Today’s question is from Julie:
Is an Amazon Prime membership worth the cost?
I live in an extremely rural community and initially decided not to purchase it the membership after my one-year free trial expired. But, I now really miss the two-day free shipping (with no minimum purchase), along with some of the deals available with Subscribe & Save.
I know these aren’t comparable to some deals other readers find, but for someone living in a rural area, the deals are great (especially when you factor in the increasing cost of gas).
What do you think — is it worth the $6.58 a month to purchase an Amazon Prime membership? -Julie
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Annie says
I have plenty of shopping where I live, but it gets really crowded on the weekends, which is the only time I have for shopping. I hate having to drag the baby through the crowds for stuff like laundry detergent and toothpaste, especially since it is much cheaper to get it on amazon even if we have to get multiples to get the cheaper price.
I used to get much better deals at the stores with my coupons and sales. Ever since the birth of my baby, I just hate going to a crowded store with her because I don’t know how long the line to going to be.
Stephanie says
I live in the suburbs of a major city and I love Prime. I can get most thing locally but Prime saves me time, gas, wear and tear on the car, dealing with traffic and means that I am not dragging a 3.5 year old and 19 month old all over the place. We tend to do natural/organic/reusable stuff and the mark up locally is amazing compared to Amazon prices. I can shop at 3am while holding a teething baby and it arrives in two days! We use streaming on Roku and just finished watching Blackadder for free (well, we didn’t pay extra). I had a free year and when it expired my husband and I decided paying was worth it.
heather hernandez says
Yes. Year two. Loving it. Worried thinking it was a waste but it is not. Lve amazon prime.
Tina says
YES! Amazon Prime is VERY worth the money. We live in a small town, however it only takes about 20 minutes, to get to the nearest large store, which is WalMart. Either way, Amazon Prime offers free 2 day shipping on items that are eligible (not everything is eligible, but there are plenty that are eligible), you can now stream movies for free & if you own a Kindle, you are allowed to borrow 1 book per month, from the Lending Library. If you want to buy a gift, you can have the gift wrapped, then shipped for free, with Amazon Prine, directly to the person receiving the gift. We have purchased many items from Amazon & used our Prime shipping….vitamins, books, protein powder, clothing, videos, kitchen items, toys, bike helmets, etc. AND normally these items are much less expensive than purchasing them at stores. YES – get Amazon Prime!
Darla says
I live in a rural area too where the cost of some foods, etc. are very high. For us, amazon is absolutely positively worth the membership fee.
We also have a Roku that we stream amazon movies (free with prime membership) through to our TV. Not quite as many movie options as Netflix but for what you get in comparison…. not even a question.
Bonnie says
I live in the middle of nowhere in Nevada. 75 Miles to shopping and only wild open range in between. Amazon Prime has saved me a ton of money over the years. It would be very difficult to do without it!
Kristine says
For us I don’t think it would be worth it now because I don’t order much online, but when we lived in a rural area, it probably would have been worth it.
Bonnie says
Before this year it was not worth it to us to have Prime. Last year we were able to use Amazon Mom and get free prime for nearly a year from buying diapers. We got so used to the convenience of being able to buy gifts for family in different states, Christmas gifts for our kids, buying things that are even cheaper then the price at the NEX, still with no sales tax, along with getting free 2 day shipping and not having to pay for gas made it so worth it right now. Maybe next year will be different, I don’t know. From where I live most stores (other then the NEX) are 15-30 minutes away, it’s not that far BUT there is always traffic making gas use even higher.
Bronwyn says
We love Amazon Prime. My husband is a grad student so the 2-day free shipping is great for his textbooks. We don’t want to pay for cable, so we watch the free instant videos in place of tv or renting dvds. And we also subscribe for diapers, which saves us more than buying them at the Walmart 5 minutes away!
Jessica says
This may have been mentioned, but you can share an Amazon Prime account for shipping. My mom has an account and gifted my brother and I both Prime shipping accounts. We do not get the added benefits of the movies rentals and books, but both of us really only need the shipping. You do not have to live at the same address so if you had a family member or friend or neighbor who wanted Prime without the full cost, you could agree to split it. We love Prime and I can’t imagine life without it!!
Melanie says
That is nice to know, I haven’t read all comments yet, but didn’t know about the gifting. I love getting amazon cards with my swagbucks but would also appreciate free shipping without minimum purchases. Thanks for sharing!
Elaine says
I think it is worth it. If you order a lot, you really save on shipping. I like the Kindle lending library and also the streaming content. It is way cheaper than cable. There are a ton of old b&w classics, which we love.
Ashley Currin says
For us, the Prime membership is wonderful!
We subscribe and save for diapers for both of our kids — if I had to pay the shipping on those two boxes a month alone, I would be paying well more than the $6.58 a month the membership costs me. On top of that, I shop year round for their birthdays and Christmas, since they all fall within a 2-month period. So that adds even more shipping costs I would have to pay [since I do most of my shopping online] if I didnt have the free two-day shipping. We live in a small area, and there are no places around us that have the same deals that I can find on Amazon — especially on Pampers diapers. And definitely not without having to drive at least 20-30 miles in one direction to get to a bigger store!!
Emi says
I live in a resort suburb of a major metropolitan area. Often the prices on amazon are cheaper than Target. Our local Target has mam binkies for $7.99 per package. At an out of area Target the same Mam binkies are $3.99. On amazon they are $4.99 and I can purchase hard to find items such as replacement valves for Playtex cups. We frequently use our Netflix-like free public library system which is connected with 20 libraries (including a college library) in 2 different Counties BUT all of the childrens dvds are heavily scratched and don’t play. So, all of our childrens television (sesame street, dora) comes from amazon prime and it is so much cheaper than the lowest priced cable television in our area (basic package = $50) So, it’s worth it to us
Jena says
I think the Prime membership is worth it for our family. I do all my Christmas shopping and most of the family Birthday shopping online and the shipping savings alone quickly proves it’s worth. We also live in a semi-rural area (25 mins to the stores?) We use/give a lot of books too, so I’m not paying for shipping each time we order a book and that helps as well. Plus, the 2 day shipping is a bonus for some of those last minute orders (yikes- the party is this weekend!?!)
jennifer says
We are in Year 3 of Prime and love it!
This year, we are eligible for Student Prime, which gives us 6 months free and then $39/year for the next 4 years!
Works out well as we’re in small town Iowa.
Amy says
Yes- for our family. I refuse to step foot in toys r us again at Christmas. I use the streaming on my roku. Their prices are usually better than what I find elsewhere – and that us not even taking into account time and effort. I recently had the tire dealership price match yokohama tires (which would have shipped free). The price match saved me $160. I justified my membership with that too.
Mary says
I love it. I’ve had it free for awhile and then I paid the $79 to keep it. It’s cheaper than Netflix, and I know it doesn’t have all the newer movies but it has a ton of TV that I can catch up with online, since I don’t have cable. Blows my mind that people don’t think twice about paying $40-80 a month for cable but they balk at this $79 for a year.
Great because I like to order things like Glutino pretzels – gluten free, and about $8 a bag at my local grocery store (and always outdated…) but fresh from Amazon and a case of 12 bags is less than a couple of bags at the store. I earn so many Amazon gift cards through swagbucks and mypoints that it more than makes up for the $79.
