Amazon Prime Day is next Monday, but the deals have already started -- and it’s not just Amazon offering deals, many other major retailers are offering discounts in an effort to compete.
Which means you should do some comparison shopping before buying anything.
“We know that Amazon’s Prime Day deals are the best on Amazon’s own products, so it’s things like Echo devices, Kindle e-readers, Ring videos, security home system devices, those types of products -- and know you might not be able to find those items at Target or Walmart,” said money-saving expert Andrea Woroch.
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Woroch has a list of hacks that she uses to capitalize on Prime Day deals. She says if you buy something from a small business on Amazon between now and June 20, you can earn a $10 spending credit to use on Amazon Prime Day. She also says to check your credits, because you might already have done this.
As for early bird offers, Woroch says if you see something you want, buy it now because chances are they are not going to discount it any further. Also look for early bird deals at competing retailers. Woroch says Best Buy has great offers on TVs, laptops and small kitchen appliances.
More: Amazon won’t be the only place to check for discounts on Amazon Prime Day
Woroch recommends using price comparison tool Popcart to help you find the best prices on products.
“This lives on your browser and it’ll alert you when something you’re browsing on a certain website, if it’s available for less and how much you can save,” Woroch said.
Sometimes it can be difficult to find the cheapest prices for items on Amazon. Woroch recommends using Cently because of its “Amazon best price” tracker. The tool helps sift through the many Amazon sellers, because sometimes the cheapest price for a product is not immediately visible.
Also, don’t be fooled: Some discounts might not be the lowest price.
Woroch encourages consumers to check the price history of a product by heading to the websites camelcamelcamel.com or honey.com. Both websites will show you price increases and drops on certain products sold on Amazon over a period of time. If it’s an item you don’t need right now, you may want to wait until the holiday season sales.
Note: Some of the Amazon Prime deals are already changing or are sold out. The retailer was offering a $10 credit with the purchase of a $40 gift card. The deal is no longer available as of the publishing of this article Thursday. The website now says to check back in for their Prime Day Gift Card promotion.
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