Have you ever wondered if the Amazon Subscribe and Save program can actually save you money? Read this for a really honest cost comparison and review!
{Don’t miss our post on how the Subscribe & Save program can help you take charge of your budget!}
Guest post from Sumitha of A Fine Parent
A recent post here on MoneySavingMom.com raised the question can a warehouse membership save you money?
What if your answer came out as a “No”? Or, like me, what if you could possibly save some money, but dread the warehouse trips because (a) it’s too far away (b) it’s too crowded and (c) you end up buying way more than you planned to, because they entice you with those super yummy samples (Can you tell I have an incredible love-hate relationship with those samples?)
Maybe the real question is: Can you still save money withOUT the warehouse?
A Cost Experiment
I recently ordered a whole bunch of household supplies using the Amazon Subscribe and Save option (details here), and I think the overall bill came out much lower than what it would cost me at Costco.
I’ll be honest — I did not cross check the price on each and every item. Instead, as always, I ran a quick litmus test by comparing the prices on two things — toilet paper and paper towels.
For toilet paper, we use Charmin Ultra Soft and my “stock up” price is $0.25 per regular roll. At Costco, when I had last checked they had a coupon running and the cost of a regular roll was $0.23. At Amazon, using the subscribe & save option, the cost of a regular roll was $0.22.
Similarly, for paper towels, we use Bounty and my stock up price is $0.75 per regular roll. At Costco, when I last checked, with coupon, it was $0.77 per regular roll. Amazon currently has a coupon too, and the cost came up to $0.59 per regular roll.
I was sold! I even ended up buying some items that are not available at warehouse locations and paid much less than the standard grocery store prices.
A Few Tips on Using Amazon Subscribe and Save:
1. You can cancel the subscription immediately after you receive your shipment if you don’t think you will need the supplies at regular intervals, and re-subscribe when you do need the items again.
2. The subscribe and save items will be shipped in the month after the one that you place your order in — so you will need to plan ahead.
3. Shipping is free on subscribe and save orders.
4. Taxes will apply depending on your state.
5. You can stack Amazon coupons with the subscribe and save discount, so be sure to check for coupons before you place your order.
6. You get the 15-20% subscribe and save discount only if you have 5 or more subscriptions arriving in a month, otherwise the discount is just 5% (You can get up to a 20% discount if you have an Amazon Mom account).
7. There are no fees (equivalent to the warehouse membership fees) for using subscribe and save.
8. I personally think there is a better choice of items using Amazon subscribe and save. So, if you are brand-loyal or just like the ability to pick and choose, you may have better luck on Amazon subscribe & save compared to warehouse clubs.
9. You can shop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 🙂
I better stop before I start sounding like an ad for Amazon — I am just flush with the joy of avoiding a trip to the warehouse by shopping in my jammies while the kiddo sleeps!
And, as it may be obvious from my excitement, I’m fairly new to this. If there are any veteran Amazon Subscribe and Save shoppers here, will you please share some of your expertise with us?
In your experience, what are the best products to save the most on compared to the warehouses? Any other tips, tricks, or gotchas to watch out for?
Sumitha is a long-time reader of MoneySavingMom.com and blogs at A Fine Parent. She believes that “Good Parents are Made, Not Born” and is dedicated to helping parents master the skills and habits required to become the best parents they can be. Click here to see how her passion can change your life!
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