Skip to content

How to Shop Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Without Any Regrets

We‘ve all been there – that sinking feeling after clicking "Buy Now" on an impulse purchase we didn‘t really need. It‘s called buyer‘s remorse, and it‘s especially common during big sales events like Amazon‘s Prime Big Deal Days. With tens of thousands of products discounted over the 48-hour event on October 10-11, 2023, it‘s easy to get carried away and overspend on things you‘ll regret later.

But what if I told you it doesn‘t have to be that way? As a self-proclaimed deal hunting expert, I‘ve developed foolproof strategies over the years to maximize savings while minimizing buyer‘s remorse. By putting in a little extra time and thought before Prime Big Deal Days, you can emerge with amazing deals on things you‘ll actually use – and no regrets. Here‘s how:

1. Ask Yourself: Would I Buy This Without a Sale?

Picture this: You spot a deeply discounted air fryer and get excited. An air fryer is on your "maybe someday" list, and this is the lowest price you‘ve ever seen! You add to cart, check out, and feel great about the deal you scored…until the air fryer arrives and you realize you don‘t really have the counter space for another appliance, and you‘re perfectly happy with your oven.

This is a prime (no pun intended) example of why the first question you should always ask is: Would I still buy this if it wasn‘t on sale? Be honest with yourself. If the answer is no, close the tab and move on. No deal is worth buying something you won‘t use and don‘t truly need.

I learned this lesson the hard way a few years ago. I bought a fancy espresso machine on Prime Day because it was 40% off. I imagined myself sipping cappuccinos each morning, but in reality, I‘m a drip coffee diehard. That shiny machine collected dust on my counter for months before I reluctantly admitted defeat and sold it on Craigslist. Learn from my mistake!

2. Do Your Research with Price Trackers

Just because something is discounted on Prime Big Deal Days doesn‘t necessarily mean it‘s the best price available. Many sellers inflate their original prices in the days leading up to a big sale so they can boast bigger percentage-off deals during the event.

That‘s where price trackers come in. My two favorites are CamelCamelCamel and SlickDeals.net. CamelCamelCamel is an Amazon price tracker that provides handy charts of a product‘s price history over time. You can use it to check if the current sale price is actually the item‘s lowest ever, or if you‘d be better off waiting for a better deal later.

Meanwhile, SlickDeals.net is a community of super savvy bargain hunters. Before you buy anything on Prime Big Deal Days, search for it on Slickdeals to see what the community is saying. Are they excited about this particular deal, or are there better options available elsewhere? The comment section on popular deals is always a gold mine of info and advice.

For example, last year I had my eye on a robot vacuum that was 30% off on Prime Day. It seemed like a great deal, but I decided to check Slickdeals first. Lo and behold, a top comment mentioned that the same vacuum had been 40% off the previous Black Friday. Apparently this Prime Day discount wasn‘t so special after all. I held off and was rewarded with an even better deal a few months later.

3. Set a Strict Budget – and Stick to It

With thousands of deals flying at you fast, it‘s dangerously easy to get sucked into a buying frenzy on Prime Big Deal Days. You think you‘re saving so much money, but your total at checkout tells a different story. This is a recipe for buyer‘s remorse, not to mention credit card debt.

The solution is simple, but not necessarily easy: Set a budget and stick to it, no matter what. Take an honest look at your finances and decide how much you can comfortably spend without feeling stressed or guilty afterwards. Write this number down, tell your accountability buddy, or even put the cash in an envelope so you can physically see how much you have to work with.

Then comes the hard part: resisting temptation and not going a penny over budget, no matter how amazing a deal seems in the moment. Whenever you‘re about to buy something, ask yourself if it fits your budget. If not, step away from the "Buy Now" button.

I‘ll admit, this takes serious willpower, and I haven‘t always been perfect. But whenever I‘ve stuck to my budget, I‘ve felt so much better when the boxes start arriving. There‘s no joy in deals if they make you feel anxious about your bank balance.

4. Read Reviews with a Critical Eye

User reviews can be a great way to gauge a product‘s quality and decide if it‘s right for you. Just one problem: Fake reviews are rampant on Amazon, especially during big sales when competition is fierce. I‘m talking glowing 5-star reviews that are suspiciously vague or repetitive, often for generic-looking, brand-name products sold by third-party sellers.

Before you put too much stock in a product‘s reviews, run them through Fakespot.com. This handy site analyzes Amazon product pages and gives each one an authenticity grade based on how trustworthy the reviews appear. Too many sketchy reviews is a big red flag that can save you from buyer‘s remorse down the line.

