With the over-hyped and under-delivered Amazon Prime Day, I figured it was time to share some lesser known tricks (or shopping hacks) at Amazon. Tricks that’ll be useful when an item shows up late, damaged, broken, or worse yet, doesn’t show up at all. You’ll be glad to know you have some recourse with the online retail giant, some of which can add up to significant money. Here’s what you need to know…

1. Prime Shipping Guarantee Not Met?

Amazon has guaranteed delivery dates and they try to meet them if at all possible, and they usually do.

But what happens if they don’t meet their Prime 2-day shipping guarantee?

After all, if they’re going to use the word “Guarantee” and charge you a $199 annual fee for the service, you absolutely have the right to hold them to this guarantee.

So if they don’t meet the guarantee, and your item arrives after 2 business days, you can contact customer service and hold their feet to the fire.

Politely explain the situation via live chat, or a phone call, and depending on the order size, they’ll typically give you a $5 credit, a $10 credit, or a 1-month Prime membership extension.

2. Broken or Damaged Item? Get a Free Replacement

There is nothing more frustrating than placing an order online only to have the item show up at your door broken or damaged.

Whether it’s the fault of the person who boxed the item at an Amazon warehouse, or a lazy delivery person who decides to shot-put your package from 20 feet, Amazon has your back.

Simply tell a customer service rep about the problem and if the item is valued at less than $50, they’ll typically send you a replacement without having you ship the original item back.

Better yet, they’ll often send it via overnight shipping if you ask for it.

Keep in mind that this works only for items sold directly by Amazon.

If you bought it from a 3rd party seller, you’ll have the option of getting your money back or getting a replacement in 3-4 business days.

3. Item Late or Never Showed Up?

If you order something from Amazon, and for whatever reason the item has not shown up after 3-4 business days, you have some surprisingly good recourse.

Simple contact Amazon customer service, explain the situation, and they’ll typically upgrade the shipping to “next-day” if the item hasn’t left their warehouse, or create a replacement order post-haste if it got lost in transit.

Ask the Reader: Have you ever used any of these Amazon shopping hacks when they didn’t hold up their end of the bargain, or maybe your order got lost or damaged? Or do you consider these tips to go over the “proper etiquette” line?

By Kyle James

Pencils, crayons, glue sticks, shoes, uniforms, binders, maybe even a new laptop. It may seem early to start thinking about the things on your kid’s back-to-school shopping list, but if you start early and keep an eye out for certain things, you can save a ton of money. Here are eleven tips that’ll not only save you money, but I’ll keep you sane as you try to figure out the best back-to-school shopping strategy this year.

1. Shop Your Closet & Kid’s Backpack First

Before you go buying a single back-to-school item, check out what you already got.

My 3 kids typically have a backpack thrown in the corner chalked full of pencils, markers, pair of scissors, ruler, etc.

All stuff you won’t need to replenish this Fall.

Also, be sure to take a look at what might be stored in the closet. There is a great chance you already have a decent amount of school supplies on hand.

This is especially true if you are like me and stock up when you find a screaming deal.

2. NEVER Buy Everything From a Single Store

The absolute worst, and most expensive, way to do your back to school shopping is to enter one store and knock it all out at once.

Why? Well because while you might find a few items on sale, you’re going to have to pay full price for a lot of other stuff and as you know, there is nothing I hate worse than paying full price.

Instead, what you want to do is start watching the sales flyers right now and when you see great deals on items on your kid’s back-to-school list, go in and make the purchase.

By starting early you’ll have plenty of time to make purchases ONLY when the price is right.

3. Price Match Sold-Out Items

Let’s say you’re shopping at Office Max and they are completely sold out of their 25 cent boxes of crayons.

All hope is not lost. Just take their ad to your local Walmart or Target and as long as it’s a brand they also carry, they will happily price match the screaming deal on crayons, or whatever it might be.

Never assume that since a store is sold-out you’re flat out of luck.

Here is an article I wrote a while back talking about which stores will price match that will guide you through the different retailers price match policies, both online and in-store.

4. Buy Only On a Tax-Free Day

If you can wait until your state is offering a tax free weekend in August and September to make significant back-to-school purchases, you can easily save 6-9%, depending on your state’s tax rate.

Many states have already had their tax free weekends, but the following states are still upcoming for 2024:

• Connecticut: Aug. 18-24
• Florida: Sept 2-8
• Iowa: Aug. 4-5
• Louisiana: Sept 6-8
• Maryland: Aug. 11-17
• Mississippi: Aug. 30 – Sept 1
• Texas: Aug 9-11

Look for tax-free days every year in early August.

5. Shop Around for School Uniforms

If you buy your child’s school uniform from a “Uniform Store”, you’re almost definitely over-spending.

