Good sales & deals (formerly BF thread)

[Ksyrup]

I may splurge for a new laptop if I see a great deal.

Otherwise, my wife is on me early this year about not buying things so they can get them for Christmas. Right now, I'm thinking a travel backpack for work trips and some new running shorts. Or, I'll just go with the old standby of deodorant and shampoo...

[Edward64]

Wife texted me below for Wagyu Beef Tallow, lots of 5-stars which is unique at Amazon. I've gotten pretty good at grilling steaks (honestly, as good as any nice steakhouse I've been to for business dinner) but admittedly, my steaks aren't the top tier cuts (e.g. Kroger, not dry aged from what their meat guy told me). Wondering if something like this will help.

Sorry! Something went wrong!

[flere-imsaho]

Do you not have a local butcher? That's where I go for top shelf meat.

[Edward64]

Hmmmm. Never really thought about doing that. I'll have to google and try it out.

[dubb93]

Also, you probably wouldn’t expect it but, Sam’s Club sells USDA Prime cuts.

[Edward64]

My Kroger does sell USDA prime. But my Kroger "butcher" and I had a conversation (that guy wanted to chat that day) and said the secret is in dry aging which Kroger does not do.

[flere-imsaho]

Well, it depends what you're going for. Some people don't like the taste of dry aged. Some like wet aged instead.

Going from Choice (supermarket standard) to Prime is pretty unambiguously a step in the right direction, of course.

Edit: and some people prefer grass-fed vs. corn-fed. And some people prefer grass-fed but finished with corn, etc.... There's a huge rabbit hole one can go down here.

Regardless, my point was to prioritize finding a good local butcher over trying something from Amazon.

Also, how is beef tallow going to improve your grilled steaks? If the idea is to make it taste beefier, my recommendation would be to just get better beef.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Also, how is beef tallow going to improve your grilled steaks? If the idea is to make it taste beefier, my recommendation would be to just get better beef.

Yes, that's what I read in the reviews, makes it beefier.

I found a couple butchers around me and I'll check them out. They didn't advertise their prices so don't know if they charge more than the (currently) typical $13-$15/lb for ribeye.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Yes, that's what I read in the reviews, makes it beefier.

I found a couple butchers around me and I'll check them out. They didn't advertise their prices so don't know if they charge more than the (currently) typical $13-$15/lb for ribeye.

Expect $3-$5 more a pound. I tried going that route, but can only afford it once in a blue moon.

[Edward64]

Ouch, that's a significant premium. Maybe cheaper with the Wagyu Beef Tallow in the long run

[dubb93]

After you are done at the butcher you may check with a farmer. Some of the best beef I have ever gotten was off of buying a 1/4 or 1/2 a cow. I do the same with pigs. They haul the cattle to the processing plant where you pick it up from directly.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by dubb93

After you are done at the butcher you may check with a farmer. Some of the best beef I have ever gotten was off of buying a 1/4 or 1/2 a cow. I do the same with pigs. They haul the cattle to the processing plant where you pick it up from directly.

Thanks for the advice. But I don't eat that much red meat, I know I can't finish a 1/4 cow.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I do have a BB gift certificate and am definitely planning on adding

1) 4K "Top Gun: Maverick" to my collection to play on my 85" Sony that I got last year

Also ...

2) Altra Olympus 4 trail running shoes
3) Midnight Suns game
4) Mavic Drone Mini 3 (stretch goal)

For my international travels, also thinking about one of these.

Access denied
Access denied

It needs to have at least a USB-C PD 45w so I don't have to worry about carrying the regular charging brick also.

EDIT: have already bought the Altra Olympus. Pretty good sale and didn't think it could get that much better

[Edward64]

If you are looking for a basic 85" 4k for $1,000 see

https://slickdeals.net/f/16136320-85...-free-shipping

[sovereignstar v2]

Originally Posted by Edward64

If you are looking for a basic 85" 4k for $1,000 see

https://slickdeals.net/f/16136320-85...-free-shipping

TV snob passing by saying meh. Bigger and cheaper is not a formula I subscribe to.

