💰The Deal Guy Newsletter - Issue #94

🧾 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.

🚗 Costco Is Now Available on DoorDash Nationwide! Costco members can now order groceries, household essentials, electronics and more from every Costco warehouse through DoorDash for same-day delivery.

INSIDER SAVINGS TIP: DoorDash is currently offering 20% off orders of $100 or more right now, and Costco is selling $100 DoorDash gift cards for just $79.99.

Buy the discounted gift card first, then use it on an order over $100 to stack both savings. Not sure how long either deal will last but if you order delivery regularly, this doordash double dip is a no-brainer.

🚨 Speaking of Costco.. The Churro is FINALLY back at the Food Court! After a very long two year absence, Costco is bringing the $1.49 Twisted Churro back to their food court menu starting this week.

I was even more pleased to see that it has returned at the same price it was before they replaced it with the $2.49 chocolate chip cookie back in 2024. The catch is it's only available for a limited time and won't hit every location at once, so check with your local store before making the trip.

📸 100 FREE Photo Prints for a Limited Time! You can get 100 free 4×6 prints (matte or glossy) with code “100FREE” upon checkout at Shutterfly right now.

You'll only pay shipping which runs around $5, but if you've been meaning to print out photos from your phone this is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to finally do it.

🍪 Get 6 Crumbl Treats for the Price of 4: Crumbl is expected to celebrate its birthday on September 24th with six treats for the price of four through the app at participating stores.

If you enjoy cookies as much as I do, I might be worth creating a free account.

💵 New Amazon Savings: There are three new Amazon promotions worth checking before your next order in the event these resonate with your household.

- Buy 3, Save 20% on Select Cleaning Products (Cascade, Dawn, Swiffer)

- Spend $65, Get $15 OFF Select FSA/HSA Eligible Items

- Spend $80, Get $20 OFF Select Philips Sonicare Toothbrushes

Here are some recent subscriber submitted money-saving tips:

Debbie from OH writes: “I learned this by accident but if you order something from Walmart and then see it cheaper at your local store, check the app before you buy another one. Sometimes my store price is quite a bit less than what Walmart has online!”

Angela from MA writes: "Not sure if everyone knows this but I leave things in my Amazon cart that I don’t need right away. When I go back Amazon tells me if the price changed since I put it in there. I’ve actually waited and watched things come back down instead of buying them right away.”

Mike from TX writes: “My Lowe’s tip is don’t just look for a clearance aisle. My store leaves a lot of the clearance stuff right where it normally is and just changes the price tag. I’ve found some really good deals that way.”

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)

With the national average gas price running around $4.48 per gallon, I thought now would be a great time to compile a list of all the ways I’m currently saving money at the pump.

The biggest deal right now is at Chevron/Texaco: If you join their rewards program before September 30, you get $1 off per gallon on your first five fill-ups, up to 25 gallons each.

If you're an AARP member.. link it to your Shell account: You'll get 50¢ off per gallon on your first fill-up and at least 5¢ off every time after that. Most people don't realize AARP has fuel perks.

Circle K's Easy Pay program gives new users 30¢ off per gallon for their first 100 gallons, then 10¢ off going forward. It links to your bank account instead of a credit card, which is how they keep the discount high.

7-Eleven has two things going on to help you save: Text AGAIN to 711711 to get 50¢ off per gallon on October 7 and October 11. And if you've never used their fuel rewards, new members get 11¢ off per gallon on their first seven fill-ups.

Walmart+ members already get 10¢ off per gallon but they just added CITGO to the network, bringing it to over 17,000 stations. Worth checking if there's one closer to you now.

Don't let your Kroger points expire! Every 100 points saves you 10¢ per gallon and it stacks up to $1 off on 35 gallons. I see people sitting on thousands of points without realizing they can use them on gas.

BONUS TIP: If you already have a Costco or Sam's membership, always compare their pump price before signing up for anything else. Every morning I’ll check both of their apps to see which has the cheaper price.

📅 Important Dates: October 6 and October 7. Unlike July's four-day Prime Day, this one lasts just 48 hours.

🎁 How October Is Different: This is Amazon's kickoff to holiday shopping, with more emphasis on toys, gifts, seasonal products and bigger-ticket purchases.

⏰ When I Shop: I start around 10 a.m. ET, ahead of Amazon's 11 a.m. featured-deal drop. Then comes the East Coast lunch rush just as the West Coast workday gets going.

🔥 What I Expect to Be Hot: I'm watching MacBooks closely, plus massive discounts on anything Amazon makes: Ring, Blink, Echo, Fire TV, Fire tablets and Kindle. Amazon has also guaranteed deals from Lego, Shark, Sony and Dyson.

👀 Don’t believe everything you read: Don't trust the giant percentage-off badge. Amazon now shows up to 365 days of Price History on eligible products, and I'll combine that with more than a decade of my own pricing data for my YouTube and email deal lists.

💡 My Holiday Shopping Strategy: I spread purchases across October, early November and Black Friday/Cyber Monday instead of buying everything at once. If October delivers a great price, I'll grab it early and make the holiday hit to my cash flow a lot easier.

Corey from UT Asks: “My current Ring battery spotlight cams are only 1080p resolution, and it’s time for an upgrade. I’m hoping that in the near future 4K battery spotlight cams will be available. I’m willing to wait if there’s 4K options around the corner.”

Hi Corey! If you want 4K now, I’d look at the wireless eufyCam S330 or S3 Pro, both of which are battery-powered with built-in spotlights. I’d wait for Amazon’s October 6th and 7th Prime Days before buying. If you want to stay with Ring, its new Spotlight Cam 2K Battery is also a nice upgrade from your 1080p cameras, just not 4K.

Bonnie P. Asks: “Matt, I love your newsletters and you you bring us so many savings when’s the best time for me to buy a new iPhone?”

Hi Bonnie! 100% Black Friday. That’s when I typically see the strongest iPhone carrier discounts, trade-in offers and gift card bundles from Walmart, Best Buy, Costco and the major carriers. Amazon typically isn’t where I see the best iPhone deals and I assure you, I’ll feature all the big iPhone deals as they drop.

Theresa asks: "Love your Newsletter and the videos you create. I was wondering, when do you think the best time is for purchasing a Meta Quest 3 for a Christmas gift? Thank you for always keeping us up on all the great buys, and also knowing when not to buy!!”

Theresa, so happy to have you as a subscriber. I’m actually a huge fan of the Quest 3 and my wife and I use ours for workouts with the Supernatural fitness program. Typically it’s the Quest 3S that gets the bigger discounts, but there’s a chance we’ll see the Quest 3 bundled or slightly reduced from Amazon, Best Buy and possibly Costco. I’ll flag the deal if and when it drops.

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.

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!

💵 “House or Wedding: Rewriting the American Dream” - READ HERE.

💵 “Needs vs Wants: How to budget for both” - READ HERE.

💵 “Money-Maxxing is the latest finance trend. Can it work for you?” READ HERE.

It’s hard to believe we’re almost done with September and only 15 days remain until Amazon’s October “Prime” Event, which is essentially the kick-off to the holiday shopping season. I'll be covering every deal worth buying so if you're planning any major purchases, reply and let me know what you're looking for.

Happy Savings!👋

The Deal Guy (Matt Granite)