Amazon touts the big savings of Prime Day loudly, but if you don’t view this shopping bonanza as a competitive sport, you might not save as much as you could. Just like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, the best deals go to the shoppers who are most prepared for them. And people who are just casually browsing the site could miss out on an item they’re looking for.
Amazon has made a number of changes to how it’s approaching Prime Day this year, but there are some reliable ways to track the bargains. Here are a few you’ll definitely want to have handy.
Alexa – Amazon’s Echo devices can be a valuable tool to help you find bargains. Start your day by asking “Alexa, what are my Prime Day deals?” (And it might be worth asking more than once throughout the day in case there are additions). Be sure to enable voice purchasing so you can grab those deals immediately.
This year, Alexa will also notify you of upcoming deals as much as 24 hours in advance, if that item is on your wishlist. You’ll even be able to authorize it to buy on your behalf, in case you’re busy when the deal goes live.
Amazon’s app – There are decent odds that Amazon’s app (available for Android and iOS) is already on your phone. If not, consider a download. This is a useful tool to track deals throughout the day. Again, a shopping list of things you might be interested in buying is key. Once you’ve got that set up, go to the app’s settings menu, click notifications and toggle alerts on for “Your Watched and Waitlisted Deals.” You can also select the “Watch this deal” button on upcoming items that catch your eye.
Amazon Assistant browser extension – Prefer to see things on a bigger screen. If you’re on a desktop or laptop (ideally not one that’s owned by your employer), this Chrome extension will send desktop notifications for deals you’re watching.
CamelCamelCamel.com –Prime Day tends to put shoppers into a frenzy. And Amazon’s prices are not always at their lowest during this sale, though it’s perfectly happy with you believing they are. CamelCamelCamel follows the price history of all products on Amazon, letting shoppers see how close a price is to its all-time low. You can also set alerts to find out when the price of your item of interest drops to a certain point.
Deal hunting sites – Group-sourced deal-tracking sites are a bargain hunter’s best friend, as people who are just as eager to save money as you help each other out. That’s especially useful on Prime Day, though not necessarily with the big-ticket items (which sell out in minutes). Your best choices include SlickDeals.net and Offers.com.
It’s not a tool, but another good strategy is to put something that catches your eye into your shopping cart immediately. You’ll have time to make a final decision on whether the item is something you want and whether the price is right without worrying that it will sell out as you ruminate.