The Suburban Dad's Summer Prime Day Wish List
I don't need any of this, but that doesn't mean I won't buy it.
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My wife loves when I make unilateral impulse buys on Amazon. Wait, no, I've got it backward: She hates it.
However, like many middle-aged suburban dads, I have a weakness for buying new tools and home maintenance items. And occasionally fun random things that make life just a little bit easier, or at least more interesting. And there is no greater exploiter of this weakness than Amazon.
I know my wife is right to feel the way she does, however, I am weak and there is no greater illustration of my weakness than on Amazon Prime Day, which started Tuesday and runs through Wednesday this year. So I'm trying something new. Instead of my usual "see thing I want, click, buy" approach, here's my list of the impulse buys I'd love to make but maybe shouldn't. These are things that, out of courtesy to my wife, I vow to consider for more than 10 seconds before buying.
By putting it all together in one Prime Day suburban dad summer wish list, my hope is to narrow this down to just a few solid purchases I might consider making. Maybe I'll even see what my wife thinks, or if she has any other ideas. At CNET, we're experts at finding amazing deals on Prime Day and every day -- but only you can know which ones are best for you.
Here is my list of cool stuff I might buy on Prime Day. Consider them summer enhancement purchases. Experience elevators you don't need but will be glad you have. Dumb stuff you shouldn't spend money on but that your kids will love. You get the idea.
For the coldest beverages
I already have one Yeti can holder for a standard 12-ounce can, but imagine how much better our outdoor liquid intake would be if we had one (or better yet, two!) for every available can size on the market today.
For the coldest beverage, but many of them at once
Save $61
Igloo BMX cooler: $119
My current cooler works fine, but it's really old. I really shouldn't buy this new one until the old one fully breaks, but that doesn't make me want it any less right now.
For sawing anything
Save $12
Makita reciprocating saw: $68
You can never have too many saws. This Makita reciprocating saw is next on my list.
For digging at the beach
Save $3
Plastic shovels (pack of 4): $10
The kids and I don't have time for flimsy dollar-store shovels that will break after 5 minutes. We need to dig deep for a long time, so these are more our speed.
For fun at the pool
Save $19
Reusable water balloons: $34
Here's a new thing this year (new to me at least): reusable water balloons. The kids have been playing with other people's balloons at the pool for the last few weeks, so I'm past due to buy our own to throw into the mix. One note of caution: Multiple CNET editors warn the magnet fixtures on these aren't exactly compatible with one's face.
For my wife
Save $20
Beats Fit Pro: $180
I've been trying to convince my wife to upgrade her earbuds -- could this Beats Fit Pro deal be the one to get it done? I bought these a couple of years ago, and they've been a total game-changer for me.
For the grill
Save $34
Water-resistant 64 inch grill cover: $46
Go look at your grill cover. If yours is like mine, sun-soaked and cracked from years of service, it's time for an upgrade. This should do the trick.
For measuring stuff
Save $42
Bosch 165-foot laser measure: $97
Who else is so over fighting with the old tape measure? It's time to upgrade to this awesome laser measure, which works great for simple measurements or even measuring square footage in a given room or even for the whole house.
For summer travel (or any other season)
Amazon Basics 20-inch spinner suitcase: $90
My kids are 10 and 7, so it's probably time they move on from their toddler-era Frozen and Paw Patrol roller suitcases. While I am personally a huge fan of my Travelpro suitcase, there's no way I'm spending $300 on my kids. These Amazon Basics versions seem great for their first "adult" suitcases.
