len_mullen

Hard to walk away from $25 4k FTV Sticks. Still have two in the box...and three Dots (two were free). The 1T/4 Tuner Recast has been on sale for $229.99 quite often and be would an easy way to get broadcast television to all your FTV equipped televisions.

I just got my invitation a couple weeks ago. Bought it, of course. Not sure what I am going to do with it, but I like it and think you should grab one at $25. I *KNEW* you pre-ordered one.

oh, crap!

Interesting appliance. I have been looking for a waffle maker with removable plates. This may be overkill, but it does a lot. I found this comparison of features of the various models (there are quite a few)... https://www.super-kitchen.com/cuisinart-griddle-deluxe-vs-elite-whats-difference/ Good luck!

For the most part, it is already gone. Black Friday loosely covers what we used to refer to as the Holiday Season. In fact, the days before Black Friday were never part of the Holiday Season. The best deals are no longer reserved for those who camp out. With the addition of BF in July and Prime Days, there is not much special about the day after Thanksgiving. Except that it IS the day after Thanksgiving. Enjoy the season and don't worry about the sales.

I was THIS close. Bring on the haikus!

Right now, my beef with Amazon is the quality of their shippers. My last two orders were a disaster. One was clothes. The box was crushed with tears on all sides. The clothes within were not wrapped in plastic, so they were soaked by the day's rain. My last Subscribe and Save shipment was similarly damaged. I had a can of cooking oil which was damaged to the point that it could not stand up. No leak, but I was unhappy. The order included a gallon of Worcestershire sauce which developed a slow leak. My shopping with Amazon was already on the decline. This may put my Prime membership in jeopardy.

BW (Before Walmart) there was a certain order to the universe. The department stores cycled through their deals by week and by season. If it wasn't on sale here, it might be on sale there. No matter, it would be on sale next week. Consumers shopped the circulars but overpaid for out-of-favor items. Walmart changed that. If it wasn't on sale, get it at Walmart. Most retailers did not know how do deal with this disruption. They promoted. They price matched. They price adjusted. Many of those retailers are no longer with us. When I was a kid, I worked for a grocer. Every week the manager sent us to the competition's store to get a flyer and capture price mismatches. In real time, he would create specials to level the playing field. He noticed that people came into the store Sunday morning to get the current sale and the previous sale before we could change the prices. Mr. Stapleton delayed the markups and created a Sunday morning mega sale. The store was packed Sunday mornings. Kudos to BB for being as smart as Bob Stapleton. I scheduled an oil change at my local Ford dealership. I did this after researching prices and promotions at the oil change specialists. Ford was $20 less than Jiffy Lube. When I checked in, I shared this with the service manager. "I know. We are competitive. It's a priority." Amazon and Walmart will never compete with agile merchants. They don't have to -- they make plenty crushing the sloths.

My top priority is a new desktop computer. Current/last gen i7/i5, 12g of RAM, room in the case for a standard ATX power supply and full length video card (though I could like with an SFF case as long as there is room for a video card). Looking specifically at Staples as I need to spend $500 to keep my Rewards status, have $200 in Staples gift cards, and will have $80 in Rewards. I would love to replace my 60" 1080p plasma with something 75-90" 4K. I like the TCL Roku TVs and would prefer an 8-series, but my frugal nature males the 6-series a more likely candidate. My wallet would open at <$1k for the 75" 6-series. Not sure I could spend much more even for a 90" set, but the heart wants what the heart wants... I am passively looking at upright, self-defrosting freezers. I had a $350 14' clearance unit go out of stock in my cart. Wouldn't spend more than $400 on a freezer.

Fidelity will help you make a plan even if you have not invested with them. For me, the most difficult things to estimate are how long I will live and how much healthcare will cost. My company has a tool to estimate my pension, the Social Security Administration will help you estimate your Social Security pension. Good luck!

I am putting my lists together. I want to get my in-laws a nice corner television stand. Their TV is too big for the stand they have and the existing stand does not have room for all the peripherals attached. Maybe a sound bar as well. I am shopping for a new desktop for me. My i5 3330 has been a noble computer, but it's time. I may end up getting my kids new desktops and taking one of theirs. Looking at the HPs at Staples. I have a lot of gift cards (Discover Cash Back) and rewards (ink recycling) to burn. Other than that, gift cards and purchases of opportunity. I'm passively looking for a very big television. 75-90 inch. I am hoping the high end TCL Roku TVs are steeply discounted. I have a couple 55" sets and love them. I feel like this is going to be a great Christmas. The Farmers Almanac is predicting a cool and wet November. I'm dreaming of a white Black Friday... Looking forward to being in the stores on BF even if I do not get up to stand in line.

