Prepare your Amazon wishlist ahead of the Prime Early Access Sale

Amazon Prime Day is almost here! Again!

For the second time this year, Amazon will be offering 48 hours of deals on deals on deals, from Oct. 11 to Oct. 12.

The event, officially called the Prime Early Access Sale (PEAS for short), is for Prime members only, but has kicked off the holiday shopping season nice and early for pretty much everyone, with Target and Walmart also hosting their own competing sales.

Basically, there are a lot of great deals to be had. But before you start panicking about missing out on all the good gets, we have a pro tip for you: Organize your "wishlist." And do it now, because having all of your ducks in a row ahead of Amazon’s sale bonanza is going to save you time, money, and your precious sanity.

If it’s news to you that Amazon even offers such a feature, here’s how it works:

Basically, every product page on the retail giant’s website has a little “add to list” button right around where the “add to cart” button is located (very convenient placement). Click on that, and you can add said product to your personal Amazon wishlist, or any other list that you’ve created for yourself on your profile.

Do this with every gadget, gizmo, and knick-knack you think would make a worthy addition to your collection of goods, or shop for upcoming birthdays, bridal showers, or even the winter holidays. What you’ll end up with is an organized, definitive page of all that you desire. View it all at a glance, or even rank each item based on how much you want it.

Then, and here's the important part, be sure to check back on your list when the PEAS kicks into high gear — you’ll be able to see which products have gone on sale and snatch them up before they’re gone.

WARNING: Only add the necessities to your wishlist or risk critical failure and end up with mass shipments of shit you don’t need, never needed, and will never need. (Did you *have* to get that life-size cardboard cutout of Danny DeVito? No. No you didn’t. But now he’s standing there in the corner of your living room. And he’s watching you.)

But that’s not where the perks of "wishlisting" cap out. In fact, if you download Amazon’s mobile companion app, you’ll be granted the added benefit of "wishlist alerts."

These alerts can aid in notifying you when an item on your wishlist becomes a “lighting deal,” as well as when a sold-out item on your wishlist goes back in stock.

This isn’t a notification setting that's turned on by default, so you’ll have to go in and check it off yourself. All you have to do is open up the Amazon app, go into your settings, then to your notifications, and click on “your watched and waitlisted deals.”

It's this one. Credit: Screenshot

Voilà — now you’ll never miss a deal for something you actually want. Your Amazon wishlist is one of the most useful tools that you have at your disposal to ensure a successful shopping experience.

Also, keep a watchful eye out for our PEAS coverage, where we’ll be highlighting all the best deals that you can get your hands on.

UPDATE: Oct. 7, 2022, 5:30 p.m. EDT This story was originally published in 2021. It has been updated with new information regarding Amazon's fall Prime Day event in 2022.