Amazon did not have its Prime Day in July this pandemic year and is now ready to throw everything it’s got at its Prime members during limited time between Pacific Time midnight October 13^th and October 14^th. We, the consumers, will be ready and very motivated due to such a limited time window, which is exactly what Amazon wants.

Flash sale like this is nothing new in the retail industry and is designated to get shoppers excited and buying as much as possible, because opportunity won’t wait for long. One common challenge we all have is to remain calm and avoid overspending on items we have no need for. And it’s not that difficult - all it takes is following a few rules and we can restrain ourselves.

We all want a great deal, that’s a given, but Prime Day is for more than just economic gain. Buying something for a good price makes us excited and feeling smart, because we did a good job minimizing the cognitive dissonance that usually follows shopping sprees.

Let’s take a look at some mistakes that should be avoided at all costs on Amazon Prime Day:

Exclusive deals

Since all Prime Day deals apply to Amazon Prime members only, you might feel exclusive and ready to spend more money in the name of savings. That’s great if you are a member and don’t have to pay anything extra for it. If you are not a member, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial, ask friends with a membership to buy something for you, or just pay $12 for one month. What you shouldn’t do is rush to sign up for a yearly membership – chances are if you didn’t need it up until now, you won’t need it in the future. Spending $119 might take away all the possible savings you will get.

Shopping without a list

This applies to shopping everywhere and anytime. If you browse without a purpose, you are likely to buy a discounted item that you’ve never thought about needing before. So forget buying random items just because the price is good!

You should make a list of products you actually need, add them to your Wishlist and get notified if any of them qualify for a special Prime Day discount. Also do some homework prior to Prime Day and understand what your desired items actually cost, because Amazon’s undiscounted price is not always what the items actually sell for.

Unlimited budget

We enjoy the trill of savings and deem ourselves victorious when we score a good deal because we feel like we were smarter than the system. To curb that expensive winning over the system feeling, we should establish a budget for sales shopping, especially for items that are not on our list. It makes great sense to limit ourselves to a certain amount of money for all the deals that will catch our eye randomly. $50 or $100 Amazon gift card can really help here.

Rushing to make decisions

Retailers love to put time or quantity limits on us, because they know we will act faster and make decisions that otherwise wouldn’t be made. Some items on Amazon Prime Day are in Lightning Deals category and last only minutes – irresistible, right? Before you click that checkout button, ask yourself if you will still need it in a month or three. If you answer honestly, you might change your mind in those few minutes.

Forgoing the best categories

Prime Day can feel a bit chaotic with you browsing all the random deals. Amazon will discount lots of things and will make it hard to focus, but you should. Categories that always feature nice discounts are electronics, TVs, laptops, smart home devices, appliances, household items, beauty supplies, toys, pet essentials, fashion, and even magazine subscriptions, so check them out.

Focusing solely on Amazon

Amazon started these sales in October a few years ago, but other major retailers are following its lead, so don’t forget about them. Target, Walmart, and many others run huge sales right around this time as well. You should compare the prices at all three of them and wait until Black Friday if your desired product is not on sale anywhere.

Not using Amazon App or devices

Shopping on the computer is great, but don’t rely solely on it. Download the app and allow notifications to be alerted about deals and use “Watch This Deal” option to be notified when Lightning Deal is available on something you need.  Finally, you can always ask Alexa about your Prime Day deals.