These strategies can help you save on Amazon Prime Day

San Antonio The countdown to the Amazon store has begun. Both discounts and lightning deals officially launch at 2AM CST on Tuesday.

It’s practically Black Friday in July for bargain-hunting shoppers as competitors including Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Kohls and other retailers take part in hot summer sales through their special events.

“Prime Day is known for its technology deals, especially Amazon’s own technology,” said Kristen McGrath of RetailMeNot.com.

Find Echo speakers, Fire tablets, and other Amazon-branded tech for 50% to 60% off.

Amazon jumped on Prime Day by offering up some big discounts early on, like the Apple AirPods Pro for about $80 and the Ninja Foodie pressure cooker and Air Fryer for about $70.

Necessities like household goods and cleaning supplies will see some eye-catching discounts as inflation looms large, according to McGrath. Consumers simply have tighter budgets.

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“Last year, the average budget going to Prime Day was just over $600,” McGrath said. “This year, just under $400.”

So, how do you get real deals and avoid getting caught up in the hype?

Making a plan and a list is McGrath’s first piece of advice.

“Add these to your wishlist or cart in advance, so you know exactly what you’re looking for,” she said.

And don’t realize that whatever is being advertised is the real deal.

“You have to look at the price and not just the percentage of the discount,” McGrath said.

It can pay to do some homework, too.

“I would like to know the price history of an item,” McGrath said. “There are tools you can use to keep track of that.”

One such tool is CamelCamelCamel, which can help you see the price of a particular item over time.

And of course shop. Stacking promotional codes on top of other retailer’s discounts might be the best deal.

If you see a price you like for an item you need, McGrath said you might want to jump on it. Prime Day can be a good time to start school shopping, but McGrath expects prices to be even better as school approaches, especially after Labor Day.

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Prime Day will also offer some good deals on TVs, but McGrath said you might want to wait until Black Friday when there’s a wider selection and more sales. Gaming hardware prices will likely be lower in a few months.

Some other tips for navigating Prime Day:

Download the Amazon app to your phone to get advance notifications and alerts.

Sign up for one-click purchase so you don’t waste time filling in information when the deal is really fast.

If something appears to be sold out, join the waiting list if there is one. This puts you in line in case the buyer changes his mind.

Prime Day for Prime Members. However, you may be able to sign up for a free trial to take advantage of it. Remember to cancel, or you will be charged the $139 annual Prime fee.

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