The other day during one of our team meetings, we started talking about Amazon purchases. We’re all avid Amazon shoppers, but we discovered that I was the only one utilizing the “Subscribe & Save” program. (My daughter Britta argued in favor of the Prime Pantry service, but that’s a post for another day!) I happen to love using Subscribe & Save, so I gave them the lowdown about what it is and how to use it. It occurred to us that I’ve never talked about it here on the blog, so I wanted give all of you the lowdown, too! I’m all about spreading around good ideas, after all. :-)
What Is “Subscribe & Save?”
Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program offers a discounted price on selected items when you sign up to re-purchase that item on a regular basis (anywhere between once a month to once every 6 months.) Most of the items eligible for Subscribe & Save are things you would be buying regularly anyway, like toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and other household goods.
Purchasing these items through the Subscribe & Save program can be an easy way to save on your grocery budget, and it will also save you the time and gas you would use to go to the store….not to mention the unexpected trips when you suddenly find yourself out of something (a personal pet peeve of mine!)
How It Works
On selected Amazon items, you’ll have the option to purchase the item as a one-time delivery, or to sign up for “Subscribe & Save.” You’ll see this option near the “Add to Cart” button.
If you choose the Subscribe & Save option, you’ll then specify how frequently you want to receive that item. If you’re not sure how frequently you’ll want it, Amazon highlights which frequency option is most commonly chosen. (For instance, according to Amazon, most people opt to receive a new pack of Q-tip cotton swabs every 5 months.) You can always adjust your preferences later if you’d like to receive something more or less frequently.
Getting A Great Price
On top of the convenience of the subscription, you’ll receive a 5% discount on the price of each item you subscribe to. You can bump that 5% discount up to 15% if you sign up to receive 5 items through Subscribe & Save in the same month. If you’re only receiving a few items through Subscribe & Save, it may be worth it to subscribe to a couple more cheap items to unlock the 15% discount.
Another way you can save money is through Amazon’s digital coupons. Just click the “Clip Coupon” button on the item page or from the coupons page, and an additional discount will be applied to that item.
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The coupon price will only apply to your next shipment, but you may find a new and different coupon the next month. They change frequently, so it pays to keep checking!
Overall, the Subscribe & Save program may not offer the absolute lowest prices you can find. Discount and club stores will probably still win out price-wise. But it only takes me a minute or two to check over my subscriptions and make any adjustments, which is a huge savings of TIME over making a trip to the store. And at least for me, saving time can be just as valuable as saving money!
Control and Adjustability
The best part of Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program, in my opinion, is that you have complete control to stop, start, and adjust any of your subscriptions at any time. There are no contracts, agreements, or obligations.
If you want to cancel your subscription after your very first shipment, just go to your Subscribe & Save page and cancel it! If you’re going to be out of town when your box is supposed to arrive, you can log on and change your delivery date.
And there’s no need to keep track of your subscriptions or orders, because Amazon sends you an email a couple of days before your order is shipped. The email lets you know what the current prices are on each of your subscriptions (which is nice because prices can change from day to day.) It also provides a direct link to your Subscribe & Save page, so you can update or cancel the order before it ships. You’ll be charged for it on the day it ships if you don’t make any adjustments. Easy as that!
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Things I Buy Through Subscribe & Save
If you’re curious about what I receive through the Subscribe & Save program, here are a few of the things I’ve signed up for:
Wiper blades
It seemed like I would always forget about replacing my wiper blades until I was driving in a blizzard and they couldn’t keep up. So I signed up to receive a new set of wiper blades every 6 months, and now I never have to worry!
Toothbrushes
Dentists recommend you replace your toothbrush every 3 months, but there’s no way I would remember to do it on my own. So I signed up to get each of us a new toothbrush every 3 months, and I’m sure our teeth are thanking me!
Snacks
Snacks are a must-have in our house. My son Kell has Type 1 diabetes, so we try to keep something quick and easy on hand for him to eat if his blood sugar numbers get too low. They also help keep hunger from turning into “hanger” (hunger-induced anger) before mealtimes.
Gluten Free Products
Our local grocery stores are very hit-and-miss when it comes to gluten free products. S & S assures me I can get what we really like and use on a regular basis.
