5/9/2026 PRC Research Study Round Up!

Abby H.Leave a comment

PRC is a nationwide research study company. They are always conducting studies and seeking additional respondents. They email me once a week about the online studies they are looking to fill. Research studies are a great way to earn a little extra money, and most of them can be completed from the comfort of your own home, using your computer or laptop.

 

Topic: Education Faculty & Staff
Who: Adults 18+ years of age who work in any level of education
Date: May 14th – 18th
Duration/type: 5-day Online Board
Incentive: $400 digital incentive

If you are interested in participating, complete the intake survey here. If you pre-qualify, a recruiter from PRC will contact you via phone.

 

Topic: OTC Medications
Who: Consumers ages 25-65 with a club store membership (must provide proof)
When: June 4th-6th, 2026
Where: Virtually, from the comfort of your home
Length: 75-mins over 3 days
Incentive: $150

If you are interested in participating, complete the intake survey here. If you pre-qualify, a recruiter from PRC will contact you via phone.

 

Topic: Entertainment Activities
Who: Adults, ages 18+
When: June 3 – 10, 2026
Where: In-person
Length: 1 hour
Incentive: $125

If you are interested in participating, complete the intake survey here. If you pre-qualify, a recruiter from PRC will contact you via phone.

 

Topic: Health Conditions
Who: Adults, 18 years and older
When: May 11th – 15th, 2026
Where: Online, via zoom
Length: 1 hour
Incentive: $200

If you are interested in participating, complete the intake survey here. If you pre-qualify, a recruiter from PRC will contact you via phone.

 

Topic: Feminine Care Products
Who: Adults, 18 and older
When: May 5 – 29, 2026
Where: In-Home interview
Length: One week product usage + 10 minutes online questionnaire
Incentive: $150 + $20 for product purchase

If you are interested in participating, complete the intake survey here. If you pre-qualify, a recruiter from PRC will contact you via phone.

05/09/2026 Weekend Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.Leave a comment

I’ve spent time this week getting ready for a family trip at the end of the month. All sorts of list-making, planning, and washing of camping bedding.

I  updated my birthday freebies for 2026- You can find the post here. The list mostly offers what you can find in Southern California.

If you live outside Southern California, check out this list: Free Birthday Stuff: Get The Best 100+ Freebies on Your Birthday!

For free food resources, please refer to my comprehensive list, available here.  It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are available outside my area.

Freebies:

FREE Bottle of Lactaid Creamer at Publix
Easy Ways To Get Free Men’s Cologne Samples
FREE Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Aging 11+ Chatterbox Kit
Get Free Samples by Mail: List of Legitimate Freebies & Free Samples From Brand Name Companies
FREE $25 to Spend on Fragrance at Sephora After Cash Back
FREE Sample of OGX ProGrowth + Peptide Shampoo & Conditioner
FREE Car Wash for Community Heroes at GO Car Wash
FREE $35 to Spend at Walmart After Cash Back
FREE Sample of T.N. Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Medicated Cooling Foam
FREE Saffron Road Meal Coupon for Roadies Members
We Rounded Up The Best Free Samples for Men: Check Them Out
Mother’s Day Freebies & Deals RoundUp
Claim Cash in the $750,000 Sealy Bedding Products Class Action Settlement
FREE Great Minds Think Differently Poster
FREE Order of Pita Chips at CAVA
FREE Sample of Ex Nihilo Lust in Paradise Extrait de Parfum
FREE Pollinator Flower Seed Packet from National Geographic
FREE Sandwich During Armed Forces Week at Mission BBQ
FREE Sol de Janeiro Mini Body Cream Duo at Ulta After Cash Back
FREE DocuPet Tag + FREE Shipping
FREE Wendy’s Merch Every Wednesday
FREE Chocolate Dipped Fruit Cone at Edible
FREE 8×10 Photo Print at Walgreens
FREE Movie Ticket to The Wizard of the Kremlin
FREE Garden Basket Build Event for Kids at Lowe’s
Free Full-Size Products from Home Tester Club
FREE Full-Size Hair Gloss or Anti-Frizz Spray
These Are the Best Websites to Get Free Samples & Freebies
FREE 3 lb. Bag of Cuties at Kroger

 

Deals:

New Bath & Body Works Coupon Policy: What You Need to Know
High-Speed Ionic Hair Dryer ONLY $79.99 (Reg $230)
Loungefly Pochacco & Friends Mini Backpack ONLY $29.94 (Reg $50)
Outdoor Patio Umbrella Shade with Auto Tilt ONLY $20 at Walmart
5 Tips to Find the Cheapest Oil Change + Get Oil Change Coupons and Savings
lululemon Belt Bags From $29 + Free Shipping!
Candle Warmer Lamp ONLY $10.49 on Amazon (Reg $25)
Kate Spade Staci Mini Crossbody ONLY $59 (Reg $279)
Prime Members Save 20¢ Per Gallon on Gas – Every Friday!
Home Office Computer Desk with Drawers ONLY $35.98 (Reg $60)
Coach Perfumes as low as $11.99 at Walmart
Luggage Sale at Macy’s Up to 74% Off – Prices From $79.99
10 Bogg Bag Dupes on Amazon That Are Just as Great as the Real Bogg Bag
Mother’s Day Gifts Under $25 at Belk + Free Store Pickup!
Mother’s Day Gifts Under $25 at Walmart + Free Store Pickup
Kohl’s Mother’s Day Gifts Under $25 + Free Store Pickup

2026-Summer Movies for Kids on the Cheap!

Abby H.Leave a comment

One of the kid’s favorite summer activities is to hit up the local theater for a showing of one of their favorite movies.

Big buckets of popcorn, snuck in candy (shhhh), and a drink, and they are ready for 2 hours of fun in the Air Conditioning.

 

Some of the “Usual suspects” have not updated their summer movie programs for 2026. As soon as we get more info, I’ll update.

Landmark Theatres has Family Friendly Films starting June 12, 2026. There are no locations in San Diego County, but there are some in Southern California.

Regal Summer Movie Express usually offers tickets for $2 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, featuring summer movies the whole family will enjoy.

Summer Movie Clubhouse at Cinemark starts June 1, 2026. Bring the kids and enjoy exciting family-friendly big-screen entertainment for just $1.75 (plus taxes) per ticket for each movie.

Lots of smaller theatre chains have also joined this bandwagon! Marcus Theatres, MegaPlex, Epic Theatres are just a few. These theatres do not have locations in California.

Theatre chains that have not published their schedules yet, but in the past have had family/kids movies in the summer:

AMC Theatres has previously had a Summer Movie Camp with tickets starting at $3.oo/each at the box office.

Reading Cinemas usually has the Reel Kids program, with ticket prices reduced to $2/ticket!

UltraStar Cinemas doesn’t have anything posted yet, but they do offer discounts on tickets and popcorn on Thursdays year-round.

Talk Back: What summer movies are you looking forward to seeing?

Shopping Smarter Matters: Rae’s Way Overdoing It Birthday Video

Abby H.Leave a comment

I saw this video before, but it showed up on my FYP, and while I know it’s supposed to show how crazy the costs of everything have become, I watched it and saw a chance to show everyone how to shop for a birthday party on a budget. No slight to Rae- I love her content and think she is hilarious.

In the video, Rae is at a big box store (Walmart) with a budget of $50 for a friend’s birthday.

Her shopping list included:

  • Cake
  • 2 frozen pizzas
  • 2 suitcases of mini soda cans
  • Candles
  • Plates
  • Cutlery
  • 2 pkg streamers
  • Balloons
  • Plastic tablecloth
  • Banner

At her first go round, she is over budget, so she decides to make the cake from a mix, and proceeds to finish her shop. She does end up over budget by $1.

If our friend Rae started at Dollar Tree…. It would be much different.

For a total of $22.50. With the leftover cash, pick up 2 Costco pizzas, and if there is any leftover, maybe grab 2 pints of store-brand ice cream at Dollar Tree!

I love Dollar Tree for party supplies. There is no reason to spend a lot of money on disposable party supplies. I’ve always done birthday parties on a budget!

5/4/26 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.Leave a comment

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

May is a busy month for us, so it’s important to me that I plan out our meals on Sunday nights for the week.

To keep my grocery budget down, I shop at Aldi (using Instacart, I wrote about how to do it here), our local Grocery Outlet, and use cashback rebates that offer a lot of 100% back (I wrote a post about some of my favorite apps here).

I skipped a grocery trip this week- We have plenty of food, and we had a  Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box subscription drop off last Monday and have plenty of fruit and veg to get us through this week. I did a quick grocery inventory on Saturday morning to make sure we’d be ok.

Breakfast: The kids tend to eat cereal, a bagel, or an MBS (Mrs. Bear Special) each morning for breakfast. I usually have a proffee and a slice of toast with goat cheese and spicy honey.