There are so many things I could easily give up, but not my Prime. 🙂
lee says
For me it is worth it. With the exception of a few things (some clothing items or whatnot) I can buy almost anything there. I can’t begin to tell you how many under $5 purchases I made during the holiday shopping madness from Amazon, therefore I probably saved enough in that season to have the membership be worth it. I’d definately buy less if i had to pay the shipping so this allows me to consider amazon over many other retailers. Not to mention I can buy gifts for others and have it shipped free! Do you know how much going to the post office to mail a package is? Let me tell you- I bought a transformers toy from walmart i think it was $5 or $10 at black-friday- I shipped it to a location about 3-4 hours away it was more to ship it than the gift cost.
alys says
Yes! It is totally worth it. I also live in a rural area. It is so nice to know I can get a lot of things, including baby supplies, shipped right to my door. I did the calculations to see what it would cost me for the difference in diapers and wipes if I just went to Sam’s Club versus the normal Amazon price without the prime membership. It was about $30 more for the Amazon Prime. But, I factored in the other things I would order and get shipped free. My family lives in Texas and I am in California, so when it comes to Christmas presents Amazon makes it really easy. Also, you can get the free streaming videos. My kids love Sesame Street and I have found a few shows to watch. All in all, I say it is worth the extra money.
Mrs. S says
I live in a small town and pretty far off the paved road (over a mile) so it is worth it to my family. I use my swagbucks GC’s to pay for my prime membership, and only get the household deals and very few of the food deals. Also Amazon prime can be used to ship to other addresses, which is super-handy if you need to send a gift out of town, you can ship straight from amazon and avoid shipping charges at the post office 🙂
Bethany says
I too live in a rural area and my free trial with Amazon mom just ran out. It was a lovely luxury, but for now I’m not renewing it for 3 reasons:
1) I can still use the free super saver shipper with a little planning.
2) It did lead to a some impulse buying on my part.
3) It made it so tempting to just buy things from Amazon rather than even bothering to check local stores. In a small community, buying local is so important when it can be done.
For example, there is a small store here that carries Melissa and Doug toys at a reasonable price. Yes, it’s easier to have them delivered to my door than it is to buckle three kids into my car, but if I don’t want my little community to shrivel up and die, I need to make an effort to support the merchants here. Even buying from a store like Walmart (which we do have) keeps more money here than buying from Amazon. It was hard enough when my Prime was free, but if I felt like I need to justify the expense of the Prime it would be even harder for me to take the time to check out local merchants when I’m shopping for gifts, etc.
Sometimes there’s more to consider than just the absolute cheapest possible way to buy things.
KimH says
I think its absolutely worth every penny. I used to spend extra money getting things I didnt really want or need just to reach the Free Shipping.. I spent way too much money over the years doing that.
You can split the cost with 4 or 5 of your family members & they can get free shipping too.. Its soo worth it.
Louise says
I got Amazon Prime as my Christmas present to myself, and I LOVE IT! Here’s why:
1. The prices are frequently lower than what I’d pay elsewhere and I don’t have to pay sales tax (nearly 10% in my area).
2. I’ve eliminated a whole lot of shopping trips and almost never go to the mall anymore. This saves me from little impulse purchases or buying snacks at the food court. That represents a tidy sum (and calories!) saved!
3. Many used books can be purchased thru Prime at LESS than the cost of anywhere else. For example, if a used book sells for 1 cent on Amazon and you add in the $3.99 s&h, you pay $4.00. But sometimes Prime sells the same book for $3.90 AND you get 2 day shipping!
4. I just love the convenience of finding exactly what I want in a couple of minutes on-line, then getting 2 day shipping. Time and money saved – what more could you want?! (Yes, I know I sound like a shill for Prime!)
Jerri says
Kindle owners, remember that many books are free for the Kindle and you don’t have to be a Prime member to access them. Classics and older books are free and many publishers and authors make their books available for no cost for a limited time.
There are daily threads listing free Kindle e-books on the Amazon Kindle board and you can sign up for daily emails from EreaderIQ and Books on the Knob. Crystal also lists free e-books of interest to readers here. I’m not a Prime user (doesn’t make economic sense at this moment for me) but as a Kindle devotee, I haven’t suffered because of it.
Lydia says
I would definitely say yes, because that is 2 gallons of gasoline and for people like you and me out in rural areas, that isn’t very far. (for us that’s only 14 miles one way {28 miles round trip}).
Amanda says
I had all of last year free from the Amazon Mom promo at the end of 2010. I’ve gotten used to buying diapers from them (having to have a purchase to add another month of free Prime up to 12 months), among other things. Since my membership is up around Christmas/tax return time it’s relatively easy for me to come up with $79 at once, otherwise it would be much more difficult to decide. I haven’t used the streaming video yet, or the Kindle lending library, but I think those are both pretty cool perks. What I love is finding a really great deal on something – usually posted on this or another blog – and being able to jump on it because I have the $5 or whatever it costs but not $25 to add up to free shipping. This is especially helpful for Christmas and other holiday/birthday items, I can pick up when I catch a terrific sale, and I also buy most of my out-of-state birthday gifts from them and I don’t have to spend $25 if I don’t want to. I also find myself getting Amazon gift cards throughout the year so I buy things from them rather than other places because of that. Because of these things and that I’ve become accustomed to being able to buy on the spot, I am happy to continue my membership.
Veggiemomof2 says
I have noticed alot of ebooks that are free if you have Amazon Prime. If you are a voracious reading like I am, it’s worth it.
Jody says
We’ve had Prime for a few months now and have already decided it is well worth it. For starters, I have a Kindle Fire, so Prime gets me great benefits in terms of books and streaming movies. But the big clincher for us is the free two day shipping. We are in a fairly rural area and while we have a Walmart and Costco, our Walmart is pathetic for keeping things in stock. (Seriously, who ever heard of a Walmart that can’t keep diced chilis in stock?!) But with Prime, we can order everything from safety glasses to a Little Tikes basketball hoop and have it within 48 hours – about the same amount of time it takes us to make it to the store, find an item (if its even in stock) and get it home. Amazon usually rivals Walmart prices anyhow. Plus, we’re saving gas money. I’m a huge fan of Prime!
Kate says
I asked for a Prime membership from my in-laws for Christmas. My mother-in-law likes STUFF and I really, really don’t, so it’s a stretch for her, but I’m really enjoying it. My son has been enjoying lots of cartoons – with no commercials – as well.
Stef says
It is worth it for me. For one, as you mentioned, there is the gas savings. For another, when I set foot inside a Target, I almost always come out with more than I actually went there for. I can control myself better when I shop online. Plus, the prices are almost always better on household items.
Sara C. says
We’ve carried Prime for several years. We were lucky enough to get a free year because I was a student. I think it’s worth the cost when you compare to other stores. Not talking diapers here, but electronics, books, etc. My husband has an app on his iPhone that scans a bar code and compares the price to Amazon. This has saved us a lot of money on items we’d planned on buying anyhow. The free shipping seemed a better deal than trying to make up the $25 just to get Super Saver shipping.
