With the end of the year approaching, major sales events are on the horizon, offering a good opportunity to find a bargain ahead of the festive season.
Kicking things off is Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, running from October 7-13. The event gives Prime members exclusive discounts on a huge range of items, from tech and electronics to homewares and fashion. Here’s how you can prepare to make sure you’re getting a genuine deal.
1. Become a Prime member
First things first: you have to be an Amazon Prime member to access the deals. If you’re not already signed up, you’ll need to join to take part in the sale. Membership comes with other benefits too, like free and fast delivery on many items, and access to Prime Video streaming.
Hot tip: Amazon provides a free trial period for new members. This means you can sign up, shop the deals, and then cancel the subscription if you decide you don’t want to keep it.
2. Use the Amazon app to make a wish list
Going into a huge sale without a plan can be a recipe for overspending. A good way to stay focused is to browse ahead of the sale and add items you’re interested in to a wish list using the Amazon app. Amazon can then send you alerts if your chosen products are included in a deal, helping you stick to buying what you actually need.
3. Check out Amazon Resale
Amazon Resale sells pre-owned or opened-box products, like refurbished smartphones or returned appliances, at a reduced price. These items are quality-checked by Amazon and are covered by its returns policy. During Prime Big Deal Days, these already discounted products could see even further price drops, offering a chance for a serious bargain.
4. Use a price tracker to check the ‘deal’
A sale price isn’t always the cheapest a product has ever been. To see if a discount is the real deal, you can use a price tracking website like Camelcamelcamel. By pasting the Amazon product link into the site, you can view its price history. This helps you see if the sale price is a genuine discount or just marketing hype.
5. Keep an eye out for Lightning Deals
A key feature of the sale is Lightning Deals. These are significant discounts on specific items that are only available for a few hours and in limited quantities. You can see upcoming Lightning Deals on the Amazon app and set reminders so you don’t miss out.
Hot tip: Once the deal time ends or all the stock is claimed by other shoppers, the special price is gone, so act fast if you really want it.
6. Sign up for invite-only deals
Some popular items, like gaming consoles or new-release phones, can sell out quickly. For these high-demand products, Amazon has an invite-only deals program. You can request an invitation to buy the item ahead of the sale. If you’re selected, Amazon will send you a unique purchase link when the event starts, giving you a better chance to secure it before it sells out.
Avoid a budget blow out
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a major sales event, and the fear of missing out can often lead to impulse buys. As always, make sure you’re only buying what you need and avoid purchasing items you don’t necessarily need just because they’re on sale.
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