This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase
I’ve written before how much I love living in a small town. It’s safer, it’s cheaper and we have so much more control over our lives. There is a downside, however. The biggest one is access to all those fascinating things big-city people take for granted. Like shopping, new movies and people who know to pronounce “tahini” correctly (and have it in stock). Luckily, we do have the internet and Amazon Prime.
What’s so great about Amazon Prime? Let me tell you…
You can buy items you can’t find locally without spending the day in town.
Our local merchants are great and I spend a vast majority of my money in their stores. However, there are just some things they aren’t able to order, especially for just one person, without a hefty markup. With everything going on in our lives, driving the nearest city isn’t feasible every weekend, so we order from Amazon. I use Subscribe and Save
Prime Members Get 30-Minute Early Access to Lightning Deals!
Those Lightning deal can be great, especially during the holidays. You really did not want to fight all the crowds, did you? Prime is definitely worth this perk. Amazon Prime always has enough cashiers open; no lines.
Free Two Day Delivery is Two-Day Delivery!
Look, we all know that “next day delivery” promise is a joke for those of us in the hinterlands. I gave up long ago. However, with Amazon Prime, it actually is delivered in two days! A few times, I even got it the next day! If you’re a wanna-be rural person, you might even get the free same day delivery!
If you’re not in a hurry, you can get rewarded for choosing “No Rush Shipping”. For an extra $5, I can wait a couple more d
ays on a lot of things.
Prime Members Get Free Music Streaming!
The free service has over 2 million songs. That’s more than enough for us, but if it’s not for you, Prime Members get a reduced membership fee to Unlimited music.
Prime Members Get Free Books!
With your Prime Membership, you have instant access to thousands of books and magazines. You don’t have to own a Kindle to access these books. You can use the phone app and read on the run. Or use your tablet or computer. The apps are totally free. I’ve been using them forever and never had a problem. I love being able to whip out my phone when I’m waiting for an appointment or for a practice to end.
For me, this one benefit more than pays for the Prime Membership. There’s a wide variety of books and Amazon changes them all the time, so I’m never bored. You can also get early access to a variety of possible best-sellers chosen by Amazon editors! You get the book before everyone else and they’re totally free. I’ve discovered a bunch of new to me authors this way.
Streaming Videos
The internet is closer than a movie theater. And much cheaper too! We love watching the movies and TV at home. Ok, I love not having to drive for an hour and pay gobs of money, when we can watch it at home with our favorite snacks. And have you seen the previews for their new series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan? It looks awesome! It’s starting at the end of August. and I am counting the days!
Another bonus? You can try out premium channels like HBO for FREE for 14 days. The subscription fee is only a few dollars a month and you can cancel at any time – no package deals, no contracts, nada. Find something special? Watch it, then drop it. Easy-peasy!
Unlimited Storage for Photos
Who’s phone is constantly running out of space to store photos? I may be a bit of a photo-taking nut, but with unlimited storage, who cares? Bring on the concerts, soccer games, and tween slumber parties.
You can serious discounts on diapers and wipes, delivered to your door with Amazon Family. This was my LIFELINE when the kids were babies. Not having to take them with me to store and wrestle boxes of diapers? NEVER running out, because they were delivered automatically every 3 weeks. I’m really not sure how other people survived without this… ?
Awesome Customer Service
It’s pretty rare to have a problem with something I’ve ordered from Amazon. The biggest problem was having a few packages stolen when I lived on a somewhat active street. Each time, Amazon resent the order the day after it was reported without any questions. Returns are super easy too! Even when I’ve used one of their third-party vendors, it was super easy. No lines, no snarky comments.
Finally, You Can Try It For Free!
Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial
