💰The Deal Guy Newsletter - Issue #70

🧾 INSIDE THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER:

**These deals could end or sell out at ANY time. If you buy something through any of the links featured in this newsletter I may get a small share of the sale.

🍔 Applebee’s Date Night Pass is back!: There’s a second chance for this promotion that sold out instantly when it debuted last month. For $100, passholders get a $50 credit every month for 12 months, totalling up to $600 in food!

📦 Crazy Costco AirTag Deal: Costco is selling a rare 5-pack of the brand new second-generation Apple AirTags for $99.99. That is one more AirTag than you get anywhere else for the same price and it works out to about $20 in savings for Costco members.

Note: This deal frequently goes out of stock and comes back in. If you’re interested in this item and it appears sold out, keep checking back for more stock.

🧾 AARP Free Tax Prep Now Through April 15: AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is offering free tax help nationwide and no membership is required.

The program is open to anyone, with a focus on adults over 50 and moderate income households (although this is open to anyone).

✈️ Free Seat Upgrade on Your Birthday! United is quietly offering a free Economy Plus upgrade with code “FEB2026BDAY” and it works on all new bookings (even international!).

The only catch is you must have a February birthday and have received the official promo email from United to be eligible.

🛏️ Mattresses: Presidents Day sales bring some of the best mattress and bedding prices of the year.

🧥 Winter Clothing: Stores are clearing out cold-weather inventory ahead of new releases for the spring.

🪑 Furniture: Retailers mark down indoor sets during Presidents Day weekend to make room for outdoor ready arrivals.

🧹 Vacuums: Prices drop after the New Year’s home reset wave dies down.

🪟 Curtains: February is a slow month for home projects, so window treatments often go on sale.

👟 Workout Gear: Early resolution returns push discounts on treadmills, weights, and home gym basics.

🗄️ Storage Bins: February is peak organizer season after post-holiday cleanouts.

🧺 Linens: Most President’s Day mattress sales include sheets, blankets, and towels during white sale season (just make sure it’s not a brand new full price item stores deliberately sprinkle into the mix).

Here are some recent subscriber submitted money-saving tips:

Mona writes: “RETURN TIP for TJ Maxx & Marshals: If you use PayPal for an online purchase, you cannot return the item in the store. You'll have to return it via mail and lose $11.99. Signed, Learned the hardway”

Peter from TX writes: “I always check the manufacturer’s website before buying appliances or tools. Many brands offer rebates or free accessories that don’t show up on retailer pages. I’ve gotten prepaid cards and extended warranties just by filling out a quick form.”

Dale writes: (in response to Katie’s question last week surrounding her defective KitchenAid mixer in need of parts) “Katie, if your beloved Kitchen Aid Epicurean 6qt mixer has sentimental value to you or you’d rather keep it in lou of purchasing a new mixer and you say you can get parts. I’m guessing that you have not heard of Mr. Mixer (www.mrmixer.store). He professes that there isn’t a Kitchen Aid mixer he can’t fix. He’s on all the social medias and has a large library of videos for the DIYers, on his website he has links to all of his videos. If you’re not a DIYer, he has a “kit” that makes it easy for you to ship your mixer to him for repairs. Good luck with whichever path you take!” **Thank you to Suzie, Derek W. and Janine who shared nearly identical advice!

Reply to this email and share it with me! If I feature your tip, I’ll give you a shoutout in next week’s newsletter!

(Include your first name + the state you live in so I can add it to the shoutout)

I’m excited about today’s sponsor Gravité Cologne because it fits right into my life while serving as a superb Valentine’s Day gift!

A common issue with cologne is that cheaper options don’t smell great, and a lot of higher-end fragrances fade fast after a short time and my wife is barely able to notice!

With Gravité Cologne for Men, that can all change from the first spray. If you want a clean, masculine, and put together fragrance without being overpowering, we have a winner!

Gravité Cologne for Men is built to last all day whether you’re heading to work, dinner, or running errands. It leaves a great impression without announcing itself when you walk into a room.

