I have a subscription for Amazon Prime, and I find it extremely valuable for more than just free two-day shipping. I end up saving more than the annual fee just from the extra services, so it’s worth it for me. You still should always shop around when making purchases, and you can use CamelCamelCamel.com to check the historical price of your Amazon purchases. If you won’t use any of the other perks, I still recommend just using free standard shipping for Amazon purchases over $25.
Free/Discounted Prime!
Everyone gets an Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. If a Prime package arrives late, Amazon will give you a month of Prime for free. Occasionally they run sales for Prime, although it’s not a guarantee. If you like to binge-watch shows or only shop around the holidays, you can pay for a month instead of paying for the year. If you have a student email address (ending in .edu), you can get Prime Student free for a six month trial followed by 4 years of half-priced Prime.
Automatic 5% Cash Back with the Amazon Credit Card
There’s no annual fee. You get 5% back on ANY Amazon purchases (including the Prime membership and items from the Amazon marketplace), 2% back on restaurant, gas, and drugstore purchases, and 1% back on everything else. They also usually have a sign up bonus. I only use this card on Amazon, and find it is well worth it.
Prime Early Access/Lightning Deals
Major discounts. Only helpful if it’s things you ACTUALLY need, though! I’ve snagged half price TV mounts and antennas, kitchen items, tools, and other miscellaneous items that I was waiting for a better price on before purchasing.
Share Prime with Other Adults
The Amazon Household Program enables two adult family members and up to four children to share the best of Prime. Both Household adults can manage payment methods and parental controls with Amazon FreeTime for children, who are blocked from making purchases. Go to “Your Account” and “Your Prime Membership” to set it up.
Free Same-Day Delivery
It depends on your area, but some items have free same day delivery. There’s a minimum spend, so I like to save small things (books, cream, AirBnB refills) in my cart for later and add them as needed to get the minimum spend for the times I’m feeling too eager to wait. I don’t advocate this as an excuse to purchase unnecessary or wasteful items.
Free eBooks, Comics and Magazines
Download the kindle app and browse tons of free books, comics and magazines. Some are free to “borrow,” special with Prime, and some are actually entirely free. Your library syncs between devices if they are connected online. You also have access to Kindle First, which gives you access to one brand new book a month for free. You can sign up for the monthly email and have the titles sent directly to your inbox.
Free Video Streaming
You can drop Hulu, Netflix, HBO, or any other streaming service. Amazon Instant Video has TV shows, movies, and all sorts of other original content.
Free Music Streaming and Downloads
You can drop Spotify, Pandora, or Apple Music and stream directly from the Amazon music app instead. You can also download some music for free.
Free Audiobooks
Just download the Audible app. You will have access to free Audible channels, including news, comedy shows, talks, and books. You can also try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks.
Free Cloud Storage
When you use the Amazon Photo app, all your images go straight to the Prime Vault, allowing you to access them anytime and anywhere. Get up to 5GB free for photos, documents, videos, etc.
Creating a Wishlist
I keep private lists with gift ideas on it for close friends and family. I also have their wish lists linked to my profile so that I can see things they want. You can add in birthdays, anniversaries, or other holidays as well and set emailed reminders for yourself. Throughout the year, I add to my wish list any things I see that I would like but that I wouldn’t necessarily buy for myself (more pool toys!), or that I’m planning to purchase in the future.