Living in New York for the last 15 months has also been the first time in my life without access to my own car. For over a year, I’ve solely relied on public transportation and for the most part, it’s been eye-opening in a very positive way.
One major downfall of living in New York without an auto is going grocery shopping. Obviously you can’t just shop, shop, shop then haul your bags to the car and drive home. Without a car, you have to think about each package of toilet paper, box of cereal, bottle of wine, and half-gallon of milk.
Putting some eggs, shampoo, and a bag of chips in your cart? Your commute home just got a little more difficult. And we’re not talking just the weight of the groceries, but trying to bring shopping bags down into the subway or up onto the bus can be awkward (especially when it’s snowing and jam packed with humans). There’s got to be a better way….
Is Amazon ‘Subscribe & Save’ Worth It?
Convenience (aaaaaand laziness) is why I’ve taken up sending out my laundry, food delivery, and ramping up my Amazon.com usage since living in NYC.
I’ve really become fond of Amazon’s Subscribe & Save service where you commit to having items you use often delivered on a scheduled basis.
Amazon’s Subscribe & Save option allows you to subscribe to groceries, household products, and other common items and have them shipped every month for free (which means you don’t have to lug it home). Subscribe & Save allows you to adjust how often you receive a product (1-4 months) and also allows you buy in bulk and not have to worry about carrying 36 rolls of toilet paper on N train.
But is the service worth it?
For the most part, Subscribe & Save prices are comparable to what you would get at the store (be careful as prices can increase without notice). Even when costs are a little higher, it’s still worth the premium of having it delivered directly to your doorstep — especially when it’s a big, heavy or awkward-shaped item.
And what makes it a deal is when you have subscribe to have 5 items sent to you in the same delivery, you can save 15% off that entire delivery. If you’re being mindful of prices already, this extra discount makes the service irresistible – not only are you paying the same or less than what you would pay at Target or Meijer, but it’s delivered to your home.
To me, delivery is worth paying extra for and when I’m not paying extra for delivery, then it’s a steal.
The Best ‘Subscribe & Save’ Filler Items
For the savviest of shoppers, getting to 5 items might take some searching the first time around.
Personally, I’ve had multiple Amazon sessions searching for reasonably-priced items that I need on a regular basis. The great thing is you can subscribe to an item and cancel at any time, so the decision to “subscribe” to an item becomes less stressful.
After playing around with the service, I’ve finally built a normal monthly schedule that hits the 5 item discount level (big thanks to Mother Earth dried vegetables).
In a pinch and need one more subscription to get the 15% discount for this month’s delivery? Here is EVERY ITEM available for Amazon Subscribe & Save. Don’t have 30 hours to go through it all? Many blogs have curated lists of the best products to subscribe to and cheap filler items to meet the 5-subscription, 15% discount threshold.
With A.S.S., you don’t have to haul those Trader Joe’s bags onto the bus in the dead of winter. No more taking a taxi from the Target in East Harlem. Do your arms and back (and everyone else on the L Train) a favor. Use Amazon’s Subscribe & Save.
