Here are the Ways I Save the Most Money with Amazon Subscribe & Save
You know by now that I’m a big fan of anything that simplifies my life (helloooo online grocery shopping!), and that’s why I love Amazon Subscribe & Save for the convenience and easy savings!
For anyone who may not have heard about this service, it’s pretty straightforward given the name — you subscribe to get monthly shipments of your desired products, and the more item subscriptions you have, the more you save. All subscriptions start with a 5% savings, but that percentage increases to 15% when you have 5 or more products in your monthly shipment. And remember this is Amazon we’re talking about, so they seriously have everything you could ever want!
What I love about this service is that it saves me a trip to the store, lets me stack coupons and other savings to get my favorite products for less, and makes managing the items in my shipment so simple. I will say though, there are definitely a few tips and tricks to make this program worth your while.
Here how I shop to maximize my savings…
Pick 2-3 necessities to order on subscription.
I love the array of products and find it so fun to test out new grocery items based on reviews. I recently ordered microwave pork rinds that we posted a deal on here at Hip2Save because I miss my popcorn given it’s not keto-friendly! 👎
Dang Coconut Chips are also one of my favorite keto snacks to order on subscription — I eat them constantly!
As many of you know, coffee is one of my great loves, so I’m constantly on the hunt for new brands of espresso beans (and coffee mugs!) to try — if I land on one I can’t live without, that will for sure become a regular purchase in my S&S.
AND with five people (and LOTS of laundry) in our household, Persil detergent is another go-to S&S purchase for me. I LOVE the smell!😍
Other great Amazon S&S products include:
- Baby products: diapers and wipes which are eligible for a 20% discount if you’re an Amazon Family member
- Household staples: trash bags, toilet paper/paper towels, cleaning & laundry products, vitamins
- Food and drinks: coffee & K-cups and snacks
- Toiletries: feminine products, hair care products, razors, contact solution
“I love S&S for all the things. 😛 Most often snacks for my daughter’s school lunch, the Gain Flings every time there’s that great deal, and usually the Planters deals are really good, too.” — Liza
“I get all of our laundry soap, dog food, cat food, and hand soap through S&S. Saves me SO much money by not going into the store for the basics and ending up buying other items I don’t need.” — Michelle
Add little items to get the 15% discount.
As you search through the thousands of eligible S&S items on Amazon, you’ll see a 5%/15% discount box showing the potential savings. Once you have five S&S items in your order, you’ll receive the 15% discount! I like to have a few large items that our family often uses mixed in with some lower cost products to maximize my savings potential.
If you’re ever in need of little things to add to your order to reach the five-item threshold, look for low-priced beauty goods, gourmet foods, household supplies, healthcare products, or treats for your pets! Some of my favorites add-ons that are on the inexpensive side…
- lip balms
- spices
- small cleaning supplies
- bandages
- dog treats (and those are Yoli’s favorite, too!). 🐶
“I just got the Chapstick Duo in S&S (only to hit my 5 items) and I really like it!” — Alana
“I have at times purchased really inexpensive items that I may not totally need, but just to have a total of 5 items that I am subscribed to so that I can save an extra 15% off my entire shipment!” — Angie
Look for clippable coupons.
Just because you’re shopping on Amazon doesn’t mean you can’t use coupons! If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can often score exclusive Subscribe & Save deals/coupons only for Prime members to get even more out your membership! If you’re not yet a member, you can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial HERE to try it out.
Keep in mind that select digital coupons are only good on the first order placed (and not every month), so be sure to check back the following month to see if the listed price is still a good deal for your S&S order.
“I buy anything and everything when there is a digital coupon and I can get it shipped to my door.” — Angie
Buy sample boxes for credits towards future orders.
Did you know that Amazon has these fun boxes full of curated samples that you can order through your Prime account? Each box includes a variety of samples along with an equal credit for a future purchase of select products in that category. They often have boxes for beauty products, skin care, grocery/beverages, and even dog food and treats!
Note that these sample boxes do change and sell out, so be sure to check this page on a regular basis to see what’s new.
Amazon will send an email on how to use your promotional credit a week after your sample box order ships, but most of the time it comes in a lot sooner than that. The best part? The credit can be used towards your Amazon S&S order as long as you have an eligible item in your cart — how sweet!