[Edward64]

I would love to get an OLED 85” but pretty sure it’s out of my price range

Sometimes okay is good enough

[sovereignstar v2]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I would love to get an OLED 85” but pretty sure it’s out of my price range

Sometimes okay is good enough

How about a 77"? They have come down a lot since 3-4 years ago.

[Edward64]

Bought a Sony 85" X91CJ 4K a year ago. It was definitely an upgrade from my cheaper TV and I'm pretty happy with it.

I always stand in wonder when I look at the OLED TVs at Costco and know side-by-side, I'll see the stark difference with the deep blacks etc. But my Sony is good enough. I'll wait a couple more years and hopefully can get a nice 100" for about $1,500!

[Ksyrup]

Soon they'll be building homes where the standard will be that one wall of the family room is just a TV screen.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Soon they'll be building homes where the standard will be that one wall of the family room is just a TV screen.

And after that we'll be going straight to Fahrenheit 451 territory (with multiple tv walls)

[Edward64]

I rather have the flexibility of placing/moving my TV where I want it e.g. I know some like it above the fireplace but I think that would hurt my neck.

But I thought the next big thing was going to be 3D TV but that never caught on. I'd be happy for all TV broadcast/transmission to be in 1080p or better. As mentioned previously, I cannot believe I'm watching "blocky" players when zoomed out on Hulu NCAAF games. That's ridiculous.

[Edward64]

Re: steak, I was checking out some YT stuff and found Guga Foods pretty entertaining. He tries all sort of stuff (some pretty imaginative) in cooking meat.

Guga Foods - YouTube

[Ghost Econ]

If you're looking for a laptop, I've actually found best buy open boxes to be a great option.

Just picked up a Lenovo Yoga with a 4k screen,16gb RAM and i7 for $400. The non-open boxed was marked clearance for $1200 but that seems to have pushed the open box price way down as well. Only problem I found was a scuff on the top (it's a leather top for some reason) and 2 dead pixels near the edge. Now I have a laptop that powers through the latest FM version.

Done 3-4 open box laptops in the past and they're always close to perfect, especially for the discount.

[Edward64]

I hate dead pixels.

Never been tempted with open box laptops, but have been a little with TVs. Overall though, I've been buying TVs from Costco lately, just because of their return policy & additional warranty.

[Edward64]

If anyone is looking for a 2TB SSD for laptop, this is the best deal I've seen ever. If BF can beat $80, it won't be by much. The brand is not top tier but from what I've read, respectable.

https://slickdeals.net/f/16161295-in...teSearchV2Algo

[Edward64]

Some pretty good trade-in deals on discounted Pixel 7 (& Pros) if you are so inclined. Some are unlocked and don't need a plan.

Slickdeals: Searching for "pixel 7"

[Edward64]

Top Gun: Maverick 4K still holding strong at $30 at Amazon, BB & Walmart.

Damn them.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Top Gun: Maverick 4K still holding strong at $30 at Amazon, BB & Walmart.

Damn them.

This is why I go to used movie stores.

[Edward64]

Pretty good deal on WSJ online if you're so inclined.

Become a subscriber today

WSJ is $1/week for a year.

I like the WSJ and MarketWatch for $1.50/week. I remember paying more than that for MarketWatch a couple years ago.

[bob]

My wife wants to get the kids a projector that works with their iphones. Any ideas? I don't want to pay a ton, but want to make sure it works well with the iphone.

[Edward64]

Sorry, no experience. But googling "iphone projectors" brought up the below

Just a moment...
Best IPhone Projector 2022 ~ Top-Rated IPhone Mini Projector

[Ksyrup]

I'll admit I haven't done much research (read: any) on laptops to know what's great deal and what isn't. So with that in mind, anyone seen any great deals (particularly for Lenovo which I've had good luck with)?

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I'll admit I haven't done much research (read: any) on laptops to know what's great deal and what isn't. So with that in mind, anyone seen any great deals (particularly for Lenovo which I've had good luck with)?

