Some Amazon Prime Day offers have already begun

• Amazon Prime Pantry members can use the PANTRY promo code at checkout to get $ 10 off orders of $ 40 or more now . The offer ends on July 17th.
• Get $ 10 off your first Prime Now or Whole Foods Market Delivery with the code 20PRIMENOW. You will also receive another $ 10 on your next order.
• Get a $ 30 discount on your AmazonFresh order, a minimum order of $ 100. Use the code 30FRESH. This offer ends July 17th.
• The first day of Amazon officially starts at 15 hours. Is Monday and will continue for 36 hours.

Consumers often shop at Prime Day – and the corresponding sales at other retailers – for electronics, homeware, clothing, toys, tools and electronics. ;grocery. In general, we also saw competitive online summer sales at Target, Walmart and Best Buy.

Stores like Dell, eBay and Lowe's have already released sales to rival Prime Day, according to Sarah Hollenbeck, a shopping expert at BlackFriday.com.

To learn more: Amazon will give you $ 10 to spend if you shop at Whole Foods before the first day For more information: Amazon Prime Day: Tips insiders to get the best deals and avoid the hype

For more: Are Amazon Prime Day sales a bargain? ? We asked 4 pricing companies to find out

Shopping smarter in July, of course, means knowing what you need or what you want and starting with a good idea of ​​what is reasonable.

According to BlackFriday.com, tablets and smart home appliances are good purchases, but if you want the latest TV, it might be best to wait until after Thanksgiving.

Consumers who have a main account can take advantage of all pre-prime day offers as well as Prime Day itself. If they do not want to pay $ 119 for a one year subscription, they can get a free 30 day trial and continue shopping.

Millennials are more likely to already have a Premium Account leading up to the first day, according to a survey by BlackFriday.com and Offers.com.

Other Shopping Tips to Consider:

• Returns on Amazon often require you to pay shipping fees, so be aware of this cost when ordering items that you are not sure , according to Kimberly Palmer, an expert at NerdWallet. Prices may vary online. Compare the prices. Palmer noted that consumers can use a browser extension, like the one called Honey, to compare prices on the web. The CamelCamelCamel price tracking site can be used to compare historical prices on Amazon.
• To take advantage of Prime Day Whole Foods offers, you will want to download the Whole Foods Market app and scan the Prime Code (QR code) to the registry.
• From July 14 to July 17, Amazon Prime Rewards Visa cardholders get a double reward (10% back) on Whole Foods purchases.

In the days leading up to the official start of the first day, Amazon will open a giant box of smiles in various cities. The first unpacking event will be held Wednesday in Brooklyn, N.Y. See amazon.com/unboxingprimeday. Detroit should not be on this list.