Amazon Echo MoneySaving hacks – get Alexa for less

Alexa can play music requests, check the weather, let you know if your train's running late, turn lights on and off, tell jokes, book a taxi, or even order Domino's pizza – all without you lifting a finger. Concerns over privacy and who might be listening aside, it adds a long list of useful features to Amazon's Echo (if you're flummoxed by the jargon, an 'Echo' is a Wi-Fi connected speaker and it's controlled by 'Alexa', Amazon's voice assistant).

Though increasingly popular, these voice-controlled smart speakers don't always come cheap, so the first thing you should do is ask yourself, "Can I afford this, and do I really need it?". If you do want to adopt Alexa into your family, we've put our human intelligence into finding some tricks and tips Alexa won't tell you about...

Avoid paying extra for features you won't use

You'll find the Alexa voice assistant inside Amazon's Echo speakers, its newer Fire TV stick and tablets, as well as a whole array of third-party products. Yet at its core, Alexa has the same functionality regardless of what device it's inside – so the simplest tip of all, if you're not overly fussed about speaker quality or a screen, is to avoid paying extra for features you don't need. You can just get the cheapest Echo Dot or Echo Input to get the voice assistant AI.

See reviews on sites such as TechRadar or Expert Reviews to find out what each device does, so you don't spend more than you need.

Want Alexa with a 10" screen? Save £70+ buying a Fire tablet instead of Echo Show

The Echo Show* is the most expensive device in the Echo family at £219.99, and comes with a 10-inch HD screen for watching news bulletins, streaming Prime Video, and video calling with friends or family – all hands-free with Alexa. However, you can access most of the Echo Show's features much cheaper by picking up a Fire tablet instead.

Amazon's latest Fire HD 10 tablet* has built-in hands-free Alexa (when connected to Wi-Fi), and it'll work even when the screen's asleep. It also has a 10-inch HD screen, can stream video content and calls as well – but is normally about £70 cheaper than the Echo Show. As of this writing, it's £149 at AO.com* (£149.99 at Amazon*) but is usually reduced to about £100 every couple of months, so you can save even more if you pounce at the right time. You’ll likely want to buy a case/stand for the Fire tablet, which cost from about £12.

These devices aren't exactly the same – there are hardware differences. Of course, we're MoneySavingExperts, not technical experts, so be sure to do your research to make sure you're happy with any compromises.

The Show does have better speakers, so if you want a device specifically for hands-free music then the Fire HD 10 might not work for you, though you can connect it to an external Bluetooth speaker if you have one. The Show also has a 5MP camera compared with 2MP on the Fire HD 10, and a built-in smart hub (the ability to control lights and other smart devices without the need for a separate hub).

Though when it comes to Alexa functionality, they can do the same thing. Set the Fire HD 10 to 'Show mode' to get full-screen visual Alexa responses like you would on the Echo Show. With the Fire HD 10, you also get the added benefit of being able to use it as a portable tablet, which arguably makes it far more versatile.

Save more by going smaller

If size doesn't matter and you aren't too fussed about a couple of extra inches, then you can save even more, as the newest Fire HD 8* with an eight-inch screen has hands-free Alexa for £79.99 (16GB version).

There's also the Echo Show 5 with a five-and-a-half-inch screen for £79.99 at Amazon*, or the Echo Spot* for £119, though with only a two-and-a-half-inch screen, it's fine for video calls and displaying graphics, but not much good if you want to watch some Prime Video.

Bring an old speaker to (artificial) life for £19-£35

When's the best time to buy an Amazon Echo device?

For the past couple of years, the biggest discounts we've seen on most Echo devices have come during Amazon's 'Prime Day' in mid-July (its discount event for Prime members), over the Black Friday period in November, and in mid-December. Although these are the times you'll find the strongest discounts, our analysis shows you can often bag a reduced Echo device throughout the year.

Echo six-month cheapest price history

The graph below shows the cheapest price each Echo device fell to during each month from Black Friday 2018 to May 2019. Last year, Prime Day (mid-July) had the same cheapest prices we saw during Black Friday, but it's not included here as we've used six month's worth of data from CamelCamelCamel.

See the device images for which colour relates to which Echo

As you can see, five out of the six devices were discounted during at least four of the six months, with the Input and Dot reduced during five of the six months, and the Echo discounted every month – though it ranged from 11%-28% off during Jan-May, compared with 39% off over Black Friday and mid-December.

The least-reduced device was the Echo Plus, which was only discounted in one of the six months – but most of the Echo devices are often discounted throughout the year, so if you see the device you're after is full-price, it's worth waiting as it likely won't be long before it's reduced again.

You can use Amazon price tracker CamelCamelCamel to make sure you're getting a good deal. You can also use the tool to set a 'desired price' and it'll email you when that item drops to that price, or below. If you're a regular Amazon shopper, see our 24 Amazon buying tips guide.

Compare retailers for price and special extras

Buying refurbished can save up to 50%

Already got an Alexa device? Listen to FREE audiobooks & more

If you've an Alexa-enabled device, you can listen to selected audiobooks each month completely free – just say "Alexa, what's free from Audible?" to hear what's available. You don't need to have an Audible subscription or give it any payment details. Past free titles have included Aladdin, Treasure Island, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Until Saturday 31 August, you can listen to Anne of Green Gables performed by Rachel McAdams, Sense and Sensibility performed by Rosamund Pike, and Off to be The Wizard. Whichever you want to listen to, just ask Alexa to read it.

Free product samples such as drinks and beauty products

Have you got a voice assistant in your home? Are they the future or just a fad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or on Twitter @MSE_Deals.