Okay, now that you have the basics down about what Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is all about, let’s talk strategy. A little bit of prep work can make a huge difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling like a shopping superstar. Here is my personal, step-by-step guide to navigating the sale.
Phase 1: Your Pre-Sale Mission (Do This NOW!)
What you do in the days leading up to the sale is just as important as what you do during it.
- Make Your Master List: Before you even look at a single deal, sit down and make a list of what your family actually needs. Holiday gifts for the grandparents? A new coat for your youngest? A replacement air fryer? Writing it all down helps you stay focused and avoid those tempting impulse buys that you don’t really need.
- Become a Deal Stalker (The Easy Way): Don’t leave it to chance! Amazon has amazing tools to make sure you never miss a discount on the items you want.
- Use the Amazon App: Download the app and head to the Prime Day event page. From there, you can create personalized deal alerts for items you’ve recently searched for or viewed. Amazon will send you a push notification the moment your item goes on sale.
- Ask Alexa: If you have an Echo device, put it to work! Add items to your cart or Wish List and then simply say, “Alexa, notify me when the [product name] goes on sale.” Alexa will alert you when the deal is live.
- Use Wish Lists: Adding items to your Wish List or “Save for Later” is another great way to keep track of everything and allows Alexa to monitor for price drops.
- Embrace the AI Shopping Assistant: Meet Rufus, Amazon’s new AI helper. Think of it as your personal shopping assistant for brainstorming ideas. It’s perfect for when you’re stuck on gift ideas. Try asking it things like, “Help me find a birthday gift for a 7-year-old who loves dinosaurs,” or “What are the best-rated air purifiers for homes with pets?”.
Phase 2: Your Game Day Playbook (During the Sale)
Once the sale starts, it’s go-time! Here’s how to navigate the deals efficiently.
- Master the Lightning Deals: These are the most exciting—and stressful—part of the event. They are super time-sensitive deals (lasting anywhere from 4 to 12 hours) with very limited stock. You’ll see a “percent claimed” bar that fills up quickly.
Pro-Tip: If a deal you want is 100% claimed, don’t give up! Click the “Join Waitlist” button. Shoppers only have 15 minutes to complete their purchase once an item is in their cart. If they don’t, the deal is offered to the next person on the waitlist. You’ll get a notification if it becomes available! - Look for Hidden Coupons: This is a simple step that so many people miss! Always look for the little orange coupon box right below the price on a product page. You just have to click to “clip” it and the extra savings will be applied at checkout.
Phase 3: The Savvy Mom’s Secret Weapon (Is It Really a Deal?)
Let’s have an honest chat. We’ve all wondered if Prime Day deals are truly deals. Some shoppers have noticed that prices on certain items seem to creep up in the weeks before the sale, making the discount look bigger than it actually is.5 As one Reddit user wisely shared, “Of the things I wanted last year, all of them cost more on Prime Day than when I had saved them to my list”.
This is why being an informed shopper is your superpower. Instead of just taking Amazon’s word for it, you can verify the deals yourself with free price-tracking tools.
- Browser Extensions: Install a browser extension like Keepa or CamelCamelCamel. When you’re on an Amazon product page, these tools will show you a complete price history chart for that item. You’ll be able to see with your own eyes if the current “deal” price is actually the lowest it’s been all year, or if it was cheaper two months ago.
- Amazon’s Price History Link: Amazon has started rolling out its own “Price History” link on some product pages, which also provides this valuable context.
Using these tools empowers you to shop with total confidence. It ensures you’re not just getting caught up in the hype, but are making genuinely smart purchasing decisions for your family. This is how you move from being just a shopper to being a truly savvy consumer, and it’s the key to making Prime Big Deal Days work for your budget.
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