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See when your gift list items hit the lowest price

See when your gift list items hit the lowest price

I love shopping online. I don’t have to leave the house. I don’t have to be nice to anyone. I don’t have to put on a bra (guys, same thing for you and pants!). There are already Christmas, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales on every site now, but finding what you want at the lowest price is tricky. Fear not! I’m here to save you from all the clicks, countdowns and wasted money.

🐝 Truth bee told, it’s the best

I use Honey for anything I buy online. To get started, download the Honey extension for your browser. It automatically scans websites for promo codes. Nice. But it goes a step further — you can also make Honey tell you when the price drops on something you’re watching.

When you’re on a site, click on Honey’s orange “h” icon, then click Watch for Price Drops. If an item has multiple options (size, colors, condition, etc.), pick one, and click Save Item. Honey will now track that product.

Here are steps for how to install and use Honey.

💰 Shop smarter, not harder

Capital One Shopping works the same way as Honey. Install the browser extension, and it gets to work, automatically searching for coupon codes and better prices on the items you’re shopping for.

🐪 Try Camelcamelcamel for Amazon deals

What a name, right? Camelcamelcamel exists solely to track Amazon deals. It’s particularly helpful this time of year, when you can see something just got marked up so they could put it on sale.

I like the website version best. Paste any Amazon product link into the search box at the top to see how its price has fluctuated over time.

You need to make an account if you want to follow the price and get alerts if the item you have your eye on goes on sale.

Let me shop for you

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Winter essentials to grab before they sell out

Winter essentials to grab before they sell out

Don’t wait for the holiday chaos to hit. The best shopping trick this season isn’t about gifts — it’s about stocking up on essentials now. Beat the rush, avoid packed stores and snag better prices while you still can. This will save you time, stress and money. Get it done today and make your winter easier.

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Black Friday deals under $25

😎 Because giving good gifts shouldn’t burn a hole in your pocket.

Electric salt and pepper grinders (20% off, $19) are a fun kitchen upgrade for the cook who has it all.
A new Crock-Pot (50% off, $25), because every family still has that crusty 30-year-old one that shows up at all the parties.
These memory foam slippers ($16) look like Uggs but are a quarter of the price.
Turn on the coffee machine before leaving bed with a voice-controlled smart plug (48% off, $13). So good.
This vitamin C serum ($21) is so popular, it’s almost always sold out! Grab it while it’s 56% off.
A lighted vanity mirror (53% off, $19) will help them reflect on how good their skin looks. 😏

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

Techy Black Friday deals

💰 Give the gift of gadgets without breaking the bank. These deals are live right now:

These over-the-ear Bose headphones (43% off) are all the buzz. They’re noise-canceling and come in seven different colors. The blue and lilac are limited edition, so they’ll go fast.
The newest Amazon Fire TV Stick (56% off) is under $25 right now. 4K can be a New Year’s resolution. 😏
Heated eye massagers (42% off, $52) are so relaxing, I wouldn’t blame you for buying a second one for yourself.
A Tile tracker (20% off a two-pack) is perfect for the person who’s always losing their keys (and mind). If they have an iPhone, go with an AirTag (17% off).
A smart bird feeder (39% off) records all winged visitors and can identify over 6,000 different species. I want one!
I was floored when I saw the Shark robot vacuum is 50% off. Ah, the gift of fewer chores.

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

🛒 AI-tention, shoppers: The Caper Cart is wired with AI-powered cameras and scanners that apply coupons, weigh your produce and pay right from your handlebar. Instacart owns it and paid around $350 million for the tech. If only the carts could return themselves.

Practical presents

🎁 Useful gifts they’ll appreciate … because no one needs another ugly sweater.

Everyone hates ironing. This travel steam iron is so much easier. Click the coupon box for 25% off.
Give the gift of coziness with a zip-up fleece jacket for under $30. Every guy I know would wear one.
Feel safer with a Ring floodlight cam (40% off) — or use it to finally catch the dog digging up your flowers in the middle of the night.
Get the doodler in your life a reusable spiral notebook (under $30 and 17% off!).
Figure out how good the acoustics in your bathroom really are with a waterproof Bluetooth speaker for under $50.

