10+ Genius Ways to Save Money on Amazon

I’m obsessed with shopping on Amazon and I know I’m not alone.

Besides the convenience of having packages arrive right outside my door, I can usually find what I’m looking for faster than if I head to the store.

Instead of spending hours of precious time cramped in a store, I’m happily looking through deals and saving money in the comfort of my own home. What’s not to love?

While I do make impulse buys every now and then (I needed it, I swear), shopping online has curbed some of my random spending habits since I’m able to read reviews and add things to my wishlist and mull it over a little longer.

Plus, since I get free two-day shipping with my Amazon Prime account, I never have to wait too long to get my stuff, which makes me a happy camper.

How to save money on Amazon

You don’t need to be an expert to save money – it’s seriously so easy with a few free apps and knowing where to check before you buy.

Did I mention all of these apps are free?

Ok then, let’s get into it.

1. $20 off Amazon Prime and big rebates

If you love shopping on Amazon like me but still don’t have an Amazon Prime account, I highly recommend it.

Not just for the free 2-day shipping but also access to a bunch of other awesome membership perks:

I regularly use Prime Photos and Prime Music which saves me about $150 a year since I don’t need to subscribe to others services to store photos and stream music anymore.

Prime costs $99 per year, or roughly 8 bucks a month, but you can get a $20 discount for a limited time by signing up for it through Ibotta.

This may cause you to do a celebratory dance...but we won’t judge

Besides a hefty discount, Ibotta also has Amazon offers that could help you earn cash back. Here's a preview of some of their current offers:

• 3% cash back on the Echo and Echo Dot
  
• 3% cash on Kindles, Fire Tablets, Fire TV, and Dash Buttons
  
• 3% cash back on luggage, travel gear, backpacks, gym bags
  
• 3% cash back on Amazon baby products
  
• 3% cash back on Amazon pet supplies
  
• 3% cash back on home and kitchen purchases
  

To get started, download Ibotta and start shopping through the app!

2. Get refunded when the price changes

Remember those impulse buys I mentioned – the things you probably didn't need but are oh-so-happy you bought?

Paribus can help ease some of the financial pain by ensuring you get the best price on your purchases.

The way it works is, once you sign up, the app gets to work scanning your email archives for receipts. When it detects your purchase, it checks the item’s price and can help you get a refund if the price drops within the price adjustment period at participating retailers.

It’s a simple system, but can be super effective in earning some money back.

3. Be notified ASAP when prices drop

Speaking of price drops, Shoptagr could be a great way to keep an eye out for sales and deals on the items you want.

It’s a free mobile app and browser extension that alerts you in real time when you’ve “tagged” an item that goes on sale.

Since prices on Amazon are always fluctuating, using Shoptagr to monitor your entire Wish List is like having a 24/7 personal shopping assistant making sure you get the best price.

4. Instant savings before the checkout

Ebates is another platform that offers cash back rewards. It’s free and available as an app or browser extension. I have both so I don’t miss out on deals and opportunities to save money. #winning

Shopping through Ebates can make saving money easy. It takes about 2 minutes to sign up and the savings potential is huge.

Here is the link to sign up for Ebates.

5. Earn cash & gift cards for completing easy tasks

If you haven’t heard of MyPoints yet, you’re in for a treat. It can help you earn rewards by printing coupons, shopping online, and taking an occasional survey.

Savings are instant and easy to redeem, so signing up for this is a no-brainer in my book. Plus, they’re connected to thousands of stores – including Amazon, Target, and Walmart.

All you have to do is sign up for MyPoints and use the portal the next time you shop online (Amazon addicts rejoice everywhere!).

How to earn a $10 sign-up bonus: When you spend $20 or more at a store through MyPoints, you’ll be rewarded with 1,750 bonus points which can be redeemed for a $10 Amazon gift card.

6. Easy cash back that can be redeemed for Amazon gift cards (and more!)

Drop is one of the newer cash back reward apps out there and here’s why it’s great – by linking your credit and debit cards to the app, you can earn points on every purchase – tallied automatically in the app.

Points can then be redeemed for gift cards at places like Starbucks, Best Buy – and of course, Amazon (which is always my go-to gift card).

Here is a link to sign up for Drop.

7. Round up to the nearest dollar and invest in your future

When it comes to saving money, sometimes out of sight, out of mind can be the best way to go.

When you use Acorns to round up your purchases to the nearest dollar, it automatically drops the leftover change into a savings account for you.

So, let’s say you spend $25.67 on your next Amazon purchase. Acorns will round that purchase up to $26.00 and deposit $0.33 into savings for you.

Over time, your money can grow and earn interest without you feeling the need to pinch pennies to make it happen. Plus, you’ll earn $10 just for trying it out when you use this link.

8. Get Amazon credit for your loose change

Instead of keeping your change in a jar – or worse – all around the house, car, and in your bags, drop by a Coinstar kiosk and cash them in!

You’ll get more satisfaction from an Amazon gift card and there are thousands of conveniently located kiosks around the country. 

9. Get a killer rewards card

To really take your savings to the next level, I recommend finding a cash back credit card with unlimited rewards.

Now, I know credit cards can be a touchy subject, but as long as you pay off your balance each month without exception, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be reaping the rewards!

Using my rewards card is actually how I first started realizing I could spend less on Amazon purchases. It’s wild to me that I can earn cash back for buying stuff I planned on buying anyway.

10. Check price history before you buy

Besides having an entertaining name, Camelcamelcamel tracks the price history of nearly every item listed on Amazon. It’s great to bookmark as a reference.

As an example, let’s say you want to purchase a new camera sometime in the next six months. You can drop the URL into Camelcamelcamel’s search bar and instantly see a graph that shows you when the price has changed and by how much.

Bonus: Find amazing deals every day

It wasn’t until I started regularly shopping on Amazon that I realized there are a bunch of ways to save money and get deals right on the site. 

If you haven’t heard of these resources before, bookmark this article for future reference!

• Deal of the Day – deals change on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis
  
• Lightning Deals – snatch them up quick! Once they’re gone, they’re gone
  
• Savings & Sales – like a weekly flyer but for Amazon
  
• Coupons – just like many other stores, Amazon has coupons! Clip your favorites and they’ll be automatically added to your cart and applied at checkout.
  

Off its main site, Amazon also has:

• Amazon Outlet – great deals and bargain hunting
  
• Amazon Warehouse Deals – great deals on quality used products
  

As if you needed more reasons to shop on Amazon...

Paribus compensates us when you sign up for Paribus using the links provided.