10 simple ways to avoid overspending on Amazon Prime Day

Back in 2015, when ZDNET first reported on what we called “Amazon’s Prime Day experiment,” we projected that Prime Day might become an annual event. On that first Prime Day, Amazon moved 34.4 million units, outselling the previous Black Friday of 2014.

Last year, consumers (mostly in the US) spent $12.9 billion dollars during Prime Day sales, according to data from Statista. Prime Day has grown year-over-year from $0.9 billion its first year to the shopping juggernaut it’s become.

Prime Day is undoubtedly a success for Amazon, but let’s not forget it’s all fueled by you and me. Each Prime Day, those billions of dollars are transferred out of our pockets and bank accounts and funneled directly to Amazon and its vendors.

Yes, there are often good deals. ZDNET spotlights many of them. For example: 

But big sale events can have a dark side, ranging from mild to major overspending.

Whether you just want to avoid spending too much on exciting deals, or you’re someone who struggles with impulsive shopping, this article is for you. We present 10 ways to avoid overspending on Prime Day.

1. Just stay away

The easiest way to avoid overspending is to avoid the temptation altogether. Don’t visit Amazon or other online retailers this week. It’s just a week, and if you stay away from the various stores, you’ll be less likely to be tempted by deals.

Of course, the problem is FOMO (fear of missing out). But I can tell you from personal experience that the years I skipped Prime Day, I felt no sense of loss. In fact, it was pleasant and stress-free.

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On the other hand, one year I needed some studio gear and wound up looking for lighting and other supplies. I got some very good deals, yes, but I had to spend subsequent weeks unboxing it, checking it all in, making sure it all was in good working order, and finding appropriate storage locations. Then I had to pay the credit card bills.

Overall, you might be a lot happier if you just avoid the sales.

2. Make a list

There are two main reasons to visit the sites during the Prime Day extravaganza: because you need something and are hoping to find a deal, or because you’re curious about what’s on offer. Let’s leave the window shopping curiosity for a later tip item, and focus here on finding deals for items you actually need.

Also: The 26 best Amazon Prime Day deals under $100

One big way to control your spending is to make a list. If you’re in the market for, say, a podcasting microphone, a better webcam for Zoom meetings, an external hard drive for backup, and a new coffee machine, put those items on a list.

Then, when you dive into the raging waters of Prime Day deal flow, stick to your list. Just look for the items you’ve chosen. Don’t let yourself be carried away by other opportunities.

3. Set a spending limit

So what about if you are curious about what deals are available? How can you avoid just opening your wallet and letting Jeff Bezos suck it dry? The answer is to set a spending limit.

When I was a little boy, my dad would take me to the local hobby shop and let me get some goodies. He set a limit that I could spend (usually a bit less than I wanted and, as I later understood, a little more than was easy for him to afford). I knew I had the freedom to choose what I wanted, as long as I stayed within the budget he provided.

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Since then, I have often set my own spending limits for many different shopping experiences. I’ve found that the process of deciding how much I am willing to spend before I start shopping lets me consider how much I can actually afford or justify spending for any given experience. I’ve never found it punitive, but actually rather freeing. By deciding ahead of time, you can enjoy the shopping experience, knowing you’ve got some guard rails in place to keep you safe.

4. Only buy returnable items

One of the more compelling aspects of Amazon overall is the free shipping for Prime members and the company’s generous return policy. But not all items are available to return, especially when purchased from Amazon’s vendor partners.

Make sure you check, right under the price, to see if the item is listed as having “free returns.” This helps you in two ways. First, if you have buyer’s remorse, you can simply return the object and get your money back. Second, if what you buy turns out to not meet your needs, you can return it with ease.

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5. Comparison shop

If you’ve found something you want to buy, or you have something in mind, take the time to do a little comparison shopping. ZDNET is tracking retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Costco, who are counter-programming against Amazon and offering their own deals.

Also: The 30+ best anti-Prime Day deals: Best Buy, Walmart, Costco, and more

If the product you’re buying is fairly generic, and you don’t mind waiting a bit longer to get them, you also might want to check Temu. I recently did a buying experiment, spending $100 on Temu to see what it would net me. Later, I compared those items to equivalent ones available on Amazon, and found that the items I got on Temu for a hundred bucks would have cost me $239 on Amazon.

Also: How much tech can I get from Temu for $100 (and is it any good)?

There are some limits to the kinds of items I’d recommend for this. Temu does have some return restrictions. You need to spend $10 to get free shipping. But there could be savings, even over Prime Day deals.

6. Check groceries and subscriptions for deals

My wife and I have a fairly large number of Subscribe & Save items listed at Amazon. These include everything from some pet food ingredients to grooming products to pantry groceries. I even have some 3D printer filament and printer toner on Subscribe & Save.

Also: How to save money on groceries with Amazon Prime

If you’re regularly purchasing certain items anyway, it doesn’t hurt to see if those items have a better than normal price during Prime Day. You might save a few bucks. Just be sure to remember to skip your subscription that month so you don’t get double what you need.

My editor told me that last year on Prime Day she found some “sweet deals on protein shakes” she regularly buys anyway.

7. Scroll through your wish lists

A related suggestion is to scroll through your wishlists. I did a story on this showing how you can see if there’s a deal for an item already on your list.

Also: Prime Day pro tip: This simple trick helps you avoid missing the deals you really want

While many of us add items to a wishlist as a way of avoiding actually spending the money, checking to see if there’s a good deal on a wishlist item might save you a few bucks on items you’re hoping to buy soon anyway.

8. Use a price tracker

Not all Prime Day deals are deals. Last year, my wife and I were looking for T-shirts. A couple of weeks before Prime Day, there was a coupon available. The week before Prime Day, the coupon went away (probably in preparation for putting on “sale” for Prime Day). Then, on Prime Day, the item was discounted to the same price as it would have been with the coupon. In other words, the Prime Day deal, which looked like a good discount, wasn’t any less than the items sold for regularly.

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One way to check to see if a deal is really a deal is to use a price tracker like Honey. Honey, owned by PayPal, is a price comparison tool that can tell you the price history of items on Amazon. Here’s an example. On the day before Prime Day, this mouse shows a 28% price increase over the price a month ago. That’s worth knowing.