Preparing an Amazon wishlist ahead of Prime Day 2023 can save you serious time (and money)

UPDATE: Jul. 10, 2023, 5:15 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with new information regarding Prime Day 2023.

Amazon Prime Day is back, baby.

For the ninth year in a row, Amazon will be offering 48 hours of deals on deals on deals officially starting Tuesday, July 11 at 3 a.m. ET through the end of Wednesday, July 12. Amazon will be dropping new deals every 30 minutes on top of the early Prime Day deals it's been running for weeks.

The event is for Prime members only, but all inflation-weary shoppers searching for summer deals can get their hands dirty by signing up for Amazon's 30-day free trial. Or, of course, you can shop the competing sales at Walmart, Target, or Best Buy.

There are obviously a lot of great deals to be had, but the next few days don't have to be as overwhelming as they sound. Our pro tip for actually saving money (and time, and sanity) this Prime Day? Organize (and actually follow) a wishlist. Practices like pinning down must-have items ahead of time or setting price drop alerts can help you stay on track with your spending rather than crossing into buyer's remorse territory after a ravenous "add to cart" spree.

SEE ALSO: Prime Day 2023 isn't for a few weeks, but these deals aren't waiting

Tip #1: Organize your Amazon wishlist

If it’s news to you that Amazon even offers such a feature, here’s how it works:

Basically, every product page on the retail giant’s website has a little “add to list” button right around where the “add to cart” button is located (very convenient placement). Click on that, and you can add said product to your personal Amazon wishlist, or any other list that you’ve created for yourself on your profile.

Do this with every gadget, gizmo, and knick-knack you think would make a worthy addition to your collection of goods, or shop for upcoming birthdays, bridal showers, or even the winter holidays. What you’ll end up with is an organized, definitive page of all that you desire. View it all at a glance, or even rank each item based on how much 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 list when Prime Day 2023 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 shit you don’t need, never needed, and will never need. (Did you *have* to get that life-size cardboard cutout of Danny DeVito? No. No you didn’t. But now he’s standing there in the corner of your living room. And he’s watching you.)

Tip #2: Turn on wishlist alerts

That’s not where the perks of "wishlisting" cap out. In fact, if you download Amazon’s mobile companion app, you’ll be granted the added benefit of "wishlist alerts."

These alerts can aid in notifying 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.”

It's this one. Credit: Screenshot

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, just 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. Just 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 actually want. Your Amazon wishlist is one of the most useful tools that you have at your disposal to ensure a successful shopping experience.

Also, keep a watchful eye out for our Prime Day coverage, where we’ll be highlighting all the best deals that you can get your hands on.

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