Another pro tip: Sort the reviews by "Most Recent" to get the freshest feedback. And always, always read the 1-star reviews to see what the product‘s harshest critics have to say. If there are recurring complaints about quality, longevity, or customer service, proceed with caution.

5. Implement a Mandatory Cooling-Off Period

Impulse purchases are the number one cause of buyer‘s remorse in my experience. We‘ve all been in that headspace – you see a jaw-dropping deal, your heart races, and you feel like you have to act NOW or miss out forever. Spoiler alert: You usually won‘t miss out forever. And you‘ll often regret buying something just because it was there, without really thinking it through.

That‘s why I created my 30-minute rule: For any unplanned Prime Big Deal Days purchase, I add the item to my cart, then close the tab and set a timer on my phone for 30 minutes. When it goes off, I reassess. Do I still feel that burning desire for the product, or has the FOMO worn off? Did I find any concerning info while researching reviews or price history? Would I still buy it without the sale?

You‘d be amazed how many bad buys this simple pause has saved me from. Sometimes I realize I don‘t need the item at all. Other times I decide it‘s not the right time because of my budget. There‘s no shame in having second thoughts. The whole point is to prevent the "I can‘t believe I bought that" regret later on.

6. Curb "Future You" Thinking

We all know "Future You." They have all the free time and motivation in the world. Future You will definitely use that pasta maker, read that 12-book series, and learn conversational French with that app subscription. But Real You? Real You is busy and easily distracted and already has a cabinet full of abandoned hobbies.

When shopping Prime Big Deal Days, be Real You, not Future You. Yes, that discount Peloton seems amazing, but will you really become a 5-days-a-week cycler overnight? Is that pricey camera truly worth it if your photography interest doesn‘t extend beyond your iPhone?

As someone who‘s been burned by my own wild ambitions before, I urge you to think carefully before buying something aspirational. I once scored a great deal on a DSLR camera because I wanted to get into photography. Spoiler: I did not get into photography beyond a two-week spurt of snapping washed-out pictures of flowers. Hundreds of dollars wasted on a hobby I thought I wanted but didn‘t have the time or real interest to pursue.

The lesson? Deals aren‘t really deals if you won‘t use the product. Wait until you actually develop a proven track record with a new habit or interest before investing money in it. Your bank account will thank you.

The Nuclear Option: Cancel Prime

Alright, this tip isn‘t for everyone. But if you‘re really, really worried about your willpower this Prime Big Deal Days, you can temporarily cancel your Amazon Prime subscription. That‘s right, cut yourself off entirely.

Since most of the best Prime Big Deal Days discounts are for Prime subscribers, removing yourself from the membership removes the temptation completely. It‘s the online shopping equivalent of not keeping ice cream in the house if you know you‘ll eat the whole pint in one sitting.

Of course, this is a dramatic, last-resort step. You‘ll miss out on Prime‘s other perks like free shipping and streaming until you resubscribe. But if you‘re truly concerned about going overboard with deals you don‘t need, it might be a necessary precaution. You can always rejoin Prime when the event is over and your bank account is safe.

Remember: There‘s Always Another Sale

With all the hype around Prime Big Deal Days, it‘s easy to get swept up and feel like you HAVE to shop or you‘ll miss out on the deals of a lifetime. I‘m here to remind you: There will always be another sale.

In fact, many other retailers run competing events around the same time, like Target Circle Week (Oct 1-7) and Walmart‘s Deals for Days (Oct 10-12). Not to mention the barrage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals the next month. If there‘s a specific product you‘re hoping to save on, do some research to see if it‘s likely to go on sale elsewhere.

The point is, don‘t let the pressure of Prime Big Deal Days push you into spending money you‘ll later regret. No matter how good a price seems, stay true to your budget, needs, and common sense. I promise the world won‘t end if you miss a few deals. What matters is maintaining a healthy relationship with your finances and mental energy.

You‘ve Got This!

Prime Big Deal Days are a chance to save money on things you need and want – but can just as easily become a hotbed of impulse buys and poor choices. The good news is, with a little preparation and willpower, you can come away with great deals AND a clear conscience.

Remember my tips: Question whether you‘d buy without the sale, use price trackers to find the best deal, set a strict budget, read reviews critically, pause before purchasing, avoid "Future You" thinking, and cancel Prime if needed. Most importantly, keep things in perspective. Life is so much bigger than one shopping event.

Now go forth and deal hunt responsibly, my friends! You‘ve got this. And if you wind up with some buyer‘s remorse despite your best efforts, just remember: Every mistake is an opportunity to learn for next time. Happy shopping!