Why You Can Trust CNET Bonus-deal Thursday: 7 sweet bargains you won't want to miss
Cheap Dropbox, discounted iTunes gift cards, free Thor comics and lots more!
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$50 for $42.50. 'Nuff said.
A steal at $3.
Quick housekeeping note: Don't forget, you've got until Saturday to get your entry in for a Blink home-security camera system. Entering takes, like, 12 seconds. Do it!
Today, like a mystery writer, I started at the end and worked backward. Which is to say I started gathering bonus deals first, and before I knew it, I had lots of those and no real standout for the main deal. So it's all bonus deals today. Enjoy!
Bonus deal: Dropbox deals are rare. So when I see one, I gotta share. But if you'll indulge me an extra click, I'm going to send you elsewhere. See, The Cheapskate is also the Business Bargain Hunter -- a side affair. Today's deal there? A year of Dropbox Plus for $60, plus a $25 Dell gift card -- an extremely good deal, as I'm sure you're aware.
If sending you away seems unfair, don't despair: I'm just looking for a little traffic boost over there. (Because obviously I can't make a living as a poet.)
Bonus deal No. 2: Here's something you don't see every day: a discounted iTunes gift card from Amazon. But, yeah, pay $42.50 and you'll get a $50 iTunes/App Store card, in actual physical gift-card form. Not sure how long this deal will last, but it's active as of 8 a.m. PT.
Bonus deal No. 3: I am pumped to see "Thor: Ragnarok" this weekend. You, too? Then whet your appetite even further with three free Thor comics, available for Kindle-using Amazon Prime subscribers. (Specifically, Kindle app, Fire tablet, etc.) The titles include J. Michael Straczynski's top-rated "Thor," which normally sells for $4.
Why today, instead of tomorrow when the movie opens? Because it's Thorsday, of course.
Bonus deal No. 4: I consider Hulu's adaptation of "The Handmaid's Tale" one of the top TV series of 2017 (and the Emmy folks agreed). Whether you watched it and now want to read the book or you want to read the book before watching, Amazon has the Kindle edition for $2.99 -- today only. (It's similarly discounted at Google Play.) It may not be as action-packed as "The Hunger Games," but as dystopian novels go, it has few rivals.
Bonus deal No. 5: A couple weeks ago I shared a sweet deal on Wolfenstein: The New Order prequel Wolfenstein: The Old Blood. Today's your chance to get an equally sweet deal on the, er, sequel to the prequel? Fanatical (formerly Bundle Stars) has Wolfenstein: The New Order for $6.59. Price elsewhere: $20.
Shut up and take my money!
Bonus deal No. 6: Also a couple weeks ago, you had a chance to win a couple giant inflatable bumper-balls from Archeer. Because the vast majority of you didn't win, I can at least give you a deal: Get two Archeer inflatable bumper balls for $222.29 when you apply promo code DA398R7B at checkout.
These are still pretty pricey, no doubt about it. And if you want to have an actual soccer game with them, I'd say you need at least four. But, oh, heavens, the fun. The good, clean, hilarious, wholesome, screen-free outdoor fun. You can't put a price on that, can you?
Bonus deal No. 7: What do you really need from your HVAC thermostat? Wi-Fi, so you can control it remotely, and robust programming so you can set a precise schedule. Everything else is just fluff, right?
Today only, Home Depot has the Honeywell RTH8580WF Wi-Fi Programmable Touchscreen Thermostat for $69 shipped, the lowest price I can recall seeing. (Price elsewhere: at least $95.) It doesn't have a color screen or learning capabilities, but it does pack plenty of useful features -- and it's compatible with most smart-home hubs, including Alexa and Apple HomeKit.
Come to think of it, there's quite a lot of that "fluff" included here, just without the color screen and high price. I haven't used this model, but user reviews average around 4 stars.
Oh! Almost forgot: Check with your energy company to see what rebates are available, because you might actually make money on this deal.