Posted on 04/24/2016 2:45:45 PM PDT by goldstategop
If you’re a regular shopper on Amazon and want the shopping benefits of Prime, it makes more sense to go with the full-year plan instead of the month-to-month option. Yes, you’ve got to pay $99 all at once for that membership, but that ends up significantly less expensive than the $131.88 you’d spend over the course of the year.
Depending on what you buy, and how quickly you need it, you may want to consider ditching Prime altogether. Amazon recently made it more difficult for non-Prime members to qualify for free shipping, raising the minimum order to qualify for free shipping on most (non-book) purchases to $49. Book purchases only need to hit the $25 mark to qualify.
So if you’re regularly making purchases that pass the free-shipping threshold and don’t mind waiting a few extra days for delivery, then maybe the money you’re spending Prime could be put to better use elsewhere.
(Excerpt) Read more at consumerist.com ...
I signed up last year when they ran a one-day special year membership for $69.99.
I do more streaming than ordering. I already had Netflix. AP streaming makes a nice complement — plenty to watch between the 2 services.
I also use Instantwatch to see what new movies and TV shows have beeen added. http://instantwatcher.com/
I like that they have a lot of British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand TV programs/movies. I signed up for the BBC America cable tier a couple of years ago and about all I got was an occasional new series and daily binge repeats of StarTrek:TNG. I dropped the tier and BBCA several months ago. PBS has more British programs than BBC America did.
Netflix is still the better deal even with their price increase because they have lots of original programming content Amazon doesn’t have.
That’s a decent price, but for us we order frequently. The membership paid for itself already. Basically anything we’d plan a trip to the store for we go through Amazon. Next day or 2nd day delivery and no inconvenience. We love it.
Amazon recently increased its minimum free shipping requirement to $50.
If you don’t want to spend that much, Amazon Prime is definitely the ticket since you can buy as little or as much as you want and still get free shipping.
Its no longer worth it to stay a non-member because now its costs a lot more.
Of course, that works out to 107.88 a year for just the video, vs. $99 a year for full Prime membership. In effect, you are paying about 7% interest for installment payments on a smaller package of benefits (which may be all you need) instead of cash up front. On the other hand, if you time a one month European vacation right, you do save with the monthly video only membership.
Amazon Prime gives you free shipping (plus other perks) and pays for itself if you order just minimal items in a year. We buy our dog food from them and it gets here in two days with free shipping and it’s cheaper than the pet store.
Most of us order regularly.
Since I don’t have a car, I find it more convenient to get items dropped off at my door than to go through the hassle of riding down to Wal-mart to pick up what I need.
Adult ed courses? Hillsdale?
The stand-alone streaming service can be switched on and off. So its a great convenience and you can watch only when you want to.
Beats cable where you have to subscribe month to month whether there’s anything interesting on or not.
I’m with Chewy.com and its the best pet store whose prices are competitive with Amazon.
And I like the flat $4.99 shipping fee no matter how little or how much I buy.
If its over $49, shipping is free.
I take online classes from my local Community College. Just go part time and take computer classes.
Streaming movies & TV @ 8.99 x 12 = $107.88/year
Whole Prime monthly @ 10.99 x 12 = $131.88/year
Whole Prime annual @ $99/year (equals $8.25/month) is the best deal, if one can afford the advanced annual payment.
no.
so far I have managed to get every Amazon item we want with zero shipping, just by collecting them together to satisfy Amazon’s minimum purchase requirement (or by buying them elsewhere, which we are doing more and more now that Amazon has raised its minimum purchase for free shipping).
Amazon Prime does have some originals. Most of theirs are comedies, but they have a few dramas. Their in-house number of titles is increasing.
Same with Hulu (am not a subcriber). They have some originals.
Netfix has more because they started about 4 or 5 years ago. Netfix seems to balance between dramas and comedies.
Some of these streaming service comedies are not that good. Cheap laughs, etc. I have been enjoying Netflix’s newest — The Ranch — with Ashton Kutcher and Sam Elliott. It is kind of raunchy.
Me too for shipping. Also do video through ROKU and some music.
Why even use Amazon at all? Figure out what you want, go to Amazon to check the price and read the reviews and then go to Ebay to buy it cheaper and without tax or shipping.
Have to take into account the streaming service you get with Prime. You could get the membership for 2 months or so, binge watch shows and movies, ship, then cancel and do it again in a few months when new stuff is on their to stream.
You basically get free prime shipping and a netflix like service....and I think a free ebook too.
Its the largest store in the world.
They have things you can’t get anywhere else and they’re the reason malls are going out of business.
What you need, you can get right on your doorstep and no need to drive, find a place to park and then shop.
I haven’t been to the mall in like a decade and I haven’t looked back - thanks to Amazon.
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