Get a Canon Pixma MX922 wireless all-in-one for $49.99
This amazingly versatile printer is a steal at 50 bucks out the door. Plus: RingPlus is dead. Long live RingPlus? Plus 2: Get $5 off nearly any Google Play store e-book priced above $5!
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Whoa. Late on Friday, RingPlus sent a rather alarming notification to subscribers, which I will now paraphrase: "Your service will terminate on Feb. 11, 2017. Sprint's fault. We're trying to get a 30-day extension. Stay tuned."
Um.
If you subscribed to RingPlus on my recommendation, I'm sorry you have to deal with this. I don't know the particulars of the legal action between RingPlus and Sprint, but ultimately it seems to reinforce the old adage: There's no such thing as a free lunch.
I put together an exit-strategy post for those of you who might be scrambling to find a new home for your phone (and phone number). In the meantime...
Print isn't dead!
Regular Cheapskate readers know that when it comes to printers, I strongly prefer laser to inkjet. However, there are exceptions, like when you can score a full-featured inkjet at an incredible price, and that inkjet supports inexpensive third-party ink.
For example: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Newegg has the Canon Pixma MX922 all-in-one for $49.99 shipped. That's after applying promo code FDDDEAL0206 at checkout.
On paper (ha), the Pixma sounds like the ideal home-office companion. It churns out high-resolution pages via a four-cartridge ink system. It offers USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity and supports both AirPrint and Google Cloud Print.
In addition to printing, it scans, copies and faxes. It does automatic duplexing (double-sided printing) and has a 250-sheet input tray.
Fifty bucks!
As for ink, you can choose from a wide variety of third-party options, many of them dirt-cheap. (With very little searching I found a 10-pack of replacement cartridges for $39.99.)
The only real problem here? Newegg tends to sell out quickly on deals like these. So don't just sit there -- go get it!
Bonus deal: Save five bucks on a book! Probably. Head to the Google Play Books store and tell me what you see up top. Me, I see a banner that says, "$5 credit on any book over $5." (Your mileage may vary.) Click through to see a list of eligible titles.
Among them: "Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire (Book 1)" for $6.99, meaning $1.99 after the credit is applied, and "Ready Player One" for $9.99, or $4.99 post-credit. But don't limit your search to that page -- the credit seems to be applicable to most books in the store (those with price tags above $5).