Quickie deal: The Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet is a steal (and an all-time low) at $75

Call it an early Prime Day deal if you want; it's too good to pass up. PLUS: A portable electric tire inflator for just $25. #giftshoppingdone

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.

Welcome, newcomers! Thanks to the fine folks at Shoddy Goods (a fascinating newsletter about, well, stuff), I’ve had an influx of new subscribers. Whether you came from there or elsewhere, I appreciate you!

You’re catching me at an unusual time; Deal Secrets has been on hiatus the past few months. But I’m getting ready to resume normal(ish) operations. While frequency may remain inconsistent for a bit longer, you should start seeing an uptick in your inbox.

---

QUICK HITS

🛒 Buying in bulk is still the best way to save on groceries, so here’s a killer deal to get you in the door of your local price club: StackSocial is offering a 1-year Sam’s Club membership for just $15. Reg. price: $50. Take note that the membership will auto-renew at that regular price after the first year, so mark your calendar accordingly. Also note that this is for new members only, though if you’re a lapsed member for at least six months, I believe you can still take advantage of this offer.

🎮 Calling all Xbox owners! Another “buying in bulk” win, here’s a 1-month Game Pass Ultimate subscription for $13; reg. price $20. Or choose the 3-month option for $36.49. This deal is good for new and existing subscribers. And it’s stackable; you could buy up to 12 1-month codes or, better, five 3-month codes. Kind of a no-brainer for gamers.

🚗 I’m going to keep writing about these until everybody owns one; they’re that useful. In fact, I’ve used mine twice in the past two weeks (once for the car, once for the bike). For a limited time, the The CarLuck Portable Air Compressor is just $25. Comparable models sell for $35-50. It’s good for car tires, bike tires, inflatables, and more. Plus it has a two-year warranty. Seriously, keep one of these in your car, then grab a few extras to give as gifts. Perfect price, perfectly practical.

---

Screen time: The Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet is a stupid-good deal at $75

This was going to be about a toaster — a really cool toaster — but every time I went to write about it, the coupon disappeared or the code stopped working. Maybe it’ll be back if the seller gets all that sorted.

In the meantime, I’m not going to argue that the Amazon Fire HD 10 is a better tablet than the iPad, because it’s not. However, viewed in a vacuum, the Fire HD 10 is a very good tablet — especially when it’s on sale for $74.99. That’s the lowest price to date — and it’s not even Prime Day yet. (Next week, as you may know: Prime Day, October Edition. Or, as I like to call it, Prime Day II: This Prime, It’s Prersonal. (My wife gets a huge kick out of that and definitely does not roll her eyes every time I say it.))

True to its name, the Fire HD 10 is a 10-inch tablet. It’s good for all the things tablets are good for: watching videos, playing games, reading books, Zoom calls, social media-ing, and so on. Who needs a TV?

Plus it’s fast and has above-average battery life and expandable storage and okay cameras.

It goes on sale all the time, but usually for $95. Nothing wrong with that, but $75? There’s no iPad anywhere close.

---

---

PLAYLIST

A must-read (or must-listen) for anyone who enjoys movies, TV, or tales from inside Hollywood.

Ever discover just be accident that you’re a fan of something? If you’d asked me whether I had a penchant for movie directors, specifically their memoirs, I’d have laughed and said, “Uh, no, what a weird thing for which to have a penchant.” (Yes, that’s how I talk.)

But it turns out, yep, I’m a huge fan of that particular genre. In the last couple years I’ve greatly enjoyed listening to Directed by James Burrows; Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother; The View from the Bridge by Nicholas Meyer; and, now, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions by Ed Zwick.

Zwick is a writer, director, and producer, best known for TV shows thirtysomething and My So-Called Life and movies Glory (a personal favorite) and Shakespeare in Love — but he’s had a hand in dozens of other projects. Here he recounts not only his Hollywood origin story, but also his experiences working with Matthew Broderick, Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington and others.

He may have achieved notoriety as a director, but Zwick can write. I wouldn’t have thought an autobiography could be so artfully crafted, but time and again I marveled at his use of language.

Anyway, if you have even a passing interest in movies, TV, or how Hollywood works, I highly recommend it. And if you have a Spotify Premium subscription, you can listen to it for free.

---

SHOUT-OUT

📣 Reader Ernest L. invited five friends to subscribe to Deal Secrets, meaning he is a singularly awesome individual: smart, well-liked, probably very handsome. Thank you, sir!

Would you like a shout-out in the next issue of Deal Secrets? Be like Ernest and encourage at least five friends to sign up!

---

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!