The one guaranteed-to-save-you-money shopping tip everyone needs to know

Price trackers track prices so you don't have to. PLUS: A stupid-good laptop deal -- just $229! -- and lots more

DISCLAIMER: Some of the links included herein are affiliate links (usually those in bold blue type), meaning if you make a purchase via one of them, I may get a small commission. I promise you, now and forever, that I won’t choose deals based on whether there’s an affiliate option available.

---

SPONSORED

You can’t have enough surge-protected extension cords. Especially classy braided cords with flat plugs. Especially at this price.

For a limited time, and while supplies last, Meh has a 2-pack 360 Electrical Habitat 3-Outlet Braided Extension Cord With 2 USB Ports for just $14. Price for the same pair at Amazon: $50! They’re available in your choice of three colors.

Shipping adds $6, but that’s mostly offset with this exclusive coupon code: DSOUTLET. Apply that at checkout (click “Got a coupon code?”) to take $5 off your order.

This comes courtesy of Meh, a company I’ve worked with for years and wholeheartedly recommend. (Plus I’ve always loved the tongue-in-cheek name and hilarious product write-ups.)

---

QUICK HITS

📨 An update to last week’s update: Phone Loops are mailing out today, so if you see a non-descript white envelope in your mailbox in the next few days, it’s not junk! (With what I spent on postage, I shudder to think of these getting tossed.)

---

📱 Want a big tablet without paying iPad prices? Amazon’s Fire Max 11 is on sale for $140, tying its all-time low. It’s featured-packed and especially great for consuming movies, books, games, etc. It even has expandable storage. I don’t love Amazon’s UI, but one can learn to live with it.

---

🖼️ I didn’t expect to love an “art TV” so much, but that’s the feeling I have for the Hisense CanvasTV — an affordable alternative to Samsung’s pricey Frame models. Originally $1,000, the Hisense S7N 55-inch CanvasTV is on sale for $698, the lowest price in its admittedly short history. (The only downside: delivery might take 2-3 weeks. This deal is popular.) Read my Yahoo review if you want to learn more, and note that in the three months since it published, my fondness has only increased.

---

💻 Need a new laptop? For a limited time, and while supplies last, Walmart has the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i for just $229 — literally 50% off the regular price. The specs are modest — Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage — but sufficient for everyday computing. Plus, the 15.6-inch screen offers Full HD resolution, which I didn’t expect. Note that the IdeaPad runs Windows 11 in the rather limited “S Mode,” but you can switch out of that quite easily. Also note the 4.6-star average rating from over 300 buyers.

I’m often reminded how certain tasks — shopping, banking, travel planning, etc. — are so much easier on a computer than on a phone. Heck, just composing a lengthy e-mail. You can have my keyboard when you pry it (probably quite literally) from my cold, dead fingers.

---

🎾 Ready to try pickleball? Needless to say, I think the game can change your life. And it’s crazy-cheap to get started: For a limited time, and while supplies last, this Apexup Pickleball Set drops to just $20 when you apply promo code 30RCLZ5V at checkout. (That works only for the Graffiti color; if you see a different one, it’s likely sold out.) The set includes two fiberglass paddles (avoid wood ones if you can), two indoor balls, two outdoor balls, and a drawstring bag to hold them all. Great option for new players, great option to give as a gift!

---

How to get notified when something you want drops in price

Amazon shoppers: If you’re not using Camelcamelcamel, you’re missing out on an invaluable tool.

Did you miss an amazing Black Friday deal and now you’re regretting it? “If only I could get that price again!” Or maybe you simply have a budget threshold; you can afford to pay only so much for a particular wish-list item.

Whatever the case, you don’t have to keep checking every day in hopes of finding your desired deal. Instead, set up a price alert, which is much easier than you might think.

For Amazon shoppers, I recommend Camelcamelcamel, a price-history and price-alert tool. All you do is copy the URL from the Amazon product page you’re viewing, paste it into Camelcamelcamel’s search field, then click Add Amazon Price Watch. You can set a desired price or a percentage drop, or use a shortcut like “best price.” You’ll then receive an e-mail when there’s a match.

Presto: You just scored big savings without having to lift a finger. (Well, except for the initial finger. You did have to lift that.) By the way, if you’re not opposed to this sort of thing, Camel’s browser add-on will save you all that copy/paste hassle; you can queue up alerts right from an Amazon product page.

For other stores, try Honey. It’s also a browser add-on, and it does more than just price alerts; it finds coupons, compares prices from other stores, and so on.

These are desktop tools; if you prefer shopping on mobile, check out apps like Keepa (for Amazon tracking) and Anytracker (for any store). I haven’t used these as much, as I mostly shop on my PC, but they’re top-rated in the app stores.

The bottom line is there are many ways to track prices, and you should be leveraging at least one of them. Everything goes on sale all the time; the trick is finding out when something you want hits the price you need.

Got a favorite price-tracking tool other than the ones listed above? Leave a comment telling me about it!

---

PLAYLIST

🔖 My book tastes run toward the literary (former English major here), which is my way of saying Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar might not be for everyone. But, heavens, this blew me away. I can’t remember the last time I highlighted so many beautifully written passages. It’s a story about the search for meaning, not just in life but death as well. The author delivers remarkable insights into both. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time. Rick’s Rating: A+

---

Thanks for reading Deal Secrets! Questions? Comments? Shoot me an e-mail. I’ll do my best to respond to all inquiries! Want to show your support? Buy me a coffee!

There's also my book: Everything I Need to Know, I Learned Playing Pickleball. And check out my curated book list at Bookshop.org, which donates to local bookstores with every purchase.