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This writer relies heavily on Amazon Prime. Read on to see why. [[{“value”:”
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If you’re spending $139 a year on an Amazon Prime membership, you may, at times, have wondered whether that’s really a wise personal finance decision. Granted, if you’re not particularly cash-strapped, you might argue that $139 won’t exactly make or break your annual budget. But still, it makes no sense to spend $139 on something you’re not getting good value from. So it’s not a bad idea to assess your need for a membership from time to time and make sure the fee is worth paying.
On my end, though, I can easily justify the $139 annual cost of a Prime membership. And I won’t even consider canceling it for these reasons.
1. I have too jam-packed a schedule to run all over the place to stores
As a mom of three school-aged kids, I can’t tell you how many times my children have come home on a Monday and said something like, “I need yarn and a drawing pad and glitter pens for a project by Friday.” But given that my schedule is jam-packed, I don’t have time to run to the store every time my kids need crafting supplies, or a last-minute birthday party gift, or whatever other request comes up.
That’s why my Prime membership is totally worth it to me. As a freelance writer who gets paid to, you know, write, the more time I spend driving all over town, the more my income takes a hit. And my Prime membership saves me countless hours year after year.
2. I live in a big-box store dead zone
There’s a supermarket that’s a short walk from my house, and I’m grateful to live about 10 to 15 minutes away from not one, but two Costco locations. However, I also happen to live in the middle of a big-box store dead zone.
The closest Target location to my home is a good 20 minutes away, and the nearest Walmart is more like 25 minutes. That’s roughly 45 minutes round-trip and a lot of gas for my fuel-guzzling minivan.
My Prime membership makes it so I don’t have to drive those longer distances to big-box stores when we need something you can’t find at the supermarket or Costco. And while I can’t say with certainty that I’m saving $139 a year on gas, I’m definitely saving some of that fee in the form of not having to drive all over.
3. I need the option to try on clothes before committing to a purchase
Prime members are eligible for a benefit called Prime Try Before You Buy. It allows you to order things like clothing and footwear, enjoy a seven-day try-on period, and then decide if you’ll be keeping the items or sending them back.
Best of all, your credit card isn’t charged until you commit to your purchase. So you don’t have to deal with waiting to get refunded for returns.
As a mom of kids who frequently outgrow their clothes, this service is huge. It takes a lot of the pressure off of shopping and also allows me to order items in different sizes when I’m not sure which one I need — all without incurring immediate credit card charges.
Some people love Amazon Prime for its free streaming content. That’s a feature I hardly ever use. Rather, the primary benefit my Prime membership offers me is not having to leave the house when there are items I need to procure quickly.
If you’re not sure whether to keep your Prime membership, ask yourself how often you use it and what savings you actually get out of it. Even if you’re only placing a few orders a year, if Prime’s streaming content takes the place of another streaming service you might subscribe to, that alone could justify the $139 annual fee. So consider the whole picture before deciding whether to stick with Prime or say goodbye.
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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Maurie Backman has positions in Amazon and Target. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Costco Wholesale, Target, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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