Bin stores let you hit the jackpot

I hit up a bin store the other day. It’s where returned and overstock items find a second chance. I spotted a sealed 2-by-2-foot mystery box for 10 bucks. Naturally, I had to buy it. What was inside? 

Four pairs of men’s black socks, a cat bell, two potato peelers, an iPhone stand and a women’s tee that said, “Cowboys in my veins. Jesus in my heart.” 

What the heck is a bin store?

These are usually small, independently owned shops packed with random Amazon, Target and Walmart returns, overstock inventory and liquidated goods. Some stuff is junk, but you can score deals.

How do you find one?

Easy! Try one of these methods:

🔎 Google it: Search for “bin stores near me,” “Amazon return stores” or “bargain bin stores.” They go by a ton of names.

📍 Facebook Marketplace: Many store owners list their hauls here. Look for listings with warehouse-style photos. Those are your jackpot.

📸 Social media sleuthing: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc. are full of bin store hauls. Use these hashtags: #[YourCity]BinStore (e.g., #DallasBinStore), #[YourState]BinStore (e.g., #FloridaBinStore), #LocalBinStore and #BinStoresNearMe.

💬 Reddit recon: Type in “bin store [your state]” and see if anyone has shared a hidden gem near you.

No returns at bin stores

That’s important to know and so are these tips.

Continue reading

Stop your devices from listening

What’s the obvious downside for always-on devices that constantly listen for commands? They’re always listening. Voice-activated tech uses microphones that listen for wake words, meaning they can hear personal conversations you don’t want them to hear. Don’t worry, you can stop it.

Continue reading

Let me upgrade ya

🖼️ Picture these in your home.

🥯 Amazon Prime Perk: Free Grubhub+ deliveries! Now I’m hungry. Hmm, sushi for dinner? Yeah.

Tesla owners doxxed - March 22nd, Hour 1

Open/download audio

A website called Dogequest leaked personal info of every Tesla owner in the U.S. If you own one, you’re now a target. Do you pay for Netflix, Hulu or Disney+? Cutting the cord isn’t cheap. Amazon is always listening, and meet your new AI nurse.

🚘 Buy a car, get $2,300: You’ll score that in Amazon gift cards if you shop on Amazon Autos. You can see prices up front and customize your ride right from your couch. When you’re ready, schedule a pickup, sign the paperwork at the dealership and drive off. In about two weeks, you’ll get two emails from Amazon, each with a $1,150 gift card.

Alexa alerts you when your Whole Foods order is ready: Just open your Alexa app > More (three lines at the bottom) > Settings > Notifications > Amazon Shopping and toggle it on. When you get notified, just say, “Alexa, check into Whole Foods,” so they know you’re on your way.

All charged up

🪫 Never run out of juice again! Here are my picks for you:

📚 Need something to read? Browse bestsellers on Amazon. 

Meta doesn’t want you to read this: A new memoir by Facebook’s former director of public policy, Sarah Wynn-Williams, alleges how Zuck buddied up to China, refused to take meetings before noon, wanted her to plan a mob for his arrival in China, and exposes other Meta execs. Meta denies everything. But Careless People has already sold 60,000 copies in its first week and is a top 10 Amazon bestseller.

The FTC is coming for Click Profit: The company scammed customers out of at least $14 million, promising their AI supercomputer picks the best products to sell on Amazon. All you had to do was hand over tens of thousands of dollars. It was all bogus. Folks made little to no money and were stuck with unsold inventory.

Why I turned off my Amazon Echo

Open/download audio

Amazon is rolling out an AI-powered Alexa that sends everything you say to its servers for “processing.” If you don’t opt in, your Echo becomes useless.

Amazon records everything you tell your Echo

Open/download audio

Every embarrassing thing you ask your Echo? That’s being stored and reported back to Amazon. Starting March 28th, every request you make goes straight to them. Plus, Google’s Gemini robot, ChatGPT will roast you for fun, and heat’s aging your DNA.

🚨 Amazon privacy alert: Starting March 28, if you own an Amazon Echo speaker or smart display, all your voice commands will automatically be sent to Amazon for “processing.” They say it’s to improve their AI. Turn the option off and Voice ID is bricked. No more getting Alexa to do things like share calendar events, reminders, music and more. Wow.

iRobot is launching eight new vacuums: For the first time, they’re adding lidar tech for smart mapping to entry-level models. That means room-specific cleaning and keep-out zones right from the app. FYI: Amazon almost bought iRobot for over $1 billion, and recently, iRobot said they’re not sure they will survive. Damn, that sucks.

Everything Amazon knows about you

Open/download audio

Every click, purchase, and Alexa command you’ve ever made is tracked by Amazon. Want to see what else it knows? Here’s how to get your data.

Price tags can fool you: Always check the unit price (cost divided by the number of units). On sites like Amazon, it’s in parentheses in tiny letters next to the sale price. This makes comparing prices easier to see if buying in bulk is actually worth it.

🥼 When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble: Fake AI doctors are taking over TikTok, pushing sketchy medical advice, from using lemon balm instead of Ozempic to selling health gummies through Amazon storefronts. The red flags? Decades of experience, weird mouth movements and names like the “coochie” or “booty” doctor.

Too cool for school: A Columbia University student built an AI program to ace his Amazon technical interview. He got the offer, turned it down, then someone snitched. Now he’s facing a disciplinary hearing. Plot twist: He’s dropping out anyway, saying LLMs will replace programmer jobs in two years. He’s right. ChatGPT can now directly edit code. Nuts.

Water, water everywhere

I get bored drinking water all the time. Let’s make it fun.

  • True Lemon packets are like keeping lemon wedges in your purse or desk.
  • A rainbow’s worth of silicone straws (19% off) for colorful sipping.
  • When your water comes in those big, blue 5-gallon jugs, this convenient pump (39% off) replaces the bulky dispenser.
  • DIY nugget ice gives you the Sonic experience at home. Crunch, crunch, crunch.
  • Stop buying bottled water and grab a Brita premium bottle (32% off) that filters.

✅ To-do: A fireproof, waterproof organizer is the right way to store important docs like your passport and birth certificate.

External hard drives to back up your PC or Mac

So you want a backup drive? Here are my top three picks. Order it now while you’re thinking about it. Everyone needs one of these!

1. Toshiba Canvio Basics (Affordable and simple)

Best for: Budget-friendly external storage and backups for Mac and PC

🔗 View on Amazon, $61.99

🎯 Pros: Affordable, plug and play, comes in different size options

⚠️ Cons: No encryption or password protection and not great for high-speed transfers

2. LaCie Rugged USB-C (Durable and travel-friendly storage)

Best for: Photographers, videographers and others who need rugged, shockproof storage
🔗 View on Amazon, $149.99

🎯 Pros: Shock-, dust- and water-resistant, plus USB-C compatibility

⚠️ Cons: More expensive and bulkier than basic external drives

Continue reading

⌛ Screen timer: Let the timer be the bad guy and set screen time limits for the kids. On Apple devices, go to Settings > Screen Time. For Amazon Fire tablets, go to the Amazon Kids parental controls. Time limits are under Set Daily Goals & Time Limits. Done and done.