Get your STEM deals
We all know STEM has become a big buzzword in educational toys, and so sometimes you have to stop and really take a look at whether a toy is truly educational or just… you know, garden-variety “every play interaction is educational.” I get that.
So consider this me pointing out this Amazon Deal of the Day on STEM toys today and also handing you a small grain of salt, as I think some of those toys are more revolutionary than others. That said, some of the prices are fantastic, and you might want to start your holiday shopping (if you haven’t already).
For example, we always loved K’NEX when my kids were smaller, and these Intro to Structures: Bridges and Intro to Simple Machines: Gears sets are both just $19.99 today (half price). Those are the sorts of prices we might see in the Lightning Deals or in actual stores during Black Friday week, but why not skip the rush and the frenzy and get ’em now? They’re well worth it, at that price point.
Lots of other deals, too, of course. I no longer get to shop for toys, so I’ll just be over here in the corner, sulking.
Again with the “one day” thing
I rather like that the folks at Macy’s don’t seem to understand the English language. They keep having these “One Day Sales,” each lasting at least two days, and occurring with regularity. That’s not how language works, Macy’s. But that’s fine! Because it means a ton of markdowns for us, so let’s just pretend we’re cool with it.
There are all sorts of deals and specials today (and tomorrow) only, plus you get free shipping at $25+, plus you can take an additional 20% off marked-down kids’ items with coupon code CUTE. Look for summer clearance for the best deals, obviously.
And if you miss this sale, well… probably there will be another one in a couple of weeks. Shhhh, don’t tell everyone.
Color your stress away
Okay, fine, I fell down the adult-coloring-book rabbit hole at some point last year. I wasn’t trying to be trendy. I just needed a way to de-stress, and I’d forgotten how much I like to color. It really is like meditation.
Right now Amazon has this Color Therapy: An Anti-Stress Coloring Book in hardcover for just $3.82 shipped if you have Prime. It’s 128 pages! That’s a ridiculous deal. Buy a few; one for you, one for a college care package, perhaps…? (I fear my own college student already has so many coloring books she’s already too busy to go to class, but you make your own decisions.) And yes, despite the fact that it’s going to be 95 here today, the holiday season is coming. Just sayin’.
[Edited to add: We have plenty of pens and pencils, here, but if you’re just starting to color, maybe also grab this 50-pack of colored pencils for just $5.99 to go with it.]
When’s a beauty splurge not a splurge?
When you have a one-day-only coupon to Folica for a third off, that’s when.
Just use code THIRTY all day today (Tuesday, September 6th) to save 30% on almost any single item. (Restrictions do apply, but I tried it on a few high-end sale items and it worked.) It’s the perfect time to snag a new hair dryer, or a flat iron, or your very own waxing system. (Not that you need it, of course.)
Shipping is free on $50+, otherwise it’s $6.95. Happy beautifying!
While we continue to sweat…
… why not start thinking about winter? (Sure, that makes sense.)
If you have kids who need winter coats—or if you’re the awesome sort of person who buys ahead for the inevitable coat drives to come—check these out: Amazon has Big Chill Expedition jackets in both girls’ and boys’ versions, right now, starting at around $12. You’ll have to play around with the sizes/colors to find the best deals, but most of them are under $20.
And this is where I’ll confess that, yes, my high school senior is still wearing a boys’ sized parka in the winter, because that coat in 18/20 was about half the cost of the same one in a men’s size. These jackets don’t run quite that large (up to 18, in boys’, and just 14/16, in girls’), but enjoy the kids’ sizes while you can!
Pick your Dirt Devil
Longtime readers know I am a fan of quality and durability over simply “cheap;” to me, it’s worth the extra money to get the right item. On the other hand, there are times when I’m good with simply cheap—clothing small children will outgrow, snack food about which I feel ambivalent (ha!)—and that’s okay, too.
I have recommended (and linked to) this Dirt Devil Simpli-Stick vacuum multiple times already, I know, because I think it’s the best compromise around in terms of bang-for-your-buck and being small but mighty. Do I recommend it as your only vacuum? Of course not! But is it perfect for quick kitchen clean-ups or your kid’s dorm room? Absolutely. This is the vacuum I bought for my kid’s dorm. Right now it’s listed at $16.88 with an available $2 coupon to clip, so it’s about what I paid for hers.
