shopping Archives

Bin stores let you hit the jackpot

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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.

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How to get a job as a mystery diner

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Any restaurant worth its salt wants to know what it’s doing right and what it’s screwing up. And they’re willing to pay you for that info. But they can’t just judge servers and kitchen staff when they’re on their best behavior. They need someone undercover.

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So fresh and so clean

Everything you need to refresh, recharge and restore.

Start your day with a soap bar (20% off) packed with Vitamin C to make you glow.
Shoe insoles that support your achy feet with every stride.
What’s that smell? Eucalyptus and lemongrass shoe spray instead of stinky feet.
Too much lint is a fire hazard. A vent cleaner (29% off) gets all your dryer’s hard-to-reach spots.
A steam cleaner (10% off) cuts through dirt and grime like no other.

🛍️ It’s on sale: Browse Amazon deals and coupons. Yes, I look at this page most days. No, I wouldn’t call it a problem. Happy shopping!

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

💸 Fake it till you fund it: A tech founder got charged with fraud after lying about his shopping app, Nate, using AI for universal checkouts. Turns out it was actually human contractors from the Philippines and Romania behind the scenes (plus a few bots). He still raised over $40 million from investors before getting caught.

3 easy tech tips for grocery shopping

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Not a fan of the grocery run? Use these quick tech tricks to stay organized, save money, and skip the hassle.

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Taobao downloads spiked this month. The Chinese shopping app is now the No. 2 free iPhone app, behind DHgate at No. 1. Folks are buying directly from China after watching TikToks of luxury items being relabeled and marked up. Now for $12.99, you too can own a “Gucchi” belt with radiation.

Lock down your device security: If you’re still browsing, shopping and working online without antivirus software, you’re making a mistake. My trusted pick is $19 for the first year.

Mac and Windows how-to: Add widgets to your desktop

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Right on my Mac desktop, I can check my mouse battery (38% and dropping), see where my son Ian is (at work), get the latest weather update (hello, sunny Phoenix!), and even keep track of time with a world clock.

Widgets are like mini windows into your favorite apps, giving you instant info without the hassle of opening them up. Want to set yours up? I’ve got you covered!

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These new budget phones are worth it

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Tight budget? You can still get a fast, feature-packed phone. Here’s a few to put on your shopping list.

🛍️ Buy Now, Pay Later is now Buy Now, Regret Publicly: The WSJ (paywalled) says credit bureaus have officially started tracking your “Buy Now, Pay Later” shopping. So yes, that $89 “ergonomic” beanbag you split into four payments? It might now haunt your credit report. Suddenly, Klarna feels a lot less like a fun hack and more like a fiscal breadcrumb trail leading directly to your FICO score.

Enter the robo-bagger

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Going grocery shopping? Don’t be surprised if soon a little robot packs all your stuff — not the bagger.

Lock down your device security: If you’re still browsing, shopping and working online without antivirus software, you’re making a mistake. My trusted pick is $19 for the first year.

Do you bank on your phone? What about checking email and shopping? If you said “yes” to any of those, you’re a target. A keylogger captures everything you type, including your account numbers and passwords. Encrypt your keystrokes with EndpointLock. Hit this link for 10% off.

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.

Google Shopping changes: Vision Match lets you create what you can’t find — just enter a prompt like “colorful dress with daisies,” and AI will match it to real items. Virtual try-on now works for skirts and pants, and the See this look on you lets you try on beauty products with AR tech.

🔍 Google’s testing AI-only search results: The new AI Mode ditches the usual 10 blue links and instead lets Gemini 2.0 take over with web summaries, graphs and shopping data. Think of it as a bigger version of AI Overview, and yes, we all know how spot-on that is. It’s opt-in only for now through Google’s Search Labs, so you can ignore it … for now.

Alexa really is getting smarter: Amazon rolled out the new Alexa+. You’ll be able to search Ring footage and upload docs, like your kid’s soccer schedule. Alexa will put the dates on your cal and snacks on the shopping list. Cost? Free with Prime or $20 a month without.