Julie says
Absolutely worth it for us and we are NOT rural. We shop online a lot (in the big box stores more though). I can’t tell you how many times we have ordered something at 7 or 8 pm at night and the very NEXT DAY it is on our door step with their free shipping. It blows our mind. Not to mention the many FREE movies available for instant download with a prime membership. (We gave up our Netflix like so many other consumers and Amazon Prime offering great free movie’s streaming was a huge bonus!)
Andrea says
Amazon Prime’s sharing policy is here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_navbox_manage_share?nodeId=200444180#share
It clearly states that the sharing must occur without the same household.
Ashley says
I was thinking the same thing. Thanks for pointing this out. We all love a good deal, but let’s be honest and follow the rules. Your integrity is worth more than $39.
Andrea says
Exactly, Ashley!
Mara says
I share my account with 3 family members and we all live in different houses. I’m not being dishonest – we entered four different addresses when we enrolled!
Andrea says
Call Amazon and ask for clarification. Perhaps they changed their policy recently, but it clearly says the same household.
Jessica says
You may be grandfathered from the new policy.
Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom says
Hi Mara,
If it helps, I saw this same thing discussed at Life as Mom the other week. A commenter said they called Amazon and Amazon said it was okay to share the account with people in different households, but only the free shipping benefit would apply to all people. So according to that it was okay but it can’t hurt to call, I suppose 🙂
http://lifeasmom.com/2012/03/the-benefits-of-amazon-prime-frugal-friday.html
Merry Jo says
I’m just finishing a customer-service chat with a rep at amazon. She said that you CAN share your account with others that are not in the same household, but they would only just get the free shipping benefits, not the streaming or kindle.
Carmen says
You’re definitely not being dishonest. Good grief people. Amazon is wonderful and they have wonderful customer service but their phone reps are not always on the same page. You can talk to two different reps within 5 minutes and get two totally different policy stories. As you say, you entered 4 different addresses–obviously they don’t have a problem with it.
Jessica says
This is easy to lose sight of but you are so right, our integrity is worth so much more.
Andrea says
Oops, sorry for the typo. “Without” should be “within”!
Yvette says
It also states you can share with up to 4 co-workers. The policy is very confusing. Does anyone know if the free 2 day shipping applies to ALL Amazon purchases or just select items?
Andrea says
I assumed it meant co-workers at the same business, ordering for business purposes.
And, no, it does not apply to all purchases. Prime items are marked as such with a little logo.
Dana says
Just the ones that say Prime. You can sort to see just Prime items.
Amy says
It’s worth it for us. We live in town, but with homeschooling 4 sons ages 9 and under (and another coming in the next few weeks), getting to the store just isn’t always easy. I do school in the morning, then there are naps after lunch, and by the time everyone is up, I need to start dinner. Nowhere in there is there time for a trip to Target or the grocery store, which always ends up being at least 45 minutes.
I know you can get free shipping on Amazon fairly easily, but the fact that it’s 2 day shipping is what makes Prime worth it for us. If my kids are almost out of their fluoride-free toothpaste (which is expensive and only at a healthfood store 20 minutes away locally), or I decide I’d like to do a special project soon, or whatever, I can get what I need faster than I’d probably have a chance to get to the store. And I don’t have to worry about if it’s going to be raining or really hot or really cold because I don’t have to step outside, except to bring the package in. The prices are usually pretty competitive. You do have to know what things cost locally because some items just aren’t good deals, but there are a lot of things that we save a lot of money on.
Lady Dorothy says
Uyen Tran mentioned this. You can share your Prime account with three others. My daughters, a friend, and I share our account. Dividing the cost by four really changes the question of is it worth it. This is four different households. At approximately $1.50 a month, I love it! Oh, and you still have your privacy as no one can see what you ordered.
Liz says
The policy must have changed because I currently have the Prime membership and can only share it with one other person…unless it’s changed since then and if I renew I will then be able to share with more people? Wish I knew, since that would help my decision easier of whether to renew at the end of this month or not…
Merry Jo says
Mine is the same way! I’m wondering if maybe you can share with 3 other people for Amazon Prime, but only 1 other person for Amazon Mom? I’d love to share it with more too! 🙂 Maybe I should get on Amazon’s help chat page and ask!
Merry Jo says
I’m just finishing a customer-service chat with an amazon rep right now. She said that you CAN share it with people that are not in the same household, and right now if you still have the free amazon prime, you can only share it with 1 other person, but when you pay for it, you can share it with 3 others. I’m glad I know that now! 🙂
Liz says
Excellent! Thanks for the info!
Rachel says
It is so funny that you asked that question, as I’ve had the same one on my mind lately. I loved getting it free through Amazon Mom, but after a year my free benefits ran out. I also live in a rural area and have no big box or drugstores nearby. Last week I finally decided to break down and get the membership instead of paying $4 shipping on $6 worth of Puffs. My husband laughed at me for spending $79 instead of $4, but we are both enjoying the benefits of fast free shipping already. I love being able to buy a last-minute gift (Father’s Day always sneaks up on me!) and have it here quickly.
Margery H. says
I really love the amazon.com Prime membership. I do not think it makes me overspend, but it is really easy to push the “Buy Now” button if you have not decided beforehand what to buy and what price point. In the past month I have saved so much money buying household necessities such as yeast, two different kinds of watch batteries, vacuum cleaner filters, a rechargeable appliance battery, and birthday presents. I found a killer deal on printer cartridges. (I will make more when I recycle them at Staples than I spent buying them!) I have also read two best-seller books for free on the Kindle, one during March and one during April. The waiting list at my library was over 100 people (I checked), but I got them in 2 minutes and didn’t have to leave my house.
Even though I live in a metropolitan area, I still appreciate not having to run around all over the place looking for these oddball things. It saves this busy, busy mom time and gas! Love it! The two-day shipping is sweet. I almost don’t buy anything unless it’s tagged “Prime” on amazon.
Jaynee says
Totally worth it for my family. Since my husband and I can share the Amazon Prime membership, we BOTH get free shipping. We both use Amazon a lot, so it’s worth it to our family. Add in the fact that Prime members can also watching streaming TV/movies as part of the fee is an added bonus for us.
Sheila says
Yes, very worth it for me! So many things aren’t available here and many are 2 hours away. We just recently started using the streaming, and that’s nice, but it’s the shipping that I pay for.
Carrie says
I love it! We buy food, gifts, vitamins, school books, and more. They really do have the best prices on many things and I Love not dragging kids around for stuff! Worth it to me!
Ashley says
I seriously hesitated getting Amazon Prime. We had loved our free trials of it, and used it quite a bit, but like previous posters I was fine going back to the longer free shipping. We finally broke down this year and actually got Prime, and we are loving it. For one, buying from Amazon does save us tax that we would have to pay buying something in town, we don’t pay shipping, and if I need something quickly, I know for sure I’ll have it within 2 days. And it is fantastic for us as homeschoolers! We are also canceling Netflix, which will save us appx $8/month. So that right there is worth the price that we’re paying for it, not to mention the gas we are saving by driving to town. We aren’t in an incredibly rural area, but the next town is about 20 miles away, and with the current price of gas a trip to town, including driving to several stores, does cost us about $10, so saving that money is very helpful as well.
Melinda says
I have had prime membership for over one year now and in my opinoin it has saved us hundreds of dollars in shipping because we have basically bought most of our children’s b-day and Christmas gifts on Amazon. I also buy quite a few books for gifts for my family and friends on Amazon too, however, if I did not have prime I do not think I would buy quite so much 🙂 If you live in a secluded area or you are unable to get to the store much to buy items that you need then it really would be worth it because you save gas, plus shipping.
