and Shoes
When it comes to shopping online, clothing and shoes are some of the hardest things to buy. Sure, you can find a wide assortment of items you’d love to wear, but in reality finding the perfect fit without seeing it in person and trying it on can be next to impossible. Worse yet, Amazon’s return policies aren’t always the best. In fact, you can’t even open the package of clothing if you plan on returning it, which pretty much means you’re going to lose out on money even if you do return the item. The price of the clothing isn’t always the best either, but sometimes you can find a great sale. For instance, while looking for a pair of Levi’s on JCPenny.com the site shows off the popular Levi 505’s for $59.50, with the option of 20% off for a current sale, while Amazon’s 505’s were priced at $42.99 with a 28% off sale. You should also keep in mind that if you hold memberships to websites like JC Penny’s that you may be privy to a greater discount, due to membership rewards. Plus, if the clothing doesn’t fit then you can return it to the physical store, rather than paying for return shipping.
7. Baby Stuff
Mom’s know the struggle that shopping for baby things brings, especially if you have to take the baby with you. Between diapers, clothes, toys and furniture, the shopping may seem to never end, which is why so many parents turn to online shopping. Luckily, Amazon does have some great offers here. If you have a baby in the home, then Amazon will actually offer you a discounted membership on a service that is basically Amazon Prime. You’ll still get the free 2-day shipping, the videos and music and all of that, but you’ll also get 20% off diapers and wipes each month. If you’re not interested in shopping with Amazon Mom, then you still may find better deals on diapers with Amazon. For instance, Amazon’s 216 Pack of Pamper Swaddlers cost $43.69, with a $1.50 coupon instantly popping up, while the same pack from Target cost $45.99. Apart from the basics, you can probably find a mixed amount of deals on furniture and toys on Amazon. It’s generally best to shop around for these items before you decide on where to buy them from.
8. Price Guarantee
A lot of stores offer price matching, so if you’re in the market to save a lot then you might want to go this route, rather than shopping online. However, if you’re not into that then you may want to simply keep an eye on the items you’ve already purchased. Amazon likes to keep your best interest in mind, so if you make a purchase with them, keep an eye on the price for a full 7 days after the item has shipped. If the price drops then you can contact Amazon and get a refund for the extra amount that you paid. Of course, you probably won’t end up saving much, but every little bit counts sometimes.
9. Flash Sales
Amazon is known for offering Flash Sales. Although they are more common during the holidays, you can still find a wide assortment of items on the flash sales every single day. The only problem is; the item might not be something you’d actually want to purchase on your own. For instance, if you don’t have a use for a chef hat, but you see one at a daringly low price you might be tempted to go for it. After all, you may one day need one, right? This is where the flash sale can really leave you in a financial bind, so if you have a hard time saying no then you might want to avoid them. Sometimes there are great deals though, especially on Tupperware or other household goods. The only problem is, you have to be fast before the item sells out, which means you don’t get a chance to shop around. Apart from the everyday sales, Amazon also hosts major sales like Prime Day, which is said to have more sales than Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Again, some of these items might save you money, but exercise caution here or else you’ll spend more than you should on items you might not need.
10. Variety
Of course, one of the biggest draws for Amazon is that you can find just about everything and the kitchen sink, literally, on the website. This is great for people who live in areas that might not have stores for geeky items, special spices and other rare products. Take for instance, those who love Indian food. A lot of stores fail to sell some of the basic spices, or charge an arm and a leg for them. Amazon allows you to buy these items at better prices from a variety of shops, which will save you money. Apart from shopping for exotic items, you may also find specialty things that will make your home seem even more you. This could also lead to spending too much money though, so make sure you keep up with spending to ensure you’re not going overboard on the cool stuff.
When it comes down to it, Amazon can save you money or make you pay more than you realize. So, when you’re shopping just exercise caution and don’t forget to shop around before adding something to your cart. Between the convenience of the online store and the prices, you should be fine shopping with Amazon as long as you are aware of your shopping restrictions.
