Is Investing in an Amazon Prime Membership Worth It?
After being longtime Amazon shoppers, my partner and I finally gave in and signed up for Amazon Prime last fall. It costs $119 a year, or about $12.99 a month, and comes with a bunch of perks like free two-day shipping, endless streaming on Prime Instant Video, and borrowing from the Kindle Lending Library.
Before we subscribed, we would always wait until our cart hit the $35 free shipping mark, then endure up to two weeks of waiting for our packages. As our renewal date neared, we took a step back to see if the service was really worth it and debated whether we’d continue with it.
PRO: EASY AND CONVENIENT
The quick, two-day shipping was a huge draw for us. As two professionals with busy schedules, skipping a trip to the store for a single item is a huge relief. Having things delivered to our door in a couple of days saves us the hassle of running errands.
We think Amazon Prime will be even more convenient once we have a baby. No more last-minute runs for diapers, wipes, formula, or other essentials when supplies run low.
CON: IT’S EXPENSIVE
The biggest downside to Amazon Prime is the price. It’s now $99, up from $79 a few years ago, and that’s not a small amount. But, considering how often we order things, we would’ve easily spent more on fast shipping if we had stuck with the two-week wait.
To me, Amazon Prime is like membership deals at places like Costco and Netflix. It combines good prices with unlimited TV and movie streaming, giving it an advantage over similar services.
PRO: VALUE FOR MONEY
Despite losing the sales tax exemption in California, Amazon Prime still offers good prices.
PRO: CONTROL YOUR SPENDING
Avoiding those unexpected trips to big stores like Target has saved us a lot. Going in for one thing often led to spending more on stuff we didn’t really need. Thanks to Amazon Prime, I’ve cut down on these unnecessary purchases.
Now, I just buy what I need and nothing more. Random sale items or things I might need later don’t end up in my cart anymore. This change has definitely made the $99 membership fee worth it.
After thinking it over, we decided to keep our Amazon Prime membership. By canceling Netflix, which cost us $8.99 a month or $107.88 a year, Amazon Prime pretty much paid for itself.
Do you have an Amazon Prime membership, or do you think the $119 yearly fee is worth it? What other subscription services do you think are worth the money?
