If you've been reading AOC for awhile, you may remember that I used to write a lot about ways to save. Some things, like menu planning to make the best use of your food bought on sale and to minimize waste, or making things like soft 100% whole wheat bread for a few cents rather than paying $3 to $4 a loaf, I still champion. Other things like couponing and playing the drugstore game have gone by the wayside. Coupons because I don't buy many of the regular coupon products, our area doesn't get many coupons anyway (I would sometimes buy coupons, if you can believe it) and couponing deals took so much time - the drugstores because they changed their games and I got burned one too many times by the new expiration dates of the rewards since we live further from town (one time to the tune of $27 - ack!).
To try to save on bulk purchases, I used Azure Standard for awhile to buy flour, oats, organic corn products, etc. but there were a number of things that made it difficult for me. The biggest issue was that the only drop-off point available to me was the other side of town, a 40 minute round-trip. The driving distance also meant that I couldn't get any cold or frozen items. I also found the $50 minimum to be a hinderance for the times I only needed one or two things, like flour. Since I needed the flour, I found myself buying things we didn't need in order to get the flour - not the best way to save money.
So I was thrilled, honestly - thrilled, when I finally discovered how to use Amazon's Subscribe & Save program to it's full potential, in order to get quality bulk foods for a good price delivered right to my door. The only time I had used it in years past was to take advantage of a one-time price that I would then cancel right after receiving. I have to give all the credit for my finally seeing the savings behind the program to Laura at Heavenly Homemakers, and I want to share how I'm using it, too, so you can see how you can save through this program!
To give you an idea of what you can get and prices, I'll start with a couple of our examples, then explain how to save with Amazon Subscribe and Save:
The photo above shows what came this month through our Subscribe and Save order and our totals (prices do fluctuate on Amazon):
- Craisins: regular $5.92, $3.56 with discounts (this exact size isn't offered right now)
- Dagoba Organic Cacao Powder, 5-lbs: $40.58 regular, $32.46 discounts ($6.49/lb)
- 7th Gen Dish Liquid, 6 bottles: $14.98 regular, $11.98 discount - $5 off coupon = $6.98!!
- Whole Bean Decaf Coffee, 2 lbs: $17.54 regular, $14.03 discount (while this isn’t the best price -we aim for $5/lb- we’ve had a hard time finding whole bean decaf in our usual places, so this was great to be able to get it delivered! I may not continue with this - but that’s easy to change!)
- Safflower Oil, 32 oz: $8 regular, $6.40 discount
- Not pictured (came in separate box): Natural Value unbleached waxed paper, 75 sq.ft: $2.49 regular, $1.99 discounts
This order was from the previous month and what we paid:
- Kettle chips, 6 8.5-oz bags: $20.23 reg; $16.18 discounted ($2.69 each)
- Organic Oat Flour, 1-1/2 lbs: $3.99 regular; $3.19 discounted
- Wholesome Sweeteners natural cane sugar, 6 24-oz bags: $22.62 regular; $18.10 discounted ($2/lb is a good price for this!)
- Bob’s Red Mill Organic cornmeal, 4 24-oz bags: $13.16 regular; $10.53 discounted
- Bob’s Red Mill popcorn, 6 27-oz bags: $13.32 regular; $10.66 discounted
A few other favorite deals have been:
- Kleenex Ultra 120-count tissues, 8 boxes: $11.74 regular; $9.39 discounted - $1.50 coupon = $7.98 (less than $1 a box!!)
- Nutiva Organic EV Coconut Oil, 2 15-oz jars: $17.18 regular; $13.74 discounted
- Bob’s Organic Flaxseed Meal, 4 16-oz bags: $12.44 regular; $10.57 discounted
- Organic WW Pastry Flour AND WW Bread flour, 25 lbs bags: $27.05 regular, $21.64 discounted (.86/lb!!)

How anyone can save with Subscribe & Save
:
While they show how easy it is-
There were two things it took me awhile to figure out:
- 5% didn't seem like such a great deal. I didn't realize the savings goes up to %15 when you have 5 S&S eligible items scheduled to go out at one time.
- When I did subscribe, the Amazon interface actually looks like I'm ordering it and I didn't realize that it went to the 'manage subscription' page of my account and not the shopping cart. This is probably just me - I thought I was ordering and couldn't see how to make the list of 5 that would go out all at once. Yes, I felt silly when I realized there was a whole separate section for the S&S items.
So here is what you need to do:
- Create an Amazon account if you don't have one.
- Go to Amazon
and under 'shop by department' scroll down to 'Beauty, Health & Grocery' then choose 'Subscribe & Save' from the pop-up menu.
- You can then shop by category (there are a LOT), view popular S&S items, and see deals. Tip: what I suggest to save the most time is to think what you'd like to get and search for that item (is it hard to find organic cornmeal, bulk flour, or specialty items for you? Search for those and see if you can get them delivered on a regular basis!).
- Find 5 items to subscribe to (tip: to fill out your order, look for single subscribe and save eligible items for $2-5 to keep the total lower), click the button to subscribe and follow the directions (I usually choose a 6-month subscription unless I know we'll use it quicker, but you can always change this later). They will not be in your cart, but will be in your account under "your subscribe and save items."
- Once you've got 5 items set up, go to 'your subscribe and save items' on your account page so you can see when the items will be delivered (which you can change if you want), how much they'll be with the 15% off, and if you want to change how often the item will come.