Mara says
I LOVE my Prime membership. I have 5 nieces and nephews that live in a different state. I make up my membership costs just on presents for them – I buy their birthday and holiday gifts on amazon and have them shipped directly to their houses. Not only does it mean that I don’t have to go shopping, I don’t have to go to the post office. I also live in a very high priced area, and find that items are often cheaper on amazon then on sale at my local store. Price out things that you use a lot of – we have found that diapers, vitamins, and the organic oatmeal that my daughter loves are all MUCH cheaper on amazon (and then they are delivered to my house!).
Lots of people have also mentioned that you can share a membership with family members. Unless the “same address” thing is recent (since I renewed in February), you don’t have to live at the same address. I share my account 4 ways, so we each only spend $20 a year. FYI – the streaming videos/books are only for the primary holder of the membership, not the family members who share. Since I am on my sister’s account, she gets the videos, but I still get the free shipping!
Andrea says
It is clearly stated here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_navbox_manage_share?nodeId=200444180#share
Mara says
I wonder if they changed the policy. We renewed ours in February and it’s clear that we don’t live in the same house because we entered four different addresses!
Amy E. says
For our family it is not. My father in law has added us to his Prime membership. So I’m assuming you could probably hook up with someone else (or two) and split the cost to make it more cost effective for everyone.
Jenn says
Depends who you are and your needs.
For me, I don’t buy enough to make it worth it. For me, I wait to buy things on Amazon until I have $25 so I can get free shipping and I never care about waiting.
I had a free month of Prime when I bought my kindle. The streaming options are horrible so I would never use that as a reason to get Prime.
My brother buys all his diapers for the kids and likes the 2 day shipping. So it is worth it for him.
Jenn says
I have Prime but I also use it as a substitute for cable which easily rationalizes the cost. The 2 day shipping is just a bonus. And as others have said, you don’t need a Prime account to use subscribe and save. I’m not aware of any extra deals I get because I have a Prime membership.
I pretty much accidentally bought the Prime membership so we’re testing it for this year to see if it’s worth keeping in addition to our streaming Netflix account. I usually try and get a free trial around Christmas to save on shipping but that doesn’t come with streaming and I couldn’t find one last year so those may be becoming more rare. The two day shipping is awfully nice, but since I live in a rural area and order lots of things online, I’m used to planning ahead and waiting for what I need to arrive.
Kristen says
One more thing…can you sign up for the free year trial with another email account or person, like your husband’s name and account?
Christie says
When I had my free trial through Amazon Mom I was able to share free shipping benefits with 2 people
Christina says
I live in a very rural area too where there isn’t even Walmart or Walgreens within a reasonable distance. We have the prime membership and feel that it is totally worth it. Everything in my town is expensive because we are so rural, but Amazon’s prices the same no matter where you live. If I lived in a city, or near Target or Walmart I don’t think it would be worth it, though. Some people have said that they feel like they might have to spend more to feel like they are recouping the $80 they spent on the membership, but that isn’t the case for us. For us it isn’t just about the savings, but the convenience. To take half a day to drive to Walmart and back is very inconvenient, and as long as we take inventory of our stuff we can get it before we need it from Amazon, and in only two days. We have had things break, or for health reasons we need certain things and we can get them so quickly without having to make the drive to Walmart, or to pay an arm and a leg locally. Once or twice a year we have needed something the next day and it was completely worth it to us to pay $4 to get it a little faster instead of having to pay more than that in gas to get it at Walmart.
Kristen says
I think it is worth it, especially in a rural area. You will save on gas. But more importantly, your time is worth money too so if it will save you time as well, then it’s really worth it.
Pretty Penny Saved says
I already like ordering some things with Subscribe and Save because they are cheaper than any store deal, even with coupons (our brand of diapers, wipes, organic applesauce and the food squeeze packs for toddlers.) Amazon also offers larger sizes of things than found in a brick and mortar store, which means I run out less often. You also can’t beat Amazon’s price on “real” paper books, which we give as gifts and can ship direct to our loved ones. And since we have Prime, the free two day shipping is totally worth it for us. It saves us much more a month than it costs, and makes things more convenient, which you can’t put a price tag on!
Wendy says
Here’s the thing – shipping is free for orders over $25 ANYWAY. I just keep a list near my desk of the things we need to get – usually small things I just can’t pick up at the grocery store. (New crochet hook, specific-sized screwdriver, a book I intend to give a friend as a birthday gift, etc.) Then whenever I need to get something from Amazon, especially if I find a really good deal here, I have enough things I would have been purchasing anyway that I can qualify for the free shipping even without Prime. Yes, it usually takes more than two days to get my stuff, but I also don’t feel “locked in” to Amazon’s prices. For most things, I can find the same item for the same price or less elsewhere.
Uyen Tran says
YES! Because you can share it with your family members. We share our membership between 3 households.
melissa says
How do you do that? Do you have to have the same email address to log in?
Lisa says
It is under your account settings. You can invite them, and then they accept. You need their email address and birthdate. We do this as well, and split the cost. But only the primary member gets the free streaming and rentals from the Kindle library. It is the free shipping everyone else gets.
Tara says
Actually, I just went to check and it says “Up to four household members may share the shipping benefits of this membership.” That means four members of the same household. Bummer! LOL
Liz says
You can also share it with friends! I believe as of now you can only share your membership with one other person, but they don’t have to be related. And at any time, you can switch people.
Jessica says
I agree with so many of the above posters. This is the main benefit that I love, that I haven’t seen anyone else mentioned:
It saves TIME. You search for your item, find it easily with search filters, add it to your cart, and viola… done shopping! Five minutes tops. I personally get overwhelmed in big box stores, and I can’t imagine shopping at them with kids. No driving, no searching, no waiting in line.
Other benefits, already mentioned, but simplified:
– Students & Moms can get a discounted membership price
– Sending gifts to long distance friends / family
– Free streaming of SOME videos
– Holiday shopping (you can find ANYTHING on Amazon, almost!)
– Low prices on many items
– Kindle lending library (one free book per month, I think?)
Tiffany says
Is the Kindle library for ANY book or a specified one?
WhatsInMyBookbag says
You are looking for the titles that say $0.00 (read for free) with Prime. And there will be a box below it that says For Kindle Device Owners.
You can see a glimpse of what is currently in the library by going to
1. Shop by Department
2. Kindle
3. Kindle Owners’ Lending Library
You must own a Kindle and have Prime to use this but there are a variety of titles. But my understanding is that you are limited to one book a month so take that into consideration for your decision.
Doreen Platt says
Amazon prime is our one “luxury.” Over the past couple of years, bit by bit we have cancelled everything else (cable TV, Netflix, Hulu Plus even land line phone) to save money but the one thing we have kept is Amazon Prime because it gives us both free shipping and free videos, including many of the TV shows we would have otherwise been paying a separate fee for to watch on TV from our cable provider.
Since I use an Amazon Visa card for all Amazon purchases, I even get 3 points back per dollar on the $79 annual Amazon prime renewal. Since those points equate to cash savings, I figure that equates to reducing the cost of my Amazon prime.