If you want a cologne that feels like an upgrade without being complicated or overdone, Gravité is a great option and would make a highly memorable Valentine’s Day gift!

Click here and you can get 22% off plus free shipping with code DEALGUY22.

For anyone looking for a new tv before the big game, here is a short list of some of my favorites.

🏈 75” Insignia 4K QLED TV (2025 Model): $430 ($200 OFF!)

🏈 65” LG 4K Smart TV (2025 Model): $330 ($180 OFF!)

🏈 65” Samsung OLED 120Hz TV (2025 Model): $900 ($700 OFF!) *Top Pick*

🔥 98” TCL 120Hz 4K Smart TV (2023 Model): $1039 (Was: $1500)

BONUS TIP: It is worth mentioning that while I don’t frequent Best Buy often these days, their sale is hands down the best Super Bowl TV sale I’ve seen anywhere. The deals are real, the stock is solid, and they even slipped in a few snack-ready appliances like air fryers and mini fridges.

To get your question answered, simply respond to this email with any money-saving related question and feel free to include your first name so I can address you properly.

💡 Amanda Asks: “For the last few months I've been eating on a Carnivore Diet, also known as a Proper Human Diet. I've seen a couple of cooking videos using a dehydrator, and I don't know anyone who has one. I won't be drying fruit, but there are a couple of things I might like to try in a dehydrator. Do you have any experience with them? Do you know which are a good deal or a reliable product? And is there a time they might be on a good sale? Thanks for any help!”

Hi Amanda, I actually have some decent experience with dehydrating food which we do in our house for snacks, treats and my in-laws are hardcore in the dehydration department. The Cosori 5 Tray Dehydrator is a fantastic starter machine (or for medium sized batches) with modes specifically tailored to meat-related recipes and Jerky.

💡 Fran from OR Asks “Hi, now that I've purchased the Insta Pot Rio from the 1/26 newsletter, I need a cookbook or 2. Any advice / recommendations? I'm a single person household & do not cook a lot. Looking for minimal ingredients & easy.”

Fran, you scored an awesome deal! The Instant Pot Rio is a fantastic small appliance. If you feel like you’ve already mastered the machine, there is a specific cookbook tailored to your device and menu settings with relatively simple recipes. If you want a bit more hand-holding and photos every step of the way, my absolute favorite is this Instant Pot-tailored cookbook.

💡Bonnie asks: “Hi, Matt… I need to get a home equity loan or line of credit to do some major home repairs and updates. I will have my house paid off September 2027 (we refinanced from a 30 to a 15-year in 2012 when interest rates were super low). I am wondering if it is better to get the loan now (like as a refi), or wait until my house is paid fully off and get a new loan. Please let me know your thoughts. I haven't done any research yet, but either way I would be curious to know what you think.”

Bonnie, great question! While I’m not licensed to offer this type of financial advice, my opinion is that in most cases, it’s better to open a home equity loan or HELOC (home equity line of credit) before your mortgage is fully paid off. You already have strong equity and a long payment history, which usually makes approval easier and keeps your low-rate first mortgage intact. A HELOC works well if repairs happen over time since you only borrow what you need, while a home equity loan makes sense if you want a fixed rate and a lump sum. Waiting until the house is paid off often means stricter approval and higher rates, with no real fee advantage, so opening access sooner is usually the smarter move.

Every week in this section of the newsletter, I share some of the most interesting and helpful money-related articles I’ve read over the past week. I hope you find these as valuable as I did!

💵 “Homebuyers back out of deals at record pace” - READ HERE.

💵 “How to fix the most common home heating mistakes” - READ HERE.

💵 “The most common jobs and their salaries listed” - READ HERE.

Happy 70th! It’s hard to believe we’ve reached that number on this newsletter that I write on my every week for the most appreciative and brilliant bunch of subscribers imaginable. Thank you for fueling my frugality. If there’s any additional articles or topics you’d like me to cover, I’m all ears!

Happy Savings!👋

The Deal Guy (Matt Granite)