It's that time of year again: Amazon Prime Day is upon us.

The big sales event of the summer kicks off on Wednesday, July 16, and it will feature price drops on everything from the best flyers to the best Nintendo Switch games.

Many vendors and retailers will be participating in this event, so you can find discounts on all kinds of products. You should also check out competing retailers like Best Buy and Walmart.

In short, Prime Day is a busy time to shop for deals, but it helps to plan ahead. If you already have your eye on something, great. But even if you don't have any big purchases in mind this summer, Amazon Prime Day is a great time to stock up on essentials or pick up those little trinkets that you can't be bothered to buy at regular prices throughout the year. It's also a great time to make impulse purchases, as you can often find gadgets and gear at 15-50% off.

With this in mind, we asked our global team of experts: if you had $100, what would you buy during the Prime Day sales?

Hmmm, difficult. I'm probably saying this because I haven't had lunch today, but I would put that $100 into the best little air fryer, the Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1.

Not only do I like the idea of owning an air fryer that could kick my ass, but mainly because of my meager arteries, I am open to accessing cooking methods that do not involve exploding something in the microwave. With a cheap air fryer, I'll be able to have roasted vegetables, fried fish, and other adult-oriented dishes.

Well, I would still cook junk on an air fryer, but let me be a little more paranoid. [But I'm one of those people who take advantage of Prime Day to buy a lot of unused items that I'll use up during the year.

Spare razor blades, toothbrush heads (for the best electric toothbrushes), and socks all go in my basket during Amazon's epic sale events. I also get some of the household items I need, such as wall plugs, bumper packs of nails, and spare cans of WD-40. Prime Day shopping doesn't have to be sexy.

That said, I do keep an eye out for bargain games for my aging Switch console. I still use it for casual gaming, though Nintendo's hybrid console will surely be superseded in a few months.

So if I find a title I like, chances are I'll pick it up.

To be honest, I am not a big Amazon shopper. Right now, the Seagate 2TB is about $89, and could go much lower on sale, so you could buy the 4TB option.

Another use for $100 would be to buy a few bottles of reasonably good whiskey or sake, but I don't know if that is available on Amazon.

If I had to pick one thing, it would be an Amazon Kindle. I do a lot of reading during my daily commute, so I always have at least one book with me. The problem is, I am usually a physical book kind of guy, and I usually read big hardcovers and huge fantasy books, so the idea of a device that takes up much less backpack space is starting to sound pretty appealing.

If I were to move to e-books, the Kindle makes the most sense. [I have the Kindle app installed on at least three devices, but I don't use it much because the constant notifications from other apps take away from my concentration. Since I'm not looking to spend a lot of money on an e-reader, it makes the most sense to pick the "best value" from the Best Kindle list. I can get an Amazon Kindle Basic right away, which currently costs only $100 (and I expect to get a hefty discount on Prime Day).

I admit that I made a Prime Day (early) purchase of one of Tom's Guide's top-rated espresso machines, a variation of the Casabrews Espresso Machine 20 Bar. Well, it was $109, reduced from $149 to be exact, which was about the same price as 36 iced Americano's at my local Seattle independent coffee shop.

Now, I don't mean to put the friendly coffee shop out of business, but the thrill and convenience of getting a small cup of pressurized hot brown bean juice at home is something I have long dreamed of.

And the fun doesn't stop there: the Casablue machine incorporates a milk frothing wand, top cup warmer, sing/double shot toggle, and removable oversized water tank. It also boasts a small footprint, which is a good thing since counter space in my small urban apartment is a precious commodity.

I hope you found some useful guidance or got some good ideas from your Amazon Prime Day spending.

For the latest and greatest sales, be sure to check our guide to the best Prime Day deals and our regularly updated list of the best Amazon promo codes.