AutumninWI says
I love my amazon prime for household basics like printer ink… if I need one, I can buy… and have it in two days without having to make a special trip the store, because my time is worth money too. I like that even if I need something small I don’t need to pad my cart with other things that I don’t really need.
I do have a Kindle so that’s great Amazon service too, and we’ve just begun using the streaming service through the Roku… but I would buy Prime just for the no minimum purchase to get 2 day shipping.
I live in a state that I have to pay the use tax on purchases… but the rate is the same as sales tax which I would have to pay anyways if I bought locally. So that;s really a non-issue.
Melissa says
I think it depends on circumstances, but yes I think it’s worth it. I save time & gas on purchases. I have a home daycare and work long hours. If I can save time by shopping for some things on amazon I will. I order at least once a week and for things we use not just impulse buys. During the holidays I more than made up for the price with convenience, not fighting crowds and time. With rising gas costs & esp rural driving I would think yes:)
Jen says
I have to admit, I finally broke down and got it, and I LOVE having it. Gas prices aren’t a big factor here (I live in an urban area with just about every store I could want within a 15 minute drive), but I did it for the convenience. I figure it’s probably not really saving us tons of money, but it’s not costing tons either. I work a lot of hours, so I do most of my gift and home item shopping online. Having free shipping I don’t even have to consider comes is nice, and I do my best to stick to shopping only at Amazon now rather than any other stores where I have to pay shipping. I do also buy diapers from Amazon because the ones I prefer don’t have the huge sales and coupons the other brands do. Amazon is the cheapest option by a lot. Finally, we use the Prime membership for streaming videos and for the monthly free Kindle book. We were considering subscribing to Netflix but decided to make do with Amazon instead. We’ve been using it a lot and are very happy.
That said, I do find it’s sometimes hard to resist buying something from Amazon. For instance, I really wanted to buy some new placemats for the holiday party I hosted over the weekend. I knew I could get the free shipping and they’d be there before the weekend no problem….it took some self-restraint to shut the browser and stick to the old placemats I already had! If I was on a very tight budget and trying not to purchase much, I would definitely skip the Amazon Prime to avoid the temptation to buy things I don’t need.
Jessica says
if you use netflix or have a kindle you can add the free streaming benefits and free reads for prime members into your equation (and get rid of your netflix.
Courtney says
Prime is worth it in our house! We get great deals on gifts and get them shipped free straight to their door. We also get a free e-book loan a month and access to free streaming content. It’s also great for obscure items that are hard to find elsewhere. We deliberated on renewing ours this year, but after making 5 purchases already this year I know it’s worth it. We also probably get in 15-20 purchases during the holiday season which saves us a significant amount.
Thrifty Military Mommy says
I’m curious about the streaming content? Is it much like netflix? Could I access it through my wii so I can watch it on my TV? Do you know if it has TV shows for kids as well? Right now we have netflix and I don’t want to give it up because of the variety of movies AND TV shows available. I think Amazon Prime would be worth it to me if they have the same stuff as netflix.
Emily says
There are definitely movies for kids – I think all of the Thomas the tank engine series is on their now (plus whatever else, I looked for someone else). I watch more TV shows on it than movies, right now I’m watching the third season of MythBusters.
Andie says
no clue about wii but I use it on my Roku and absolutely love it. they are adding shows and movies all of the time. my television is a 1080i one and image quality is quite good.
Amanda says
They’ve recently added streaming video capability to Playstation 3. I haven’t tried it yet so I don’t know how it works though.
Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom says
I was checking out Amazon Prime streaming the other day and saw that they have lots of Thomas the Tank Engine, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood and shows like Diego and Dora there as well 🙂
Thrifty Military Mommy says
Great info, thanks!
Sarah G says
I live in a rural area too, and Amazon is a life-saver for me! But if you are worried about paying for the Prime membership, consider shopping at drugstore.com or even SOAP.com and only using Amazon’s S&S. I prefer SOAP.com, because they have a HUGE selection and if you spend $39 or more you get free 1-2 day shipping. You can buy a lot of natural and organic foods and other products here too! Most of the time, they are a little higher than Amazon, but you usually do not have to buy in bulk like Amazon. Shop through Ebates and get 4% cash back!
Sarah G says
We do not have cable or satellite, just free digital TV for news and regular channels. I have never been impressed with Prime instant video. For $8 a month, you just can’t beat Netflix’s variety. I am not sure if you can use Amazon with your wii or not???
dina says
I think it pays for it self in just one large purchase cause Amazon doesnt charge sales tax. So when i bought my laptop on Amazon i saved 7.75% just because no sales taxes was added.
Dawn says
I have Amazon Prime and love it. I also live in a very rural area. I have groceries stores and Wal-Mart both a 30 minute drive one way. Anything more is a two hour drive. I use it to send gifts to out of town family members. I only have the cost of the gift and not an additional charge for shipping.
brandy says
you don’t need prime to use subscribe & save…. But i think prime is worth it anyways. I don’t have the time to go to the store for everything (or more precisely, 5 stores a week for every weird thing) and amazon is usually cheaper anyways. Here’s what i bought recently: playtex valves for sippy cups, ekobrew (to replace old solo fill) for keurig, dipes, dipes, lalaloopsy mini for easter basket, cordless phone battery, dog treats, pregnancy test strips, bamboo skewers, tahini. That replaced hm… several TRIPs to target, whole foods, cvs, pet store, kitchen store. if you’re living in a rural area you couldn’t even get all that stuff. I only go shopping 1x a week to costco, every other week to regular grocery. That’s it!
Kaila says
For us probably not. By the time you add the cost of membership to what we spend on diapers it will be about the same to by them in store. Gas isn’t really a factor for us bc my husband can pick it up on the way home from work.
Lou Anne says
The price is enough to make one pause, but I think it is worth it under certain circumstances. Our family lives in a rural area as well. In past years, we traveled to the city when we needed things not available here. But with gas at $4/gallon, that trip now costs $40 (plus food). I have a Discover Card and used my cash back to purchase the membership. It’s not exactly free, but it doesn’t come from my pocket. And, I use my amazon prime. I even purchase specialty grocery & household items from Subscribe & Save that cost less than at WalMart or that are not available at WalMart. For our family, it saves more that it costs each month.
Andrea says
The actual cost of the trip is more when you consider the maintenance costs on your vehicle.
Courtney says
And time.
GG says
Amazon Prime is well worth it for us and we do not live in a rural area. Shopping is only ‘selective’ where we live. Many stores have closed. It saves us so much time and they are cheaper 99% of the time – you don’t pay sales tax in our state either. We are on our second year of having Prime. We have had no problems with deliveries and only one return. Billing has always been great too. They offer the broadest availability of products in one place. They do require a minimum $25.00 purchase but that seems to never be a problem. We get vitamins, specialty cleaning products, and for Christmas and birthdays – what an extra time saver. I would recommend it to anyone that has 7 or more in their family. We are extremely frugal but we have saved money with Amazon and Amazon Prime.
Annie says
Actually, the great thing about Prime is that you don’t need to have a minimum order. As long as the item you want is eligible for prime, you can order something that is only $1 and have it on your doorstep in too days.
Kristine says
For us, it’s not worth it. No, really.
