Time to Update Your TV? Get More for Less!

Image from The Flintstones. A Hanna-Barbera Production. 1960-1966.

Well, it finally happened. Your prehistoric television went the way of the dinosaurs and you don’t want to wait until the genetic engineers of Jurassic World can bring it back to life. Besides, you have to see the latest episode of Big Brother on CBS this summer, right? (Oh please, I hope not!)

If you’ve been putting off buying a new television because you don’t know your HDs from your LEDs and you’re unwilling to put retirement off in order to keep up with the Jones’ 196″ curved home theater with surround sound, then this is the post for you.

Believe me, I was in the electronics buying field for a major big box retailer for over a decade, and replacing your old technology TV with new HD LED/LCD TV does not have to be a budget buster.

The two most important things to consider are your budget and screen size.

My philosophy: go BIG or go home!

That seems to be the motto in the television industry these days. If you decide to go big, you will never regret it. You’ll want to buy the largest screen to fit the spot that the TV will be located. Room size is less of a consideration today given that a flat screen TV can accommodate the smallest space with an easy-to-install wall or corner mount, so don’t worry about it jutting out.

A 55″ Vizio E-Series is available right now at Best Buy for $599

Right now a 50-55 inch television can easily be found for $400-$600, either in-store or online with free shipping, from popular name brands you can trust. Based on my years of experience working with these brands, I would recommend Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, Vizio or Toshiba.

If you’re looking for a smaller TV for your bedroom or home office, or in my case garage/mancave where I catch football on Sundays, I recommend a 32″ with a corner or ceiling mount. A heavy-duty tilting wall mount from Mount It runs about $35 on Amazon.

When it comes to all those capitalized letters and numbers that are thrown around with TVs today, it all boils down to this: you want 1080p, HD format. If you have 1080 lines of screen resolution it will provide you with a good, high-quality picture for movies, sports-viewing, or binge-watching entire seasons of Walking Dead. You do not need an expensive 4K Ultra HD, 3D or curved screen TV to have a great viewing experience. Better models of these 60″ and higher televisions are running about $1,500 right now, and I expect the prices will come down in a few years.

You can find a fantastic LG Electronics Sound Bar for theater-quality sound for $125 on Amazon right now.

Save the money you’d spend on those enhanced feature televisions and use it to buy an inexpensive sound bar, which will range in price from $50 to $99. The home theater experience is worth it.

Look for a TV that has several HDMI inputs, so  you can connect devices to your TV, such as cable boxes, DVD  players, gaming consoles and video cameras.

You can ignore features such as refresh rate, contrast ratio and color gamut unless you are a pixel sniffer. They really don’t matter on a quality, reasonably-priced television.

Even if you’re replacing a first generation LCD TV, you’re going to be amazed at the picture quality you’ll see with an affordable 55″ television. So online or at the local mall, don’t be intimidated, the deals are out there.

– Blogger Karl Q enjoys skiing at Alta, golfing at Whistling Straits, soaking up the sun in Kauai, and a good $2 chicken sandwich from Wendy’s.

Keep your new screen pristine with a 6-pack of screen-cleaning wipes, on clearance now for just $3.99 at The Great Deal Company.

“The Best & the Brightest in the Surprise Box World: From Beauty Products to Bowties for your Boxer

Ipsy Glam Bag – May 2015

My heart flutters as I approach the magical portal at the end of the driveway. Opening that small hinged door has the power to transport me to pure, unadulterated, retail nirvana. Hooray! A package for me! You see, I am a surprise box junkie. My mail carrier and I are on a first name basis. He knows my dogs’ names. Yes, it’s that bad.

If the post office ever does go out of business, as they keep threatening (for Pete’s sake give them whatever they want…I need Saturday delivery) I will be completely inconsolable.

For the past year and a half I have been on a retail odyssey that has seen me sign up for virtually any and all curated, surprise boxes available in the marketplace.

If there is a club out there that sticks surprise stuff into a box, chosen just for you and delivers it to your door, I’ve tried it. I will never be able to afford a personal shopper, but curated box programs are the next best thing.

Here’s how they work: In most cases, you fill out a profile, telling the company a few things about yourself, your pet, your child, whomever the box is intended for. If it’s makeup, they may ask you for your skin type, your hair color, your style (i.e. preppy, romantic, classic, edgy, etc.) Some programs will even scour your Pinterest board or Instagram account to get a better idea of who you are. Then a stylist or curator selects products that she thinks would best fit your personal style.

Here’s a quick summary of just a few of the boxes I’ve tried:

Birchbox

Category: Makeup & beauty

Frequency: Monthly or special Limited Edition one-time boxes

Bottom Line: At $10 a month, it’s an awesome value. However, I decided I needed to choose between Birchbox and Ipsy,  and this program felt heavy on skincare and hair products. Those are both consumables that I don’t change up every month. Birchbox does feature high quality brands (Benefit!) and occasionally some mass-market products are thrown in. I still shop from the Birchbox online store. I would recommend it.

Ipsy Glam Bag

Category: Makeup & beauty + a cute bag

Frequency: Monthly

Bottom Line: I’ve been an Ipsy subscriber for over a year at $10 a month, which is a bargain. I would give Ipsy as a gift to every teenage girl I know, but there is a wait list and last time I checked they had disabled the gifting option. Each month you receive a cute little makeup bag, customized for Ipsy, and the designs are darling. Ipsy does do some skincare, but is more makeup focused than Birchbox. They send some great products from brands like Urban Decay, Dr. Brandt and Pacifica, as well as some unusual brands that I never would have tried, like Kat Von D. Tremendous value and the bag really pushes them over the top.

