Why in the world would I ever pay $79 for 2 day shipping?
That was the first thing that went through my mind when I was asked about Amazon Prime and whether it was worth joining. I couldn’t help wondering, though, what was it about this service that would compel someone to spent money for it? After all, if you just order $25 of merchandise in 1 order, most items qualify for free standard delivery anyway. Is it really worth upgrading to 2 day delivery for $79?
I figured Amazon didn’t get this far by selling ridiculously high priced products with no real benefit, so I decided to take a closer look.
I Should Have Known There Was More To It Than Free 2 Day Shipping!
Well, of course there is!
Amazon is run by retail geniuses who know how to give people what they want in the most efficient and cost effective way possible while building brand loyalty!
Sure, Amazon Prime gives free 2 day shipping, but if you have Prime you can also save a bundle by cancelling cable and Netflix and watching one
of Amazon’s 250,000 movies and TV shows because it comes with unlimited instant streaming.
Now they have my attention.
Prime also gives members a Kindle book for free EACH MONTH from the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library like Netflix for book. Kindle books don’t have to be read on a Kindle-you can download and read them on a laptop or even a smart phone. The cost of Prime breaks down to just over $6.07 per month. This keeps looking more and more attractive.
But they’re not finished…..Amazon wants you to share the joy! They specifically outline on their site that members are allowed to share their shipping benefit with up to four member of your same household or 4 coworkers to shop for the related account. The others don’t get the free monthly books or the streaming video, but pooling your efforts at work could save a bundle!
The Benefits Can Be Even Better For Moms And Students.
Amazon mom is a service with the benefits of Amazon Prime, but with the bonus of saving you 20% on diapers and wipes that get delivered (free of course) directly to your door. They’ll even credit you an extra $10 off your account for signing up for the automatic diaper delivery service. So, essentially, they’ll pay you back for allowing them to make your life easier and saving you money. They’ll even let you try it
for 3 months FREE! Can you beat that?
If you’re a student you can! Prime gives students a 6 month free trial and a $39 annual fee after that. They even help you sell your text books when you’re done with them.
So, to break it down, here’s what you get:
- Free Unlimited Instant Streaming of over 250,000 Movies & Shows
- 1 Free Download from Kindle Lending Library per Month
- Free 2 Day Shipping on Most Items no Minimum Purchase Required
- $3.99 For One Day Shipping
- Release Date Delivery Options on Certain Hot New Items
- Shared Shipping with 4 Relatives/Co-Workers at Same Address
- Free 1 Month Trial
- Amazon Mom has Additional Benefit of 20% Off Diapers and Wipes Through Subscribe and Save Delivery Service and a 3 Month Trial
- Amazon Student is only $39 Annually, Has a 6 Month Free Trial and Offers Emailed Discounts on Certain Items
You don’t get the benefit of the streaming videos or the free Kindle Lending Library during free trial periods, so if you’re interested, you might want to grab a membership now to take full advantage of the free shipping for holiday gifts and your other benefits will kick in once the holiday chaos has died down.
I’m beyond the diaper stage with my children and thankfully, no one in the family is paying college tuition just yet, but I’ve found plenty of reasons that Amazon Prime is more than worth the price of admission. Honestly, I had never given it a second thought. Now, on second thought, I think I’ll give them my credit card!





Enter The Daily Grommet.


Left: without cleansing After: Left-cleaned with Clarisonic Right-cleaned manually

Sometimes you feel like you need eight hands. The kids are craving for your attention and you have to take care about the house at the same time. The dinner is also waiting you to prepare it. Sounds familiar?