KPRC 2 is helping you find ways to save money on the things you need this summer. As we continue cleaning up from Hurricane Beryl, there are items you might have realized you need for the rest of the 2024 hurricane season. And believe it or not, back to school time is just a few weeks away.
- WATCH: Amazon Prime Day Hacks
Amazon Prime Day is July 16 and 17th. From electronics to groceries, just about anything you can think of will be on sale during Amazon Prime Days. You don’t want to get caught up in the excitement of all of the deals and overbuy things you don’t need.
KPRC 2′s Bill Spencer has four things you can do right now to save and how you might be able to get the sale prices without being a prime member.
1. Start making your list
If you have a list, you will save money because you won’t be tempted to buy random things. Think about things you need. Especially now after Hurricane Beryl, you may realize you need more storm season supplies. For storm clean-up and recovery, you can consider yard waste bags, candles, batteries, flashlights and solar battery chargers.
For back to school, you can find school supplies, backpacks, socks and underwear, laptops and other electronics.
You may want to also consider household items you always need like toilet paper and laundry detergent.
2. “Follow” stores on Amazon
You may not realize it when you buy things on Amazon, but sellers set up stores and sell items on Amazon. You can “like” or “follow” the stores you might want to get deals from so you get notified before the sales start. You might even get special deals.
3. Make sure it’s really a deal
Make sure the deal you see is really a deal. Michael Garfield, the High Tech Texan on KPRC radio, recommends using a website called “Keepa” that tracks the price of items you want so you can see how low the item was priced in the past.
“It’s gone out and it has looked at the price for the past three months and it is got a day-to-day scale to see with the highest point and with the lowest point,” said Garfield.
He says this will help you make sure you’re getting the best deal during or after these sizzling summer sales.
Websites like Camel Camel Camel and Honey also track prices.
4. Shop other stores
You can use Prime Day to shop other popular stores. Major retailers like Best Buy, Target and Walmart usually hold sales during the same time.
Their prices are often close to what Amazon is offering and sometimes they price match - so it’s worth asking.
You can also look for ‘invite only’ deals.
Warning about buying items during Amazon Prime Days
One warning - watch out for subscription traps. When you buy certain items, they often come loaded with subscriptions like Amazon Kids or Kindle unlimited.
It may start as a “free trial” that later turns into an expensive charge.
You can opt out of the free trial or set a reminder to close it before you are charged.