💰The Deal Guy Newsletter - Issue #74

🧾 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.

📺 $4.99 Disney+ and Hulu Deal is back! New and returning customers can get the Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ads for $4.99 per month for three months.

After the promo period it returns to the regular price, so I would treat this as a short term streaming deal if there are a few shows you want to watch.

🌯 Chipotle BOGO Burrito Deal: Chipotle is offering a buy one get one free entrée deal on Friday March 13 from 3 PM to 4 PM at participating U.S. locations.

You must show a tattoo inspired by the Chipotle bag design, although it can be temporary or drawn on.

🍦 Dairy Queen Free Cone Day Returns March 19: Dairy Queen will give customers a free small vanilla cone on March 19 at participating U.S. locations with no purchase required.

I usually take the kids for this one since it is a simple way to celebrate warmer weather without spending anything.

💄 Huge Beauty Sale at CVS until March 14: Your savings cam be further amplified (on top of the big reductions) when you stack each products coupons (on the CVS app) with the $10 off $30 coupon available during the event.

Many products also qualify for ExtraBucks rewards, which can bring the final price down even further!

💅 Amazon Beauty Promo Gives a $10 Credit: Amazon is also running a smaller version of the CVS promotion for beauty products, where if you spend $25 on eligible beauty items and you receive a $10 Amazon promotional credit for a future order.

Here are some recent subscriber submitted money-saving tips:

Jerry from TX writes: “Before I buy anything online, I check to see if the retailer sells discounted gift cards first. I’ve saved about 10% on everything from Home Depot to restaurants just by paying with gift cards I bought below face value.”

Donna writes: “Hi Matt, Thought I would share this with you for your readers. (I am one also). I overheard from an employee of Bath and Body Works say that you will not be able to return products purchased from The Amazon Storefront to the actual physical stores. Thanks for keeping us informed.”

Denise from AZ writes: “Matt, I have a tip to share: I always check the ‘open box’ section at Best Buy before buying electronics. I recently bought a laptop that was $250 cheaper than new and it still came with the full warranty.”

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)

🏨 Family Friendly Hotels That Actually Save You Money: Extended stay brands like Residence Inn, Homewood Suites, and Hyatt House are excellent when traveling with kids because rooms are larger and breakfast is typically included. Having a kitchen and extra space can dramatically reduce food costs and stress.

🏷 Get 50% Off Family Hotel Rooms: Some major hotel chains offer family rate plans that discount a second room when traveling with kids. Hyatt has offered a Family Plan rate for years and Marriott properties often allow a second room for children 16 and under at 50% off with code ZJ5 at participating hotels.

🍽 Hotels Where Kids Eat Free: Holiday Inn is the most well known example where kids eat free at the hotel restaurant when staying with a paying adult. A few resort properties within Hilton and Marriott brands occasionally run similar promotions during school vacation periods.

🎢 Theme Park Ticket Deals Appear More Often Than People Think: Disney and Universal regularly run ticket promotions although they often come and go quickly. Disney recently offered discounted multi day tickets for kids and Florida residents, and Universal frequently bundles hotel stays with park tickets for better overall value.

🛳 Repositioning Cruises Can Be Shockingly Cheap: When cruise ships move between regions they often offer repositioning cruises that are far cheaper than normal sailings. Families with flexible schedules can sometimes book these for a fraction of the usual price.

📅 Travel One Week Before Peak Season: Traveling just before peak summer or holiday weeks can dramatically reduce flight and hotel prices. I try to target those shoulder periods because the weather is still good and the crowds are smaller.

💳 Consider An Airline Credit Card with Lounge Access: If you fly frequently, most people shy away from credit cards due to the high annual fees but a credit card that guarantees lounge access for your entire family can be a game-changer. If you add up how much you spend on baggage and airport food, these credit cards often pay for themselves after two uses for a family of four.

Do you have any tips I missed? Reply to this email and let me know!

✅ Gardening Supplies, Plants and Seed Starters: Garden centers start promoting soil, mulch, seeds, starter trays and early spring plants as the growing season begins.

✅ Older Model TVs During March Madness: Retailers discount last year's TV models during March Madness as new television models begin to arrive in stores.

✅ Spring Cleaning Supplies: March is when stores push cleaning products, organization bins and storage systems at some of the best prices of the year.

✅ Winter Clothing Clearance: By mid to late March retailers are trying to clear out winter coats, boots and cold weather gear before spring inventory takes over.

✅ Grill Accessories and Charcoal (but NOT grills): While full patio furniture sets are still expensive, grill tools, charcoal and accessories often go on sale early in the outdoor cooking season. Barbecue / griddle bargains arrive closer to Memorial Day.

✅ Small Kitchen Appliances: Many retailers promote blenders, air fryers and other kitchen appliances ahead of spring entertaining and graduation season.

✅ Video Games and Gaming Accessories: March tends to bring several retailer promotions on games and accessories as stores prepare for spring product launches.

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.

💡 Jeannie Asks: “I love all your tips and tricks! I’m looking to buy a bottom freezer refrigerator. Not too big but doesn’t have to have crazy bells and whistles.
Your thoughts?”

Hi Jeannie, thank you for being a part of my world and for all the feedback. Here are 3 models (all on sale) that could meet your requirements. This Insignia model from Best Buy is top rated and $350 off, from Lowe’s this Hisense is top rated and on sale and as an alternative from Home Depot (also top rated by buyers), this Visani is the same price. You won’t go wrong with any of those models.

💡 Louise Asks: “Hi MATT. Huge fan from Layton, Utah. My question is regarding hand-held vacuum sealers for food. I have one. Recently, I searched for ways to vacuum and compact clothes for a trip overseas and saw that a handheld vacuum can be used. I am skeptical, but wanted to know what you know re: is this doable, or should we buy a vacuum specifically for luggage space?”

Hi Louise! Honored to have you as a fan! You’ve asked a question with which my wife and I actually have experience! A detachable handheld vacuum can work with travel compression bags that have a valve but it would need to be reasonably powerful. It will remove some air but a standard vacuum always has the most impact on luggage.

💡 Brenna: Asks: “Hi! I'm slowly trying to switch to non toxic items in my house. I've had my eye on the Caraway cook and bakeware, but it's pricey. When would be the best time to buy a set?

Hi Brenna! The biggest Caraway discounts usually appear on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with occasional deals on Prime Day. If you want a durable alternative, the Gordon Ramsay HexClad cookware sets are also excellent and tend to go on sale more frequently (plus they carry a lifetime warranty).

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!

💵 “10 best markets for homebuyers in 2026” - READ HERE.

💵 “United Airlines can now ban passengers without headphones” - READ HERE.

💵 “The 14 worst paying college majors five years after graduation ” - READ HERE.

Thank you for taking the time to read another one of my email newsletters! If there’s anything I can tackle for you in a future issue, please let me know and I’ll include it next week!

Happy Savings!👋

The Deal Guy (Matt Granite)