As an example, I had a credit from this Gatorade Sample Box I took advantage of previously (no longer available) and was able to use my $6.99 credit to score a HOT buy on this 12-count box of Gatorade Prime Fuel Chocolate Chip protein per bars! By combining the $6.99 credit with the 20% off coupon available AND the 15% off S&S discount, I paid just $1.90 shipped for 12 bars! 💃
Avoid items that are cheaper elsewhere.
It may be convenient to buy all your household goods on Amazon, but there are actually times that it may be more expensive when compared to purchasing those items in bulk at a big box store or warehouse club. Products like paper towels and toilet paper don’t have an expiration date, so you can often pick up these items in a large quantity for the lowest price per roll, assuming you have the space to store them. Batteries are also another item that can typically be found for less at stores like Costco and Sam’s Club.
That said, Amazon will occasionally roll out sales and digital coupons on household paper goods that are too good to pass up, such as deals on popular brands like Bounty and Cottonelle. In this case, it actually does make sense to purchase these products on Amazon.
Take advantage of deals when Amazon Prime Day rolls around.
Even though Prime Day has passed, I still can’t stop thinking about that CRAZY BabyGanics S&S deal that was offered! Lucky readers were able to get tons of FREE baby products thanks to pairing coupons with Subscribe and Save offers!
If you love ordering from Amazon, make sure to check back with us each summer when the next Amazon Prime Day rolls around — we post only the hottest offers to save you time so you don’t have to search the deals yourself. 😁 Can’t wait until next summer? Stay tuned as the Black Friday and Cyber Monday Amazon deals will be here before we know it! 🙌
Mark your calendar for your reorder date.
Another key to getting the most bang for your buck with Amazon S&S is diligently checking your order before it’s confirmed each month. Since the prices on these items change often, you’ll want to double check to make sure you’re not paying more for a particular item than you should. Amazon will send you an email a few days before your scheduled delivery with a list of current prices, so watch for that email!
This is also a good time to swap out items you don’t need monthly with something else less expensive to keep your order total at five S&S products. You can also choose to skip a shipment if you need to. This will push the item back a month and also reset your entire delivery schedule based on that shipment.
For items I only need once, I always go back into my account when I receive my items and cancel my order so that I don’t accidentally get it the next month.” — Angie
What I’m loving about this program:
- It’s seriously so convenient.
It makes life easier by automating the shipment of my favorite products right to my doorstep. Plus, I’m not lugging around huge packages of dog food, detergent, or paper products throughout the store or out to my car. Gone are the days of trying to unload the car in a single trip! 🙌 - I save time and money by NOT going to the store.
Since I don’t have to use gas driving to the store, spend my time shopping, or unload the bulky items from the car, Amazon S&S makes my wallet and my schedule very happy. - I save even MORE with coupons.
I can clip Subscribe & Save Coupons for qualifying items to save even more! They only apply for the first time an item ships as part of my Subscribe & Save order, though I’ve been diligent in moving items around in my orders to make sure I’m getting the best deal each month. - The subscription options are really flexible.
I can change the delivery date by a few days to get something I need or want sooner! So if I’m running low on coffee and need it to arrive a week earlier, I can easily change the delivery date in my Amazon account. The same goes for cancellations — If just want to snag a deal for the low price but don’t want the subscription every month, I can cancel it right after receiving my order. It’s super easy!
Need some Amazon order inspiration?
Check out our Amazon Deals page on Hip2Save! We’re constantly posting about the lowest offers and ways to save on Amazon products!
Do you use Amazon Subscribe & Save?
Let us know your favorite products to order in your subscription and how you save the most money!
McCafe kcups are a given on my s&s!
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I totally agree! It takes a little work just like going “to” the store but I have no bags to carry home in the house. I can stock up and not with the open boxes from big stores at a cheap IF I buy right. I consider cost of gas and my back!!!! That’s huge to me especially like now on weight restrictions.
Yes, I LOVE that I don’t have to use my gas or lug stuff in the house! š
The thing I really love the most is that you don’t have to be a Prime member to take advantage of S&S!
I never knew this!! Does anyone know if you can have an amazon student account and join amazon family on that same account?
I get so many of the subscribe and save deals you post. Thanks for all your hard work!
