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How to save 20% on basics at Amazon

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I love discovering new ways to save cash…especially when I’m saving on things I was going to buy anyway. I also love saving time…”finding” a free half hour in my day is always a treat. So when I realized that I could save both cash AND time with this next tip, it made me a little giddy.

Do you already know about Amazon’s “Subscribe and Save” service? I have to admit that I’ve never paid any attention to it in the past. Basically it’s an automatic delivery service from Amazon – you tell them when you want products to be delivered, and then they send you what you asked for on your monthly subscription date. They’ll also throw in a 5% discount plus free shipping. If you have five or more items in a given delivery, the 5% discount increases to 15%. Not bad!

However, you can increase this discount even more by joining the “Amazon Mom” program. Once you are a member, Amazon will give you a 20% discount on any five (or more) items that you have delivered on the same date.

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Despite the name, you don’t need to be a mom to join. Amazon Mom is open to anyone. Of course, the terms state that you need to be someone “expecting a baby or caring for a baby or young child, whether you’re a mom, dad, grandparent, or caretaker,” but you will have to use your own judgement here on whether you qualify. Amazon is certainly not going to be knocking on your door to check your credentials anytime soon.

The subscription program through Amazon Mom can be a fantastic savings, depending on the items you choose for your subscription. It can also make your life easier because before you even think about it, you’ve got a replacement product in hand. You can set the delivery schedule for every 1-5 months, depending on your needs – but in order to get the 20% savings, all five products need to be on the same schedule.

This Deva Curl Hair Treatment is a great example:

  • Salon price is $40 (so expensive! but it’s the only thing that works on my hair).
  • Amazon price is $27.81
  • “Subscribe and Save” price is $26.42 (includes 5% discount)
  • “Subscribe and Save” price (for 5 or more items) is $23.64
  • Amazon Mom “Subscribe and Save” price is $22.25

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If you’ve already paid for an Amazon Prime membership and you sign up for Amazon Mom, your Prime membership won’t change–Amazon will just add your Amazon Mom membership to your account (it’s free).

If you are not already an Amazon Prime member, you can get a 3-month free trial period for free with Amazon Mom. After your free trial period, you’ll be automatically upgraded to Amazon Prime for $79 per year (unless you decide to opt out). As a paid Prime member, you receive all the benefits of Amazon Prime and Amazon Mom, including:

  • 20% off “Subscribe and Save” items when you have 5 or more delivered on the same day
  • Free Two-Day Shipping
  • A Kindle book to borrow for free each month from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library
I just joined Amazon mom, set up my subscription service, and tallied up my savings. I’ll be saving between $25-50 a month, depending on where I would have purchased the products. This is awesome!
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How about you – are you already an Amazon Mom member, or do you use “Subscribe and Save?” What are some great deals that you’ve found?
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(Note that I do get a referral credit if you use the links above. As always, I really appreciate and thank you for your support!)

8 Comments

  1. Wow – this was right under my nose! I’m wondering, do you know if you have to have the same 5 items delivered monthly or any 5? I personally don’t go through most products that quickly – but maybe that’s why it’s geared toward moms!

  2. pinkisnice – I think you can change the items at any time…just needs to total 5. And you can set your schedule for every 1-5 months.

  3. We use these services and they’re great. I’ll admit that it has resulted in a surplus of toothpaste and deodorant at times, but it has been really convenient to always have a strategic reserve of key (all non-perishable) items.

  4. Please do not abuse the expecting Mom discount. This is for families expecting babies that need every penny they can. Cheating to get superfluous products is plain wrong!

  5. I don’t think this is cheating Amazon, I see it as free advertising for them. Amazon should be thrilled. Besides, I thought it was a “mom” or “parent” discount, not an “expecting mom” discount. And why would Amazon care if they were getting new customers to commit to being repeat clients? Win-win for both parties. No one gets hurt.

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