I just had another free month trial of Prime. I ordered some snack foods for a road trip we were taking, BUT used a 20% off discount that came via my credit card, which was better than Subscribe & Save prices. The two day shipping WAS nice, I will admit. But not nice enough to pay $80. I just did a S&S for some Popchips – my husband has decided he wants them in his lunch now. Don’t have to have a Prime membership to do that.
In the past 6 months, I’ve placed 6 orders with Amazon (much of it was holiday gifts). I plan ahead, search for the best price, and take the free shipping, even if it takes a few more days.
It could possibly be a substitution for Netflix, but I think the free shipping would be a downfall for me. A temptation to buy simply BECAUSE it’s free shipping, and I “have to get my money’s worth.” Which wouldn’t be helpful in our life (or for our budget!)
Davonne says
Shipping is generally free on orders over $25, and we don’t watch much TV (don’t have cable), so I don’t think the prime is worth it for my family. I just wait until we have $25 worth of stuff in my cart before placing the order. If we have less than $25 and really need to order, I’ll throw in a pack of diapers or something else we need(which is generally cheaper on Amazon than in the store since I don’t coupon) and complete the order. No prime membership is necessary! I think the prime membership would tempt me to purchase things I don’t need in an attempt to “get my money’s worth” of the membership fee, so I choose to stay away. The only exception is that some years we will get the free prime trial around Christmastime and purchase things as they go on sale or as we need them, then we cancel the trial before it runs out so we’re not charged anything. I’ve enjoyed the other comments!
Kimberly says
We do the same! I’ve thought about prime ’cause it would be really nice to get things very quickly. However, I can’t justify it. Not when what we’re doing it working.
Rosemary says
I say yes! We love ours. My husband loves being able to find things on Amazon for a good price and not have to drive somewhere to buy it. Saves us a lot of gas. I love the benefits of the Amazon mom. And the two day shipping rocks.
Christie says
I have been pondering this question myself, but so far have not decided it was worth it. A $39 price is much more tempting though. My kids are little, though, no where near college-age. Is that the only way to get the discounted price?
Kristine says
If you attended college, you may be able to get a .edu e-mail account through them as an alumni. I’ve been told my alma mater will do that. Haven’t tried it, though.
christine says
it is absolutely worth it!
i have the price checking app from amazon on my phone and almost everything i check in the store is cheaper on amazon and i just need to wait 2 days to get it. no big deal. I think even without the streaming and kindle stuff it is worth it…however i will add a disclaimer that my husband works for amazon so i am partial!
WhatsInMyBookbag says
I love Prime. I was just thinking again that I should write a post about it.
The two-day shipping alone makes it worth it for me. I also find the two days helpful around holiday time when I am purchasing gifts. I don’t have to run around and mess with crowds and I’m pretty sure it is going to show up in time (as long it says it is available on Amazon). I’m not always sure if something will arrive in time if I order from somewhere else.
Plus I’m not buying something I don’t necessarily want to purchase that day just to make it to the “$25 free shipping”. I used to do that a lot. Also, in my opinion, much of that “free shipping” seemed to take an awful long time to show up at my house. Now with Prime it is two days or less!
Also, one day shipping with Prime is usually $3.99. If you have ever tried to mail something overnight you will know what a crazy good deal that is. I can usually wait 2 days but it is nice to know the option is there.
Andrea says
I’ve gotten burned a couple of times when items didn’t turn up as promised by Amazon Prime. I always check to make sure that things qualify and they are going to arrive, but often, the two day shipping is three. Once, it was six (plus a weekend).
AnnaLisa says
I have had Prime for six years and have NEVER had this experience. Often my two day items show up in one day. I live in the DFW area though, so this might just be a location issue.
WhatsInMyBookbag says
That’s a disappointing experience. Like another reader suggested, maybe location for delivery also factors in to the equation. I may have had some orders come three days and I know I get disappointed that an order placed on Friday will not show up on Monday. I do know that before I had Prime it seemed like sometimes I could wait weeks for an order to show up and that was just not working for me.
Did you ever try contacting Amazon when your Prime shipment was delayed (especially that six day delay)? It would be interesting to know if they have a remedy.
Andrea says
It was during the holidays and things were so crazy that I didn’t get around to contacting them. The order was fulfilled by another merchant through Amazon, so I’ve been more careful about ordering since then; I try to look for things that are sold directly by Amazon.
WhatsInMyBookbag says
I agree. I try to look for items sold directly by Amazon also.
Andrea says
Also, three days doesn’t bother me, because sometimes things arrive in less than 24 hours. I figure those average out 🙂
WhatsInMyBookbag says
Glad to hear you have had good experiences too!
Molly says
If you are listed as a family member of the original Prime membership owner, you ONLY get the free shipping. You do not get the free Amazon Mom membership, streaming, free book, etc.
Carrie says
It sounds like a good deal, but if people are really struggling financially, is it worth it? The movies and streaming sound good, but they are a want, not a need. Can you use coupons for things online? What if you have to return items…does it cost money? Would things be cheaper if you bought from thrift stores, Aldis, or borrowed movies from friends or the library. I know it’s only so much money, but when you are really struggling, is it a good idea?
Stephanie says
Good points, Carrie. We’ve been considering Amazon Prime instead of streaming Netflix (we do not pay for cable). However, I’m afraid the temptation to spend may be too great if we do switch.
Meadow says
We have had Prime for at least 7 years now. We even had Prime back when you just had to spend at least “X” dollars per year, and it was free!
The way we look to see if it is worth paying the yearly fee, is do we save $7 a month? Well about the cheapest that you can pay for shipping an item is $2.50, so if we buy 3 items a month (on average) than we are saving money. Not even counting; faster shipping, more product choices, open 24/7, more time to decide, free gift shipping… =)
Janine says
I believe it is worth it. You’ll easily pay more than $6.58 a month in shipping. And have to wait longer! We do use the Amazon Instant Video as well and love it. And if you own a Kindle, as an Amazon Prime member you would be able to borrow one book a month free from Amazon’s Kindle library. I’ve been a Prime member for almost 5 years now and have had no regrets.
Dealliker says
Looks like you have your answer. I love all the feed back from everyone, good comments in response to a good question!
Mike says
I rarely order anything from Amazon, so for me it’s not worth it. I never need anything so quickly I need extra fast shipping and rarely make use of any special deals.
If keeping your shopping habits the same as they are now, Prime would save you money from shipping and such to make it pay for itself, then go for it.
I use ShopRunner to get the same 2-day shipping and discounts from other stores, but again, I won’t go past the free year I received.
Sarah says
We actually split the membership with my brother and his wife. My husband and sister-in-law are both grad students and buys many books on Amazon. So, splitting the cost is definitely worth it for us!
Ellie Wofford says
For me it is very much worth it using Amazon Student (which is only $39). I’m not sure it would be at the regular $70 rate. We only have 1 car in my household so I like to use it for buying gifts especially! I can usually remember to buy household supplies/groceries that I’ll need, but tend to forget gifts! 🙂 For me, it tends to be worth it for Christmas season alone! lol
The free streaming is a plus, but do NOT base your decision on it. If you are used to Netflix- Prime Streaming is terrible. The selection is awful. It’s a nice bonus to have just in case, but overall it’s not worth much.
