Are you addicted to shopping on Amazon? Here’s one way to tell: Go to your order history and count how many of the last 10 items you needed and how many you just wanted. Or check your credit card statements. When I did this, I was shocked at how frequently “Amazon.com” showed up on my bill. I couldn’t even recall what I could’ve possibly ordered and wondered if I was a victim of identity theft. But it turns out I was only stealing from myself.
It’s not easy to resist the personalized convenience and instant gratification that this online retail giant has to offer. In fact, Amazon is responsible for more than half of all of 2016’s online sales growth, according to a study by Slice Intelligence. And with its recent announcement of its plan to acquire Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, Amazon is set on taking over the grocery industry.
Before your spending spirals out of control, check out these 6 foolproof ways to conquer your Amazon addiction
1. Begin by setting up what I like to call “the check yourself before you wreck yourself” payment plan. Under your account settings, turn off one-click ordering everywhere and you won’t have the ability to one-click shop on any of your devices.
2. Delete all your payment methods. Each time you go to pay, you’ll have to put in your credit card information. Annoying? Yes, it makes shopping a lot more deliberate and bit more time-consuming. If you can wait a few a days, leave your items in your cart and revisit your decision to buy everything later. I do this all the time and end up removing half the things I originally placed in my cart
3. Set a spending limit by giving yourself an Amazon Allowance. It’s essentially a pre-paid gift card that you can give to others, or email to yourself – either on a one-time or recurring basis. When you go to check-out, it’ll show up as the only saved payment method. It’s also a great way to keep your kids’ spending under control on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
4. Buyers beware of the dangerous “Dash” buttons. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s the one-click shopping button on steroids placed all over your house. Out of Gatorade? Running low on Huggies diapers? Hit the button and these wi-fi connected devices enable you to order more. Sure, it’s super convenient – and that’s the point. It’s also a neat trick to make it all-too-easy for you to shop non-stop. Not only does it keep you from looking at prices, but you’re not comparison shopping for better deals either. It’s a big nightmare for parents with young kids. If your Dash buttons aren’t hidden, you might get a surprise delivery of paper towels that your kids pushed for.
5. Another gimmick to avoid: the lightning deals, or what Amazon likes to call their “Gold Box” deals. The original prices can be inflated on the day of these flash sales to make the discounts look more attractive.
6. To ensure you’re getting the best deal, don’t check out until you’ve checked the price history on a third-party site like camelcamelcamel.com.
What are some of your Amazon savings hacks? Share them with me @Jeanie531.
WATCH MORE:
Til debt do us part: 12 ways not to go broke as a wedding guest
The fiduciary rule finally takes effect: What you need to know
Renters insurance: What’s covered and what’s not