Creating an Amazon wishlist is our go-to Prime Day shopping hack
UPDATE: Oct. 1, 2024, 2:45 p.m. EDT This guide has been updated with the latest information on Prime Big Deal Days 2024, including dates and info on competing sales.
Just three months (technically less than) after the 10th Prime Day in July, Amazon is already back in "Prime" mode. This time, it's for Amazon's third annual fall sale: officially coined Prime Big Deal Days, but is October Prime Day for all intents and purposes.
Prime Big Deal Days will take place on Oct. 8 and 9, though early deals are already live. Think of it as a second chance to score something you've been eyeing if you missed out during Prime Day in July.
Our pro tip for ensuring that doesn't happen again? Organize (and actually follow) a shopping wishlist. Curating your personal list of must-have items and setting price alerts can help you stay on track and avoid adding things to your cart just because they were on sale.
Get your scroll on and find out how to create an Amazon wishlist for Prime Day.
Tip #1: Organize your Amazon wishlist
If it’s news to you that Amazon even offers such a feature, here’s how it works:
Every product page on the retail giant’s website has a little “Add to List” button right near the “Add to Cart.” Click on the list button and you can add said product to your personal Amazon wishlist, or any other saved list that you’ve created on your profile.
Do this with all of those items that you've been eyeing, but can't seem to make a move on unless they're on sale. Then, you can view your definitive list at a glance, or even rank each item based on how badly you want it.
Your Amazon wishlist is one of the most useful tools that you have at your disposal come Prime day.
Then, and here's the important part, be sure to check back on your wishlist when Prime Big Deal Days 2024 kicks into high gear. You’ll be able to see which products have gone on sale and snatch them up before they’re gone.
WARNING: Only add the necessities to your wishlist or risk critical failure and end up with mass shipments of stuff you don’t need, never needed, and will never need.
Tip #2: Turn on wishlist alerts
That’s not where the perks of "wishlisting" cap out. If you download Amazon’s mobile companion app, you’ll be granted the added benefit of "wishlist alerts."
These alerts notify you when an item on your wishlist becomes a “lightning deal,” as well as when a sold-out item on your wishlist goes back in stock.
This isn’t a notification setting that's turned on by default, so you’ll have to go in and check it off yourself. All you have to do is open up the Amazon app, go into your settings, then to your notifications, and click on “your watched and waitlisted deals.”
Tip #3: Turn on Alexa's advanced deal alerts
As it turns out, newer Echo smart speakers are good for more than just bumping out your playlists. They can also notify you of a sale on an item in your wishlist, shopping cart, or "saved for later" queue up to 24 hours before it even goes live.
Open up the Alexa mobile app to turn on the advanced deal alerts feature. You'll find it under More > Settings > Notifications > Amazon Shopping
Once you're there, click Shopping Recommendations and then Deal Recommendations. Since you already have your wishlist organized and ready to go, that's all there is to it.
You'll see a pop-up alert or a yellow ring light on your Echo device whenever Alexa finds out about an upcoming deal on products in your wishlist. Ask, "Alexa, what are my notifications?" to get the scoop.
You can either have Alexa let you know once the deal is live or even give her the go-ahead to order it for you ("Alexa, buy it for me"). Your default payment and delivery address on file will be used automatically.
Voilà — now you’ll never miss a deal for something you want. Your Amazon wishlist is one of the most useful tools that you have at your disposal to ensure a successful shopping experience.
When you're done curating your list, you can even share it with your friends. You can also view wishlists created by other Prime members. Just click the "Invite" button in your wishlist or click over to the "Your Friends" tab in your profile.
Bonus tip: Get ready for Prime Day 2024 with Mashable
We like to think we're just as on top of tracking deals on the stuff you care about as a wishlist is. Follow along with our October Prime Day coverage (which has already started!), where we'll be highlighting all of the most important intel from the sale, from record-low prices alerts, to any invite-only deals for Prime members that may pop up, to giant lists of the best deals in categories like TVs, Apple stuff, robot vacuums, headphones, and kitchen gear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prime Big Deal Days 2024 will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 8 and Wednesday, Oct. 9, wrapping up at midnight PT on Wednesday. However, deals have already started popping up in the week prior, and tend to linger for at least a few days in the aftermath of Prime events.
You do need a Prime membership to take advantage of Prime Day deals. However, if you've never signed up for a free trial of Prime before, this is your way around paying just to unlock a few days' worth of deals. You'll get 30 days without being charged — just remember to cancel your trial after the sale to avoid automatic charges.
Alternatively, there are opportunities to save at other retailers if you don't feel like messing around with Prime. Target and Best Buy are holding competing Prime Day sales that are mostly open to everyone without a paywall. (Target Circle is free, and only a select few Best Buy deals will be exclusive to paid My Best Buy Plus or Total members.) Walmart is in the mix, too, but most of those deals will be exclusive to paid Walmart+ members — the same vibe as Prime exclusivity.
A standard Amazon Prime membership will run you $14.99 per month, or $139 per year. Some folks can qualify for discounted memberships: If you're a student, you can sign up for Prime at $7.49 per month (or $69 per year). If you're a recipient of a qualifying government assistance program like SNAP EBT or Medicaid, you can get Prime for $6.99 per month, or just under $84 annually.
Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers and tests essential home tech like vacuums and TVs, plus eco-friendly hacks. Her ever-evolving experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
Dylan Haas is a Lead Shopping Reporter for Mashable, where he covers all things gaming, laptops, fitness, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day. Before joining the team at Mashable, Dylan received a B.A. in Communications from Pace University and contributed to publications like Paste Magazine, Bandsintown, and others following a brief stint as a marketing and management assistant in the music industry.
Christina Buff is a Nashville-based freelance writer for who covers shopping with a splash of entertainment. If you’re ever wondering what streaming service you need to watch something (and the cheapest way to sign up for it), she’s your girl.
Christina received a B.S. in Business Communication (concentration in writing) from Stevenson University and began her professional journey writing and editing press releases. Since then, she’s written content for a marketing agency, blogged for celebrities, and covered local news, politics, women’s lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and just about everything in between for various publications.
When she’s not writing, she’s probably enjoying live music, studying human design, or embroidering and upcycling clothes. You can follow her on Instagram at @touchinfinity.
