• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
RetailAmazon

Here’s A Guaranteed Effortless Way to Save Money on Amazon Prime Day

By
Money
Money
and
Brad Tuttle
Brad Tuttle
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Money
Money
and
Brad Tuttle
Brad Tuttle
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 11, 2016, 11:46 AM ET
Operations Inside An Amazon.com Inc. Fulfillment Center On Cyber Monday
Boxes move along a conveyor belt at the Amazon.com Inc. fulfillment center on Cyber Monday in Robbinsville, New Jersey, U.S., on Monday, Nov. 30, 2015. Online sales on Cyber Monday may rise at least 18 percent from a year earlier, slower growth than during the holiday weekend, as consumers start their Internet shopping earlier, according to forecasts by International Business Machines Corp. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhoto by Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty Images

This article originally appeared on money.com.

Ever since Amazon (AMZN) announced it was holding another Prime Day sales event on Tuesday, July 12, there’s been tons of speculation about what the best deals will be. Shopping experts and money-saving gurus have also been promoting step-by-step plans for finding and snagging the biggest bargains on Prime Day, which has been pumped up as the summertime version of Black Friday.

Certainly, it’s wise to approach the online mega-sales event with some strategy. Among the loads of complaints about the original Prime Day last summer were that the best sales sold out in seconds, while shoppers spent much of the day frustratingly trying to sift the decent deals from the merely mediocre or downright bizarre. The savvy shopper will browse only for desirable merchandise, do price comparisons to ensure the “deals” are deals, and be ready to snatch up items in a heartbeat.

That’s good and all. But here’s another tactic to consider for the day, and unlike any other tips you might follow for Amazon Prime Day, this one is 100% guaranteed to save you money: Just turn a blind eye. Pretend that Amazon Prime Day isn’t happening. Fight off those feelings of FOMO, your compulsions to buy stuff, and the excitement of finding supposed deals, and ignore the entire damn thing.

The typical shopper who has bought into the Prime Day hype will browse through hundreds of items looking for deals. In most cases, the resulting purchase(s) will be something that the individual wouldn’t have purchased otherwise because there would have been no reason to hunt for stuff to buy. The items might even be significantly discounted, and seem like can’t-pass-up bargains. But guess what? Nearly all Prime Day shoppers will be spending money they wouldn’t have spent had it not been Prime Day. By definition, spending = not saving. In fact, spending is exactly the opposite of saving.

 

There are easy ways to justify shopping during a manufactured event like Prime Day. The simplest one is to buy into the idea that you’re saving money now on items you are likely to need in the future. In other words, instead of purchasing clothes and tech for your kids during back-to-school sales, or buying holiday gifts on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, you could buy them on Prime Day and maybe spend a little less.

One flaw with this kind of rationalization is that it’s way too super-easy to stick something in your virtual shopping cart that you’ll later regret. This is how people wind up buying Segways. You see, there’s a difference between buying something you truly need and buying something that you might possibly maybe want to be in possession of down the line.

Perhaps more importantly, as the Wall Street Journal pointed out recently, and many others have noticed over the years, we live in a retail world of “perpetual promotions.” Retailers host constant sales 24/7/365, with Memorial Day deals blurring into Father’s Day sales, on to Fourth of July discounts, “Christmas in July” gimmicks, and beyond. The gist is there’s basically never a time when stuff isn’t on sale.

Because of the constant-sales environment, Black Friday and Cyber Monday–the physical and online granddaddies of made-up sales events–are increasingly being viewed as meaningless. Prime Day, a ripoff of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, is more meaningless still.

[fortune-brightcove videoid=4935110194001]

 

So if you feel like you’re missing out on all the Prime Day deals—which, by the way, are only for Prime subscribers, who pay $99 annually after a free 30-day trial, and who tend to spend a ton of money at Amazon after becoming members—take solace in the fact that this is hardly the last time you’ll see enticing bargains.

If Prime Day is when shoppers snag things on the cheap that they might have otherwise purchased during back-to-school sales or Black Friday, keep in mind that there will be many future opportunities for similar deals—like, duh, during back-to-school sales or Black Friday.

By then, maybe you’ll actually know whether or not you need that possibly-useful-but-possibly-stupid thing you were going to purchase on Prime Day.

About the Authors
By Money
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Brad Tuttle
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

delivery
Retailecommerce
Walmart’s upper hand over Amazon in the $1 trillion e-commerce race: 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a superstore
By Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
gamestop
RetailM&A
‘Neither credible or attractive’: eBay slaps down GameStop’s $56 billion takeover bid
By Michelle Chapman and The Associated PressMay 12, 2026
5 days ago
amazon
RetailAmazon
Amazon’s promise of 30-minute delivery collides with memories of Domino’s drivers crashing in the late 1980s
By Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressMay 12, 2026
5 days ago
India’s Gen Z turned Diet Coke into a status symbol. A can shortage just made it a luxury
Asiadiet coke
India’s Gen Z turned Diet Coke into a status symbol. A can shortage just made it a luxury
By Brendan Cosgrove and Morning BrewMay 11, 2026
6 days ago
Content creator Logan Walter
SuccessJobs
This Gen Zer dropped out of college to become an influencer—now he’s a millionaire from selling products like Medicube and Neutrogena on TikTok Shop
By Emma BurleighMay 11, 2026
6 days ago
Investors are betting big on senior housing. There’s just one problem—the baby boomers they’re chasing can’t pay the rent
Real Estatebaby boomers
Investors are betting big on senior housing. There’s just one problem—the baby boomers they’re chasing can’t pay the rent
By Sydney LakeMay 9, 2026
8 days ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
20 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
5 days ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a 'non-linear' price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
Energy
Oil markets could be a month away from the moment of truth. Brace for a 'non-linear' price spike and panic buying, analysts warn
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
23 hours ago
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
Future of Work
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.