Water Filters
Unless the water is tasting particularly weird, I always forget to replace the filter. I get a filter every couple of months so I always have one on hand and my water’s kept fresh, tasty, and filtered.
Batteries
Before I started ordering them via S & S I was always running out of batteries at the WORST possible time. No more! :-)
Bottom line…Subscribe and Save makes my life simpler, and that’s more than worth it to me!
Jillee,
I was covering in another office for a co-worker who was on vacation when I came upon your site.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am so excited and I am hooked. You have the greatest ideas for saving money and using things we already
have on hand for another purpose. I really enjoy your articles and will be visiting your site often. Thank you for brightening my day with all your great ideas.
Jillee, I just wanted to let you know that I love, love, love your posts! You are my go-to when I want to clean something or figure out how to make something myself instead of buying it elsewhere. Thank you for the time you put in to research and offer all these fabulous suggestions, recipes, and how-to’s.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.https://medium.com/@katesmcconnell/how-to-get-better-prices-on-amazon-automatically-b055729396a1#.rnoj8qzfd
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Read this article about saving money on Amazon by installing an app called “honey” which finds the best prices on Amazon.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Pet food, cat litter, tampons, razor blades, toothbrushes & shampoo are on my subscribe & save list. The great part is that everything comes at regular intervals so I know I have to budget for them. Then when I don’t need something, I push it back to the next month’s shipment and it’s like we got a little bonus! And my pets don’t end up eating treats for dinner because the one of us that has their food in the trunk is still at work.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great info… Thank you! is it possible for you to explain prime pantry to us as well? And let us know the differences between the two subscribe and save vs. prime pantry? :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We’ll definitely be doing a post on Prime Pantry sometime. Stay tuned! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hello, does this service exist in Europe (France)?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We use Subscribe and Save to purchase coffee for our Keurig “pod type” coffee machine in bulk. The pods from San Francisco Bay Company on Amazon are a great value, great coffee and are so much more environmentally friendly (there is no plastic “cup” covering the bottom of the coffee pod but it works just like a regular pod…you can even compost these, so I love that we are not adding more plastic to our landfill). Also, since my husband is in graduate school part-time, we are eligible for a student PRIME membership which is half the yearly price of a regular membership ($49/year). I do agree about watching prices/price changes, but Amazon can often be a great time and money savings. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is great and all, but what do you do with all the cardboard boxes it comes in. Seems like such a waste to me. Also, watch the prices on Amazon. My state and Amazon and have made it so that we have to pay State Sales Tax now.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Empty your old shipping box.
Fill the box with clothing, accessories and household goods you no longer want. Then print your free shipping label at GiveBackBox.com.
Drop your box off at UPS or the U.S. Postal Service. They’ll deliver it to the nearest participating Goodwill location.
Fill boxes with items for Goodwill; Amazon will pay shipping – USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/…/amazon…charity-donations/95814428/
I have been using Amazon Prime for as long as it has been offered – I do save a lot of money because I buy all household cleaning supplies, toys, ebooks, and everything really – and free shipping! Just ordered the Amazon Echo (Alexa) so I am excited about that although there is not a prime discount on that.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I stopped using it, because I kept getting inferior products. I bought Hefty Tall kitchen bags and they don’t fit the tall kitchen can, bought Scotts toilet tissue and it was so thin had to use twice as much and the flax seed I get goes up 50 cents every time I buy it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have to agree with you. I’ve been a prime member for 1 year now and I find stuff costs so much more. To tell people you get free shipping is really a lie, because the prices have been jacked up, somethings costing more than double the store price. I wanted to buy a jar of Trader Joe’s mustard. In the store it costs around $2.25 a jar, on Amazon it’s $8.00 a jar. Also more and more products are being turned into add on products, so even with a Prime membership you must spend $25 over the cost of the item to purchase it. I find you get much better deals by shopping the manufactures website or ebay. I also don’t like that they refuse to accept paypal. Prime video isn’t that good either when they let you watch a season or 2 of a series than want $1.99 per episode for additional seasons.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Amazon is getting worse and worse. I used to LOVE it but am slowly getting more and more disappointed. Shipping isnt what it used to be, scam products, hardly any free movies on prime video etc.