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

Speaking of Black Friday: Shopping apps offering exclusive deals ask for a whole lot of permissions tied to your data. Key permissions to watch: Location, camera, files, contacts and microphone. As a rule of thumb, reject unnecessary permissions; you can always grant them later if you actually need a specific feature in an app.

Espresso yourself

☕ From mugs to machines, these gifts will have your loved ones sipping in style.

Ever wished your Keurig could make a whiskey sour, too? With a cocktail maker machine (14% off), all you have to do is pop in a drink capsule, and voila!
This adorable coffee mug set works overtime as a cup and a cute decoration.
The best travel mug in their favorite color. No joke, it keeps drinks hot or cold for 8 hours!
Give coffee lovers who don’t have much counter space a portable espresso machine. Click the coupon box for $10 off!
No one deserves a cold cup of joe. Give the gift of warmth with an app-controlled smart coffee mug (20% off).

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

🤠 Don’t make me go all Beth Dutton on you: Coming soon to Warner Bros. Discovery, AI-driven ads for shopping while watching. “Shop With Max” identifies products in shows or movies and displays a QR code for you to scan with your phone and buy, buy, buy.

Crowd pleasers? Yes, please!

🕺 Foolproof gifts that’ll have everyone saying, “You nailed it!”

Owala water bottles come in 21 freakin’ colors. Perfect for literally everyone on your gift list.
Everyone can pull off a Carhartt beanie, and they’re cool for the younglings and older folks on your list.
A good retro watch never goes out of style.
Laneige lip balm is all the rage right now. (Or should I say all La’rage?) Their scents are the best.
I don’t think anyone on the planet would see a box of fancy chocolate (under $15) and be sad.

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

Fun-tastic gift ideas

🎁 Bring the holidays to life with these fun picks.

Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman is the holiday version of the party game Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza and it is so. Dang. Fun. Under $10, too.
Print Polaroids from any phone with a mini photo printer ($79, 21% off). It doesn’t need ink and can even print stickers!
Tamagotchis ($23) are tiny virtual pets that have been wildly popular since the ‘90s. Finally, a gift that impresses both kids and the 35-year-old millennial in your life.
Flex your pop culture expertise with a celebrity trivia game for under $15 … because everyone needs to know Nicki Minaj used to work at Red Lobster.
Wear out dads and kids with a T-ball hitting set (38% off). Just don’t miss and make it onto one of those YouTube fail videos.
Monopoly GO! (under $15, 28% off) is the more family-friendly version of Monopoly. Bank heists in Unicorn Land are more exciting than property management.

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

Gadget gifts galore

🏴‍☠️ Upgrade your loved ones’ lives (and your gift-giving reputation) with a tech treasure.

One charge on a Kindle Paperwhite lasts 12 weeks. Pair that with the three free months of Kindle Unlimited, and whoever’s getting this gift had better have some PTO saved up.
Amazon’s brand-new Echo Pops come in purple now?! I’m sold. It’s under $40, and the speakers are darn good.
OK, this is sweet. Sony’s compact waterproof speaker (under $50!) can go anywhere in any weather and gets 16 hours of playtime on a single charge.
Your pet-obsessed pal needs a Furbo dog camera (14% off) to watch Fifi while they’re at work.
An external CD/DVD drive (under $30!) is perfect for the DVD lover in your life. This way, they can play disks on their laptop, which is way easier than digging through every streaming site. Bonus: They can rip those audio CDs, too!
Take movie night anywhere with a 4K outdoor projector. Click the coupon box for $40 off!

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

Useful gifts under $20

🤑 Because who doesn’t love lots of bang for the buck?

The first aid kit they’ll actually use. Slip one into every stocking. Hopefully, they’ll never have to use it.
Pimple patches are all the rage. These look like little stars and come with a mirror compact. The teen in your life wants this but is embarrassed to tell you.
A suction phone case mount (under $15!) sticks to walls and mirrors for prime picture-taking. Get it for the butterfingers in your life!
Two words: Jar openers. They’re under $10 and so helpful, it doesn’t even matter they’re a little boring.
Cooks can never have enough stovetop spoon rests (under $15 and 30% off!). This one looks like a little crab. It made me LOL!

