Taking place each summer, Amazon’s price-slashing Prime Day bonanza is one of the best annual sales in the calendar, second only to Black Friday. The sale is exclusive to Amazon Prime subscribers, and always sees some of the biggest discounts available on mattresses, small appliances, personal care and household essentials, laptops, headphones, TVs and Apple devices, so you won’t want to miss out.
Below, I’ve answered some of the most common Prime Day questions (providing you with my top tips to save big) and highlighted all the best deals you’ll want to check out.
Please note: as an Amazon associate, I may earn commission from qualifying purchases.
Prices and inventory are subject to change without notice and are accurate at time of posting. Deal prices differ by country.
Are Prime Day Deals Only for Prime Members?
Officially, yes. You must be an Amazon Prime member to shop Amazon’s Prime Day deals. There is a free 30-day trial available for new accounts. The trial will let you get in on the sale—just remember to cancel your membership before the month end to avoid any subsequent renewal charges. The best deals are reserved for Prime members, so taking advantage of the free trial is absolutely worth it.
From home, to fashion, to baby items, to toys and tech – there are HUGE price drops live now and so much more coming. I’ll be updating in real time as the sales go live, so check back to these links often!
If I Don’t Need Anything On Your Lists, But Still Want To Support You, How Can I Best Do That?
Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Starting inside ANY of my links, no matter what you end up purchasing, shows Amazon that I was the one who directed your shopping traffic to them, and I may earn a small commission from that (even if your cart is filled with clown costumes and condoms) at absolutely no cost to you. It is never expected, but it helps immensely as affiliate links are the sole way I monetize my platform.
How Do I Know Whether a Deal Is Good?
ABC: Always be checking (prices, that is). Researching an item’s price is the most important aspect of determining the quality of a discount. Don’t fall prey to deceptive marketing language and inflated MSRP prices—my tips only take a few moments. The easiest step is to take a second to Google the items you’re considering so you can see the price across multiple stores.
One tool I like to use is Camelcamelcamel, which tracks Amazon’s prices over time. Just paste the Amazon link or ASIN (found in the Product Information section on the Amazon product page) into Camelcamelcamel’s search bar and you’ll be able to see an item’s lowest recorded price, its average price, and how frequently the price fluctuates. Some deals, such as Lightning Deals, are excluded from the pricing history, but it’s still useful to see what an item has sold for in the past. Make sure you choose the correct country on the top right hand side of the page – Amazon Canada and Amazon USA are separate sites with differing price history so you’ll want to ensure you’re looking at the correct data for you.
I also really like Keepa, which has an extension (available for multiple browsers) that shows the recent price history for products directly on the Amazon page so you never have to open a new tab.
Keep in mind that these websites may not work all the time. But being able to see how much a product cost right before the sale started (and whether the MSRP happened to increase) can be very helpful. Putting these tools together can help you deduce whether a deal is worth your money.
Most important thing to note here: a sale is only great if you actually need that item because everything you don’t buy is always 100% off. I’ve tried to only include the top discounts on these lists, because every penny counts these days. Please don’t think you need to participate in a glitzy shopping day like Amazon Prime Day if your budget doesn’t allow for it. I have always advocated for balance in all things and that includes how I shop. I support small local makers, bakers, and creators as often as I can and I supplement through large retailers when needed. This is normal, this is acceptable, and this is responsible consumerism. A popular talking point right now is that all Big Box retailers are evil, but the reality is that they provide access to merchandise at budgets most can afford with robust shipping infrastructure to service remote locations – and that is crucially important. Don’t feel bad for shopping where you can, when you can, or not shopping at all. Don’t let yourself feel pressured into buying anything that doesn’t make sense for you.
From my family to yours,
Rachel xo