Chris says
I loooove Amazon. I held off a really long time before getting Prime (I’m cheap…lol). Now that I have it, I will never go back. I really love the 2 day free shipping. With the cost of gas these days, I would rather buy online that go out to the stores.
Carissa says
We’ve considered switching from Netflix streaming to Amazon Prime but have been holding off. I can’t find a good way to use our Roku to search for the TV shows & movies that are free when you have Amazon Prime. Just because they show up doesn’t mean you won’t pay for them if you even if you have Prime. Many shows are not included with the Prime membership, which is very frustrating.
Heidi Barker says
Before I order anything on line, I always check the deals on Amazon so I can use my membership. The plus side is that you can order just one, or many things and don’t have to figure in shipping. However, I find I tend to buy more than I should on impulse because of that. Also, I find that many things are not part of the Prime plan. Those things tend to be the heavier, more costly things to ship. You should really decide how much you use Amazon, or could use it, to purchase things. If you would end up paying more than $7 per month, it’s a good deal.
Cathy says
I’ve wondered about this two, but the previous 29 comments aren’t showing up (reloaded the page 3-4 times already).
Cathy says
Never mind, after I commented I could see them. Weird.
Molly says
I pay for an Amazon prime membership and I think it is completely worth it. I did three-quarters of my holiday shopping on Amazon and having the prime membership saved me a pretty penny. Also, I work full time and do not have a lot of extra time to be running around from store to store… one stop shopping fits my lifestyle at this point in time and I am actually willing to pay a little more for the convenience factor.
Ari says
I am wondering the same thing. My Amazon Mom benefits expired recently so i will be watching to see what others say about this.
I can say that I ordered a few things off Amazon last week that totaled under $25. I found a pair of baby socks that were $2 that bumped me over $25 which qualified me for free shipping. So though I bought something i didn’t need, it actually saved me money since I didn’t have to pay about $8 for shipping.
Ari
Ian says
I know someone already said this, but I will say it again. If you are a College Student, you can get a prime account for $40 a year.
Martina says
does that even count when you only enrolled in online classes as an adult?
Christie says
I looked at the elgibility requirements and it says all you need is an email address ending in .edu to confirm student status.
Jessica says
Yes. It does.
Stacy @ A Delightful Home says
I believe you must have an email address from a university. I think they must end with .edu.
Here is the info: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=help_search_1-1?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200500380&qid=1334173511&sr=1-1
Martina says
thanks… my husband is enrolled in online classes, and has an edu address, i always told him it pay off one day lol
Jen says
TOTALLY and absolutely one hundred percent worth it! Our daughter is in college and so for the last two years, we’ve gotten it for half price. Love love love it!! I order so much through them and have never been disappointed!
Frugalapolis says
Yes. Did you know you can share your membership with up to four other accounts? Do you have any nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles etc who would like to split it with you? Then its only $16 a year each. You’ll have to be the primary account and manage the membership, but then you get Kindle lending library priveledges too. Just have them pay you via paypal and you’re set.
Amy says
YES! We order so much from Amazon that it is totally worth it. We also decided to cancel our Netflix streaming since we can use Prime Instant Video, which ends up saving us over $100 a year.
Becky says
A while ago, I would have said no.. not for me. But now that Amazon has streaming movies and such available through the PS3, I’m seriously considering subscribing to Prime myself. We save money by not purchasing cable, but instead subscribing to Hulu, Netflix and perhaps Amazon through our PS3.
Carrie T says
I recently moved back to the country and finally decided to indulge in Amazon Prime. Here are the reasons I was able to justify the cost:
1) I own a Kindle and can borrow one book a month free for 12 months. This alone covers the cost of the membership. I don’t live near a good library so being able to read more books for less than I could buy them seemed win/win.
2) It’s cheaper for a year of Amazon Prime than a year of NetFlix and their library of free movies and TV shows to watch with Prime is growing continuously. Again, live in the country so the cost to drive to Redbox of Blockbuster Express plus having more options was a great deal.
Throw in the added bonus of two day shipping and I decided it was worth it.
angie t. says
VERY worth it. My DH and I both work full time and have longer commutes. I don’t like to run errands during the week since it cuts into family time. Amazon prime really helps with this. We order nearly everything from Amazon. We try to compare prices and make sure that what be buy is reasonably priced. The biggest thing that saves us time and $ is with diapers, wipes and dog food. Our dogs eat a specialty food that is available via Amazon prime. It is 15% cheaper than the local store and it comes to my door step 2 days after I order it. I have two larger dogs, so this savings alone pays for Amazon prime.
Julie R says
I bought it, mostly to be able to order our homeschooling books without paying shipping. Less time in the store=saving money. I like the feature of being able to “share” my membership with other family members. I sent it to my mom, brother and mother-in-law so they can get free shipping.
Sporksoma says
For what I save on shipping costs, Amazon Prime is totally worth it. Plus, you get access to the free Amazon Kindle books and you get access to the Prime-only videos to watch. I got my membership for $40. If I had gotten cable instead of relying on online streaming, I would be paying $50/month at the very least, so that is a considerable savings on my part. Even paying full price for the membership would be a considerable savings. Plus, we can get better bargains, we get special member discounts and offers, and so on. Worth it and more, even if you just pay for the entire thing out of pocket, especially if you replace your cable access with the Prime accessible videos.
Jennie says
My answer may seem obvious but I think it really depends on your situation. If you’re purchasing quite a bit through them because you don’t have access locally, then probably.
I have access locally to almost anything I’d like so I rarely purchase through them unless it’s at Christmas.
I let my membership expire and only once or twice wish I’d had it back.
Mandie says
For me, the answer is yes. I home school our 5 little kids and the convenience of shopping online with free 2 day shipping saves me so much time. Not to mention the hassle of getting all the kids in the car and lugging them through the stores, that may not even have the product I’m looking for anyway. It’s a huge bonus that I can borrow free books for my Kindle also.
Vicki Harris says
I’ve wondered the same things….Amazon is more and more declining to ship stuff to my APO in Germany so I don’t know if it would be worth it…recently I tried to order saxophone reeds and printer cartridges a kindle which they would not ship here…so I have to either get a PO Box from ship to my APO and wait for them to ship it there and then have them ship it to me which I have to pay for or just ship it to a friend and send them gummi bears in exchange for shipping the items to me…..I’d be interested in your reader’s responses.
Anny says
I love our Amazon Prime, we live in rural area and it is 40 miles one way to the bigger city, otherwise Walmart is 20 miles away. I save on gas, I save on impulse buying and with three disabled children/adults it is a great way to save on my time. We also are eating gluten-free and I can’t beat the prices anywhere on our gluten-free staples. I save MANY MANY times over the $75.00.
I also buy our grown kids, grandkids presents and I don’t have to buy it and then ship it across the country.
Besides I get an added benefit of FREE Kindle downloads and also amazon movies……
Jessica says
I was curious about the 4 other members and Amazon states that they must be living at the same address. So it looks like I would not be able to share with my friends or extended family without violating that. Bummer!!!
I have heard that occasionally the membership will be half price. So a membership for $39 but I don’t know when those times are.
susan says
My brotherinlaw is the primary for us and we all do’nt live at the same address. One of the 4 members lives out of state. He said he checked on it and it was ok. They still deliver to 4 different addresses for the membership and Amazon knows that we all live at different addresses as we never ship to the same place.
