Shoppers wanting to make an early start on their Christmas shopping can get ahead without leaving their sofa next week, with this year's second Amazon Prime Day.
Officially called the Prime Day Early Access Sale, this year in the first time the online retail giant has squeezed an extra event in addition to the one held in the summer. Announced for next Tuesday and Wednesday, October 11 and 12, the dates come just a few week's before the giant Black Friday sale, which is still the biggest event in the shopping calendar.
While the two-day event may come as a welcome way to spread the cost of Christmas shopping, the cost of living may well put the brakes on more extravagant purchasing this year, as families tighten their belts amid soaring costs.
Read more: Tesco Christmas toy sale for Clubcard customers offers gifts for less than £10
Andrea Knowles, the budgeting expert at vouchers.co.uk has shared her tips for landing an actual bargain on the day, as well as how to keep within your limits when shopping.
1. Create a wish list beforehand, and set yourself a budget
Remember that a bargain is only a bargain if you wanted it in the first place. To stop impulse spending, make a wish list beforehand, asking yourself which items are a ‘want’ and which are a ‘need’ and place them in priority order on a piece of paper. It's also a good idea to note your maximum budget for each item on your list.
2. Know that you only need one membership per household
One of the biggest perks of a Prime membership is that you can share the benefits within your household, which includes Prime Day shopping. A household is considered to be ‘up to two adults and four children’. For more details, see here.
3. Not an Amazon Prime member? You can sign up for free
To buy an Amazon Prime Day deal, you need to be a Prime member. Whilst this is usually £8.99, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial which will allow you to shop the deals on the day. If you’re a student, you can get six months free if you sign up ahead of Prime Day, and then 50% off the membership price.
4. Buying something expensive? Save an extra £5 by topping up a gift card before the big day
If you plan on making a big purchase, check out deals on Amazon gift cards before the big day. For instance, there is currently a deal running where if you buy a £60 gift card, you’ll get an extra £5 added to the balance, as long as you haven’t topped up your account in the last 36 months.
5. Use this hack to uncover whether you’re getting a good deal
Before buying anything, make sure to check out the product on camelcamelcamel, which tracks Amazon prices. You can see a price history chart which highlights when the product was the cheapest and by how much. Use this chart to uncover whether you’re getting a good deal as sometimes, the product has been cheaper on a non-discounted day.
6. Check out Amazon’s Lighting Deals for the best bargains – however you need to be quick as they last just 30 minutes
Amazon's flash sales - known as Lightening Deals - can be a great buy - but you'll have to be quick. Products will be available at heavily discounted prices for just 30 minutes, or even less if they sell out. To find these deals, check out the ‘Today’s Deal’ page. and remember, deals are only yours when you check out and pay for them, not when they are in your basket.
7. Want to buy a product made by Amazon? Now’s definitely the right time
Whilst thousands of products will be reduced over the two days, the best deals are always those that are Amazon’s own brand, such as the Amazon Echo, Kindle, and more. So, if you’ve been after one of their products for a while, then now is the time to invest.
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