Are you really Saving Money with Amazon?

Saving money – the one thing that everyone wishes to do more than anything. It’s important to make sure you have money saved to cover any expenses, fixed or miscellaneous, but it’s not always the most enjoyable thing to do. Finances can be extremely challenging, but they don’t always have to be. There are multiple ways to go about saving; however, it all depends on you and who you are as a person and where you are as a person.

Sometimes, it’s really easy, other times, it’s not. There are multiple ways to look at the situation and determine what you personally should do. For instance, if you don’t really need something, don’t buy it – that’s one way to save money; however, if you need something, obviously it will cost money, but there could be ways around it.

Bargain shopping and coupons are two ways to save money, but sometimes it’s more about convenience. You will try to save money where you can, but are you actually saving money when you shop? Have you ever thought about this when you’re out shopping? Well, even if you’ve thought this through, chances are, you still could be saving, even just a little bit, without actually realizing this is a possibility. We always try to save everywhere we can; however, there may be a few things that you don’t consider.

If I had to fathom a guess, I would say that we all have one common place for shopping. Amazon is likely everyone’s go-to for shopping, especially around the holidays. Amazon is the most convenient place for shopping given its free 2-day shipping when you’re an Amazon Prime member. On top of its convenience factor, it also has great deals. Or does it? That’s a question I will now start thinking more deeply on.

Let’s explore if you really save money by shopping on Amazon.

Saving money is something that I personally take very seriously. I try to save where I can, and if you find me spending money, it’s likely on someone else. I will only buy something for myself that I know for a fact I need and could benefit from. When I buy for me, I save the most. I splurge on others, but never myself. So I try to find all different ways to save, even if it is just a little bit.

With this in mind, bear with me as we continue along.

Based off a recent, personal experience, saving is something I myself will be paying even closer attention to. I enjoy finding bargains, and even when I think I find one, it’s not always true.

Amazon is the place to go to find everything and anything, but, have you ever considered that maybe you can find the same products for less money elsewhere? Something I never truly considered about Amazon is that some of the sellers may be up-charging products and causing you to spend more money on certain products. Amazon sells some products itself, but there are also third party sellers galore that you are more than likely ordering from.

I made a purchase just a little while back on Amazon and the product I bought was about $110.00, give or take. Now, like I said, I splurge on myself when I know it’s something I need and can really use and get my money’s worth. After I received my package, I ran into a few questions about the product, so I went back to Amazon for some helpful hints and found myself having to go directly to the manufacturer to find my answers because I couldn’t find anything about it on Amazon.

When I arrived at the manufacturer’s website, I discovered they sell their products there as well, which makes perfect sense. I found the particular product I was looking for and was extremely surprised at what I found.

While I was extremely surprised, at the same time, I wasn’t super shocked. The more I thought about it, the more it makes a little sense, but with the convenience of Amazon and Amazon Prime, I’ve never really bothered to go elsewhere when I need certain things. It’s become more about immediate gratification and getting what we want as soon as possible, but come to think about it, this isn’t the most important thing.

The item I had purchased off Amazon was cheaper on the manufacturer’s site than what I spent.  The website was having a sale; however, that didn’t make a huge difference in the sense that it was less expensive than Amazon. With the sale price from the manufacturer’s website, I could have saved about $26. That doesn’t seem like a whole lot of money, but every little bit counts. Even without the sale on the website, the product was slightly less expensive than it was on Amazon. The product, without the additional discount from the website, was $5 cheaper on the manufacturer’s site than it was on Amazon. Again, that’s not a big deal, but when you have to watch your finances, saving here and there is very important and even these miniscule amounts add up overtime and will surprise you when you realize how much in total you’ve come to save.

It’s interesting to think that one shopping experience can change how you look at every future purchase. With one experience, you look at things differently. The convenience of things may not always be the best for finances. From here on out, it’s better to check multiple options before committing to a purchase. You may be able to save at least a little bit, it doesn’t necessarily need to be a lot of savings, but again, every little bit helps. With the convenience of Amazon and other shopping methods, people don’t always consider other options; however, it’s something that you should start to consider.

So, what do you think? Do you think you’ll start exploring other options when it comes to online shopping? Let us know below!

From this personal experience, and for the sake of saving money, I would suggest exploring your options before making a purchase.