1. FREE 2-day shipping. I think this is the number one reason we signed up for this. If you shop at amazon, you know that to qualify for regular free shipping, you need to spend at least $35 (this is an increase from the $25 it used to be). Our items would arrive in a few days and we'd be happy. Lately, we noticed that the regular free shipping was taking longer and longer. It wasn't so much that the items were en route longer, they just seemed to sit before being sent out. With Prime, I can get it in two days and the minimum purchase doesn't apply. I can buy a $3 book and it's there quickly. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you have Prime and choose "no-rush shipping" you'll end up with a $1 credit for things like music, ebooks and video. So if you're not in a hurry for something, you get a little extra for your patience.
*Something to note with this. We live in a semi-rural area where we don't have a lot of shopping choices. The major retailer at present is Wal-Mart and I'm not fond of going there. The closest Target/Kohl's is over an hour away, so sometimes it's more convenient for us to purchase something online and save the gas.
2. Amazon Prime music. This has been the real surprise for me. I find myself on this all the time. There's a decent selection of music to choose from and they have playlists that aren't too bad. We actually used a couple of them for Halloween sounds at my kids' party a few weeks ago. I listen to Christian rock and since getting Prime, I've been able to find more artists that I enjoy listening to. The one downfall with this aspect is that only one person can be on Prime music at a time. So if I want to listen, but my husband wants to listen to something else, we have a problem!
3. Amazon Prime TV/Video. This one has its pluses and minuses. On the downside, there's not much current stuff and the movie selection leaves a lot to be desired. On the plus side, you can watch a lot of the older VeggieTales for free. You're never too old for those! Also, there's a lot of the period pieces that I personally enjoy including Bleak House, Little Dorrit and Wives and Daughters. Also, my favorite mini-series in this genre is included: North and South. Not the one about the Civil War, the one with Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-ashe. I have some of these on DVD already, so it's practically a wash on whether or not it's worth it. You can have two people watching this at the same time.
4. Amazon Prime books. You'd think with reading being such a big part of what I do, this would be an important part of my Prime membership. You'd be wrong. The selection overall is less than appealing. Other than Colleen Coble's older stories and some other titles here and there, it wouldn't entice me to sign up for this alone. The other negative is that you can only read one of these a month. Once you "borrow" a book, you're out of luck until next month. For some people, that might work but not me! To check out a book, you have to do it through your Kindle device. You also need to make sure you return any book you already have out before borrowing a new one. Kind of a hassle.
Those are the major things I've noticed and overall, I think we're all happy with Amazon Prime thus far. If you're thinking about a Prime membership, I hope this will help you see some of the things you'll be signing up for a make a decision that fits yourself or your family.
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