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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!