Many retailers like Lands’ End, Old Navy, and Gap now offer school uniform pants, polos, skirts, and shorts, and they’re all typically priced much lower than uniform-specific stores.

Also, remember that kids grow A LOT, so buy the largest size possible that your child can reasonably wear without swimming in.

It’s also worth your while to be conservative in the items you buy.

Don’t buy everything in August, instead, wait and see what your child likes wearing and what their specific needs are.

You may actually find better prices as the school year progresses and retailers try to clear out school uniform items.

6. Always Wait to Buy Non-Essentials to Score BIG Deals

I’d classify “non-essentials” as items your child won’t need during the first few weeks of school.

Think items like calculators, Kleenex, protractors, and science project supplies.

If you can wait to buy these items, you’ll be able to take advantage of back-to-school clearance deals that happen every September.

I’m talking like 75% to 90% off items that retailers desperately need to clear out to make room for Halloween candy and costumes.

7. Look for Student Discounts

Did you know well over 50 clothing and tech stores offer discounts for both high school and college students.

A few notable ones include:

– Target – For 2024, students can save 20% off any single purchase through September 28th, 2024. Details here.

– American Eagle – Get 20% off your full-priced order, both online and in-store. Details here.

– Nike – Students get a 1-time use discount for 10% off your online order. Details here.

To find our FULL list of Student Discounts, CLICK HERE.

8. Check Office Supply Stores

Some of the absolute best back-to-school deals you’re going to find this Summer are NOT going to be at the Walmart and Targets of the world.

Instead, keep a close eye on sales flyers from office supply stores like Staples and Office Depot.

Last year they had some absolutely amazing deals and this year will be more of the same.

We saw things like penny pencils, 25 cent glue sticks, dime folders, and 25 cent crayon boxes.

But the one catch is that they sold out pretty quickly so be sure to always check the sales flyers in your local newspaper so you can jump on the deals as they come out.

9. Tech Deals for College Students

Do you have a kids in high school or college who needs a new laptop for school this year?

If so, you need to look into education and college discounts provided by many stores and companies. Here are 5 education discounts you need to be aware of.

• Never buy a new Apple MacBook or iPad without checking the Apple Education Pricing page.
• Best Buy has a cool webpage that lists all of their College Student Deals – couple that caught my eye include $100 off all Apple MacBooks and $150 off select Lenovo and HP laptops.
• Also be sure to check out Dell University which details student specific deals on new laptops, notebook, and desktop system.

Note: Be prepared to provide proof of your student eligibility with a student ID card or college transcript.

10. Smart Backpack Shopping

One of the biggest expenses on any child back-to-school shopping list is always the backpack.

What is the best way to save on a new backpack? Always avoid the big name brands and more importantly always avoid the character themed backpacks.

Those are always quite overpriced and simply not worth extra money.

My girls will survive without a Hello Kitty backpack and my son can live without a new Nike backpack every Fall.

You still want to look for quality backpacks that will actually last the entire school year.

Brands that jump to mind that are of high quality and not incredibly expensive include Timberland, Rockland, and Embark.

Also, keep an eye out for deals for up to 25% off backpacks from JanSport and NorthFace.

11. Leave The Kids at Home

I realize some parents like to take their kids back-to-school shopping as it makes them feel a part of the process.

But I’m here to tell you that it’s typically not a good idea to haul them along, especially young kids.

Kids are gonna throw off your money-saving mojo because they are going to want the expensive Hello Kitty backpack and they are going to want the G.I. Joe pencils that cost 5 times what they should.

Your #1 goal has to be to shop the deals and save the most money.

Kids are going to use the good ol’ fashioned yellow pencils that you buy because, guess what, they have to!

That’s the way it works, always has, always will.

Heck, I’d rather buy them some cheap stickers and let them decorate their back-to-school items until their heart is content.

Ask the Reader: What tips do you have for saving money on back-to-school supplies? I look forward to your comments.

By Kyle James

I have a love/hate relationship with The Home Depot. On one hand, they carry an awesome selection of home improvement products, tools, and supplies at competitive prices. On the other hand, it can be hard to get answers to your questions as each department only has two employees at any given time, and one of them is usually a clueless kid. I know because I WAS that clueless kid not long ago, mismatching paint until my orange apron had every color of the rainbow strewn across it.

But anyways, I wanted to take this opportunity to share my seven favorite “insider” ways to save money at the Home Depot, many of which I learned when I was wearing the famous orange apron.

1. Look For Damaged Packaging

This tip involves looking for damaged boxes or packaging when shopping at The Home Depot and politely asking for a discount.

I did this awhile back on a damaged kitchen sink box when doing an interview with Inside Edition.

The box had a slight tear in one of the corners, but there was NOTHING wrong with the actual sink.

