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My dad is in his mid-70’s and has never owned a computer or a smartphone. He tried a flip-phone style cell phone several years ago but gave it up after a couple of months. He’s just not an internet or modern technology kinda guy. Part of this means he does all of his shopping in local retail stores still. 

It really shouldn’t have surprised me when he went to buy some gallon freezer bags at a small local grocery store that were $3.50 for 10 bags. This is one of those rural grocery stores where everything that isn’t on sale is quite a lot higher than a chain store or Walmart, etc. Still, I was surprised at the price, and surprised that he was really about to pay that! I told him I had lots of freezer bags at home and I’d lend him some. Then I ordered him a box of his own on Amazon. When I told him that I pay less than $9 for 90  bags, he was shocked. In fact, he was convinced that mine were going to be terrible quality. Once he saw them, he was surprised to find that they met his quality expectations. 

Later, he went to buy batteries from a local store and the price surprised me again. I again told him to hold off and I’d buy them on Amazon for much less. It got me thinking about how certain things are significantly cheaper online. Of course, anyone who is on my blog is likely far more technologically advanced than my dad is. I know you’ve all heard of Amazon, but that doesn’t mean that you’ve necessarily thought to price out everyday household essentials on there. I thought I’d share some of my favorite household products that I buy on Amazon to save money vs local stores. 

Household products that are cheaper on amazon

Household Products That Are Cheaper On Amazon

Freezer bags and food storage bags. The solimo brand makes all the standard sizes of baggies, gallon, quart, sandwich, Snack etc. They come in counts that are bigger than most of the stores in my area even sell. You can’t get a 90-count box of gallon freezer bags at my grocery store. I think you’d have to have a membership to a big box store to get that count, usually. On Amazon, they work out to about a dime per bag for the gallon size, 7 cents per bag for quart size. I find them to be similar quality as to what I buy in store. They stay sealed well and don’t feel thin. 

Trash bags. We have a pretty standard trash can so we buy 13 gallon trash bags. Amazon’s Solimo brand trash bags come in a 200 count box for around $19, or about 9 cents per bag. These are similar quality as to what I used to buy from my grocery store. I’ve never had them rip on me. Plus, it’s nice to get a big box and not have to re-purchase as often! The last time I purchased these was in September of 2020 and we aren’t super low yet. 

Face masks. It’s easy to find 50-count boxes of disposable face masks for around $7, in any color of your choice, basically. Or even 100 count boxes for under $10. Locally I’ve seen 5 count boxes of masks for over $5! 

Batteries. I haven’t bought AAA or AA batteries in local stores for a few years now. Amazon Basics AA batteries are under $16 for 48, or $11 for 26 AAA batteries. We buy these large packs about once a year rather than drop $5 on a 4 pack at the store. 

Dog food. This can definitely vary by brand but we ordered our dog food on Amazon for years because it was about $8 cheaper on Amazon than it was at our local grocery store. Plus, buying big bags of dog food can be a bit of a burden in the store by having o be lifted several times and taking up a lot of room in your cart. It’s really convenient to just have a mail carrier leave it on my doorstep. 

Tips & tricks for saving money on Amazon

Finding products that are just cheaper on Amazon isn’t the only way to save money. Here are a few others that I use. 

Warehouse Deals. Did you know this section of Amazon existed? It let’s you purchase items that are pre-owned or had their boxes opened. In some cases they were just opened and returned! The discounts can be really significant. For example, I just looked up an Instant pot on amazon warehouse and regular amazon. For the exact same model, the price is $179.99 on ‘regular’ Amazon, and this is listed as a limited time deal. On Amazon Warehouse, it’s just $62.30! 

Amazon coupon sites. Sites like Myvipon.com offer discount codes for various products on Amazon. Sometimes the discounts offered are not good deals, so definitely investate each one to make sure it’s not marked up so that it can be marked down. However, if you are familiar with the regular cost of items, you’ll be able to spot the true deals. I recently got coupon that took 50% off a set of markers, giving me a 48 count for about $9, vs a typical price of around $21. 

This post currently has 10 responses.

  • Peggy Nunn

    I did not know about the warehouse section. I will be checking that out. Thank you for the other tips.

  • monique s

    Thanks so much for the site with the coupon codes for amazon. Such a saver

  • Lauryn R

    I love shopping on Amazon, we pretty much get everything from them. When you are a Prime member it’s amazing how quickly you can get things too. Thank you so much for sharing thus website that tells you all of the current Amazon deals, how helpful!

  • Sarah L

    I do shop at Amazon, but didn’t think about batteries or trash bags. I usually get them from Costco.

  • Maryann D.

    It is nice to find better deals on Amazon. I know a lot of people who have been shopping more on-line this year. I do love the convenience.

  • Leela

    Thanks for all the tips. I’m always looking for new ways to save money.

  • Mia E

    I buy all my cat food and vitamins as well as many household items from Amazon because I find that it is significantly less expensive. I am going to check out the warehouse deals.

  • gloria patterson

    WOW I do feel behind the curve on this. I have Prime but never think about things like batteries or trash bags. I will be checking it out now

  • Peggy Nunn

    Thank you for the ideas. I have found more that are cheaper than what I pay.

  • Helga

    Thanks for this helpful information on how to save money on Amazon. I will be checking out their warehouse section.

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