If you’re an Amazon Prime member, Amazon is having a sales blowout today, putting everything from headphones to video games on sale. There are a ton of tempting deals… but how to get the most out of it?
Remember, You Need Prime
Prime’s $100 for the year, you get free shipping, you get free video streaming, you get access to free streaming music, and there’s even a lending library for your Kindle in the mix. So, if that’s worth it to you, and it probably is, just shell out the $100 and enjoy.
Sort The Deals By Category
Each of the little deal strips on the Prime Day page has a handy little “Sort By” link in the upper-right-hand corner. If you’re not interested in baby stuff and macrobiotics, use that to find what you are actually interested in.
Look At What’s Coming, Not What’s On Sale
Anything that’s a great deal that a lot of people are interested in has probably already sold out. While you can waitlist the deals, it’s better to look at what’s coming up and plan accordingly. Remember, new deals arrive every 10 minutes on the site, and thus new deals are added to the upcoming queue, so check back regularly.
Look Harder At The Deals
Not all deals are that great. A good example is the just-closed deal on Borderlands: The Handsome Collection. The “deal” is supposedly 42 percent off. But look closely; the actual price Amazon sells it at is $40, and the deal is for $35. Saving five bucks isn’t bad, but it’s not 42 percent off, either.
Look At The Product, Not The Brand
If you pay attention to the upcoming deals, you’ll notice Amazon is being a little clever in how it sets things up. Say there’s a TV up on a deal right now, and the deal’s gone. Check the upcoming deals: There’s likely to be a similar product from a different brand waiting in the queue.
Don’t Forget To Look For Codes
Some deals aren’t automatic but require you to punch in a code. For example, you can save a lot of money on digital music off Amazon today… but you’ll need to remember to enter the code GOPRIME before you check out.
Keep An Eye Out For Gift Cards
Probably the rarest unicorn in this deal hunt are gift cards. We’re not seeing a lot of them at the moment, but one type of gift card seems to be in each hourly wave of deals. So keep a sharp eye out; those will be your best deals, even if the percentages are small.
Any other tips? Share below, and happy deal hunting! And don’t forget, Wal-Mart is trying to steal Amazon’s thunder with their own sale, which you can learn more about from theDESK: