The first week of February marked a distinct change in the shopping habits of consumers across Southeast Asia. Following the Lunar New Year, everyone was on high alert as Covid-19 spread beyond the Chinese borders. Here in Taiwan, the first cases led to school closures, increased doctors’ visits, and families preparing for the worst. In addition, masses of people were ‘panic-buying’ health care products and household supplies.
Jenny Smedra is an avid world traveler, ESL teacher, former archaeologist, and freelance writer. Choosing a life abroad had strengthened her commitment to finding ways to bring people together across language and cultural barriers. While most of her time is dedicated to either working with children, she also enjoys good friends, good food, and new adventures.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what to buy on Amazon Prime Day. It’s a great time of year to get good deals. However, it’s also a big bonanza sale that’s very hyped up. Therefore, it’s easy to get sucked into the indulgence of consumerism. In other words, if I’m not careful, I know that I can end up wasting money on impulse buys over this two-day sale.
That’s why I want to have a plan. If I’m going to do some Amazon Prime Day shopping, then I need to focus ahead of time on what to buy. I need to make a list and some rules. I need to stick to that. If I’m focused then I’ll make the most of this consumer holiday without wasting money.
What is Amazon Prime Day?
Amazon Prime Day is a huge set of deals available on the site for a 48-hour period starting July 15th. However, there are also pre-day deals leading up to the actual sales day. All of these deals are only available to people who are Amazon Prime members.
I actually gave up my own Amazon Prime membership this year. If I want to take advantage of the deals, then I need to sign up again. They do offer a 30-day free membership. However, I’ll have to find out if that deal is available to former members. If not, then I won’t buy anything because I’m not ready to pay for a new annual membership.
What to Buy on Amazon Prime Day
If I’m able to get the Amazon Prime membership then there are only a few things that I want to buy on Amazon Prime Day.
Things I Buy Regularly on Amazon
The main thing I want to buy on Amazon Prime is the stuff that I already buy on Amazon. If I buy them anyway, then it makes sense to see if I can get a discount on them for Prime Day. In particular, I’d love to get some good deals on non-perishable items I can stock up on. Here’s my plan:
Go through my past orders and look for recurring purchases.
Check if any of those items are on sale for Amazon Prime Day.
If they are, purchase as many as possible (within reason) to get them at the best price.
Some of the types of things I might want to buy on Amazon Prime Day that fall into this category include groceries, home cleaning supplies, dog food, undergarments, pillows, and bath products.
After going through the old Amazon orders, I’ll also make a list of things I buy regularly such as those above. Maybe I buy them at other stores so they aren’t in my Amazon orders. I’ll check to see if I should get those during Amazon Prime deal days.
Stuff I’ve Been Wanting to Buy on Sale
There are a few things that I’ve been wanting to buy, even though I don’t purchase them regularly. I’ve been waiting for them to go on sale. Some of those things are already in my Amazon cart (“saved for later.”) Therefore, I’ll start there. Then I’ll turn to the list in my journal of “stuff I want to buy on sale.”
These are all things that I want, and I’ll use, but they aren’t necessities. For example, I’ve wanted a new swimsuit for years. I could use a new comforter for my bed. I periodically update my dog’s toy box with new items. I’d like to add to my existing art supplies.
These items are what to buy on Amazon Prime Day. The caveat is that I must already want them (not just desire them because I’m browsing the site) and they must be a good deal.
Planning Ahead for Christmas
Finally, I want to think ahead about Christmas presents. I do not purchase a lot of gifts each year. I tend to make scrapbooks and small handmade items for people. Or not do gifts at all. However, there are a few people that I like to get things for each year. Before going on the site, I’ll brainstorm a list of the types of things I might want to get for them. If I found those on sale on Amazon Prime Day, it would be worth the cost to me.
What Not to Buy on Amazon Prime Day
If something doesn’t fall into one of the above categories, then I’m 90% sure that I won’t buy it on Amazon Prime Day. It’s really important to me to be a conscious shopper. Impulse buys are a waste of money. If I’m going to waste money, I’d rather use it to support local stores. Therefore, I truly want to stick to my list.
