Oh Amazon, a blessing and a curse! With my marketing background it’s obvious to me that Amazons forever changed the way consumers shop. Customers have gotten accustomed to having 1,000s of items available to them in the same day or two days later. Throw in a one click “buy now” button and they’ve lit the match for impulse purchases. Other retailers are rushing to compete with the quick delivery trend but Amazon clearly leads the way. They certainly know what they’re doing but what does that mean for us?
Tons of unnecessary purchases! Over the holidays I was guilty of last minute Amazon gifts because I knew they’d deliver on time but what about the rest of the year? I looked through my order history and was surprised by how much I was ordering. 2 or 3 items a month across the year certainly adds up!
Looking through my Amazon order history in 2021 I spent $465! I asked myself if I really “needed” that item? I found the answer was no but I got it because it was cheap and convenient. The things I ordered were random, small items (milk frother, non-slip carpet pad, bath pillow) that I could live without. It’s easy to make impulse purchases but it adds up. Plus looking back more than half of that $465 total were things I could live without.
Plus it’s no secret that Amazon doesn’t have the best prices around. They’re playing on convenience and they’re charging for it. Do I really need that item tomorrow or can I go to the store to pick it up in a few days?
Here are my tricks to spend less on Amazon!
- Add to the wish list. When I see something I like or am considering buying I add it to my wishlist. It’s there if I have an overwhelming need to buy it but normally it just sits on the wish list forgotten about because again I don’t really “need” it.
- Add to the cart and wait. This is similar to the above but I’m a step further because I’ve decided to buy. I’ll add the item(s) to the cart but not actually hit buy. The next time I go in I’ll see that something is in my cart but 9 out of 10 times I can’t remember what it is! If I can’t remember what I wanted, do I really need it? No! Delete item. Savings account here it comes.
- Shop competitors. Big retailers like Target, Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond have lower prices than Amazon. Plus they’ve hopped on the same day delivery bandwagon so they’re convenient too!
- End your membership. I have a friend who ditched her Amazon Prime account altogether! A pretty bold move but possible. I remember life without PrimeI was doing just fine.
If you learned anything from this post or want more like this give me a thumbs up. I would love it if you left me a comment on your Amazon tips or habits!
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