Some purchases aren't just expenses — they're investments that actually save you money over time. Think meal prep items that help you cook at home and take lunch to work, appliances that make your daily luxuries less expensive, and reusable products that stop you from (literally) throwing money in the trash.
Even better, a lot of these things are on sale for Prime Big Deal Days (Oct. 7 - 8), and these sale prices mean you can recoup your costs even faster. These are the kind of deals even our editors get excited about.
We did the math, and here are the Amazon products with the strongest return on investment — and how quickly they'll put money back in your pocket.
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Amazon Items That Save You Money in the Long Run
Electric Lunch Box
Deal Price: $29.99
Number of Uses Until It Pays for Itself: 5
This 20-ounce electric lunch box is on sale for $29.99, normally $39.99. If your desire for hot meals rather than a cold sandwich is what drives you to eat out on workdays, this product solves that issue because it heats up your home-cooked meals at your desk.
The Cost-Savings Math
The USDA puts the average monthly cost of "food at home" (aka groceries) at $379 per month, or $4.21 per meal. Meanwhile, a restaurant meal will easily cost you $10. So you're saving $5.79 each time you cook a meal at home and take it to work. That means you'll recoup your cost in five uses (or one work week).
Bella Portable Smoothie Blender
Deal Price: $24.99
Number of Uses Until It Pays for Itself: 7
This small blender can blend crushed ice, frozen fruit, and seeds to make 13.5-ounce smoothies. If you can use it to replace your morning or post-gym, store-bought smoothie, you can recoup your costs a lot faster than you can with large blenders that cost $200 or more.
The Cost-Savings Math
We looked at the costs of the smallest smoothies available at various chains and found you'll pay at least $5 per smoothie. The ingredients for a simple mixed-berry smoothie made at home will run you about $1.50 per smoothie at current grocery store prices. So you're saving around $3.50 per basic smoothie you make at home. That means this machine will pay for itself in about seven uses, give or take.
Rubbermaid Brilliance BPA-Free Food Storage Containers Multipack
Deal Price: $16.99
Number of Uses Until It Pays for Itself: About 3
This 5-pack of Rubbermaid containers is 35% off at $16.99. Airtight see-through storage containers are a meal-prep staple because they make storing all the meals you prepared easy enough that you're likely to do it again. They're also microwave safe, so eating what you prepped at work is convenient too.
The Cost-Savings Math
The USDA puts the average monthly cost of "food at home" (aka groceries) at $379 per month, or $4.21 per meal. Meanwhile, a restaurant meal will easily cost you $10. So you're saving about $5.79 per meal by eating items you cooked at home. That means you'll need to eat three meals you cooked at home to recoup your cost.
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1
Deal Price: $64.99
Number of Uses Until It Pays for Itself: 3
The Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 is 41% off for Prime Big Deal Days at $64.99 (regularly $109.99). It comes with many settings, but I've been using my 6-quart Instant Pot for years, just using the pressure cooking setting to make easy one-pot, splatter-free meals at home.
The Cost-Savings Math
The USDA puts the average monthly cost of "food at home" (aka groceries) at $379 per month, or $4.21 per meal. Meanwhile, a restaurant meal will easily cost you $10. So you're saving $5.79 by eating at home.
If you make about four meals per pot with your Instant Pot, it pays for itself after three uses.
Keurig K-Mini Single Serve
Deal Price: $42
Number of Uses Until It Pays for Itself: 16 The Keurig K-Mini K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker is $47.49, down from $99.99 — that's more than half off.
Yes, there are plenty of at-home coffee makers that are way fancier. But if you're buying to-go coffee for the convenience factor, this product requires you to just push a button.
The Cost-Savings Math
You can easily get K-Cups for $0.35 per unit. Even a small fast-food coffee will run you about $3. That means this product saves you $2.65 per coffee at least, so you're recouping your costs after about 18 uses.
Pacifica Reusable Silicone Mask Set
Deal Price: $11.64
Number of Uses Until It Pays for Itself: 4 This reusable mask set from Pacifica is meant to replace disposable under-eye masks that you toss after one use. It can be used with serums, creams, and moisturizers you already have.
The Cost-Savings Math
Single-use under-eye masks will cost you around $1 a pair if you buy them in bulk, and brow masks will run you around $2 each. So you're paying a total of $3 for the full treatment. That means this reusable set pays for itself in about four uses, give or take. Most eye patch packaging recommends using them two to three times a week, so you'll make up your costs in about two weeks.
Check out our beauty deals to save on the serums and creams as well.
Travel-Size Pouches for Toiletries (20-Pack)
Deal Price: $3.99
Number of Uses Until It Pays for Itself: 1
These BPA-free lie-flat fluid packing bags are meant to use the travel-sized shampoos, face washes, lotions, and other toiletries. And they're 50% off for Prime Big Deal Days. You can fill them with the full-size body care items you already stocked up on with coupons.
The Cost-Savings Math
Most of the travel-sized body washes, shampoos, and other liquids we looked at will cost you at least $1.50 each. So, assuming you use at least a couple of these pouches once, you'll recoup your costs within one use.
Melissa & Doug Water Wow Reusable Coloring Books, 6 ct
Deal Price: $48.99
Number of Uses Until It Pays for Itself: 14
These coloring and game books are activated with a water pen and are totally reusable.
The Cost-Savings Math
Each of the six Melissa & Doug books has four pages. Similar one-use coloring and activity books for this age group (3+) can be had for about $3.50 each, and each book has about as many pages as the whole Melissa & Doug set. So you can think of the entire Melissa & Doug set as the equivalent of a regular $3.50 kids' activity book.
That's a pretty big investment up front, but you'll still recoup your cost in about 14 uses, and there's less mess involved.
Stasher Silicone Reusable Food Storage Bags
Deal Price: $18.99
Number of Uses Until It Pays for Itself: 53
These reusable silicone bags are intended to replace disposable plastic bags, and a 2-pack is on sale for $18.99 (30% off).
The Cost-Savings Math
You can get similar-sized single-use sandwich bags for a cost of $8.99 for 50-count box ($0.18 per bag); these reusable bags cost a lot more comparatively. Even the sale price is $9.50 per bag. So it'll take you 53 uses of both reusable bags until you start saving money. But, if you're packing kids' lunches every day, you'll recoup your costs in about two-and-a-half months. You're also reducing waste.
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