JewelMint Box

Category: Jewelry

Frequency: Monthly or one-time

Bottom Line: Jewelry preference is really subjective. The pieces they send are very trendy and are not going to hold up to years of wear. However, you do receive some really cute items and the presentation and packaging are fabulous. It’s a fun little pick-me-up for yourself or as a gift. The JewelMint online store is fabulous, too. You’ll find low prices on the same on-trend jewelry included in their mystery boxes. Sign up for emails and receive notice about special sales!

NatureBox

Category: Healthy snacks

Frequency: Monthly

Bottom Line: Do you love Trader Joe’s? Then you will love NatureBox. They give you some choice in what you will receive, but you can also let them choose for you too. You receive 5 snacks a month, but you can order separately, if you find something you love. I’m more of a “cupcakes and donuts snacker,” but my healthier friends really like Nature Box. Cost is $19.95 a month.

Stitch Fix

Category: On-trend clothing & accessories

Frequency: As frequently as you wish

Bottom Line: You pay $25 to have a Personal Stylist choose 5 different clothing or accessory items based on your profile. Whatever you buy, the $25 is deducted. You’re under no obligation to buy. Return shipping is free and packaging provided.  I always found at least two or three items I wanted, but usually could afford one or two. It’s REALLY fun to try. They encourage you to snap a selfie wearing their clothes and post, even if you plan to return. The clothes are cute, boutiquey, on trend, and give you a chance to play Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Another great retail therapy experience.

FabFitFub Club

Category: Fitness, beauty, fashion & more

Frequency: Quarterly

Bottom Line: This is Entertainment TV personality Giuliana Rancic’s program. Being as it’s quarterly, it’s more expensive than others. $49.99 per box. However, you can typically get $10 off your first box through a pop-up when you go to the site, which makes it a great deal. I loved the items in this box, which felt very boutiquey, indulgent, L.A. princessy (I live in Minnesota.) Items are full-size and range from: a fitness DVD, a Sonia Dakar skincare product, an exercise ball, a fabulously funky headband, a cool retro apron, delicious Kai roll-on perfume, and then there were always a couple mass-market freebies thrown in that made no sense, like pantiliners. But the quality of the overall box made up for it. I stuck with it for three boxes.

Candy Club

Category: Retro candy in cute packaging

Frequency: Monthly

Bottom Line: Darling, colorful, unique and out of the ordinary candies. If you want to simply photograph your box for Instagram to show your friends, and your money is burning a hole in your pocket…this is for you. Otherwise, if you’re like me, you can run to the grocery store and for $10 buy yourself some M&Ms, a Kit Kat, some Jolly Ranchers, and a Hershey Bar, and call it good. The monthly box is $27.99.

Luxury Beauty Box from O’s Circle of Friends

Oprah’s Circle of Friends

Category: It’s from Oprah. I don’t care what it is. Just give it to me!

Frequency: Annual fee and surprise Items throughout the year, including subscriptions for yourself and two friends

Bottom Line: There are three levels. Don’t tell my husband, I bought the Premier Level for $199. I had to do it. I thought Oprah might send me to Australia, or give me a car. Or at the very least, invite me to her house in Hawaii to spend some time with her and Gayle. So far I got a luxury beauty box. One of the items, a thermal face mask containing 24kt gold is valued at $298. I’ll get back to you on this one. But I’m holding out hope for my surprise gift from The O List! C’mon trip to Australia!

BarkBox

Category: Dog toys & treats

Frequency: Monthly

Bottom Line: If you’re not a dog lover, I generally don’t talk to you much. So basically all of my friends subscribe to BarkBox and think nothing of spending the $19 a month or more to indulge their furry family members. Treats and toys are made in the U.S. and all the pups I know give BarkBox four paws up. Money well spent.

Wagdrobe Curated Dog Couture

Wagdrobe

Category: Canine couture & accessories

Frequency: As frequently as you wish

Bottom Line: This is like Stitch Fix for dogs. Wagdrobe is a newer company, and so I hope their customer service continues to be as AWESOME as my recent experience was! Super fast shipping, darling customized packaging and FUN, FUN, FUN for pet parents and pooches alike. Well, that is if your pup likes to get lots of treats for dressing up and posing for ADORABLE pics. I bought boxes for all three of my dogs. Beanie got the Hipster Box, Eloise got the Spoiled Princess and Bacon got the Trendsetter Box. The value compared to finding these darling outfits and accessories in stores is awesome!

Okay, I could go on…but here are a few tips if you want to try some boxes on your own.

1. Don’t do too many at one time. You can only wear so much moisturizer.
2. Set a reminder for yourself to cancel before your next ship date if you want to try a recurring program.
3. Keep track of how many of the items you actually use/wear/eat to determine value. Don’t get caught up in the fun.
4. Share with others. Take pics and share on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Check out the items others receive in their boxes before you order, too. You can get a feel for whether or not it’s product you’ll like.
5. Most importantly FILL OUT YOUR PROFILES and GIVE FEEDBACK. That’s the best way to ensure you’re going to love what’s inside the box, as much as you did receiving the bright, shiny package in the mail.

Beanie sporting one of his Wagdrobe ensembles from the Hipster Hound collection.

– Blogger Melanie B, a Smart Perks employee, enjoys dogs, cupcakes and shopping, and considers herself an expert on all three.