6. Amazon Student
Poor college kids need a break too. As a reduced-price version of Amazon Prime, Amazon Student is the ideal option. At half the price of Prime, you get the same benefits, plus special student offers and promotions. You can also get a six-month free trial of Amazon Student compared with the 30-day trial offered to Prime members, which comes with free two-day shipping. You may not get access to free video or music streaming, or the Kindle lending library, but with so many other benefits and discounts, it’s hard to complain. To get an Amazon Student membership, you need an .edu email address or must be able to otherwise verify your enrollment status.
7. Unearth Deep Discounts
Every day can be like Black Friday on Amazon.com if you know where to look. Before you pay full retail price, check out these sure bets from Amazon.
- Used items. Amazon allows third-party sellers and individuals to sell used items through its site. Some of these “used†items are actually new and sold at a deep discount. Look for items that are eligible for free shipping. And shop carefully – beware of those penny books that come with $15 shipping and handling charges.
- Deal of the Day. Every day, Amazon has a new deal. You can find it by clicking on “Today’s Deals†next to the Amazon logo at the top of the page.
- Lightning Deals. These are also found on the Deal of the Day page. They offer a limited number of deeply discounted items for only a couple of hours.
- Outlet Department. The Amazon Outlet is often buried on the site and may be difficult to find unless you stumble upon it.
8. WarehouseDeals.com
WarehouseDeals.com? What’s that all about? Aren’t we talking about Amazon here? Yes and Warehouse Deals is the quick link to Amazon’s warehouse, where you can find all their refurbished and open-box items.
9. Amazon Freebies
If you watch the Deals Section, you probably already know that Amazon regularly offers promos, including free music downloads, free apps, free e-books and free streaming video credits. In addition, look for items that come with built-in freebies. One of the most common deals to find on Amazon is a free instant video for streaming with the purchase of select movies.
10. Get Your Amazon Swag
Finally, one of the best ways to save on Amazon may actually be off the Amazon.com site. A number of rewards and survey websites let you earn points that can be redeemed for Amazon gift cards. SwagBucks.com and MyPoints.com are examples of sites offering Amazon gift cards. Another option is to shop through Ebates.com and get cash back on your purchase.