Depends on what you are going to do with it (gaming vs light gaming), budget ($500 or $1,300), portability (on the go or only once in a while).

Lenovo has sprinkling of sales year round but they have very good Thinkpad deals during July 4 and okay deals during BF. Thinkpads are more business oriented and Legion more gaming (I have limited experience with Legion but others on this board seem to think it's pretty good).

If you are okay with used (but still have some warranty), check out below which scrapes the Lenovo used laptop site. Inventory is currently low at 227 laptop but it's normally around 350'ish. Typically no good deals on higher end laptops (you can buy them cheaper new when on sale) but some pretty good deals on lower end ones < $900.

logaze - watching laptops on Lenovo outlet


Also, when checking out Lenovo.com, use the Visa site https://www.lenovo.com/us/members/en...isacardholders. During non-sale periods, their prices are better than regular Lenovo site.

Also monitor slickdeals. Slickdeals used to be a better hub for great Thinkpad deals but still something I would check once in a while. The "deals" listed now aren't all that great IMO Slickdeals: Searching for "thinkpad"

[Edward64]

Anyone pick up anything interesting for BF or Cyber Monday?

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Anyone pick up anything interesting for BF or Cyber Monday?

covid

[Ghost Econ]

Local pro soccer team had 50% off online so I was able to get some 2021 jerseys for $13. Also won a 65" 4k tv from them on Sunday.

Otherwise, no.

[Lathum]

I got my son a 5 piece Ludwig drum kit with cymbals and hardware for just under $500 including a 2 year protection plan. I'll have to upgrade the cymbals at some point but thats a pretty sweet deal.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Lathum

I got my son a 5 piece Ludwig drum kit with cymbals and hardware for just under $500 including a 2 year protection plan. I'll have to upgrade the cymbals at some point but thats a pretty sweet deal.

Did you get yourself some ear protection as well?

[Edward64]

Two Christmas presents of note:

Wife got Shokz OpenRun review: Listen to it all - SoundGuys. She has AirPods but doesn't use them in her runs because of safety reasons so this was something she's been wanting. We set it up today. It's amazing how this gadget works (bone conduction). She's playing music and I can't hear it 3 feet away. Sound quality is supposedly not great when compared to AirPods but good enough.

I've had less than stellar success mixing my protein/recover mix powders in almond milk. I wanted something that was single serving and easy to clean. Got a VoltRx blender/shaker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IccqYkJfNu0 and it works great.

[Edward64]

Got the missus a Garmin Fenix 6S solar for Mother's Day. She has a Fenix 5 for her running.

42mm for $330 (orig $800). Fenix 7 is out so a generation old but still very capable. Best price she's seen.

Garmin fenix® 6S - Pro Solar Edition | Multisport Solar Watch



On another note, 2TB laptop SSDs are in the $80-$120 range nowadays, from $160+. Thinking about upgrading my 1TB (collecting those darn Steam games).

[Edward64]

I think $10K is a good deal for a 98+" TV. Out of my price range but good to know they should be somewhat affordable in the next 3-5 years. Will be ready to upgrade my 85" then.

New TCL 2023 QLED Q Class TVs revealed including 98-in model - NotebookCheck.net News

Each model has a built-in speaker system, ranging from dual 10W speakers in the Q6 to a 40W sound system with a subwoofer in the QM8, supporting Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X. Most TCL QLED S Class TVs are now available in the US, with the 55-in Q6 starting from US$499.99. The range-topping 98-in QM8 TV will launch later this year for US$9,999.99.

A complete price list can be found below. TCL also recently revealed the 2023 S Class Smart TVs.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I think $10K is a good deal for a 98+" TV. Out of my price range but good to know they should be somewhat affordable in the next 3-5 years. Will be ready to upgrade my 85" then.

New TCL 2023 QLED Q Class TVs revealed including 98-in model - NotebookCheck.net News

This makes me think of the time LED(?) tv's were coming out and Best Buy had $10k models on the sales floor. I wonder how many were happy with their decision 2 or 3 years down the road? I would imagine some financed them and still owed more on them, a couple years down the road, than a new one cost as the prices dropped.