Yay! Happy to hear that. You’re welcome! š
I love S&S also,! BUT…I’ve noticed that some of my items do not have a discount until I out 5 items on the list for the month and for some items the discount is only 5% or 10%. Very disappointed they have changed it to smaller discounts on some items. The cat food and treats I have on S&S have 5% initially and 10% after i have 5 items in my S&S.
Yes, I’ve noticed S&S being more finicky lately too. We will definitely post about any changes as we gather more info. Thanks for the heads up!
I love Persil. My grandmother used it when I was growing up and my mother used it when I was growing up so I always think of family when I smell it. Reminds me of my childhood. So glad it finally got stateside.
Awww… I love scents that remind me of my childhood too. And yes, Persil is the BEST – I LOVE the smell!
Yep, for me it’s pink Dove bar soap’s smell that reminds me of my grandmother. I have not smelled Persil and will have to try it; I know I have a sample stashed in my laundry area and will try it this weekend!
I love Subscribe and Save! Oftentimes I have additional savings so even if itās not an outrageous deal Iāll click on it to see what my final price will be. The chip deal from earlier today was $2.00 cheaper than what I was expecting! There are so many items to pick from (and even things that I have no idea why anyone would ever need more than one shipment!). I keep flossers on my order to use as my 5th item if I ever need a filler item.
Great tip on the flossers as a filler item for the 5th one! Thank you!
Verena Street coffee is the best. If you like flavored coffee the Mississippi Grog is divine and Cow Tipper is a close second. They do also have Pumpkin Smasher for those who have to have the pumpkin in their life. They do also have plain ol’ coffee and decaf too. I have sent this stuff as gifts to family in CA and they loved it too.
Ooh… I am SO gonna have to try the Pumpkin Smasher. š Thanks for the tip!
Question..if i buy an item (for argument sake a bottle of detergent) i get it thru subscribe and save at a price of $5.00. Am i auto locked into that $5.00 price each delivery ?? Or if the price goes up i pay more next delivery ?? Tia
The price can go up, and they are supposed to email a few days before with the details of the delivery (including price) BUT, the price charged is whatever it is on the site at the time the order goes through. I have had them change, and go up 20-50% from the price I first ordered. I thought the price was locked in but learned that the hard way. Also, I did not get the emails at times and got surprised by some, then I could not cancel etc. So, what I do is do the S+S for the coupon on the first order and then just cancel. I do NOT like having the price changing on a minute to minute basis.
You will pay whatever the price is for that item at the next delivery time. You are not locked in on that $5 price.
Thanks for answering my question. Id rather ask a silly question here than explain my mistake to my wife…dun dun dun
Does the price get locked for the very 1st order, even if you change the delivery date?
Or are you paying the delivery price whatever that is on the delivery day (as opposed to the supposedly lower one from the ordering date)?
On the first order, your price is the price you pay when the order is placed, regardless of pushing up the date. Now, if the price goes down later you do not get that adjusted, and as stated before future deliveries are up in the air because the prices fluctuate. But if you have an order with a price, that is the price you pay period.
We LOVE s&s…we just got prime this last christmas, but still use s&s for a LOT!!! It saves so much time and money!!!
I know others have said it… but all this hard work for us is šamazing! Thank you. I save money for my family, &get new ideas to try like DANG coconut š„„ yum!!
I love S&S! I cancel everything and start fresh each month. Have saved a ton on baby food pouches for my toddler. I love that when there’s a % off coupon it’s off the original price, not the discounted S&S price – so you save even more!
Hi Collin!
What type of coffee maker do you have and whatās your favorite medium blend coffee to order on amazon??
Great post! Iām constantly canceling orders to re-purchase the same item to continue receiving the āfirst order discount or couponā works like a charm
Have any other Subscribe and Save shoppers had delivery problems with items transported via Amazon Logistics? Iused to love buying monthly staples through Subscribe and Savebut in the past three months items have not arrived on the due date, have been postponedfortwo or three times and then I hadthe hassle of trying toenquire online as to where my stuff was. It took 2 online chats, three phone calls and an email to sort out three missing items on the September delivery. (i really think being a Prime member helped here). They were “disappearing” somewhere between the local transportationcenter and being placed on an Amazon Logistics vehicle. Having searched online, I see this is a nationwide problem. Time for Amazon to step up.