7 ways to save with Amazon Prime

For its biggest fans, Amazon Prime membership is the gift that keeps on giving.

Whether you are one of the estimated 90 million paying Prime subscribers in the U.S., or among those still on the fence about joining, there’s more to membership than free two-day shipping.

Here are seven Prime benefits that can save you both time and money.

Free photo storage: Forget having to delete photos to free up memory on your smartphone or other devices. Members get unlimited photo storage and up to 5 GB of video storage. Photos can be shared with up to five people (they don’t have to be Prime members).The iOS or Android mobile apps auto-save photos, so members can safely delete them from their phone, freeing up space on their device.

Free streaming music: Who needs Spotify when you can stream and create your own playlists on Amazon Music.  An added bonus? The service is ad-free.

Free books and magazines: Members can choose from more than 1,000 books and magazines to read for free with Prime Reading. For some, the savings on magazine subscriptions alone give this perk extra appeal. Whether it’s People, Men’s Health or Vogue you’ll find it here. Interested in only the latest book releases? With Amazon First Reads, members can also download one free new book each month before it’s released to the general public. Members also have unlimited access to free Audible channels, where they’ll find audiobooks, and podcasts.

Lightning Deals: Members get first shot at the latest limited-time, while supplies last, deals and sales, usually 30 minutes before announced on Amazon.com.

Subscribe & Save: Whether it’s cleaning supplies, paper towels, juice or Swiffer wipes, with this perk, members save 5% on whatever needs to be replenished on a regular basis. When subscribed to give or more products ,members get 15% off. Families can get extra subscription savings of 20% off diapers and baby food through Amazon Family. Subscriptions are easy to modify or cancel as needed.

Prime Samples: Who doesn’t like samples? Members can “buy” a sample box ranging in price from $6.99 to $19.99. For each sample box purchased, members get a credit equal to the price paid, which can be used to buy full-size products from the brands sampled. Sample boxes range from beauty supplies to nutrition and wellness products.

Prime membership plan options: If you only want to use Amazon over the holidays, there is a monthly $12.99 plan. Rather than committing to a year, you can opt to enjoy the perks of Prime membership on your terms. College students can get a six-month trial of Prime Student, then get 50% off the regular Prime membership fee. To be eligible, students need to be enrolled in a two-or four-year college or university.

Myriam DiGiovanni

Myriam DiGiovanni

After writing for Credit Union Times and The Financial Brand, Myriam DiGiovanni covers financial literacy for FinancialFeed. She is also a storytelling expert and works with credit unions to help ... Web: www.financialfeed.com Details