Andrea says
Amazon occasionally investigates and puts holds on Prime accounts that are shipping to multiple addresses regularly. I encourage you to read their terms for yourself.
Karla says
YES! YES! YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I live in a very rural part of MN and it’s one of the best, let me say that again, THE BEST thing I’ve done.
Karla says
I mean, the nearest Target is an hour away, so this saves me money and time.
e says
Not sure if you have babies but the Luvs diapers are the best deal that I have found (compared to cvs and walgreens deals as well). If you buy diapers from amazon and do the ‘subscribe and save’ deal, you become eligible for the amazon mom membership which gives you free amazon prime . You just have to keep buying diapers to keep the membership.
Susie says
With the additional benefits of free Amazon Prime Videos & the Kindle lending library I think Amazon Prime is an awesome deal. You can also add additional family members (only the primary member gets the additional items though) and share the cost with them to save even more.
Emily says
Like others said, you could add other family members to split the cost if they wanted to use it, too. Also, remember that products on Amazon don’t have tax (that I know of), so you’ll be saving on that, too (as opposed to ordering from another website or a brick-and-mortar store).
Amy says
This should be a savings, but some states, like mine, require that you report items bought without tax online when filing your state taxes. You then have to pay a “use tax” on them. It does not right to me, but that is the current law.
Andrea Hamilton says
For me the Use Tax was a flat rate based on my income, and cost all of $20 for the year. However, most purchases I make on Amazon charge me the local sales tax rate.
Lisa says
I also live 20 minutes min from most larger stores-and the convenience of online ordering and shipping is worth it-especially with gas prices! The thing that makes it extra worth it is just plain convenience. I will look up what I want, be able to order it in the color and size I desire and may have gone to the store and not been able to find it anyway. Plus it actually saves you money by not going into the store and being tempted by everything else that is a “great” deal and you didn’t come in for. And can’t beat ordering something you need in your pj’s and not hauling the kids out!
Kandace says
We just did it at 50% off because I’m a student. Totally worth it, even at full price, for free prime shipping and streaming movies & shows. We don’t have cable and are going to ditch Netflix and just use prime and the Internet for movies & shows.
AnnaLisa says
YES! Just MAKE it worth it. The first year, I had a free trial, and then I didn’t cancel in time and it billed. I thought “Fine – I am really going to get my $79 worth” and ordered tons of things with free two day shipping. All in all, I got in the habit of buying most things on Amazon. (my hubby’s jeans, some household supplies, diapers, wet wipes, formula, ………) Now the prices aren’t quite as good as they used to be, but with the streaming content, I still say it is an easy yes for our family. Add a ROKU to your shopping basket to really take advantage of the movie library! : )
kim says
I had the trial and it ran out in January. I waited until March until I made the decision to purchase the Prime. For me, I have a kindle and like the free books, use the TV stuff from time to time, so added bonuses, and then the free shipping I decided was worth it. I live about 25 minutes from any sort of shopping (Target, Kohl’s, Home Depot, etc) and even about 10 minutes from the closest grocery store, CVS, Rite Aid, and Kmart. A lot of times things are the same price or cheaper on Amazon and then to sit at home and have it delivered in two days, totally worth it. My car gets about 20 miles to the gallon, so if it saves me one trip to the shopping area by me then it has paid for itself every single month. I did not want to shell out for it, but I think it is worth it.
Dana says
I first purchased Amazon Prime two years ago. It was free for the first month and the normal price after that. In the first year, I felt that I totally made out. There were a ton of things I bought that covered the $70something fee. Then there has been this past year. I notice that the items I want while available with Prime shipping, actually cost MORE then if I bought it from another supplier and paid for 2 day shipping. I had also canceled my Netflix to take advantage of the movies available to Prime members. So far I’ve watched all of 2 things. The selection is worse then Netflix streaming (which I didn’t think was possible). I think I’m going to ride out until my year is up, and then cancel, unless all of a sudden amazing deals start popping up.
See You In the Garden says
Thanks for your reply.
Kristin says
Just make sure that you check the prices of things both with and without the Amazon Prime. There are some things I look at that are actually more expensive with the Prime membership than without.
Chris says
Kristin…you can still buy those items that are fulfilled by outside merchants even if you have Prime….you just may have to wait longer to get your products.
Abbygail says
We have been considering it when our netflix gift subscription runs out. Free movies and TV shows with prime (it works with PS3 now, free book downloads, plus the free shipping, and S&S bonuses…it’s getting more and more enticing every day.
See You In the Garden says
This is exactly what my husband just saw a few days ago (that it works on the PS3) and realized a years membership would be less than a year of netflix’s least expensive, with unlimited online video, option. That right there was a huge influence when we started to consider it.
Chrissy Stoll says
Make sure you’re aware of their selection of “free” shows and books. They are not recent seasons of TV shows or the newest movies. I think the free ebook is limited to one per month.
I have a prime membership for many other reasons, but I still prefer netflix for movies/tv shows.
Chrissy Stoll says
Oh, and most of the free books are only specifically for kindles, not for any other tablet/ipad, reader, phone, or PC.
K D says
There is a Kindle for PC app that lets you read Kindle books on your PC.
Courtney says
Actually, the free ebook a month is only for Kindle devices, not for the Kindle app.
But all of the other books I’ve seen also work with the Kindle app.
Teri says
I agree with Chrissy. I actually debated on rather or not to stop our netflix and get Amazon prime instead. After checking out their selection, I decided to stick with netflix. Our daughter watches Curious George and Dora every day on netflix but they don’t have those on Amazon Prime for free. So if you are tossed on the video part of amazon. Make sure you browse all their free stuff before making the switch.
Jessica says
My free year expired as well and have been debating the same thing. I have a Kindle and the free book a month plus video all look really appealing.
Cindy says
To us — yes! We buy most of our college student’s books through amazon.com and get free shipping straight to her school. Our son attends Catholic high school, which means that we buy his schoolbooks, too — and amazon.com is where I go. We also buy non-book items through amazon as well.
Emily says
In my opinion it is only worth it if you can get a few other people to join in and share the account with you. I believe you can invite up to 4 members to share the benefits once you join. Split the cost and it will definitely be a value 🙂
jessica ballard says
I will be adding my mom and sister as well. But regardless it is totally worth it. We order stuff on Amazon b/c the savings is great in general and when we looked at what we paid for shipping- it already would have paid for prime, especially for the 2 day. And we love the movies and streaming shows.
LisaS says
Oh, Heidi, you are a genius. I’m emailing my mom & sister right now.
Heidi says
Absolutely! See if there’s someone you can join up with. Each membership can have up to five people on it. Currently I’m piggybacked onto one of my sister’s membership. When it comes due in August, we’ll be splitting the bill 4 ways! Totally worth it!
cat says
Hello Heidi,
I did not now it could be split 4 ways. That is good news. Silly question. How do you add someone to your membership? Also do you each have your own passwords and usernames? Thanks a bunch,
Cat
Andrea says
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_navbox_manage_share?nodeId=200444180#share
You have to live in the same household.
Kristine says
Amazon states the family members must share an address. Are you all living together, or is it that they just don’t check?
Andrea says
I know people that were investigated by Amazon for shipping to multiple addresses.