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Get a lifetime VPN Unlimited subscription for $39

From the Cheapskate: If you don't think you need a VPN, read this. Plus: a $5 phone charger!

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read

CNET's Cheapskate scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page.


Have you read this? Go ahead, I'll wait.

Sobering, no? Like that journalist, I've simply never bothered with a VPN because I didn't think my laptop needed protecting. Sure, it contains all my Word documents, but my passwords are sewn up inside Dashlane, and it's not like I'm doing any banking at 33,000 feet.

vpn-unlimited-on-phone.jpg
VPN Unlimited

Hang on, though -- on my last flight, I did sign into my Google account. During my last visit to Panera Bread, I accessed Facebook and Twitter, and might have even checked a credit-card balance. All this happened over open Wi-Fi networks.

Gulp. To paraphrase the old saying: Hack me once, shame on me.

So, yeah, that USA Today story made me realize it's time to start using a VPN. (Still not paying for anti-virus software, though!) There are zillions of options, including free ones such as AnchorFree Hotspot Shield and Betternet. But, yikes, I'm not sure I want to trust my data to a freebie service. Seems like some things might be worth paying for. As long as they're cheap, of course.

Which brings us to this: StackSocial is offering a lifetime VPN Unlimited subscription for $39. That's a substantial savings on the company's current $129 price for its "Infinity" plan (which itself is a big savings off the regular $499 (!) price).

That subscription entitles you to protection on up to five devices, with support for all the major platforms: Android, iOS, Linux, Mac and Windows. And VPN Unlimited has over 40 servers in over 30 countries (PDF).

I don't have any first-hand experience with VPN Unlimited and haven't found any substantive reviews of the desktop experience -- but both the Android app and iOS app received high marks from users. Obviously if you've tried the service yourself, it would be great if you could share your experience in the comments!

On paper, though, I'd say this is an affordable way to protect all your devices from prying hacker eyes. And to my thinking, a lifetime subscription is the only option that makes sense. Your thoughts? Check out additional VPN offers here.

Bonus deal: Phone chargers come in all shapes and sizes. If you're looking for one that's barely larger than a roll of quarters, powerful enough to fully recharge your phone at least once and a serious bargain, check this out: Amazon has the Kmashi Victor K1 5,000mAh mobile power bank for $4.99, shipped free with Prime. That's after applying coupon code 8QFM2KU3 at checkout. The reviews are overwhelmingly positive, and even Fakespot was split down the middle.