In addition, here are some things I keep in mind about what not to buy on Amazon Prime Day:
Perishable items
Things I would never buy normally
Gadgets that look so fun; history says I’ll never use them
Clothes and shoes, because I have plenty (except for that swimsuit and underwear)
Big ticket items; they’re tempting because of great discounts but spending a lot of money is still spending a lot of money
If I go into it with a good plan than I should know what to buy on Amazon Prime Day and what to skip. Do you have a plan for shopping on days like this?
Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer with more than a decade of experience writing about healthy living and personal finance. She lives in San Francisco, where she has learned to maximize frugal living tips in order to thrive as a freelancer in one of the nation’s most expensive cities. When she’s not writing, she’s exploring the city on foot with her rescue dog. Learn more about her at www.kathrynvercillo.com. Kathryn also writes about saving money with coupons over at GroceryCouponGuide.com
If you want to get a new vacuum cleaner, then Dyson may be the way to go. In fact, you might have narrowed it down to the Dyson V7 or V8. Which one is the better buy? Obviously, the Dyson V8 is newer. Therefore, it might have some better features, but it also might be more expensive. Is it worth the extra cost?
Dyson V7 vs V8: First, the Similarities
These are both cordless vacuums. They’re both made by Dyson. Moreover, they are both designed to be an improvement over the earlier Dyson V6. Therefore, there are a lot of similarities between Dyson V7 vs V8. If you’re just looking for a basic cordless vacuum that has excellent power, then you could do well to get either one of them.
Both vacuums are similar in terms of body design. Each has a suction trigger as well as a max mode for more power. Both can be used as a stick vacuum or in a handheld mode. They can both clean hardwood floors as well as carpets. While the Dyson V7 has significantly improved battery life when compared to the V6, it’s not significantly different than the V8 battery life.
If you aren’t that particular, then there is no significant reason to spend the extra money to get the Dyson V8. They’re similar enough to one another that the lower price of the V7 is a good reason to go for that one.
Don’t Compare Apples to Oranges
One of the most important things to understand when comparing Dyson V7 vs V8 is that there are different versions of each of these vacuums. For example, you can get the Dyson D7 Motorhead, which is the basic version, or you can get the Dyson V7 Total Clean, which has a soft roller for hardwood floors (among other advanced features). Make sure that when you compare Dyson V7 vs V8 that you’re comparing the same versions of them. In other words, you can’t comprae the Dyson D7 Motorhead to the Dyson V8 Total Clean. You have to compare “apples to apples.”
Dyson V7 Animal vs Dyson V8 Absolute
One of the most common comparisons that people make when determining which of these vacuums to buy is the Dyson V7 Animal vs. the Dyson V8 Absolute. These have more features than the basic V7 Motorhead version described above. They are fairly comparable to one another and give you a good sense if one is better than the other for your needs.
The Dyson V8 Absolute:
Is more powerful
Has slightly longer battery power but also takes longer to recharge
Is a slightly heavier vacuum
Has a better filtration system
Costs more
The Dyson V7 can meet the average household’s needs. However, if you require more power than normal from your vacuum’s suction, then you might find it worth it to invest in the V8. Moreover, the filtration system on the V8 is better so if you struggle with significant allergies then you might find it worth it to pay more for the V8.
Dyson V8 vs V10
You can also take a look at the Dyson V10. It’s got slightly more suction power than the Dyson V8. It also has a larger dustbin. However, it’s not noticeably better in other ways. It’s also significantly more expensive. Nevertheless, it’s worth a look if you’re doing a comparison.
Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer with more than a decade of experience writing about healthy living and personal finance. She lives in San Francisco, where she has learned to maximize frugal living tips in order to thrive as a freelancer in one of the nation’s most expensive cities. When she’s not writing, she’s exploring the city on foot with her rescue dog. Learn more about her at www.kathrynvercillo.com. Kathryn also writes about saving money with coupons over at GroceryCouponGuide.com
