Navigating deals and steals ahead of Amazon's Prime Day

Prime Day Preview (Pt.1) 02:57

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The wheeling and dealing is almost ready to begin as Amazon's Prime Days kick into gear.

Amazon launches its deals at 3 a.m. on Tuesday.

John Shumway checked in with a shopping expert on all things Prime Day shopping.

It's so easy to get sucked into the hype and you can be a savvy shopper if you don't fall into the money pitfalls.

The sellers know how to make everything look attractive.

 "Not all prime deals are really a deal, but a lot of them are," said shopping expert Trae Bodge.

Bodge says when it comes this sale, the biggest 'don't' is to assume that Amazon has the best prices.

"Technology is our friend here," said Bodge. "If you're on Amazon, and you see something that you want, and it's on sale, you can easily search for it. on Google Shopping or Yahoo Shopping and get a sense for how much it costs on Amazon versus the competitors."

While Amazon might have started this July craziness, nine years in, they are far from alone, with Target, Walmart, and a lot of individual brands having their own sales.

One of the biggest things we have to fight is the impulse buying, which Bodge says can be managed.

"If there are specific items that you're looking for, set a deal alert for them on Slick Deals, which is a great deal site," said Bodge. "The deal alert allows you to be notified when that item goes on sale and where it's being sold."

Bodge says don't get sucked into buying something on a lightning deal, which is limited and timed and will create hype for something you didn't originally want in the first place.

Like Amazon, many of their competitors will make you become a member to get the deals. Bodge says to gauge that cost against what you're planning on buying. 

If you're saving hundreds of dollars on TV, that $139 membership might be worth it, while it wouldn't make sense to join if the savings numbers don't add up. 

Prime Day Preview (Pt. 2) 03:32

When it comes to what kind of deals to find, brands that are owned by Amazon will be the biggest with things like Kindle, Fire TV, Echos, and Ring cameras will be heavily discounted -- but shop around, as other retailers may have a better deal. 

"Amazon Prime Day is usually good for small home appliances like, maybe you want to invest in an air fryer or a robotic vacuum," Bodge said.

While part of the fun of this midsummer holiday shopping feeling is that surprise sales pop up, a deal site will help you avoid impulse buying or spending hours glued to your screen. 

In: Amazon Amazon Prime