LG's top-rated 86-inch TV is just $800, but you better act fast

PLUS: My review of the Snap 4 Luxe phone grip that's all over TikTok. Worth it? ALSO: Save 50% on AllTrails+ and Peacock Premium!

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.

True story: My Sunday-afternoon pickleball league was postponed tomorrow because it conflicts with the Detroit Lions playoff game. And I’m fine with it! You have no idea what a big deal this is for Michiganders. To me, just reaching the playoffs and then winning the first game is practically the same as winning the Super Bowl, so I’m okay with whatever happens next. GO LIONS!

QUICK HITS

🥾 Is this the year you plan to get out and hike more? Good plan. Really good plan. Be sure to grab the AllTrails app, which helps you find great trails all over the world. The free version is solid, but AllTrails Plus adds a bunch of useful extras (like offline maps and trails sorted by distance from you). It’s normally $36 annually, but right now you can get a year of AllTrails Plus for $18.

📺 As noted, the Lions are playing in their second playoff game tomorrow (can’t believe I just wrote those words), and if you don’t already have access to NBC, you can stream it on Peacock. Don’t have Peacock? Right now you can get a 1-year Premium subscription for $29.99 with promo code PEACOCK2024, which is 50% off. (Be sure to toggle from Monthly to Annual Plan before making your selection.) Also on Peacock: Mrs. Davis, which I just finished and absolutely loved.

📺 Speaking of football, this is typically the best time of year to buy a new TV. Case in point: TODAY ONLY, Best Buy has the LG UR7800 86-inch 4K Smart TV for $800, which ties the all-time low. Remarkably, given the size, shipping is free (or you may be able to pick it up locally, provided you have a large vehicle). It runs WebOS, not Roku or Fire TV, but you can always plug in the streamer of your choice if you decide you don’t like it. User rating: 4.7 stars from over 700 buyers. I own an 85-inch TV and it’s just awesome, people. Treat yourself.

⌚ Here’s an unusually good Apple Watch deal: Amazon has the Apple Watch SE 2nd-gen (GPS+Cellular 44mm) for $229.46, which is $100 off the regular price. So it’s not only the larger model, but also the cellular-equipped one. (Just make sure your carrier offers service for it if you intend to use that feature.) This price is available only for the Starlight Aluminum version with sport-loop band (which I dig).

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The Snap 4 Luxe phone grip is 40 freaking dollars. Is it worth it?

I won’t use a phone without some kind of grip. Those of you who’ve known me a long time know I used to adore Phone Loops (which my daughter mockingly dubbed “dork straps,” and the name stuck). I still do, but these days I want more.

Designed to work with just about any phone, the Snap 4 Luxe is similar to a Pop Socket, but better in nearly every way (except price; read on). The main ingredient is a pop-out disc you can slide your fingers around for a more comfortable, more secure grip.

That disc can also pivot and clip into the base to become a stand, though it doesn’t afford much of a viewing angle in portrait orientation. Better than nothing, though.

The Snap 4 is remarkably thin, just 2.5mm. On my iPhone 13 case, it actually protrudes less than the protective plastic bump around the camera lenses. Thus, it adds zero bulk to your pocket.

And because it’s magnetic, it works with MagSafe mounts and accessories — meaning you never have to remove it, not even for charging. That’s in contrast to the vast majority of other magnetic phone grips. You can also plop it onto any metal surface: refrigerator, toolbox, etc. The magnets are strong.

I’ve been using this for over a week now and for the most part I really like it. My only usability complaint is that I can’t just pop it one-handed and get my fingers around the grip; I have to use two hands. Other grips are a little easier to, er, activate.

So, wait, I pay the full price now and then redeem the “award” after? Pretty confusing, OhSnap…

Then there’s the price: $40 plus shipping. And sales tax. Ugh. That means closer to $50 out the door.

Now, if you linger on the site for a minute, you should get a pop-up offering “25% back” on your order, though you have to sign up for both e-mails and texts, then shop via a link that arrives via the two. And from what I can tell, it’s something you redeem after your purchase, not a discount at the time of purchase. Honestly I find it all a little misleading and unclear.

My brain says this is a $25 product, tops. And to charge $6 to ship something that probably costs all of a buck via USPS? That feels pretty egregious.

I like that this is a small, bootstrapped company based in the U.S., and that they’ve created a product that’s effectively unrivaled. But I’m really struggling with the price. Your thoughts?

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Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about Deal Secrets and Amazon’s affiliate program

I’ve been chuckling to myself the last few days because my big Amazon experiment (which I touched on briefly last week) was a colossal failure — not because I ran afoul of Amazon’s affiliate rules, but because I’m a dummy. I missed a key step in the link-setup process, effectively rendering the test as inert as a chemistry project without a catalyst.

Some background: When I first launched Deal Secrets, I made occasional use of Amazon affiliate links (the same kind used by countless websites and newsletters, more than you probably realize). But apparently I didn’t follow the rules — you can’t use these links in e-mails (unless you have a huge subscriber base, which seems unfair but whatever) — and the result was I got kicked out of the program.

Folks, I spent well over a year trying to get back in; I suspect it’s easier to secure a spot on the ISS than to get a live human to help with this particular situation. Ultimately I prevailed, and for the last couple months I’ve tentatively shared Amazon affiliate links on social media. So far, so good.

But I’ve kept them out of the newsletter because although I’m 96% sure I’ll be in proper compliance this time, I’m pretty nervous about getting booted again. Then, last week, I decided damn the torpedoes! — and ended up not even arming the detonators.

I understand you may not care about any of this, or may even feel irritated at the thought of me making a few dimes on the deals I share. I get it. But I just want to reiterate what I state up top every week: I never, ever choose deals based on whether or not there’s a commission available. If you need proof, well, look at all the no-commission Amazon links I’ve shared over the past 18 months.

My goal, as always, is to bring you fun, practical, affordable stuff. Where possible, stuff I’ve used myself and can wholeheartedly recommend. That’s the mission; hopefully now there’s a little more money for rocket fuel.

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PLAYLIST

Remember this guy? He’s on Substack! Which means we’re practically colleagues.

I’ve long been a fan of Garrison Keillor, a name likely unknown to anyone under the age of 50, but I’m guessing it’s been a decade or more since I listened to his long-running Prairie Home Companion show or read anything with Keillor’s byline. I blame the former on the rise of podcasts, the latter on the decline of magazines.

Anyway, to my surprise and delight I recently discovered that the author and I share a home here on Substack; Garrison Keillor and Friends now arrives in my inbox on the daily, a mix of observations, recollections, reader mail, and a “podcast” that’s really just a brief audio essay. (Pro tip: Although you can listen to these via a link in the e-mail, the Substack app makes podcast consumption easier.)

Keillor offers paid subscription tiers, but believe me there’s plenty of good stuff offered up gratis. I particularly enjoyed his recent ode to orange marmalade.

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