What to do with an Amazon Prime membership?

[Kaido]

Never go to retail stores again. Profit.

That's a big thing for us. Our typical use is:

1. Order stuff we'd normally order from Amazon (books etc.)
2. Streaming movies (to Roku or iPhone)
3. Order house/car stuff (more on this below)

We recently got Peapod in our area (grocery store delivery) and tried it out with good results. It saves us a ton of money because we only buy what we plan out for meals, rather than spur-of-the-moment stuff that ends up costing us a lot more money. We've started doing the same with Amazon - everything from paper plates to canned tuna to motor oil. So pretty much, the only reason to go into a brick & mortar store is for emergency items or for bulk fresh/frozen items from Sam's Club. Amazon has diapers, toilet paper, paper towels, deodorant, toothbrushes, clothing vacuum cleaners, with almost everything shipped free or shipped as an add-on item.

I don't really like shopping (aside from occasionally wandering around Best Buy or Home Depot) and don't like hanging out at the mall, so if I never have to set foot in a retail store again that would be awesome. We're definitely getting close to that dream, and Amazon is really trying to capitalize on that with their same-day local delivery service:

http://gizmodo.com/5925387/how-amazons-same+day-delivery-plan-will-kill-your-local-stores

 

[shortylickens]

Cheaper??? I just bought a HD camcorder on Ebay for 53 bucks doubt I could get the same deal on Amazon.

I just returned an ipad to Amazon cuz I didnt like it doubt I could get the same deal on Ebay.

 

[Druidx]

I would 2nd the suggestion for getting the Amazon CC for all your Amazon purchases for 3% cash back. That is If you’re financially responsible enough to pay off ever month . 2 day shipping is great considering their prices are very competitive if not the lowest. I got prime just for the 2day shipping, the streaming if a bonus.

 

[nageov3t]

Never go to retail stores again. Profit.

pretty much.

seems like the only thing I buy retail on a regular basis is food.

 

[shortylickens]

pretty much.

seems like the only thing I buy retail on a regular basis is food.

In LA, amazon is rolling out same day grocery delivery.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

It just encourages more spending. All the prime stuff is free shipping anyways. Just not two day.
Also netflix is worlds better.

 

[Kaido]

I would 2nd the suggestion for getting the Amazon CC for all your Amazon purchases for 3% cash back. That is If you’re financially responsible enough to pay off ever month . 2 day shipping is great considering their prices are very competitive if not the lowest. I got prime just for the 2day shipping, the streaming if a bonus.

It's nice too because you can use your points/cashback right on Amazon checkout, so you don't even have to do anything special to redeem them. Just shop like normal and add the cashback at checkout!

 

[JimKiler]

but they charge tax now? (or is that not "everywhere", like I thought...)

What does it matter if they charge tax, you get charged tax in stores and you generally still save money over B&M stores. Granted that is not true of all items Amazon sells. Free shipping plus lower prices still make it worthwhile even with tax being applied.

 

[Kaido]

It just encourages more spending. All the prime stuff is free shipping anyways. Just not two day.
Also netflix is worlds better.

I agree, Netflix is a million times better. Much easier to use & hardly any problems. But Amazon also has stuff that Netflix doesn't, plus it's free with Prime, so I use it occasionally.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

streaming. buying stuff you don't need. most of the stuff can be ordered with 2 day free shipping. But if you want it faster you can get it next day for an extra $5. The amazon add on items are kind of lame. apparently it's stuff they can't ship out for free so you only get free shipping if you add them on to another order. I'm looking at you pb2.

http://www.amazon.com/PB2-Powdered-P.../dp/B002GJ9JWS

 

[TurtleCrusher]

It just encourages more spending. All the prime stuff is free shipping anyways. Just not two day.
Also netflix is worlds better.

I agree, Netflix is a million times better. Much easier to use & hardly any problems. But Amazon also has stuff that Netflix doesn't, plus it's free with Prime, so I use it occasionally.

In my own personal experience, Amazon is a good supplement to Netflix if you've gone cable-less. It has had quite a few shows that my wife loves that Netflix didn't, namely Daria.