I love Subscribe & Save. Sometimes I want to try something that I just haven’t found locally. Mostly, it’s so I don’t run out of my favorite keurig coffee (and is cheaper than local), my garbage bags that are hit or miss for my favorite scent locally, wipes – both personal and cleaning are usually cheaper. I have trouble remembering to get a new filter for the humidifier, so when the new one comes, I know it’s time to change. I often make cat litter buys with this also, since it is much easier to get the big containers delivered to the door than all that lugging around to the cart, from the cart to the car etc. My best advice is to watch your prices (they do change sometimes) and review your order before the final date before shipping. My husband loves those big tea bags for iced tea brewing, but, I have to watch that the next scheduled shipment doesn’t creep up on me before he needs them. Those big tea boxes last a really long time!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you have to be a Prime member to Subscribe and Save ? If yes, do you know any way to get a discount on annual Prime membership fee ?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You do not have to be a prime member!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is also a money saver because I make less trips to the store for the essentials. I’m not one to stick to a list, and it eliminates the impulse buys.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I add vitamins to my S & S so I never run out and keeps my discount high. Love it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you have to be Amazon Prime member to order?n
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love this! Did not know!! Thanks!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use subscribe and save too and enjoy its convenience. My question is, what cheap items do you add to your order when you want to get the 15% off but don’t have 5 items? So many times I don’t have 5 items so I know I’m not getting the full benefit of it. I’ll would love to know what you and others buy to bump it up to 5.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I order paper towels, toilet paper, bath soap, dog food (large bag delivered to my door so I don’t have load and unload from car) vitamins, laundry detergent and supplies, so many things the list is endless.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I Suestr, when I need something else to fill out my monthly Subscribe and Save order, I always add on a Homeopathic medicine, like Arnica or Mag. Phos, or something like that! It is amazing how great some of those products are for aches and pains or bumps and bruises! And most of them are between $5.00-$10.00. Another great one is Mason’s Garlic Oil caps….great for keeping your immune system boosted. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Here are a few super cheap things I add to the list to get that 15% discount:
Deodorant: http://amzn.to/2ioUZhB
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Lip Therapy: http://amzn.to/2ioJl6o
Cashews: http://amzn.to/2ilrQc7
This is interesting. I think my sister in law uses this. She orders some stuff like toilet paper and some of her gluten free stuff. I think it saves a lot of time for her. They have a bunch of young children.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the post. I love Subscribe & Save. I have been using it for a couple of years and constantly tweak it. The one thing that I order Every month is dog food. Now I never have to go to the store at the last minute when one of the kids didn’t tell me we were out.
By the way, I love all your Good Things in my email box.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for sharing this with your readers. I have ordered from jet.com and from amazon.com for my husband and myself, and to ship certain household items to my mom every two – three months, because she does not get out alot. However I find jet.com less expensive when it comes to buying groceries, but this does not include buying in bulk or reorders. I order quite a bit from Amazon other than groceries, but I did not know about their Subscribe and Save program. I will now look into the Subscribe and Save program from amazon and compare it to jet.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We are not offered Subscribe and Save in the UK. Pity.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.But what about shipping costs?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.All of the subscribe and save items are prime eligible, so they shipping included in the price.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I hav been using subscribe and save for about two and a half years. I love it! Not. Only is it so convenient but it definitely saves me money. I check my list every month and look at different listings to make sure i am getting the best deals. I am an impulse buyer so it also saves me money as i have my list already there on amazon. I only divert from it if i have another item i need to add. I am disabled so going to the stores is not always easy for me. I get everything except for fresh foods. Sometimes i resort to prime pantry if I am having a bad time with my pain. I do not use it all of the time as the prices are a bit higher.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love Subscribe and Save for saving time and money. It is great to never run out of essentials like toilet paper, deodorant, toothpaste, hand soap and dishwasher soap. I love your tip for windshield wipers! I will definitely be signing up for those, and batteries for the smoke detectors to come every 6 months.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The Amazon batteries are a great value and last.
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