Amazon Prime

The loss of Tower Records means that music aficionados are going to have to find another source to get their music fix. And while big-box stores might be great for Top 40 music, fans of jazz, blues, classical and independent music will soon find themselves jonesing for Tower’s deep catalog inventory. The new “Amazon Prime” service just might be the solution. For $79 a year, you get free two-day shipping on more than a million items—from textbooks to groceries—and overnight shipping is only an extra $3.99 per item. Better yet, this can be shared with up to four people living in the same household. While 80 bucks a year might seem excessive to most students, $20 split among your roommates seems like a pretty good deal to me. Amazon’s pre-order prices are usually highly competitive, and with Amazon Prime it’s as easy as a single click; no more combining orders to get their free (and slow) “super saver” shipping. And if you poke around Amazon’s site, you’ll probably even find an offer for a free three-month trial. Give it a shot; chances are you’ll become as hooked as I am.