1. Free, reliable two-day shipping

The most obvious benefit is the free two-day shipping on thousands of common items sold on Amazon. This is the service on my Prime subscription that I use the most often and it has never failed me. I order something and it arrives at my door two days later. I've even gotten Sunday deliveries for no additional cost. This service really comes in handy when you need something ASAP or when you're in a pinch. When you need a textbook ASAP or some new running shorts for a last-minute charity walk you signed up for, you'll be beyond thankful that you have Amazon Prime. This benefit alone pays for your subscription if you order something on Amazon just once a month.

2. Whole Foods discounts

The newest benefit of being a Prime member is the discounts at Whole Foods. Prime members now save an additional 10% on ALL sale items and get exclusive deals on certain items in the store. I took advantage of this already and saved money on my last Whole Foods purchase with a Prime member deal on some crackers and I saved another couple of dollars on the already discounted sale items I purchased. This is a fantastic new benefit!

3. Free Prime Video

Many people do not realize that a Prime membership comes with a free subscription to a Netflix-like streaming service. Thousands and movies and TV shows are on Amazon Prime Video and it is a great resource when Netflix does not have that movie you're looking for.

4. Free Prime Music

Also with your Amazon Prime subscription, you can stream over 2 million songs, playlists, and stations for free. This can really help you save money on things like Spotify or Apple Music.

5. Free Prime Photos

Why pay for additional iCloud storage when you can store your photos for free under your Prime subscription? Prime Photos gives Prime members free, unlimited photo storage for themselves and up to 5 other people. Finding photos is also easy with their advanced search tools as well.

6. Prime Pantry

Prime Pantry is really cool. You can get everyday products delivered right to your door without the annoying trip to the grocery store/Target/Walmart. They carry tons of personal care products, cleaning products, household products, etc. at extremely competitive prices that are usually better than what you're paying in store. Not having to lug heavy laundry detergent and huge bundles of paper towels around on a ninety-degree day is a nice benefit too. There are even digital coupons right on the site that you can apply to your order.

If you are dreading a large shopping trip and want to avoid the crowds, crappy weather, and save some money, then this is a great option. They even have some products a lot of stores do not carry (like a certain kind of K-Cups I can no longer find anywhere else). Now that's convenience.

7. Free Audible Channels

If you enjoy things like Podcasts and audiobooks, then you'll enjoy this benefit of Amazon Prime. Audible provides unlimited listening to original audio series and playlists for many different topics.

8. Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day is truly Amazon's version of Black Friday in July. There are some amazing, exclusive deals that will save you a ton of money.