How to save money with Amazon’s Subscriptions – a guide

In today’s busy world, convenience is key, and Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program is a testament to that. It not only saves you time but also puts your hard-earned money back into your pocket.

Imagine having your favourite products delivered to your doorstep at regular intervals, without the hassle of reordering each time. In this article, I am going to dive deep into Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program and provide you with insights on how to make the most out of it while keeping your budget intact. Let’s go on this money-saving journey together!

If you don’t have time to read this article you may watch me explaining how to use Amazon Subscribe & Save in my latest video :

How Does Amazon’s Subscribe & Save Work?

Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program simplifies your routine purchases. It allows you to select from a wide array of products, ranging from household essentials to personal care items and groceries. By subscribing to a product, you commit to receiving it on a regular basis – this can range from weekly to every six months, depending on your preference.

Can I use subscribe and save if I don’t have Prime?

Yes. You don’t need an Amazon Prime membership to use Subscribe & Save. Shopping from Subscribe & Save isn’t one of the benefits exclusive to Amazon Prime members.

The Benefits of Subscribe & Save

Convenience at Your Fingertips

The hassle of manually placing orders for items you use frequently can now become a thing of the past. With Subscribe & Save, you’re in control of your deliveries, ensuring you never run out of your must-haves.

Cost-Efficiency Beyond Measure

One of the standout features of this program is the cost savings it offers. By subscribing, you unlock exclusive discounts that are not available for one-time purchases. Over time, these savings can accumulate significantly. I save ca £10 per month on the items that I use so over a year I am able to save ca £120. Of course the savings range depends on the discounts available. See my examples below.

How do you get 5% back on Amazon Subscribe and Save?

If you subscribe to between one and four items, you’ll only save 5%. If you need some items immediately (and they are eligible for Subscribe & Save), you can still get it in the normal Amazon Prime quickness, but you’ll only receive a 5% discount instead of up to 15%.

How do you get 15% back on Amazon Subscribe and Save?

Many scheduled on repeat deliveries of 5 or more products in one delivery to one address offer savings up to 15% (some products have different discount levels and I believe these are at discretion of suppliers selling on Amazon). If you struggle to get to buy 5 things why not to add some basket filler you may always use later or gift anyone e.g. my filler is the Lindor chocolate.

How I save around £100 in a year thanks to Amazon Subscribe & Save?

Let’s see the items I buy frequently:

– Lindt Chocolate – 37p savings per 1 bar vs supermarket – gets bought usually as a filler 🙂

– Coconut milk – 1 can elsewhere 2.39£ on Amazon 1 can = £1.37 (4 packs £5.51 or 2x 4 cans £11.03) – more expensive than ALDI on for £0.85 but its ORGANIC and no bad ingredients! £1.02 saving per can! —> savings per 1 pack £4.04 and per 2 packs £8.08

– Tea People Organic Yerba Mate – 60g Retail Pack- £3.98 on Amazon and on the brand site £4.50 –0.52p savings

– cashew nuts – 750g on Amazon £5.77 – the cheapest online £5.99 so just 22p savings

– Coconut milk Plenish – 1L – 1L on Amazon £1.7 elsewhere the cheapest £1.75 (Sainsbury’s at the time of directing this video) – 5p savings per 1L and 40p per 8L pack I got on Amazon

–Fillipo Berio olive oil – £7.65 on Amazon and £10 in my local ASDA! – £2.35 savings!

Here we can see that the coconut milk and olive oil are nicely discounted and make up for most of my subscription savings.

TOTAL savings – £11.62 or even more as if we dont get free delivery elsewhere or need to buy from a few shops then there will price of postage on the top of that!

If you want to compare Amazon’s prices vs high street supermarket check my supermarkets comparison post.

Selecting the Right Subscription

Exploring Thousands of Products

Amazon’s vast product selection means you have a plethora of choices. From cleaning supplies to baby care products, the options are virtually limitless. As seen in my very real example what you choose matters as some items are nicely discounted unlike some others.

Tailoring Quantity and Delivery Schedule

Each household’s needs are unique, and Subscribe & Save acknowledges that. You can adjust the quantity of each item to match your consumption patterns. Additionally, the flexibility to choose delivery schedules ensures you’re always in control. I often change the frequency of some of my subscribe & save items. Furthermore if I notice a price increase beyond the benefits of getting those items from Amazon I cancel the subscription as its easy to do. I also change my delivery schedule if I want to delay the delivery or skip it altogether.

This way, you’re only paying for what aligns with your needs. I actually have months where I don’t buy anything – for various reasons. I then go to Subscribe & Save Settings tab and change the delivery date (after your last delivery you can postpone your next one easily):

Flexibility and Freedom: No Fees Attached

Unlike some subscription services that come with hidden fees, Amazon’s program is refreshingly transparent. There are no additional charges – you only pay for the products you receive. You can always go to past orders and see you ordered items invoices too. It is particularly helpful when you want to check the price trends and increases. I am loyal to some but not all my subscribed products. You see if you bought an item in the past the box on the top of the page will include previous orders details so you can check if the current price is not any higher than it was a few months back since you swapped this subscription slot for some other product.

