'I'm a money expert - save £100s on Amazon Prime Day deals by doing two things'

It can take a little bit of preparation and planning first - but online sales can sometimes net you a major bargain

Amazon is bringing back its Prime Day sale next week with its upcoming Big Deal Days (October 7-8). It works exactly the same as previous sales, offering discounts across the massive catalogue of products sold and delivered via the online delivery service.

Most sections of the online retailer will have something on offer - from clothes and homeware to video games and children's toys. But, customers have been warned by experts not to be blindsided by the promise of a discount.

Instead, doing some research first can help you stay smart with your purchases. Being prepared can help you take advantage of these major sales.

Whilst these shopping events can often lead to some impulsive decisions, they're actually pretty good if you look for some specific items and know what is and isn't a good deal. Tristan Lynch, CEO at Roseland Furniture, has shared some things you should know when purchasing furniture this upcoming Amazon Prime Day.

Taking note can make your shopping a much bigger saving in the long run. One top suggestion is looking for something you probably won't get much use out of until next year - outdoor furniture .

He said: "If you're looking to upgrade your garden with some new outdoor furniture for the warm summer months, autumn and winter may be the perfect time to grab an unbeatable deal. With summer gone, and the cold weather setting in, garden furniture like sofas and tables are usually at their lowest price as retailers seek to clear stock and make room for new items more suitable for the season."

While this may mean you need to store your furniture safely until summer rolls around, it could save you hundreds of pounds. Right now, for example, this four-seater TMEE Rattan Garden Outdoor Furniture Set is reduced from £149.99 down to £88.99.

There are plenty of things you can do ahead of Prime Day to be fully prepared. If you've got your eye on something, it might be an idea to check other websites first to make sure any Amazon discount is truly the best.

You can use online price trackers to make sure you're always up-to-date with the best deal on certain products. Tristan claims: "By using an online price tracker, you can monitor the price history of your product to see if this new deal is actually saving you money.

"Resources like CamelCamelCamel will allow you to identify when the item has fallen and risen in price to help you spot if the huge discount is legitimate. Simply post the URL of the item to sites like CamelCamelCamel, and you will be provided with an extensive product price history that will help inform your next bargain purchase."

Another major thing to be aware of is scammers coming to take advantage of shopping sales - and they're not looking for items. Instead, people are at risk of having their money stolen by dodgy dealers set to look like big retailers offering thigns that are "too good to be true".

Tristan said: "A common tactic for Amazon scammers is phishing emails. With the volume of people using the online retailer, especially during popular days like Amazon Prime Day, scammers will be sending emails to catch you out.

"These can vary from new deals, tech support, gift cards, mystery boxes, and more. While they will direct you to a fake Amazon site that looks like the real deal, look out for things like typos, grammatical errors, and pixelated images - this is a telltale sign that you are dealing with a scammer.

"To protect yourself from any form of scam, don't click on links you are not confident of. Instead navigate to the Amazon website directly via Google or use the app."

Amazon's Prime Big Deals Day runs from October 7 to 8 online.