Let’s get one thing straight. You don’t need 14 browser tabs open and a spreadsheet full of lightning deals to win Prime Day. What you need is a system.
Amazon’s four-day Prime Day sale kicks off July 8. Yes, it’s longer this year. Yes, you’ll see tempting discounts on everything from Fire TV sticks to noise-canceling headphones.
However, while the homepage transforms into a blinking carnival of “limited-time offers,” most of us simply want to get in, grab what we need at a good price, and get out.
The same smart shopping tactics that work on Prime Day also work during Black Friday. Here’s how I do it.
Start with Price History Tools
Start with price history. If a $250 gadget is now $199, is that a good deal? Or just the same “deal” from last month dressed up in a new graphic?
Tools like CamelCamelCamel and Keepa help you check that. They track how prices move over time on Amazon, so you can see if this is the lowest it’s been, or just a recycled markdown.
Both let you set alerts based on the price you’re willing to pay. I use Camel’s extension (called The Camelizer) and keep it running while I shop.
Keepa goes a step further. It shows price charts right on the Amazon product page. You don’t even need an account; just install the extension and scroll down when you’re looking at an item.
Use Slickdeals for Alerts Beyond Amazon
If you want to expand beyond Amazon, Slickdeals is useful. The site pulls together discounts across the web and lets you create alerts for specific products or keywords.
Just be warned: if you go too broad, your inbox will flood. I set alerts for a few product names I trust, such as “AirPods” or “Apple Watch,” and filter out anything that doesn’t appear on the front page or earn top community ratings.
Turn on Alexa and App Notifications
Alexa can help too, if you’re already using an Echo. Inside the Alexa app, you can turn on deal alerts for items in your wishlist or cart.
Amazon gives you a heads-up up to 24 hrs before the deal starts. You’ll see a yellow ring on your Echo or get a push notification on your phone. It’s not a huge deal, but handy if you’re watching something.
The same goes for the Amazon Shopping app. Open it, go to Settings > Notifications > Deals and Recommendations, and toggle the alerts for “Savings.”
This will keep you in the loop on products you’ve viewed or searched for. I’ve used this to track down restocks and catch early Prime-exclusive deals before they disappear.
Just Shop on Amazon
If you want to get the best bang for your buck, don’t just shop Amazon. Target, Best Buy, and Walmart all roll out their own sales to compete with each other.
Best Buy’s “Black Friday in July” starts July 7. Target’s “Circle Week” begins July 13. Some of their discounts match Amazon’s, while others beat it.
If you find a better deal at one of those stores and prefer buying local or picking up in-store, go for it.
I also keep tabs on price-match policies. Target and Best Buy both match Amazon in many cases, sometimes even after you’ve bought the item. So if you miss a deal or it drops lower later, it’s worth checking.
Wrap Up
One last tip: don’t wait until July 8 to start planning. Start setting alerts now, checking past prices, and identifying what you actually need.
The worst Prime Day trap is buying something just because it’s on sale. I’ve fallen into it before. Don’t be like me.
And if all of this sounds like too much work? You can always follow our roundup deals page, where we cut through the noise and highlight only the discounts worth your time and your money.
