Maybe your Amazon addiction is quietly creeping up on you. Maybe it started years ago when you bought some books. Then you joined Amazon Prime. And then you started streaming video, ordering toilet paper, testing Amazon Pantry, and using Alexa Voice Deals.
You are now a complete Amazon customer and you must be wondering how much of your budget goes towards online retailing.
There is a way to find out and the results can be shocking and enlightening.
Receive your order report
Amazon quietly offers a way to view reports of your entire order history. Go to the main “Your Account” page. You’ll see a few options at the top to view your orders and manage your address, security and payment settings. Scroll down and look for the “Order and Purchase Preferences” section for the “Download Order Report” link. You may need to sign in to your account from here. You can also try this direct link.
Know how to get the benefits of Amazon Prime on discount.
Request your order history
Now let’s find out how much you have spent on Amazon in the last one year. The Order-Report page lets you choose from several options. Start by selecting “Orders and Shipments” for the report type. Set the start date to January 1, 2017 and click “Use Today” for an end date, or the “Year to Date” option on the right. You can also choose to name the report as “2017 Expenses.” Click on the button below to request your report.
Keep in mind that it may take a while to generate a report if you are a heavy Amazon user or if you are requesting a report that covers a long period. You don’t have to sit around and wait. When your report is ready, Amazon will send you an email containing a link to your report. Otherwise, it will be downloaded automatically.
get magic number
The Order History report comes as a CSV spreadsheet file, so you’ll need Microsoft Excel or another similar software program to open it. You can also upload it to Google Drive’s Sheets program.
The report is full of data, including how much you paid for each order, shipping address, carrier name, and shipping charges. What we care about right now is the “Total Charges” section, which should be on the far right. For Excel, scroll down until you find the bottom of the Transactions list and click the blank spreadsheet cell just below the last “Total Fee” transaction. Select “Autosum” from the toolbar at the top to see your spending for the year.
If you’re using the Google Sheets spreadsheet program in Google Drive, highlight the entire column of the “Total Charges” cell and look for the automatically generated totals at the bottom of the page.
Here you get everything with Amazon Prime membership.
go back in time
This same method works for other periods in your Amazon history. You can even go back to your first Amazon purchase and generate a report. From the Order History Report page, select January 1 of the earliest year available in the drop-down menu and set the expiration date for today. Be prepared for what may seem like a staggering number and remind yourself that it is your expense that could be quite a long term.
Now that you know how much of your income goes to Amazon, you might be wondering where your money goes and whether it’s living up to your expectations. Maybe you feel like you’re on the right track, or maybe you feel compelled to tighten up your budget plans. Either way, it’s good to know Amazon’s role in your overall spending.
Amazon Alexa or Google Home: Which is Better?
Amazon’s Alexa devices are battling Google Home for a place of honor in your smart home, but perhaps one is a better fit for you than the other.