You should be sure where the figures come from. One day you may have to manage the plan. You might be surprised. My father has been dead for 22 years. My mother has not worked a day and has more money than she did the day he died. They were a middle class couple with six kids. Maybe you could spend your golden years camping? Workampering offers free camping plus pay. I've talked to a few of these people. They summer in the north and migrate with the birds. The most important thing is to minimize expenses -- pay off your mortgage, credit cards, etc. Understand the cost of your lifestyle -- track expenses carefully. Calculate your income -- social security, pension, plus income from savings. Estimate your life expectancy. Adjust your lifestyle to address any gaps -- no need to wait for retirement to do this. Address the gap by doing something you really like to do so it does not seem like work -- maybe work at a local retailer with employee discounts on stuff you use. Tracking expenses is a lot easier if you pay for everything with a credit card. As a bonus, you can get a cash back card which will provide fraud, price, and extended warranty protection. As you track expenses, some opportunities will be obvious. We fired the cable company ten years ago. There are lots of discounted cell phone plans. Once you stop commuting, cars last forever. Registration and insurance costs drop every year.

956 days ;-)

I never budget for BF. I will buy every deal on everything on my list. I'm also OK with getting nothing.

On my list as well. Not a priotity -- looking for a deal. Have you considered putting your stuff in milk crates? You'll surrender some space, but gain some organization.

I have never had a problem bonding with the people in line around me. When I used to do Staples first every year, I actually remembered people from the previous years. It was kind of cool. Some of them worked where I work and we reminisce from time to time. No one waits in lines anymore.

I am not an audiophile or a connoisseur of award winning movies, but I do like television. I was born in 1962 and never knew life without color television. I watched assassinations, moon landings, and wars as if I were there. I still remember my first Pong experience. I did not have a quarter or understand the game, but it was so cool that I could make something happen on a 'television'. I remember antennas, rotors, and the arrival of HBO. My sister and her husband lived in Portsmouth New Hampshire which was an early adopter of cable TV. She would pick us up, grab pizza or McDonalds, and we would settle in front of movies for the evening -- nudity, profanity...must see TV. So, it's no surprise that I have a LOT of televisions in my home. I avoided HDTV until they worked out the stretched image thing, but I'm all in now. I watch the NFL on a 60" 1080p LG plasma. I own three smaller plasmas. Nine televisions plus seven Echo Shows (which play TV via a Recast). I just recycled my last tube -- a 36" Sony CRT I bought at Circuit City in 2008. Lately, I have been impressed by TCL's Roku TVs (the very best television for a cord cutter). I have two of these. This year, I am passively shopping for a good deal on 75-90" 4k set to replace that LG plasma. Inexpensive, bright, no motion blur, and black blacks. Cheap. Then I'm done. Honest. Anyone else shopping for a television this year? Watching specific models? Features?

Harbor Freight 10/5.

I have only ever shopped with another person one time. You are going to love going solo.

Already working on my haikus!

I've used that coupon MANY times at Home Depot.

My toaster oven is one of these... https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hamilton-Beach-Black-Countertop-Oven-with-Convection-Rotisserie-Model-31101/35241816 It is AWESOME. If it had a light, it would be perfect... convectionrotisseriebig enough for two 12" pizzasyou can set the timer so the oven never goes offAnd it is CHEAP! I paid less than $50 for mine.

A bear and a rabbit are pooping in the woods. The bear asks the rabbit if he has problems with poop sticking to his fur. The rabbit says no, so the bear wipes his bum with the rabbit.

Oil is a strong word. I just spritz some olive oil on the bottom -- ostensibly for flavor, but, mostly, to make sure nothing sticks. When I take the meat out of the frig, I lightly oil, salt, and pepper one side. After ten minutes, I do the other. My toaster oven is a convection oven and I cook bacon on a rack in a tray in the toaster oven.

recommend you start your search on consumersearch.com. it's a 'meta' review site that recommends based on the credible reviews of others -- professional and consumer.