buy Archives

I’d buy them all again

Laundry detergent sheets are light and don’t leave a sticky mess, unlike liquid detergent.
So handy — a cup holder you can put anywhere.
Teeth a little dingy? I use this toothpaste to whiten mine.
Shave the fuzzies off your couch, favorite sweater and blankets.
Stickers to dim the glow on your electronics. If one doesn’t cut it, stack two. The pack is only $1.49!

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

🧱 Don’t buy a brick: Before you buy a used phone, check its International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. Here’s how: Just dial *#06# on the phone to display its IMEI. Now, pop that number into the Stolen Phone Checker to see if the phone has been reported lost, stolen or blocked by a carrier.

When is the best time to buy an iPhone 16?

Open/download audio

Wondering when to snag that shiny new iPhone 16? If you’re using an iPhone 14 or 15, you might want to hold off. Here’s why.

⏰ The clock is TikTok-ing: A three-judge panel just heard TikTok’s argument against splitting from ByteDance, a company with direct ties to Communist China. They say 170 million Americans use TikTok (think of that loss of productivity!) and questioned why other Chinese-owned apps like Temu and Shein aren’t being targeted the same way. I hope Mr. Wonderful’s idea of letting everyday Americans buy TikTok comes to fruition.

$125,000

How much 17-year-old Peter Cancro paid for a sandwich shop in 1975. He renamed it to Jersey Mike’s Subs … and just sold it for $8 billion. Guess who gave him the idea to buy it in the first place? Mom!

$1 to buy Dish

DirecTV is looking to buy its rival. If the deal goes through, they’d pay just $1 and take on Dish’s debt — about $9.75 billion. Why buy Dish? Separately, DirecTV and Dish are screwed. Together, they might be big enough to stand up to the streaming platforms.

$65,530 purse

Built around Nvidia’s H100 processor, the workhorse powering ChatGPT-4. An AI research scientist started GPU Purses. I wouldn’t buy one, but I appreciate the ingenuity.

Where to buy Amazon goods for cheap

Open/download audio

Everything’s so expensive nowadays. What if you could find all the tech products you want at a bargain price? Surprise: you can!

Never hurts to ask: Some credit cards offer extended warranties on anything you buy with the card. If your expensive vacuum or laptop craps out, it’s worth asking Amex or Chase if they’ll pay to repair or replace it.

$200K liquid net worth

Would make 56% of Americans content, according to a poll of folks ages 18 to 43. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but a safety net sure doesn’t hurt.

🛰️ Bound to happen, lunar or later: Starlink’s new plan to stop scalpers from buying their cheaper satellites and hawking them elsewhere? An “outside region fee.” If you buy a satellite internet kit (standard or mini) from one region and activate it in another, expect an extra charge of up to $300.

You’re SOL … if you bought movies through Redbox. The company filed for bankruptcy, closed down the big red kiosks, and now the app is gone, too. This is your friendly reminder that when you buy digital content, you’re buying the right to watch for now.

🎮 Don’t buy a Switch: A new version of the handheld Nintendo console is rumored for early next year (paywall link). The 2017 model is the third-bestselling console of all time, behind the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS. Mario is mad at Peach; he caught her going through his Bowser history.

Some 60% of Roblox’s 70 million active players are under 16: And those 13 and up can buy a ticket to “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” directly through the game. It includes a special game avatar to lure ‘em in. If your kid uses your card for in-game currency, know they’re being heavily marketed to.

'Buy Nothing' groups to save money

Open/download audio

These groups let you give and get items for free, helping you save money and declutter. Find one near you and start sharing!

Use YouTube Premium? Buy through an iPhone or iPad, and it’s $18.99 per month. On the YouTube website, it’s $13.99 monthly. Yeah, cancel through your phone and buy it again.

Buy or build a PC in the past two years? If your PC has a 13th- or 14th-gen Intel CPU (like the Core i5-13400 or Core i9-14900K), Intel might owe you a new chip. They’re releasing an update this month for the crash-prone chips and extending its warranty by two years. If your PC is already crashing, the update won’t help. Reach out to Intel or your PC manufacturer.

Lowest flight price, guaranteed: When you buy a qualifying ticket, Google Flights monitors the ticket price. If it drops before takeoff, you’ll get the difference. At flights.google.com, select a flight with a rainbow shield icon next to it. Click Book on Google and check the box next to Price Guarantee to accept the terms of service.

Amazon's big "disappointment"

Open/download audio

What happens if you buy a faulty product from a third-party seller on Amazon? You might think you’re out of luck, but not anymore. Amazon’s typical ‘not our problem’ stance just got a serious challenge.

Remember that hot site Cameo? The platform that lets folks pay for celeb shoutouts is stone-cold broke. The former $1 billion unicorn can’t afford to pay a $600,000 fine after violating the FTC’s rules for celebrity endorsements. New York and 29 other states involved will have to settle for splitting $100,000. If you want to buy a Cameo, better get it now.