But I also just noticed that if you want to go, say, another level up from there, the Dirt Devil Vibe vacuum—similar to the Simpli-Stick, but this one also has a powered brush roll—has that same $2 coupon, which means you can get it for $23. Is it $8 better than the other one? I can’t say for sure, but I’m in the process of accumulating dorm stuff for the other kid, and given that he will actually vacuum on a regular basis, I’m thinking I’ll spring for this one.
Back to school with instant oatmeal
Listen: I like to make my own oatmeal. Like, in a pot on the stove. And furthermore: I prefer steel-cut oats, and I barely sweeten them. My teenagers, however, like sugar. Lots and lots of sugar. So I share this deal for my fellow “I have given up, eat what you want” parents, with the full acknowledgement that instant oatmeal is only sort of actual food.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, check this out: Amazon has a deal on Quaker Instant Oatmeal right now where buying 2 cases gets you an automatic $5 off back-to-school credit. To maximize the savings, you need to go pick your flavor (I bought Dino Egg Brown Sugar because nothing says “you’re in college now and if you eat anything at all that isn’t candy I’m happy” like dinosaurs in your oatmeal, right?), choose “One-time Purchase,” and change the quantity to 2. Then change to “Subscribe & Save” before adding it to your cart. (I’m not sure why you need to do this, but I think it’s because the BTS credit isn’t supposed to work on S&S.)
Now when you check out, you should have your 2 cases of oatmeal, a Subscribe & Save discount, and a $5 credit labeled “BTS savings.” For me, that meant I had 2 cases of 32 packets of oatmeal—each listed at $9.96—minus the $5, minus the $2.99 S&S discount (I am already up to 15% off this month), so a grand total of $11.93 for 64 servings of oatmeal. That’s just under $.19/serving, which will go a long way towards soothing my guilt over buying this not-exactly healthful stuff in the first place. (Do note that it doesn’t contain HFCS, at least. And the fiber and protein counts are pretty good. It’s just, y’know, full of sugar.)
Portable back-up is a bargain at any price
I’m pretty sure we had a deal on these a little while back, but here I am again.
Today Rakuten.com (formerly Buy.com) has refurbished 2TB WD My Passport Ultra external drives (in either black or blue) available for just $64 shipped.
For reference: They sell for just under $90 at Amazon (note the 4.5 star average with 5,000+ reviews!), and I thought I was pretty awesome when I scored the 1TB version for my college freshman for $50.
In short, this is a crazy good deal on a tiny powerhouse of data backup. Don’t miss it.
Stop! It’s Woot-Off time!
I hope you didn’t have any plans for today—it’s time for a Woot-Off!
That means rotating deals all day long at Woot, Home.Woot, Electronics.Woot, Computers.Woot, Tools.Woot, Sport.Woot, Accessories.Woot, Kids.Woot, Shirt.Woot, and *gasp* Wine.Woot (motto: Occasionally wine, usually edible, sometimes just confusing).
Spend $5 on shipping on any order today and that’s it; order as much as you like and it all ships for that one $5 charge, whether you place one order or twenty. And if you’ve never done a Woot-Off before, basically they just rotate through deals—some better than others, so do pay attention to the prices—and each lasts 30 minutes or until it sells out, whichever comes first. If you have some time and patience, Woot-Offs are great days to snag incredible savings.
Enjoy, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Did someone say 6pm?
Remember back when we all used to shop 6pm.com all the time, because the prices were so good and shipping was free? And then they started charging shipping again and we were sad? (And by “we,” here, I of course mean “me.”)
Well! This is the week to hit them up—shipping is free all week, plus today only you can save an additional 10% with coupon code BESTPICKS.
I don’t think anyone in my family actually needs any shoes right now (which is a small miracle unto itself…), but they have all sorts of clothing and gear besides, so surely there’s a deal just waiting for me if I go look for it….
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