Deck out a den or dorm room with this 32-inch Vizio TV for $68

DISCLAIMER: Some of the links included herein are affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase via one of them, I may get a small commission. I promise you, now and forever, that I won’t choose deals based on whether there’s an affiliate option available.

Wow. Wow wow wow. My flabbers are gasted by the outpouring of support following my recent job news; so many kind words, so much encouragement, so many coffees! It means the world to me, truly. Thank you, thank you, thank you. ❤️

Regarding the frequency poll (over 1,100 votes!), there were some nods for a daily edition of Deal Secrets, but most of you chose one of the “Don’t overwhelm my inbox” options, which I totally get. (Mine’s overloaded too.) So for now I’ll keep this weekly, with maybe an occasionally flash-deal send if I spot something really good.

(Speaking of which, I’m no longer constrained by conflict-of-interest with Yahoo; I always avoided deals they were already covering. Free agent, here!)

QUICK HITS

❄️ $5 POCKET FAN: 🎶We’re havin’ a heat wave, a tropical heat wave…🎶 Not sure about where you live, but it’s hot here in Michigan. Like, mid/upper-90s all week. That makes it hard to, well, be outdoors. And sometimes even indoors.

Here’s help: For a limited time, and while supplies last, this folding rechargeable handheld fan drops to just $4.99 with promo code NTXT7P9D. What’s nice about this one is that it can slip easily into a pocket, unlike the others I’ve shared previously. Five bucks! (And overwhelmingly positive reviews, too.)

🖨️ $28 SHIPPING-LABEL PRINTER: If you need to ship things from time to time (or all the time), nothing beats a dedicated shipping-label printer — especially at this price. For a limited time, and while supplies last, the Nulltonex Thermal Shipping Label Printer drops to just $28.31 with promo code Z7Y9XTS5. That’s the lowest price I can recall seeing on one of these things.

This one prints labels up to 4x6" (but can handle smaller ones as well, for non-shipping purposes like receipts and product tags). It comes with only 25, but rumor has it you can get free labels from UPS if you have an account there. (They come on a roll, however, so you might need to jury-rig some kind of spool to make them work with the printer.)

🦆 FREE YOUTUBE VIDEOS WITHOUT ADS: Is it time to consider a different web browser? One that blocks ads, protects your privacy, and lets you opt out of AI-powered search results? That’s DuckDuckGo in a nutshell. This free search engine also has browser apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS — and one of their best new features is blocking ads in YouTube videos. That has the potential to save you $16/month if you’re paying for YouTube Premium. I’ve just started, er, ducking around with DuckDuckGo; so far I like everything about it.

📺 FREE TV IMPROVEMENT: It’s time for your annual reminder that motion-smoothing, a.k.a. the soap-opera effect, is the scourge of modern TVs and needs to be destroyed. Or, at minimum, disabled.

My former Yahoo colleague (and unfortunate fellow layoff victim) Jeff Dunn published this just before he departed: a complete guide to motion smoothing, including what it is and how to get rid of it. I couldn’t have put it better myself.

💻 FREE SYNC BETWEEN PHONE AND PC: One thing I immediately miss about my work laptop (a MacBook Pro) is the ease of transferring photos from my phone via AirDrop. Windows doesn’t support that feature, but it does have a free tool called Phone Link, which works with both Android and iOS. This lets you not only quickly transfer files between devices, but also make and take calls on your PC, reply to text messages, and so on. Very handy. Setup requires a bit of hoop-jumping, but once it’s done, Phone Link works pretty well. Hit the above link for a tutorial.

As regular readers know, I’m a huge fan of the LEGO game series. They’re fun for all ages — challenging but not impossible, usually very whimsical (if not outright funny), and free of blood and violence. I haven’t played all of these, but I’ve played a few; they’re really terrific.

Just as terrific, a portion of your payment goes to Breakthrough T1D, an organization working to treat, cure, and prevent Type 1 Diabetes. And you can adjust how much goes to that org, how much to the publisher, and how much to Green Man Gaming. (You can also pay more than $9 if you’re feeling generous.)

This offer ends in six days, but of course the games are yours to keep forever.

Small spaces require small TVs. I’m talking dens, dorm rooms, bedrooms, and the like.

If you’re looking for something that’s “cheap and gets the job done,” look no further: For a limited time, the Vizio 32S2V1 32-inch HDTV is just $68. That’s only $10 off what was already a pretty low price, but it’s still amazing.

Yes, this TV tops out at 720p resolution, a far cry from the 4K you see in larger, fancier models. But here’s the thing: 720p on a 32-inch screen still technically qualifies as “high-definition,” and at that size you’ll still enjoy a picture that’s plenty sharp. A lot of comparable models sell for twice as much.

I like Vizio’s interface and remote, but what I like even better is the two-year warranty: double what you get with most TVs.

If you don’t like the interface, or want to add features like voice controls or onboard gaming, you could easily plug in a different streaming device: an Amazon Fire TV Stick HD, for example. Just take note that the TV includes only two HDMI ports.

I think Vizio, now fully owned by Walmart, is emerging as one of the top budget-TV brands. If you’re interested, here’s my recent review of Vizio’s insanely cheap, insanely good mini-LED TV.

PLAYLIST

📕 BOOK: I just finished reading The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley, on a recommendation from my sister. It’s a time-travel story, but not really. It’s a spies-and-espionage story, but not really. And it’s a romance, but… well. Mostly it’s a slow burn, with nothing of real substance happening until about two-thirds in. And you know what? I didn’t mind that one bit. Clever, witty writing carries the weight and keeps you guessing. I enjoyed this a lot. (Thanks, Caroline!) Rick’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)

📺 TV: I need to issue a rare retraction. Recently I recommended The Righteous Gemstones (HBO), noting that although I don’t like shows about people behaving badly, the first season did keep me entertained. The second, though? Ugh. Too much. They’re all awful, and not in a charming or redemption-seeking kind of way. I’m out. Rick’s (Adjusted) Rating: ⭐⭐

Thanks for reading Deal Secrets! Questions? Comments? Shoot me an e-mail. I’ll do my best to respond to all inquiries!

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• My “tip jar”: Buy me a coffee

• My book: Everything I Need to Know, I Learned Playing Pickleball.

• My curated reading list at Bookshop.org, which donates to local bookstores with every purchase

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