- That's it for now, unless you'd like another shipment the next month - then you'll need to find more items to add to your S&S page on your account.
Here's how you can save even more!
- Everyone gets the %15 discount with 5 items through Subscribe & Save, but if you become an AmazonPrime/AmazonMom member, your discount goes up to 20%!(**Update: Amazon changed the policy and removed the 5% extra, sadly!! Amazon Mom still offers exclusive coupons, so it might be worth it to sign up if you already have Amazon Prime**) Go here to sign up for Amazon Prime
which also gets you free 2-day shipping on anything, lots of free movies and TV to stream, books to read free and more - we have it and I do like all the perks! (note: Amazon Mom is a Prime account you can join just like the regular Amazon Prime program - but if you're already a Prime member, be sure to sign up for the AmazonMom program - it won't cost more - so you can get the extra perks!)
- Subscribe & Save Coupons
- they are in addition to the 15% savings and can really make the deals good (like the kleenex deal above that was delivered to my door instead of me running around to stores...oh, I've mentioned that, huh?).
- Use Swagbucks or become an Amazon affiliate (if you have a blog) to earn gift cards and buy your household items with them.
There are a couple of things I've really come to appreciate about this program:
- It's been so nice for odd items that I had a hard time finding in my regular stores (like the organic cacao powder, and cornmeal)
- Having heavy bulk items delivered to my door, free, which saves me gas and time.
- Being able to order things like mascara, the concealer I use, etc. on a schedule so I don't have to worry about remembering to get them.
- Having everything delivered free to my door.
- Being able to adjust when items are scheduled to come - if we use something faster, I can have it come sooner or visa-versa.
- Did I mention the free shipping to my door? 🙂
Right, I think I've covered everything, but let me know if you still don't get it - I want to help so you're not in the dark like I was, ha! And tell me, do you all use this program and I'm the only one who didn't get it?
Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
Fran says
We just signed up for Prime. I love getting on and ordering one or two things and not have to worry about the $39 order for free shipping. I'm going to look into this subscribe and save option. This is great for my vitamins, pet supplies, and some food. Wonder if it works for my animals flie treatments? Most of it comes from petmeds. I do notice that you have to weigh your options on amazon though. I got a woman's bible study book and it was cheaper to order it used. The prime price was twice as much as the used one WITH shipping cost. Thanks so much for the ideas. I always enjoy reading your blog. From one Oregonan to another 🙂
Jami says
Yes, you're so right, Fran - they do jack up the prices on many Prime items to pay for the shipping, I'm guessing. 🙂 There are deals to be had there, though, so it's good to look around. Sometimes a good deal for me where I live might not be the same for someone else if there's a store nearby that sells it cheap and easy to get. For me, gas is a cost item, so I try to add that in when I'm thinking about a deal.
Mick (Deer Is, OR) says
I don't know where in OR you live, but we live 45 mi NW of Portland and go to Bob's Red Mill (Milwaukie, OR) every few months (along w/Trader Joe's) to stock up. Also, buying Bob's items in 25# bags saves BIG. I just tried calculating the differences on a couple of prices (25# vs 4-32 oz bags) and it comes out to be almost double when buying the 4-32 oz bags. We are a family of two, my husband and myself, both retired, enjoy cooking, eat healthy and saving $. Bulk items (steel cut and reg oats, brown rice, quinoa, etc) we try to keep in sealed containers (many times left in their 25# bags, in container), we haven't detected obvious deterioration of our bulk foods. Also, we've discovered Concentrates (concentratesnw.com) is 2 blocks away from Bob'a and Dave's Killer Bread (frozen day old bread is a deal-I make all of our bread, but we were hooked on the Peace Loaf, which they no longer make) is just across the road from Bob's. Just fyi.
Jami says
I loved shopping at Bob's when we lived in Portland, Mick! Yes, it's the better price to be sure. 🙂 It's a 2-hour trip, now and the savings isn't there when you add in gas. 🙂 Which is why I enjoy getting it delivered!
vivian says
Does the initial sale price carry over to the next shipment? Or does one need to check the cost of the item again?
Jami says
You'll need to check the price again, Vivian, because most times it's been months in between. The current prices are always right there in your subscription management list to see, though, and if something isn't such a good deal anymore I look for something else (which there always seems to be!).
J. Mac Neal says
Just a note... last time I checked, Amazon didn't offer PayPal as a payment option. If one doesn't use a regular credit card, transferring money as needed into a single account like PayPal to use for online purchases with participating merchants seems safer than risking leaving one's debit card information in the computers of multiple online retailers who each offer their own payment systems. Putting the full balance of one's checking account in a vulnerable position should not be an option chosen lightly with all the hacking going on these days. But for those with credit cards with protections built in, using the Amazon Subscribe and Save may help save some money and time.
Tracie says
Do the coupons carry over from month to month too? Or are they only good for that first month?
Thanks so much! This was really helpful.
Jami says
Sometimes they do, Tracie, but they all have different ends, similar to regular coupons. So I just check when the shipment is scheduled to come out again and adjust if I think it's not a good deal anymore. 🙂
Shelley says
Love Subscribe and Save. Hate Prime Pantry (because everything in that box was smashed and dented).
Jami says
Oh, good to know, Shelly. I've only looked at a few PP things, but they didn't seem to be all that great of a deal.