Home Depot's secret 11% rebate | $2 Peacock Premium | New Game of Thrones Season 8?!
Plus: Exclusive discount on a super-cool paint-matching gadget!
Hey, it looks a little different around here! That’s because I’ve migrated Deal Secrets to a new platform, one that affords far more flexibility (polls, audio, reader comments, etc.). Hope you like the new look! And hope you’ll bear with me while I learn the ropes.
Today’s quick hits:
🥽 I’M A BIRD! I just finished reviewing the DJI Avata, a motion-controlled flying camera that comes with first-person-video (FPV) goggles. It's utterly incredible and has spoiled me for all other drones. Alas, it's also crazy-expensive, and I don't think we'll see a deal anytime soon, but maybe Santa could be convinced…?
🍵 CUSTOMER SERVICE WIN Speaking of expensive things, regular readers know of my love for the Ember temperature-controlled mug (ridiculous price notwithstanding). Recently mine started exhibiting signs of battery failure, and although it was well past the warranty period, the company replaced it. YMMV, of course, but this made me really happy. Great customer service!
🔋 SUPER-CHEAP IPHONE UPGRADE Last week was Apple's annual iPhone launch event, and I'll just bet you're mulling an upgrade for one key reason: You want better battery life. Here's a vastly cheaper alternative: Head to your nearest Apple Store and have them install a new battery. I recently did this for Mrs. Cheapskate's 4-year-old iPhone XR. Price: $69.
📺 WHAT I’M WATCHING Why aren’t more people talking about WeCrashed? This Apple TV Plus series is really, really good, a riveting dramatization of the rise and (spoiler) fall of coworking mega-giant WeWork. Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway give amazing performances; somehow you want both of them to win despite being total nutjobs.
⚔️ GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8 REWRITE Wait, what? Check this out: Game of Thrones: Season 8 Redux is a 10-part fan-fiction podcast you can listen to free on just about any platform. It’s not about trying to right the wrongs of S8, but merely to craft a different (and hopefully more satisfying) outcome to the beloved series. I’m eager to dive in, but thinking I might have to rewatch all the way through S7 so I remember everything that happened so far.
DISCLAIMER: Some of the links included herein are affiliate links (usually those in bold 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.
EXCLUSIVE: Save $34 on the Nix Mini 2 paint color sensor
Need to match a paint color? Good luck with that, especially if it's on a wall. (Those things can be really challenging to bring to the paint store.)
There's a gizmo for that: The Nix Mini 2 can instantly match a paint color to popular paint brands. And that’s not all: It's also like a real-world Photoshop eyedropper tool, able to convert scanned colors to their CMYK, RGB, and other digital equivalents.
Cool? Yes. Useful? Definitely. But I always kind of balked at the $99 price tag, which just felt a little high. Good news: For a limited time, Deal Secrets readers can get the Nix Mini 2 Color Sensor for $65 with promo code cheapskate65. Shipping is free, and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Is it time to consider a Peacock Premium subscription? It is when it’s $2!
Netflix raised prices (again) earlier this year; now Hulu is doing likewise. Ugh. If you’re looking to balance your entertainment budget, consider this: For a limited time, you can sign up for 12 months of Peacock Premium for just $1.99 per month. It normally costs $4.99 (and will again after 12 months, but that’s 2023’s problem).
Weirdly, Premium is Peacock’s middle tier, meaning you get access to the full library of movies and TV shows but still have to watch ads (usually brief ones, thankfully).
Often overshadowed by the big boys, Peacock is home to some pretty good stuff, much of it not available elsewhere. Jurassic World Dominion is there, along with the latest Downton Abbey movie, four seasons of Yellowstone, Resident Alien (a personal favorite), and every season of The Office. There’s live news, too, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Anyway, you could yank Netflix and/or Hulu for a while and binge your way through Peacock’s library for cheap.
Pro tip #1: Are you an Xfinity subscriber? You qualify for free Peacock Premium.
Pro tip #2: Similar to the HBO Max deal from a couple weeks ago, Rakuten is offering $6 cash back when you subscribe to Peacock Premium via their portal. That’s like getting three months of the service for free. New to Rakuten? Sign up here and get a $30 bonus when you spend $30. (Mini additional pro tip: All this is much easier handled in a desktop browser than on your phone.)
How to get an 11% rebate on Home Depot in-store purchases
Knock me over with a feather: If you live in AR, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI, or WV, you may qualify for an 11% rebate on certain in-store purchases from Home Depot. Who knew?!
Now, there's a pretty substantial exclusions list [PDF], and the rebate takes the form of a Home Depot gift card, not cash. But is this worth a try? Absolutely.
So what's this all about? As I understand it, it’s Home Depot's response to midwest retailer Menard's, which also offers an 11% rebate on qualifying in-store purchases. (I believe there you just ask for the form at checkout, or look on your receipt for instructions.)
Hisense TV deal: Try for 100 days, get $100
Shopping for a new TV? You've probably never heard of Hisense, but the company makes some legit-good models -- and it just brought back a great promotion (and made it even better).
Here's the deal: Buy any 65-inch or larger Hisense Google TV, then register it within 14 days of purchase. Now you've got a 100-day trial period to make sure you like it. If not: full refund. Even better, keep it past the 100-day mark and you'll receive a $100 prepaid Visa card.
This promotion is available across Hisense's A6H, U6H, U7H, and U8H lineups. (Note to Hisense: Too many models!) Here's a really good pick: The Hisense 65-inch U6H for $550. Notable features include Quantum Dot, full-array local dimming, Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. (Don't worry if you don't know all those terms; they're code for "very good picture and sound.")
Assuming you decide to keep the TV past 100 days, your $100 bonus brings the net cost down to $450 -- an exceptional deal for a TV with this pedigree. Equally exceptional: It's backed by a 2-year warranty, double what you get from most manufacturers.
As it happens, I've tested this exact model and found it to be extremely good overall. Very bright, gorgeous colors, plenty of smartness courtesy of Google TV. I especially like Filmmaker Mode, which turns off motion smoothing (which should stay off for everything but sports) and tweaks various settings for an ideal movie-viewing experience.
Anyway, all this is to say that if you're shopping for a big TV, put Hisense on your short list. No other company offers a 100-day trial period.
Thanks for reading Deal Secrets! Questions? Comments? Hit me up on Twitter or Facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. I’ll do my best to respond to all inquiries! Want to show your support? Buy me a coffee!
Rakuten offer Sams Club deal. 45$ to join, 45$ off first purchase. Time limitation on purchase must be in store, Rakuten credits to boot!
Like the new format of the newsletter. I hope the problem with amazon affiliate was resolved. Thanks for sharing great promotions and discounts.