Mommy Talk Show Candid Conversation with a TV Mom
This month I did something I hadn’t done in two years: I canceled my Amazon Prime membership (value: $119/year). Don’t get me wrong. I love streaming TV shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video. I love listening to Amazon Music (especially the Trolls soundtrack) when I’m working around the house. Two-day free shipping has been a convenient way for me (and my husband since I share the account with him) to order the things without running around to stores like a maniac. Nevertheless, I still quit Amazon Prime.
My annual renewal date is the last week of December. To protect my monthly budget after Christmas shopping and travel I decided to cancel my Amazon Prime membership, renew it in a few months and see what life was like without it as my go-to shopping source. As much as I love the idea of not paying for shipping, that’s not an entirely accurate description of what Prime members get.
We pre-pay for shipping for a year, are often times disappointed by how few items sold on Amazon are eligible for Prime, and then face even more disappointment when the item doesn’t arrive in two days (as promised).
My commission-earning Amazon affiliate links and eBay links are below.
I’m still an economical person who likes to save money when I can. Free shipping is a perk I didn’t want to give up entirely. So I found these workarounds to get free shipping even though I quit Amazon Prime.
How to Get Free Shipping Without an
Amazon Prime Membership
Target
As a Target REDCard holder (at no additional cost), I’m eligible for discounts (average 5-10%) through the Target app and free shipping for items that total more than $25. Here’s a look at my shopping cart when I found a few items I needed for our family. You’ll see the REDCard discount and free delivery before I clicked checkout.
Walmart
I noticed right around Christmas 2018 that Walmart had more TV ads promoting its free shipping offer for purchases over $35 (at no additional cost).
You can also narrow and see what aisle the item is in to cut down on your time shopping in the store.
eBay
According to multiple sources including Yahoo News, a company called Deliverr is helping eBay fulfill shipments faster.
“Sellers can use Deliverr to list products for two-day shipping on Walmart, Shopify, and eBay.”
Bonus Tip: Make Large Orders
Many major retailers offer free shipping if your total purchase is more than $50, $75 or even $100.
By making a large purchase of multiple items you’re cutting down on waste by reducing the use of small boxes, packaging materials and reducing the number of delivery stops USPS & UPS workers have to make.
Amazon Prime Discount Memberships
College students are eligible for discounted Amazon Prime Student. So are EBT & Medicaid cardholders who can pay as little as $5.99/month for membership.
Pin this to your favorite money-saving boards:
Hey, if it works for you that is awesome. Glad you found a way to keep getting that free shipping.
I love all these options. I’ll never quite Prime because I love their shows, but I DO love finding even more ways to save on shipping!
I haven’t seen the shows on Prime. I had a free trial membership I enjoyed once upon a time, but I only used it for shipping. There have a been a few items I wanted and couldn’t get because they were for Prime members only!
My husband signed up for a free trial of Amazon Prime, forgot to cancel it and has just been renewing it ever since. I keep telling him it’s completely unnecessary. We have Instacart and rarely use Amazon Prime.
Girl, I hear ya. I don’t have A prime because I just don’t shop with them enough to justify it. I’m all about getting the best deal no matter who has it.
I have seriously been thinking about cancelling my Amazon Prime membership as well. I’ve pre-paid for my annual membership for the last 2 years as well, and now I’m tired of it paying for it.. My issue is I love the streaming shows/movies that are available but 8/10 times I get weird error messages. And I’ve heard I’m not the only one. Thanks for sharing other more affordable options on delivery fees.
Amazon is AMAZING! We have a prime membership, but honestly we watch more of the shows than we do shopping. When we do shop, I take full advantage of that free shipping. Thanks for posting the other stores that offer free shipping. I’m always looking for a good deal.
I totally understand, I am all about saving especially on shipping. I also have a Target Red Card and free shipping is one of the things I love the most. Lately my Amazon Prime (I used someones account) has not arrived in two days as promised.
That was a good idea to cut down on some of your costs. I think my sister has the Target Red card. I love Amazon Prime because it’s so convenient for me, and I already have enough credit cards.
I love Amazon! I share an account with my sister so we just split the membership. I also Have a target red card, they also have great incentives for free shipping and the 5% off. Thanks for the tips!
I definitely take advantage of the free shipping at Target. I should probably have stuff shipped more then maybe I wouldn’t get sucked into target so much 🙂
I purchased it one time years ago, but I don’t buy enough to justify it, so I canceled it. I use my friend’s account now. I didn’t even know about that Target Hack. THey get all my money so anytime I can get something for free from them, I’m all for it. Thanks for sharing. I totally understand why you let it go.
$119/year? Good lawd! Let me check my account. I need to take advantage of the other features of Prime. I listen to music occasionally, but I need to stream shows and movies. We love Prime because we order so much that it pays for itself really. A lot of the stores that I used to order from, like Vitacost, do fulfillment through Amazon so it makes sense.
I so feel you on this! I sometimes if it’s even worth it – my membership renewed without me even noticing. This year I decided instead to cancel my Costco membership and keep Prime. More people have Costco cards so it’s easier for me to still get stuff.
Thanks for sharing the info on other store savings. I have found items on Amazon that are no longer available in stores. Sometimes for a cheaper price if I bundle. I will be keeping my prime. Would love to save the extra money, but they’ve been good to me!