Like many people I started off with an Amazon Prime 30-day free trial. It was around Christmas time, so my intention was to cancel it after I’d ordered presents and anything else I wanted in the run-up to the festive season. However, I decided to continue my subscription and here’s why…
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What is Amazon Prime?
In a nutshell, Amazon Prime members can:
- Get unlimited, FREE One-Day Delivery on millions of items
- Watch over 15,000 movies and TV episodes with unlimited instant streaming
- Borrow from thousands of titles from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library
- Secure, unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
- Listen to over 2 million songs on Prime Music
But there’s a lot more to it…
Free Delivery
The unlimited one-day delivery to UK addresses is a saviour – particularly when you’ve forgotten to buy something or a household item breaks, you can nip straight online and get a replacement the next day. The unlimited one-day delivery is available on millions of eligible items at no extra cost so there’s usually always an item you can find that fits what you need.
One thing to watch for is that it does depend on when you place your order and your delivery address. Check cut off times on the product page so you’re not disappointed. If you’re early enough, items are dispatched the same day and then delivered the next day. But do always check this. There is an unlimited priority (2-day) delivery to the Republic of Ireland on eligible items at no extra cost too.
And whilst I’ve not tried it out myself, there is an unlimited same-day (evening delivery) on certain items to eligible postcodes at no extra cost. Might be worth looking at if it’s available in your area.
Don’t need an item quickly? There’s a no-rush delivery option that provides 3-5 business day delivery. As a thank you, you get a promotional credit.
Bag great deals on Prime Day
Access to the annual Prime Day sale is a neat benefit of being an Amazon Prime member. This is a special day when you can get deep discounts and money off items across most categories.
It’s like Black Friday just that it happens in summer (around June time). With a Prime membership, you can take advantage of these deals or give the 30-day free trial a go.
TIP: when you find something you like, do a quick search online. While you can get some great deals on Prime Day it’s always best to do your due diligence to make sure you can’t get a better deal elsewhere.
Get early access to Lightning Deals
These daily time-limited deals are available to Amazon Prime members 30 minutes before non-Prime customers.
Tip: Download the Amazon app so that you can get push notifications as soon as they go live. This means you can snag popular bargains quickly before they’re available to other shoppers.
Use the extra 30 minutes to your advantage, to check out – and watch – the deals that interest you.
Stock up on household basics with Prime Pantry
This is great, particularly for all the heavy, bulky items. You can also place a regular order so you know you’ll get replacements before your run out. To some extent you can set it and forget it, just make sure you don’t end up with loads of stuff you don’t need.
Make a list of all the things you regularly purchase and then automate it with Prime Pantry. With careful thought, you can make sure you never run out of non-perishables such as washing powder, fabric conditioner, bleach, other household cleaners and even pet products such as cat litter.
Stream your favourite TV shows and films with Prime Video
Choose from thousands of TV shows, films and other programmes for free as an Amazon Prime member. Because it’s competing with services like Netflix, it always seems to be getting better. There are loads to choose from – in fact, there’s more than you could ever watch.
Some films you have to rent but they’re usually only a few pounds. Most of the time we always find the free options are perfect for us. Another bonus is that you can access Prime Video from your tablet or laptop (in fact any device that has a web browser). Alternatively, you can download the Amazon Prime Video app. Basically, wherever you go, you can access films.
Listen to ad-free music with Prime Music
This service allows Amazon Prime members to stream, store, manage and play music anywhere from the cloud. Best of all there are no annoying ads to interrupt you. With two million songs to choose from – including music channels and curated playlists, it’s great to listen to during the day, at work, or even parties. You can listen on your smartphone (just download the Amazon Music app) or from a web browser.
There’s also an Amazon Music Unlimited package as well, but we’ve never needed that. See how you get on. You can always add that at a later stage.
Read books for free with Prime Reading
There are a number of options open to book lovers. Kindle Owners’ Lending Library gives Prime members access to borrow one book per month at no additional cost. A great way to find a good read without having to buy a book.
Kindle First also gives Amazon Prime members early access to download a new book every month at no additional cost from the Kindle First picks.
With Prime Reading, you can borrow books, magazines, and more from the catalogue and read them on your Fire tablet, Kindle e-reader, or the Kindle reading apps for iOS and Android. Worth a look!
Apparently, you can also get free audios with Prime Membership too. I’ve not explored that but as soon as I have, I’ll update the post.
Get unlimited photo storage
We’re always taking photographs – the problem is, where to store them. Enter unlimited photo storage for Amazon Prime members. This allows you to upload your photos to Amazon through the app or via a web browser, helping you to free up space on your device. Have special memories that you want to share? You can create and order photo books as well as prints and cards too.
Try before you buy with Prime Wardrobe
This is exclusive to Prime members and allows you to eligible clothing, shoes, watches and accessories across women’s, men’s, kids’ and baby categories. You get 7 days to try on the items at home and will only be charged for the items you decide to keep. It’s sometimes difficult to know whether an item will fit just right which makes this a perfect choice to pick a few items out and see how they complement the rest of your wardrobe. If it’s not for you simply send it back.
Exclusive content and discounts with Twitch Prime
If you’re a gamer then you’ll love this one. Twitch Prime is included free with an Amazon Prime membership. There’s access to exclusive content and games. With Twitch.tv users get ad-free viewing on Twitch, a Twitch channel subscription every month (in trial periods only a single 30-day Twitch channel subscription) at no additional cost, and exclusive access to bonus game content when you link your Amazon Prime account. So, whether you or your family are avid gamers, then this one is a treat!
