Easy Ways to Save with Amazon Subscribe and Save

I don’t like shopping. I don’t like going to the store. I don’t like lines. I don’t like the parking lots. I don’t like carrying bags of stuff back home. Just not my thing. For a handful of items that I need regularly, I found I can save the time and inconvenience, plus 5%-15%, using Amazon’s subscribe and save.

What is Subscribe and Save?

Amazon’s subscribe and save is a subscription server that allows you to buy regularly used items at a discount when you sign up for regular delivery. Most products have a 5% discount, but some go as high as 15%.

How Does It Work?

When you are shopping for your favorite products, look for a little box that says “subscribe and save.” In that box, you can set the frequency and see the discount amount. Once you hit subscribe, the first shipment will be on the way. You can cancel at any time before the next item ships if you change your mind.

There is a single page on Amazon to manage all of your subscriptions. There, you can set your item to come more or less often or cancel your subscription all together.

Great Products in Subscribe and Save

Shaving Cream

I’ve written about my quest for the perfect shave before, and the single biggest improvement I ever made was dumping the cheap shave gel and switched to high quality cream. I have been happy with Proraso Italian shaving cream, but in looking to up the quality even more, it looks like the best option comes from England.

Taylor of Old Bond Street has the most recommended shaving cream I’ve come across, and you can save 5% on a recurring order with subscribe and save. If you shave daily, you will need a re-stock about every two months.

Razor Blades

I tried the Dollar Shave Club for a while, but when my razors run out, I’m going to switch to a double edge safety razor. Either way, if you use Mach 3 cartridges or double edge safety razor blades (which cost 7.5¢ each), you can subscribe and save 5%.

Soap

The second product I added to my subscribe and save list was my soap. I never thought much about the soap I used, or the dry, itchy skin it caused, until I tried Dove’s bar soap for men (I like “Extra Fresh” scent).  I was later suggested to give Burt’s Bees Natural Skin Care for Men. I think both are good products, but after a month using Burt’s product, I found it far superior. Plus, it isn’t full of nasty chemicals that seep into my skin. Both are 5% off with subscribe and save.

Deodorant

The first product I ever tried with subscribe and save was deodorant. It took me a long time to find the one I like best, and it shows up every 3 months without fail.

I’ll be honest. I have had smelly, sweaty days in my past. Old Spice’s Fresh Collection has been one of the few to meet the challenge, and of those, the only one with a smell better than tolerable. I have a 4 pack of Denali scent deodorant show up every three months, and I save 5% with subscribe and save.

Shampoo

I did some reading about shampoo chemicals, and decided to go natural. I didn’t find the nasty, carcinogenic chemicals beneficial. I gave up on Head and Shoulders (I use dandruff shampoo because of the dry climate in Denver) and have been trying natural alternatives. Most recently, Jason Dandruff Relief Shampoo. Head and Shoulders is 5% off with subscribe and save. Jason is not on the list just yet, but this shampoo from Burt’s Bees is.

Toothpaste

I have long bought toothpaste at Sam’s Club, but having it delivered to my door is tempting. I use Crest Whitening with Scope, and have never had a cavity in my life, so it seems to be working well. It is also 5% off with subscribe and save.

Other Ideas

Coffee

I totally love my Keurig coffee maker (it was a gift, but a super awesome one). When we got the Keurig, we tried out a 105 K-Cup variety pack to find the varieties we like best. Now that we’ve found our favorites, we could put some of them on our subscribe and save list to have them delivered at a discount.

My favorite coffee K-Cup is from Caribou Coffee. I’m also a fan of Sleepytime and other teas from Celestial Seasonings. All K-Cups I searched for were 5% off with subscribe and save.

Laundry Detergent

I used Gain for ages, but recently decided to pay a bit extra for the convenience of Tide Pods. I’ve been thrilled with the results (my whites are staying whiter and my colors are not fading as much). Because my girlfriend likes natural products, we’ve also looked into Seventh Generation laundry detergent packs, but have not tried them yet.

The fun thing is that all of those products are 5% off with subscribe and save.

Dryer Sheets

Many people sweat by dryer sheets. Others say they are a complete waste of money. I won’t get into that debate here, but I will offer that Bounce dryer sheets, the ones I use, are 5% off with subscribe and save.

Don’t Stop There

If you really want to go all out, you can order groceries, pet food, or tons of other items. I really do use Amazon all the time. It is my #1 place to go for any shopping needs. When I found out I could save 5% or more on a bunch of my regular purchases, I was thrilled!

Have You Tried Subscribe and Save?

Have you ever tried out Amazon’s subscribe and save? What was your experience like? Please share in the comments.

Image by MikeBlogs / flickr