Prime Day is Amazon’s ultimate savings event that happens once a year and lasts 48 hours. This year, Prime Day falls between July 11th and 12th; you have to be a Prime member to take part in all the amazing deals.

This sale is a way to reward Prime members, and if you do it right, you can save hundreds. Alternatively, with so many great deals, it’s easy to overspend and waste money. If you’ve shopped Prime Day in the past, do you think you end up saving money or wasting it?

Amazon Kindle on a white breakfast table

Knowing What You’re Looking for Saves Money

With any shopping adventure, planning ahead saves you money. you’re able to check out some deals ahead of time, like thebest Prime Day laptop dealsorbest smartphone deals for Prime Day. Or, you can simply make a list of what you need, like future holiday presents for family and friends or special items for yourself.

With a list, you’re less likely to stray when you see a really awesome deal, and therefore, save more money than you spend on Prime Day.

Amazon Echo Show 10 on couchside table

Browsing and Buying Might Waste Money

Going into Prime Day blind is almost always a recipe for disaster. That said, if you give yourself a dollar limit, it’s easy to minimize the damage. You can browse through the best deals, add whatever you want to your cart, and then delete items before checkout to stay under your set budget.

This is a great approach for people who don’t have the time to check out deals ahead of time and learneverything there is to know about Prime Day. you’re able to just show up on July 11th and 12th, take part in the fun, and not worry about spending more money than you can afford.

How Do Your Finances Fare Around Prime Day?

If you have a list of holiday gifts you want to buy early, or you have a general idea of what you might want on Prime Day, you’re able to save quite a bit of money. But if you head to Amazon just to see what deals there are, you could end up spending way more than you meant to.

I don’t buy things during the Prime Day sale every year, but when I do, I go in with an idea of what I want and a spending limit. This way, I have two different ways of guiding me through the deals so I don’t get distracted and add more to my cart than I can afford.

But what about you? What are your typical spending habits around Prime Day?

Does Amazon Prime Day help you save money, or waste it?