I feel like everyone has gone through the process of being gifted an Amazon gift card but not knowing what to buy with it and then once you finally find something to buy with it you realize that the one thing you actually wanted is too expensive for the amount you have on your gift card so you’re back to square one again. That was a great run-on sentence if I do say so myself. Seriously though, I don’t think you’ve lived until that agonizing experience has happened to you. Personally, it happens to me every Christmas, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. The process of finding what to purchase with one’s gift card is hard at times, but luckily, I have some tips and tricks to share with you all.

Tip #1: if you can buy it in a store for virtually the same price, then buy it in the store. That way, if you have to narrow down the items in your cart at some point, that item can be the first to go because you know you can buy it in person.

Tip #2: know what you’re buying and READ THE REVIEWS! I do this whenever I’m shopping online, but it is seriously important to read all the product details, faqs, and reviews. One day when you go to purchase a curling iron on Amazon but find out from the reviews that it’s burned many people’s hair off, you’ll thank me.

Tip #3: ask yourself if the product matches the price. What I mean by that is if you’re buying a reusable travel laundry bag and it is $9.99, is it really worth it? Especially when you can get a whole set of travel laundry bags or packing cubes and travel laundry bags for the same price.

Tip #4: be an educated buyer. For example, if you go to buy some Glossier balm dot com on Amazon and are confused as to why this lip balm is forty dollars, go to the official Glossier website and price check those balms before you buy them on Amazon. This obviously goes for anything you’re thinking of buying- that’s just an experience I recently had.

Tip #5: this one goes kinda hand-in-hand with #3, but always look to see if you can get the same product of equal quality for less through another seller. Amazon even has a great feature that automatically does that, you just have to click on it!

I hope these tips helped you break the vicious cycle of Amazon gift card buying stress (that was the worst wording I could’ve ever possibly written and the grammar is also nonexistent, sorry ’bout that!), and I’d love to hear if you’ve also encountered the same issue or if you have more tips to share in the comments below!

-Jill