 

[nageov3t]

In LA, amazon is rolling out same day grocery delivery.

stupid LA.

tbh, I'm not sure how well I'd adapt to grocery shopping online.. I'd have to do a lot more meal planning, instead of now where I just wander the aisles, buy whatever meat/veggies are on sale, and figure out wtf to do with it all once I get home.

 

[Dedpuhl]

Amazon Prime's 2-Day free shipping is evil. I've placed 76 orders this year.

The only thing I've streamed is the pilot for Zombieland.

 

[smitbret]

Cheaper??? I just bought a HD camcorder on Ebay for 53 bucks doubt I could get the same deal on Amazon.

People still use eBay?

You probably had to pay $23 for the shipping and handling of that camcorder, too.

Prime = $0

That being said. With the amount of streaming that my 2 year old does on her Kindle with Dora, Diego, Super Why, etc. I have easily gotten a few DVDs in value from that. Not to mention that I think I used at leat $79 in shipping during my first month of Prime Membership alone.

 

[onza]

Ebay is shady as hell but it has it's advantages for very limited items.

 

[shortylickens]

Ebay is shady as hell but it has it's advantages for very limited items.

yeah for unique or outdated items ebay is pretty much your only choice.

Amazon doesnt even sell the kindle 3 anymore.

 

[rsutoratosu]

This thing is great, it pays for itself if you buy lots of baby stuff. When I signed up, I got a 25% off baby seat, 300 - 25% = cost of prime. Essentially I got it for free. I order many large items like thule which was shipped free vs 100 bucks on freight.

 

[SlitheryDee]

For me the 2-day shipping has always been enough to justify a prime membership. I got prime before the streaming or book services were available, and I decided to keep it before they became available as well. The best way to get your money's worth is to get everything you can from amazon and enjoy the fast shipping IMO. Of course that was Amazon's evil plan all along.

What initially got me hooked was ordering big, heavy items like entertainment centers for christmas gifts that probably would have cost me $50+ to have shipped regular ground. Getting them for free in 2 days seemed almost like cheating at first. Prime can pay for itself very quickly with just one or two of those.

 

[Rumpltzer]

For the OP, you can go into your settings and uncheck the option to auto-renew Prime. That way you don't get the same thing next year.

I was free Prime as a student, and then let it lapse when it wasn't free. After a few months of not-free Prime, I decided to get back into it for half-price (as a student). Let that lapse, and then got back into it again after a few months of no-Prime.

Even without the Streaming, Prime suits my needs well. I live in the LA area, and many of my orders show up next-day if they ship from Phoenix or the warehouse just outisde of LA. I order enough stuff that it's a major convenience for me, and the prices are good. Prices we better when there wasn't sales tax (9%), but prices are still good.

I notice when I'm not on Prime that my orders often take days or nearly a week to ship out (on top of shipping time) whereas I'll have my stuff next day or up to three days later with Prime. I appreciate Prime most when it comes to the holidays. Selection is better and all in one place, and I don't have to fight the crowds, and I can shop in the middle of the night. Very happy with it.


If you have friends or family who might want Prime, then you can add them to your account for the shipping aspect (I'm pretty sure they don't get the streaming). Ask them for $20 to offset your $80?... Or look at the diaper prices via Subscribe and Save. I don't know anything about it, but I thought that people were saying that diaper and wipe prices are good... or maybe that time has passed.

 

[Jesusthewererabbit]

Seventeen seasons of Stargate, of course.

 

[xanis]

Streaming video + all of your shopping. There are few things (besides clothes and groceries) that I don't buy on Amazon.

 

[Mixolydian]

Since I've had Prime, I pretty much buy everything except groceries on Amazon. Anything I possibly need, from electronics to laundry detergent, I look for on Amazon first.

 

[holden j caufield]

save time and trips to the local stores.

 

[kalrith]

There are lots of kindle books that can be borrowed for free with Prime.

 

[Baked]

My record is 105 orders in a year from Amazon with prime.