10 Good Reasons to Cancel Amazon Prime
Kiplinger's Personal Finance|June 2022
Membership recently jumped to $139 a year. Maybe you don’t really need it.
By Bob Niedt
10 Good Reasons to Cancel Amazon Prime

BUDGET BUSTER?

Anyone can buy from Amazon without being a Prime member. You’re just not going to get the other perks. To that end, we’ve listed a range of good reasons you might want to cancel your Amazon Prime membership. (For our take on investing in Amazon stock, see “Profit From Healthy Profit Margins,” on page 30.)

Amazon Prime is pricey. If you pay your Amazon Prime membership in full, it’s an annual $139 hit (up from $119); it’s $180 if you pay the soon-to-be $14.99 monthly fee. For the yearly fee, that boils down to $12 a month, about the cost of a streaming-video service such as Hulu or Netflix. So just how much are you really using Amazon Prime— and how much value are you gleaning from it? Do the math.

“Because I take advantage of many of the benefits, including free two-day shipping for my frequent purchases, and enjoy the video, music and book content, I have no question that it’s worth it for me,” says Trae Bodge, smart-shopping expert at True Trae. “But if you do not shop frequently online, or use any of the many perks, it may not be.”

It’s easy to track how much you’ve spent and what you’ve bought. Click on “Returns & Orders” at the top of the Amazon.com home page after you sign in. It defaults to orders for the past three months. On that drop-down list, you can choose yearly time frames.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM KIPLINGER'S PERSONAL FINANCEView all
FREE HELP FOR COLLEGEBOUND STUDENTS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

FREE HELP FOR COLLEGEBOUND STUDENTS

This program’s mentors assist applicants as they fill out the FAFSA, write essays and more.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SPOUSAL IRAS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SPOUSAL IRAS

You typically need earned income to contribute to an individual retirement account, but a spousal IRA provides an important exception to this rule.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
SELLING SHARES? HERE'S HOW TO MINIMIZE TAXES ON YOUR GAINS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

SELLING SHARES? HERE'S HOW TO MINIMIZE TAXES ON YOUR GAINS

ET'S say you've been regularly buying shares in a booming tech company over the past few years, but now you want to start taking some of those profits, perhaps to rebalance your portfolio.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2024
Strategies for Novice Investors
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Strategies for Novice Investors

AS part of a lifes kills program for young, single mothers, I was asked to teach a class on how to get on top of your finances.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2024
ANSWERS TO YOUR 529 PLAN QUESTIONS
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

ANSWERS TO YOUR 529 PLAN QUESTIONS

Thanks to recent policy changes, families have more options for what to do with money sitting in these tax-advantaged accounts.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2024
Rate-Cut Winners and Losers
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

Rate-Cut Winners and Losers

NOW that the Federal Reserve has cracked the interest rate ice, the next development will be to separate winners from losers.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2024
SHOULD YOU BUY THESE RED-HOT FUNDS?
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

SHOULD YOU BUY THESE RED-HOT FUNDS?

Covered-call ETFs are popular but come with plenty of caveats.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2024
DIVIDEND STOCKS ARE READY TO REBOUND
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

DIVIDEND STOCKS ARE READY TO REBOUND

Our favorite dividend payers are poised to benefit as falling interest rates lure investors back.

time-read
10+ mins  |
December 2024
IS A 55+ COMMUNITY RIGHT FOR YOU?
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

IS A 55+ COMMUNITY RIGHT FOR YOU?

These age-restricted developments appeal to older adults seeking abundant amenities and an active lifestyle.

time-read
8 mins  |
December 2024
AT LONG LAST, RATES ARE DROPPING
Kiplinger's Personal Finance

AT LONG LAST, RATES ARE DROPPING

Consider these portfolio moves now that the Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rate.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024