[sovereignstar v2]

Not sure I would trust TCL's upscaling and processing, which would be pretty important for a 98" TV unless you were only watching 4k content. At 98 inches stuff like cable and YoutubeTV would look like hot garbage as it's mostly 720p and 1080i.

[Edward64]

That's a good point on upscaling, will have to read the reviews.

This is the site I go to. TV Reviews: Best of 2023 - RTINGS.com

[sovereignstar v2]

I don't know that you'll be looking at a Chinese LED in 3-5 years. Hopefully the >=85" OLED prices will be much lower in 5 years. They've already dropped a ton over the last 3-4 years.

Sidenote: I just bought Sony's top 83" OLED last week

[sovereignstar v2]

In related news, it's pretty funny to see Samsung do a total 180 on OLED technology. Samsung Display has already started manufacturing QD-OLED panels and now Samsung Electronics have struck a deal to buy a bunch of wOLED panels from LG.

Samsung and LG have finally settled on an OLED TV deal, report says | Ars Technica

[Edward64]

If you're in the market for a decent, non-gaming laptop for $750 check out below ...

Thinkpad quality & portability, decent MX350 like GPU performance for non-graphics intensive games, a decent i7-1185G7 from 2021. The 3 year basic warranty is a plus.

I'm a big Thinkpad fan. With kids out of the house, I sold older laptops and essentially replaced everything with 2 Thinkpads for wife and me last year. If I was still looking, I would seriously below.

https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/lapto...liate%3Acxsaam


EDIT: something else to consider. Thinkpad laptops tend to retain value better than Dells & HPs (and desktops). I'd guess you can sell this on eBay for $200-$250 in 3 years time.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Sweed

This makes me think of the time LED(?) tv's were coming out and Best Buy had $10k models on the sales floor. I wonder how many were happy with their decision 2 or 3 years down the road? I would imagine some financed them and still owed more on them, a couple years down the road, than a new one cost as the prices dropped.

This reminded me of an article I read about someone selling a body part to buy an Apple iPhone. Made me look for an update.

Teen Who Sold a Kidney for an iPhone Is Now Bedridden for Life

Back in 2011, a Chinese teenager sold one of his kidneys so he could buy the latest Apple device. The then-17-year-old Wang Shangkun peddled the organ on the black market for the equivalent of about $4,500 AUD, before using the money to purchase an iPad 2 and an iPhone 4. “Why do I need a second kidney?” Wang said at the time, according to The Epoch Times. “One is enough."

Tragically, the 25-year-old is now attached to a dialysis machine and is likely to be bedridden for life after suffering renal deficiency.

Not quite a Darwin Award but one-level down in stupidity.

[Fidatelo]

"Tragically, " feels like the wrong word to start that last paragraph. Maybe "Consequently,".

[Edward64]

Looks like we're in the early stages of a price war for 98"+ TVs!

I posed about the TCL 98" for $10K. Now, there's a Samsung 98" for $8K. Looking for that magical < $2,300 price point.

Samsung just announced a 98-inch QLED TV, and the price might surprise you | Tom's Guide

But Samsung just announced a 98-inch QLED TV that might be an exception with major implications for your home theater.

The 98-inch Samsung QLED 4K TV (98Q80C), a late addition to Samsung’s 2023 TV lineup, costs $7,999 and is available starting in early July. While last year’s Samsung QN100B 98-inch Neo QLED TV launched as an extension of the premium QN90B, this new big-screen model expands the more modest Q80C’s size options.

While it doesn’t benefit from Mini LED performance, the 98-inch Samsung QLED 4K TV for 2023 still presents an option for customers looking for the largest TV screen possible. Better yet, it’s one of the first big TVs you might actually be able to afford.

The QN100B’s $40,000 price tag restricted it to luxury customers. LG’s $25,000 97-inch G2 OLED TV presented an alternative, but again, such an exorbitant price excluded it from the list of best TVs we suggest to inquiring shoppers.