In May I paid for 6 pack £5.50 but you know inflation and all so at the time of writing a 6 pack cost £6 through a regular or subscription purchase. I like this product, so I think £1 per can is a good price. Ok, ok you can find cheaper canned tomatoes but that’s not the point here. Here we are after buying THIS brand and finding if the above is a good of a deal and as per Trolley it is:

as the cheapest can is for £1.35 and I think I saw it on a deal at Sainsbury’s in the past for £1 so I d say that that is the latest best low price for this product indeed.

Managing Your Subscriptions

Cancellation and Adjustment

Amazon understands that your needs may change, allowing you to cancel or modify your Subscribe & Save subscriptions at any time. This level of control ensures you’re never tied down which is a great things when any given product’s price increases. That happened to me a few times and I changed the buying strategy and in some cases moved away form Amazon. What is a bargain today may not be such a bargain in month or a few months time, so it is always a good idea to schedule a few minutes to run through your subscriptions. I find that managing the Amazon subscriptions in their app is super easy and really doesnt take much time so as long as you review the items up to a week ahead of their delivery time you will be fine.

Tips for Maximizing Savings on Subscriptions

Share and Save: Sharing Subscriptions within Household

Sharing the subscribe and save resources with your household members can lead to savings. If your family member(s) wants some items regularly its easier to get to at least 5 products activating the discounts. Most subscription services permit multiple users, making it a practical approach to cut costs.

The Power of Rotation: Managing Multiple Subscriptions

If you’re juggling multiple subscriptions (like me), consider rotating them monthly. This way, you can distribute costs more evenly throughout the year. I rotate the items to ensure I take advantage of the good prices, so in my case it is more price-led than need- have approach as it works best for our family.

If an item has an exceptionally good price when you found it you may get it in a few subsequent months and stock up on them as it may be that soon the good price will be a history, so take the advantage of it whilst you can.

In your subscription simply click on the frequency blue text and that will open the below box where you can change the next delivery date (fast-forward or delay it) and the quantity and frequency of deliveries too:

Here are my next months subscriptions:

As described above even though I have 5 items normally securing me 15% discount one of them items only is 5% cheaper. As I said it must be MUTTI specifying to not sell the product at the discount rate higher than 5% no matter how many subscriptions items one has. It is still a good price so I m going to get it and as you see next month I will save £7 which is great too!

Does more of the same item counts towards the 5 items needed to activate the discounts?

Unfortunately not, the same item does not count multiple times towards the mighty 5 needed to activate the 15% discount.

Smart Consumer: Research and Compare Prices

Before committing to a subscription, do your homework. Look for ongoing promotions or special discounts, and compare prices across different platforms – use sites I mention in this post – to ensure you’re getting the best deal. I use Google or eBay or sellers shop to ensure the same item is not cheaper elsewhere. Usually Amazon is the cheapest especially if we consider their free shipping. Look how the price of olive oil has changed lately:

August-23: 1L – £7.65

September-23: 1L – £8.5:

So as said it is still cheaper than in the supermarkets but as you can see the price has not been static 🙂

In fact I will now rotate it with this olive oil as now this one is cheaper then the above one and still cheaper than the same brand at the supermarket:

1L – £7.64

Weirdly enough now I have 2 products cheaper than previously before the olive oil swap! I m not going to complain about that but it is a bit unusual. Actually it updated and is now £7.20 so I reckon Amazon just needs a few more minutes to recalculate the latest changes.

Downsizing Your Plan: Pay for What You Use

If you find that you’re not utilizing all the features of a subscription, you can skip a month or easily change the delivery date. You can remove all subscriptions and stop the programme altogether too:

1. Go to Your Account > Your Subscribe & Save Items.
2. Hover over the subscription for the item you’d like to modify and click Edit. On mobile devices, tap the subscription item.
3. Click “Cancel subscription”, then click “Confirm cancellation”.
4. Repeat the action for all subscriptions you have on Amazon to ensure none of them gets repeated.

Conclusion

In a world where every penny counts, Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program helps us watch pennies even more. The convenience, coupled with the significant cost savings, make it an appealing choice. By optimizing your subscriptions and following the outlined tips, you can take full advantage of this program and watch your savings grow on the items you need to get anyway!

FAQs

1. Is Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program available for all products?

Yes, the program covers a wide range of products, giving you the flexibility to choose what suits your needs.

2. Can I adjust the delivery frequency after subscribing?

Absolutely, you can modify the delivery schedule or even skip deliveries as needed.

3. Are there any fees associated with Amazon’s Subscribe & Save?

No, the program is fee-free, ensuring you only pay for the products you order.

4. What if I want to cancel a subscription?

Cancelling a subscription is hassle-free and can be done at any time.

5. Do all products receive the same discount under this program?

Discounts can vary, but many products offer exclusive savings through Subscribe & Save.

6. Is there a penalty for cancelling a subscribe and save with Amazon?

No! Cancelling is easy and doesn’t incur any cost.

7. Will I get the discounted price on all ordered items if I changed my mind short after placing orders and cancelled one of them?

Even if you cancel one of your 5+ items shortly after placing the order you will still get the 5-15% discount on the rest of your order ( I had this situation once so its tried & tested).