I asked an associate for a 15% discount and they offered to take 10% off for me saving me a good chunk of change.

When I worked at The Home Depot we were trained to give out these types of discounts to get rid of damaged stuff.

ALL employees actually get $50 a day to hand out in discounts, without getting a manager’s approval, which I think is pretty cool and empowering.

Bottom-line, managers want to get rid of ANYTHING that’s even slightly damaged, so use this to your advantage and learn to haggle a good deal at The Home Depot.

PRO TIP: NEGOTIATE A DEAL ON ODD DAYS

Visit the store on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings when foot traffic is low.

Managers are more likely to have time to discuss and approve project discounts for bulk purchases and potential markdowns on damaged or scratched items.

Also, since new stock and markdowns are typically organized early in the week, you’re more likely to find recently added clearance items or updated pricing.

Here are the 4 Types of Discounts to Request:

Bulk Purchase Discount – If you’re buying multiples of the same item (e.g., tiles, lumber, appliances), ask for a discount based on volume.

Project Discount: For high-ticket items like tools or appliances, managers often have the authority to approve a discount, especially if you’re buying several related items at once.

Scratch-and-Dent or Clearance Pricing: If you spot any minor imperfections on a product, mention them and ask for a markdown.

Free Delivery or Extras: For large items or heavy materials, inquire if they can waive delivery fees or include additional accessories.

See Also: Home Depot Will Often Give You the Lower Price If Item is Stocked in Wrong Spot

2. Pay Attention to the Cents on The Price Tag

This one comes from my article on Cracking the Price Tag Code. Pay attention to the cents on the Home Depot price tag.

If the item has an ending price of .06, it means the product is on clearance and will be lowered again in 6 weeks if it doesn’t sell out.

If the price ends in .03, it’s a final markdown price and the lowest price you’ll ever see on that product. If it doesn’t sell out in 3 weeks, it will be removed from the warehouse and liquidated.

Bottom-line, by looking for items that have an ending price of .06 or .03 you’re guaranteed to get a good deal.

3. Always Buy Paint on a Holiday Weekend

Having worked in the paint department, I am quite familiar with the times of the year when Behr paint goes on sale.

The dates to remember are any long holiday weekend, especially between the months of April and October.

So think Memorial Day, Father’s Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day.

Paint will be $5 off per gallon and $25 off for a 5 gallon bucket.

Sometimes you’ll have to mail-in a rebate to get the discount and sometimes you’ll get it when you checkout.

If you’re planning a big paint purchase, you can save a good chunk of change by timing your purchase to coincide with one of these holiday weekends.

See Also: Home Depot Employees Tell Me The BEST Ways to Save

4. Score a Rebate

Check out the very easy to search Rebate Center on the Home Depot website before you make ANY significant purchases.

Many shoppers aren’t a fan of rebates as they’re worried they’ll forget to redeem them.

If you’re in this camp, try this little hack…address the envelope for the rebate and add the stamp right away.

Once the stamp is added I guarantee you’ll mail in the rebate.

I recently did this “trick” with a rebate on Behr paint that I bought to paint my daughter’s bedroom and it definitely works.

See Also: Dislike Home Depot? Check Out These Smart Ways to Save at Lowe’s

5. Get Price Protection

When I worked at The Home Depot I was amazed with how few shoppers knew about our price protection policy.

If you buy something from Home Depot, and they lower the price within 30 days, just bring your receipt back in and get the difference.

Tip: If you make a big ticket purchase, add a reminder to your smartphone calendar and check the price once a week for the next 30 days.

If the price drops, come back in and get some money back.

6. Are You a Veteran or Active Military?

If you’re a veteran or active military member, you NEED to take advantage of newly revamped Home Depot Military Discount.

The discount is a flat 10% OFF the vast majority of items they sell.

The easiest way to get your discount is to download the Home Depot app and create an account if you don’t already have one.

Then once you’re on the Account page, just tap Military Discount Benefit and follow the instructions to get verified.

Once verified, you’ll just pull up the barcode within the app when checking out in-store.

The employee will scan it and you’ll collect your 10% discount.

To pull up your barcode within the app follow these steps:

1. Go to Menu, then My Account.
2. Then tap Account, to access the drop-down menu.
3. Next tap Military Discount Benefit.
4. Then the Barcode will pop up.

7. Get a Price Match

If you find a lower price at a local competitor, (think Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, Menards) Home Depot will happily match the lower price.

Item must be identical and in-stock at both locations.

From the Home Depot website, “Excludes special orders, bid pricing, volume discounts, open-box merchandise, labor and installation, sales tax, rebate and free offers, typographical errors and online purchases. Online purchases are subject to price match only.”

Ask the Reader: What’s your best tip to save money at The Home Depot? Let me know in the comments.

By Kyle James