Fun Money

You know those slow-motion “my device is dying” situations where you keep pretending it’s fine…

…and then one day you look at it and realize your screen has become a modern art exhibit?

That was me and my Fitbit Versa 2.

It’s about 4.5 years old, and the display started doing that tragic thing where pixels just… disappear. At first it’s one tiny spot. Then it’s a line. Then it’s like the watch is trying to gently encourage you to stop reading time.

And honestly? I was going to upgrade anyway.

So I tried the simplest Fun Money move in the book:

I asked support.

What happened (the fun part)

I jumped into Fitbit support chat, explained the issue (dying pixels), and asked if there were any replacement options.

They didn’t offer a free replacement — it’s out of warranty — but they did offer something that felt just as good:

✅ A 35% off code toward a new watch
✅ I used it to upgrade to the Fitbit Sense 2
✅ Savings: $87.50 (which is real money I didn’t have five minutes earlier)

And then it got better:

✅ Fitbit Premium free for 6 months
✅ That’s $9.99/month, so $59.94 in value

Total Fun Money value: $147.44

• $87.50 off the watch
  • $59.94 of Premium

Not bad for a quick chat and a polite ask.

Why this works (and why it’s worth trying)

Companies don’t always advertise these, but support teams often have “make it right” tools like:

• upgrade discounts
• loyalty codes
• courtesy credits
• replacement offers for known issues

The key is: you don’t get it unless you ask.

And it’s especially worth trying when:

• your device is clearly failing (screen, battery, buttons, etc.)
• you’re willing to buy a replacement anyway
• you have your details handy (model + approximate purchase date)

Worst case: they say no.
Best case: you get a discount and feel like you just discovered a cheat code.

Stacking Wins – Another $160

What’s even better, earlier in the week I saved $160 on a birthday dinner out with my family. I was fully expecting to pay (using my Fun Money Account) and was inches away from swiping my card when another family member said “Give that to me”, and paid with their card. 🙂

So if you’re keep score, that’s $87.50 + $60 + $160 = $307.50 in Fun Money Wins this week.

Or another way to look at it: I got a brand new top-of-the-line $250 Fitbit and a $60 premium subscription, and my Fun Money balance only went down by $14.25.