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Amazon Subscribe & Save filler items: Cheap ways to reach that 15%-off threshold

Just need another item or two? We've got you covered.

Rick Broida Senior Editor

Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").

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Rick Broida

Feb. 24, 2021 5:00 a.m. PT

2 min read

Amazon's Subscribe & Save program is a great way to save on household and other items you use regularly. By signing up for scheduled deliveries of things like toilet paper, toothpaste, dishwasher pods and dog treats, you can get 5% off the regular prices -- or 15% if your delivery includes at least five items.

And there's the rub: What if you don't really need five items every time? Maybe you've already got enough, say, dog treats for the month, but if you skip it, your 15% savings drops to 5%

What you need is a filler item, something cheap that'll put your item count back up to five. And if you can find something that costs just a dollar or two, you're still likely to come out ahead.

For example: If your four-item Subscribe & Save order adds up to $40, and you save 5% on that order, your total drops to $38. If you add a $2 item, your total increases to $42 -- but now you're saving 15%, bringing the overall total down to $35.70. Even if that filler item is something you don't need, you stand to come out ahead.

With that thinking in mind, here are some dirt-cheap items that qualify for Subscribe & Save. I've listed six items here; I'm sure you can find more with a little searching. Note that these prices are accurate at the time of this writing and subject to change. They may also change after you've subscribed, so be sure to keep a close watch on your monthly deliveries.

Gold Bond Body Powder: 97 cents before S&S discount
Snack Pack vanilla pudding cups: 99 cents before S&S discount
Wet n Wild eyeshadow brush: 99 cents before S&S discount
Soft Scrub Duo-Cubes in-tank toilet cleaner: $1.98 before S&S discount
Plackers dental picks: 99 cents before S&S discount
Renuzit Gel Air Freshener: 97 cents before S&S discount

Have you found any other super-cheap items that qualify for Subscribe & Save? Call them out in the comments!

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