*By: Madison Alworth*
Amazon has already started offering deals even before the official start of Prime Day. But the discounts aren't always the big bargains they appear to be.
Louryn Strampe, deal editor for Mobile Nations' Thrifter, a site dedicated to finding the best tech tips and deals for consumers, joined Cheddar with some tips on how to weed out the imposters.
"You can look at a website such as [Camel Camel Camel](https://camelcamelcamel.com/), which is one of our favorites at team Thrifter," she said. "You just enter an Amazon item's SKU, and it will show you all of the price tracking information."
Strampe said Amazon, like other retailers, will artificially jack up the price of certain items before Prime Day, making it seem like a sale is way better than it actually is.
That's not to say no offers are legit. Tech, especially anything that incorporates Amazon technology, could be a good bet. Since the shopping "holiday" is largely about promoting Amazon and its devices, buyers can expect some of the best deals to be on Echos, Kindles, and Fire TVs.
Prime Day was launched in 2015, touting more and bigger deals than Black Friday or Cyber Monday. While Amazon doesn't report revenue numbers for the event, it said sales last year were 60 percent higher than they were in 2016. And this year the company has one more stream from which to find customers.
"With the Whole Foods integration you can expect to see deals on more everyday essentials," Strampe said. "Things like paper towels or laundry detergent or items you just need on a daily basis."
Amazon Prime Day officially starts at 3 pm ET on Monday, July 16th.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/a-preview-of-amazon-prime-day)
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has announced that 100,000 businesses have signed up for a new database that collects ownership information intended to help unmask shell company owners. Yellen says the database will send the message that “the United States is not a haven for dirty money.”
A new version of the federal student aid application known as the FAFSA is available for the 2024-2025 school year, but only on a limited basis as the U.S. Department of Education works on a redesign meant to make it easier to apply.
A steep budget deficit caused by plummeting tax revenues and escalating school voucher costs will be in focus Monday as Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature return for a new session at the state Capitol.
The first U.S. lunar lander in more than 50 years is on its way to the moon. The private lander from Astrobotic Technology blasted off Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, catching a ride on United Launch Alliance's brand new rocket Vulcan.
Global prices for food commodities like grain and vegetable oil fell last year from record highs in 2022, when Russia’s war in Ukraine, drought and other factors helped worsen hunger worldwide, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said Friday.
Wall Street is drifting higher after reports showed the job market remains solid, but key parts of the economy still don’t look like they’re overheating.
The Biden administration is docking more than $2 million in payments to student loan servicers that failed to send billing statements on time after the end of a pandemic payment freeze.
The nation’s employers added a robust 216,000 jobs last month, the latest sign that the American job market remains resilient even in the face of sharply higher interest rates.
A U.S. labor agency has accused SpaceX of unlawfully firing employees who penned an open letter critical of CEO Elon Musk and creating an impression that worker activities were under surveillance by the rocket ship company.
