I am on a thrifty kick these days. (This seems to be a New Year thing!) Between a holiday spending hangover, inflation woes, dorm room shopping, and just feeling like we have SO MUCH STUFF, I am in penny pinching mode. Alas, we can’t just put a moratorium on shopping. We still need some stuff. Just not all the stuff. So I’ve got a few tips for being thrifty while shopping at Amazon. Because, like it or not, Amazon is pretty much the go-to for everything these days…
Do you really need it RIGHT NOW?
I find that a significant portion of my Amazon spending is preparatory. I will need it at some point in the future- why not stock up now? So a quick way to drop my shopping bill is to not stock up. Let’s be honest here- I can get almost anything I need from Amazon in 1-2 days (sometimes even the same day/night). So no need to order 3 bottles of ibuprofen. Really.
Only order once a week (or less frequently)
It is so tempting to just click on “Buy Now” for everything I pop in my cart. But this can lead to a lot of impulse shopping- quite the opposite of being thrifty while shopping at Amazon! So now I put whatever I like in the cart over the week, and then take a hard look at what’s in there, once a week. It is amazing how frequently that new notebook no longer seems as appealing after 5 days!
Shop the Amazon warehouse
I actually do need a new dutch oven. This is exactly the sort of thing where you don’t want to cheap out. But those suckers are expensive! So once I found the one I wanted on Amazon, I scrolled down to see if one was available at the Amazon Warehouse. Ta-da! I saved $150!
This works for a lot of stuff. Just make sure the description of the condition of the item matches your needs. I am guessing that a lot of the inventory is returns from people who decided they didn’t need something. Fine with me!
Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven 7.25qt
Use those rewards points
I’ve been collecting Amazon rewards points for ages (it’s the only card that isn’t part of my Chase Ultimate Rewards strategy.) I’m not sure what I’ve been hoarding them for. But this feels like a good time to break them out. It definitely feels thrifty while shopping at Amazon to get something for FREE (sort of!)
Rewards points are hard for me to use- but what the heck?? There’s no prize for the person who dies with the most rewards points. This might be exactly the right time to start using them. Live a little 🙂
I used all these strategies to get a great deal on my new dutch oven. I waited for a few weeks, to see if I still wanted it. I definitely need it- the enamel coating on my old one was shot. I stalked the Amazon Warehouse for a deal. And used my points to buy it. I will feel no guilt and all happiness when I use it to make a big batch of soup tomorrow- another way to save money 🙂
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