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Amazon sells nearly everything, but it doesn't necessarily always have the best prices on everything. In general, it's worth buying things you use up and replace on a schedule. Shop elsewhere for things where fit, feel or returns matter.
Usually worth buying on Amazon: household paper goods and toiletries (with "Subscribe & Save"), pet food and litter, batteries, phone cases and charging cables, and shelf-stable pantry items like coffee.
Often better elsewhere: clothing and shoes, and large furniture you have to put together yourself.
Put personal care items on autopilot
Packs of TP, paper towels and wipes can be unwieldy at the store. Order them!
Items like paper products are competitively priced on Amazon, especially when you set up a subscription for them, said Kallie Branciforte, Connecticut blogger and YouTuber, in an email to NerdWallet.
“I am always surprised by how many people don’t take advantage of Subscribe & Save,” she said. “It’s the easiest way to save on the stuff you use all the time.”
Branciforte, who has over 1 million subscribers on her “That Practical Mom” YouTube channel, lets Amazon replenish vitamins, diaper cream, her kids’ body wash and more to make life easier, and often cheaper.
Try subscribing to essentials, like the nasal strips you use nightly, or the electric toothbrush heads that wear out after a few months.
Even when the regular price is about the same as at a store, Subscribe & Save can tip the math in Amazon's favor. Some Subscribe & Save items can earn you an immediate 5% discount. You can earn a discount of up to 15% on a subscription delivery that includes five or more items going to one address at the same time.
“It’s such a simple way to save on things you’re already buying, completely on autopilot,” Branciforte says.
Order pet food and litter to save money (and your back)
Automating pet food orders makes sense for Prime members, too.
Nobody likes wrangling 20 tiny cans of Fancy Feast at the grocery store self-checkout lane. Save the hassle and try to beat the per-can price by ordering the 30-pack on Amazon.
You can save your back by getting big bags of dog food or a 38-pound box of cat litter delivered, too.
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Look at batteries, cables and phone cases
The Amazon Basics brand of batteries is an exceptional deal. At around $12 for an eight-pack of 9-volt batteries, you can add it and a pack of AAs and AAAs to your cart next time you check out. Compare that with the eight-pack of Duracell 9-volt batteries we spotted at the Home Depot for $29.05.
Make Amazon your first stop after you buy a new or used iPhone or Android. Apple’s $49 silicone case is overpriced when you compare it with cases on Amazon that look, feel and protect the same way for under $15.
Amazon is also a good place for power adapters, cables and wireless charging pads at prices that are cheaper than at Apple.
Browse bestsellers for proven products
A helpful hack Branciforte shares in one of her YouTube videos is to use Amazon’s “Best Sellers” lists to narrow down searches.
It’s a little out of the way, but you get there by navigating to the top left of the desktop site and clicking the three bars to open the menu. Select “Best Sellers,” and from there, you can dive down by department to find popular buys in specific product categories.
Let’s say, for example, you’re looking for a shower head with better water pressure than the one you have. Rather than buy something pricey from Home Depot or Lowe’s, you can look up best sellers in the "home and kitchen" section on Amazon.
Have dry goods, like coffee, delivered
If you’re like us, you probably don’t want to run out of coffee, ever. Free overnight delivery on your go-to roast, like a 28-ounce bag of Starbuck’s Pike Place, could be reason enough to keep a Prime membership. At the time of writing, it was $19.99 for a bag of ground on Amazon. That’s a pretty good price compared with the 12-ounce bag of the same brand and roast at Target that was selling for $12.79.
Coffee is a good product to put on repeat. Other shelf-stable, packaged goods you can order for cost and convenience include jerky, nuts, ramen, rice and even Kraft Mac & Cheese.
Turn to other retailers for comfortable clothes that fit
Clothing can be hard to get right on Amazon, says Trae Bodge, the shopping expert at truetrae.com.
Bodge bought a dress on Amazon awhile back and loved the look, but says it turned out to be super scratchy inside. She prefers a store like Target for affordable pieces she can feel first.
When it comes to jeans and sneakers, you might do better by buying from the source. Joining the Levi’s rewards program, for example, gets you free shipping on orders of $75 or greater and returns on Levi.com.
“What you’ll find is that the style selection is broader, the size selection is broader,” Bodge says.
Nike is another brand with a slick online experience. Members get free shipping on orders of $50 or more, and shoes and apparel on Nike.com regularly go on sale.
Bu if you’re drawn to the looks on Amazon, returns are meant to be fairly easy but may not always be. So when you’re browsing products, look for the “frequently-returned item” badge. And, of course, the reviews can be helpful in pointing out potential problems, like when sizing runs small or large, and materials are thin or uncomfortable.
Skip large furniture pieces that can be painful to return
Kind of like clothes, online furniture purchases can be regrettable.
Bodge avoids buying larger items on Amazon that you have to assemble. The hassle of making a return could compel you to keep something you don’t want. And even if you do like it, all the cardboard and styrofoam that comes with a new coffee table can be a royal pain in the trash.
It can save you time and strife to pick something out and buy it in person. You can also save by buying used. Thrift stores, antique shops and Facebook Marketplace are great places to look for quality pieces.
Read reviews and check price history before buying
It’s important to read the reviews and it’s better when there are plenty of them, said Branciforte. She tends to be leery of items with few ratings unless the category is very niche.
“I’d rather buy something with 4.3 stars and 1,000+ reviews than 4.8 stars and 15 reviews because I know the first has been on the site longer, making it more trustworthy and valid,” she said.
Given that other retailers are working hard to outprice Amazon, Bodge says it pays to check the price history and look around before buying.
Shopping browser extensions, such as PayPal Honey and the Camelizer, make light work of making sure you aren’t overpaying. And it’s easy to do a quick Google search for any product you’re after.
Best things to buy on Amazon Prime Day
Prime Day is in June, and again in October (called Prime Big Deal Days then). Amazon also hosts a Big Spring Sale in March. These categories are known for excellent deals during these sales.
- Amazon products: Amazon’s brands, including Amazon Basics for household goods and Amazon Essentials for fashion, typically get discounts on Prime Day. Amazon devices may also be at their lowest prices.
- Electronics: TVs, headphones and outdoor cameras are just a few of the electronics always poised for a Prime Day price drop.
- Home goods: Whether you’re shopping for a new set of sheets or a vacuum, products for the home often carry cheaper prices on Prime Day.
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