Host smarter for under $50

September 7, 2025

🫙 My pick: Electric mason jar vacuum sealer (10% off)

Forget pricey food-savers. Press one button, and boom, it seals tighter than your grandma’s Tupperware lid.

🧊 Collapsible cooler bag (23% off): Holds up to 60 cans. Perfect for tailgating or when you’re “just grabbing a few things” from the store.

🍳 Square grill pan (8% off): No griddle? No prob. This pan has high ridges to give you those steakhouse-quality grill marks.

🍗 Chicken shredder tool (6% off): Saves you 10 minutes of wrestling with forks. Just twist, shred and you’re all done.

🎉 Elastic tablecloth (43% off, two-pack): Turns your folding table from “garage sale” to “fancy party.” Toss it in the wash, reuse, repeat.

😋 These are just the starters: Head to my Amazon shop for 35 more gadgets I handpicked to make cooking and hosting way easier.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

Tags: Amazon, cooking, easier, gadgets, sale

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Kim’s 25 top Labor Day deals

Euhomy, Insignia, Dreamegg, Levoit

Kim’s Outlet picks: All 50% off or better

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Hidden gems, big discounts, and yes, I dug through the digital outlet bins so you don’t have to. Amazon’s Outlet is packed with brand-name gadgets.

The best part? Everything here is at least 50% off. Now, if you’re not into saving money on some great stuff, scroll on down to the Web Watercooler section, so you’re up-to-date on the latest tech news and security alerts. Don’t miss the big Google one.

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We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

💻 Smile, you’re on candid malware: Remember when you’d get an email that you were recorded on your webcam watching porn but the threat was a fake? It’s now real. New malware called Stealerium watches for NSFW sites, then screenshots your screen and snaps a pic through your webcam. It sends both to a hacker, who likely will use them for blackmail. Reminder: Cover your webcam; a pack of covers is less than 5 bucks.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Short on laptop ports? Grab a USB hub to charge devices and connect keyboards, mice or drives. Some even come with SD card readers and 3.5mm audio outputs.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

Kim’s weekend warrior toolkit

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Before you call in a handyman, hang on a sec. I know home repairs can feel like one big headache. But with the right gear, you can save yourself hundreds, maybe thousands and still keep your cool.

I did the heavy lifting and put together this great list of tools that are smart, compact, and ready to swoop in and save your weekend. Let’s nail this.

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🚗 Play music in older cars: If your ride doesn’t have Android Auto or CarPlay, load your favorite songs onto a USB flash drive. Plug it into your car’s radio, and as long as they’re MP3 or AAC formats, it’ll play right away. No USB port? Grab an adapter that plugs into the cigarette lighter instead.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

🔥 Laptop running hot? It happens when you’ve got lots of apps open or are doing something resource-heavy. Besides the noisy fans, your system might slow itself down to stay cool. Quick: Get a cooling pad to improve airflow and keep things running smoother. Here’s a good one on sale. You’re welcome.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

💡 Pick the right light: Shopping for bulbs? Avoid LEDs over 5000K. Those bluish “cool white” ones can feel sterile and trick your brain into thinking it’s daytime, making it harder to sleep. Instead, go for “warm white” bulbs between 2700K and 3000K. They’re easier on the eyes and make your home feel cozier.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

📂 Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule: Keep three copies of your important files — two in different types of storage and one stored off-site. For example, save the originals on your computer, another copy on an external hard drive or USB stick, and the last one in cloud storage online. Overkill? Maybe. Covered? Always.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.

📼 Digitize your old VHS tapes: You don’t have to keep watching them on a VCR. Use a converter to transfer those memories onto your computer. No time? Got a lot of money? Walmart, Costco or Walgreens can do it for you. Prices usually run $16 to $35 per tape.

We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.