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

Shop smarter: Try this Google Lens upgrade next time you’re shopping at a store. On Android or iOS, open the Google app, snap a picture of an item on the shelf, and voila! You’ll see product details, customer reviews, stock and price comparisons (online and nearby), and similar products in the same store. Fun times!

For the [fill-in-the-blank] on your list

🫡 I’m a good gifter, here to help you check those hard-to-please folks off your list all week long.

Cook: They have fancy salts, pans and oil. What about a nice chef-style apron? Great colors and works for guys and gals.
Health nut: The Oura ring (22% off) tracks sleep, movement and workouts. If you want fall detection, get an Apple Watch instead.
Camper: Make their backyard way more fun with a Solo Stove firepit (20% off).
Scatterbrain: AirTags are amazing. I have at least a dozen. A four-pack is on sale (26% off), which doesn’t happen often.
Gen Zer: Cameras are back in. This retro Kodak for around $40 is easy to use and takes way better pics than a disposable.

✅ Hit my Amazon storefront for more gift ideas. I’m adding new ones every day!

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

Banks are closing down safe deposit boxes

Don’t hit the panic button. There are plenty of options to keep your stuff safe at home:

This compact safe is a tough but flexible option under $200. Open it with your fingerprint, a passcode or a key. Heads-up: It’s not fireproof.
This budget-friendly pick ($114) has solid fire protection for important docs. Just know it’s not built for heavy-duty theft protection.
This one’s ($397) disaster-proof against fire and water and bolts down so no one can grab it and zip outta there.
If you don’t have a lot to spend but want water and fire protection, this $64 box has your back. It’s portable, too.
This one’s a little different: It looks like a dictionary but is actually a mini security box that’s great for storing jewelry and cash. The best part? It’s under $15.

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

Slam-dunk gifts under $20

🤫 Good enough to grab one for them, one for you. I won’t tell.

For foodies obsessed with the perfect smashed burger, this steel press is the key.
Hoodies like these cozy Hanes cotton ones work for any age and any style. They come in a ton of good colors, each for $14!
Mr. Fix-It will be thrilled with a pair of flashlight gloves so he can see under the sink, car or wherever.
Wood and metal brainteaser puzzles (10% off) make a good family gift and they’re perfect for that person who can never keep their hands still.
Bath bombs are so 2021. Grab a six-pack of shower steamers (19% off) to stuff into stockings or give to your favorite person who could use an at-home spa day.

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

Traveling is hard enough

✈️ These stress savers are worth it and make great gifts for the travel lover in your life, too.

Stop letting your loved ones touch the icky airplane seat pockets. A seat-back organizer ($30) rocks.
A $12 travel cup holder frees up your hands for when you’re late and running through the airport … because a preflight Starbucks run is non-negotiable.
Don’t use those gross airline-provided headphones. A wireless audio transmitter ($55) connects to any Bluetooth headphones.
Twist this travel pillow ($22) to whatever shape you need to get comfy on road trips and long-haul flights.
Airplane foot hammocks are going viral online, and I get it. Attach it to the tray table and never lose feeling in your legs again — for under 20 bucks!

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

🚨 Be smart; don’t put anything in your cart: A Chinese fraud network is using thousands of fake online stores to steal credit cards. They’re impersonating brands like The North Face, Ikea and Wayfair with (fake) massive discounts. Red flags? Many sites have “blackfriday” in the domain name and end with .shop, .store, .vip or .top.

💸 Amazon’s new budget battleground: Say hello to Amazon Haul, their latest venture geared toward selling ultra-cheap items (think under $20). Why? Because Shein and Temu are mopping the floor with Amazon. With Haul, expect to find items like $2 earrings, $10 blenders and, yes, even a $20 wedding dress. (Pro tip: Don’t walk down the aisle in that!) Don’t expect Prime’s speedy shipping, either; your order will take one or two weeks since it’s coming from China. Heads-up: You can only shop Amazon Haul through the Amazon app for now.

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