One Little-Known Way to Score Great Deals on Amazon

Here's how to enjoy major savings.

Many people shop on Amazon because it's convenient -- you can order items to be delivered to your doorstep, sometimes overnight. Amazon also tends to offer competitive pricing on products ranging from electronics to apparel to household staples. If you're on a strict budget, that's an important thing.

And speaking of budgets, many people are rethinking theirs these days due to rampant inflation. Consumers are also cutting back on discretionary spending to make up for higher costs at the pump and grocery store. If you're someone who commonly shops on Amazon, you may need to rethink your habits if your essential expenses are now costing you more money than ever.

That said, there may be a way for you to eke additional savings out of Amazon, whether on necessities or the occasional leisure purchase. All you need to do is take advantage of one of the site's lesser-known features.

Introducing Amazon Outlet

You may be familiar with outlet stores, which commonly allow you to buy last season's hot buys or excess inventory at a fraction of their original price. Amazon Outlet is similar in that it's loaded with overstock and clearance items across a wide range of categories. You may, for example, find everything from discounted apparel to cleaning supplies on Amazon Outlet, at lower prices than you'll find elsewhere on the site or at your local stores.

Often, Amazon Outlet will feature seasonal items that may not have sold out. For example, you may find Valentine's Day-branded paper towels with hearts on them that consumers didn't rush to scoop up. If you don't care about those hearts being printed on your paper towels, you might snag that household staple at a lower price than you'd normally pay.

One thing you generally won't find on Amazon Outlet is higher-end or popular items. In other words, if you're looking for the latest Apple watch or brand-name smart TV, Amazon Outlet is likely to disappoint. But if you're looking for discounts on everyday products or lower-end items, then shopping at Amazon Outlet makes sense.

Another great thing about Amazon Outlet? It's organized into categories so you don't have to spin your wheels finding what you're looking for. That's a good thing for shoppers who are pressed for time.

On the flipside, because Amazon Outlet features so many different categories, you may end up falling into the trap of scooping up bargains just to get a deal. Remember, though, you don't save money by purchasing discounted items you never wanted and probably won't use. Before shopping on Amazon Outlet, you may want to make a list of specific items you're looking for rather than seeing what's available and going from there.

Be a savvy shopper

It's easy to get carried away spending money on Amazon given the site's ever-evolving list of bargains. But if you take advantage of Amazon Outlet, you might manage to slash your costs for the items you want and need. That could, in turn, help you boost your savings while avoiding debt -- a winning combination.