Lunch: M-F I pack myself and the kids’ lunches. I bring 5 lunches to work on Monday and stash them in the fridge. I pack the kids’ lunches each night before bed, except for the cold stuff and ice pack- those I put in when I get up in the morning. This week, my lunch is fridge and freezer clean out leftovers.

Dinner: This week, dinners are pretty simple. We have busy days, so I want to spend as much time as possible with the kids. If one of the kids ends up not liking something, they can have a sandwich or a fruit and a homemade smoothie.

This week’s available fresh fruits are: Apples (3 kinds), oranges, and bananas.

  • Sunday:  Italian Night.
  • Monday: Chicken and Veggies

  • Tuesday: Tortellini Soup, Salad, and Bread

  • Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner (I’m teaching that night)

  • Thursday: Vegetarian chili, bread, and salad

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Palooza and whatever leftover fruit is hanging around.

April 2026 Monthly Side Quest Totals!

Abby H.Leave a comment

Quests require compasses and treasure chests, right?Why am I referring to them as “quests” and not “hustle“?

Hustling indicates moving quickly to earn money. This year, I’m doing a little bit every day, approximately 20 minutes on small surveys and small tasks. I may earn less daily, but overall, I can use small tasks to earn more through compounding.

Here are the ways I earned money, and how much I earned on each side quest in April. It was pretty busy for me, but I tried to make as much time as I could for my surveys and such.

  • MyPoints:  $20 in Amazon gift cards, mostly from my daily surveys, but I did do some shopping through their app and website to get points as well.
  • PaidViewPoint: $10.49 via PayPal
  • G2: $35 Amazon gift card
  • Receipt Hog: $5.00 Amazon Gift Card
  • Fetch: $6.00 Amazon Gift Card
  • Galloway Research: $25 Amazon Gift Card for a Survey I did about school lunches for kids
  • Rebates (WeStock, Peekage, Social Nature, and Aisle ): $22.46 between  Social Nature and Aisle.
  • TPT (I make worksheets/flashcards in my spare time for special ed classrooms). This side quest is definitely a slow trickle of money. I spent a lot of time over the summer making/uploading educational materials to my TPT account. $23.75

As always, the links above may be affiliate links, and I might earn money or points if you join any of the above apps or activities. This helps support my blog and family.

If you are interested in my full list of money-saving/money earning activites, I encourage you to check out:

2026 Teacher Appreciation Week Freebies and Deals

Abby H.Leave a comment

May 4-8, 2026  is Teacher Appreciation Week, and to celebrate, there are some freebies and deals around.

I have only included those in my local area, but if you are outside the Southern CA area, a quick Google search can find you some local freebies.

Chipotle: This one is pretty popular. Chipotle is saying “thank you” by giving away 100,000 FREE Burrito Cards. Enter to win by 5/12.  

Shake Shack: Teachers receive a free ShackBurger or Veggie Burger with a $10 purchase. Must show school ID.

Some Raising Cane’s locations are offering free drinks (excluding lemonade) in May. My local Raising Cane’s is not participating.  Here is the list of participating locations. 

I’ve read online that some Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s locations may do freebies or deals next week; however, I couldn’t confirm anything online.

If you are a Sonic Drive-In fan, download their app and sign up for an account. When you go to account settings and select “I’m a Teacher” to join the Teachers’ Circle.  You will be asked to verify that you are an educator. Update your profile to verify your status as faculty or staff at a K-12 school or degree-granting university. Once you verify, there will be freebies and deals added to your account throughout the year.

These next freebies are not tied to Teacher Appreciation week- these are available year-round and are pretty amazing.

Canva is free for teachers. Canva for Education

Headspace offers a free subscription for educators.

We are Teachers has free printables!

If you are looking for year-round deals, check out ID.me.

May and June Upcoming JCP Kid’s Craft Events!

Abby H.Leave a comment

JCPenney hosts a fun craft event in-store for kids on the second Saturday of each month.  They are easy for kids and a fun, free activity. My kids loved these when they were little.

While you are there, make sure to join their Rewards Program. There are a lot of great benefits, and it’s free to join. I do a lot of our shopping at JCP. They are very size-inclusive, have great prices/sales, and support diversity in the communities in which they are located.

In-store events are only where local mandates allow.  All kids must be accompanied by an adult. More details, including participating JCP locations, can be found here.

On May 9th, from 11 am to noon, kids can make and take their very own Mother’s Day Flower Bouquet Craft.

All materials are provided but are only available while supplies last.

Plus, parents get a free 10% off coupon (and it can be combined with other JCP coupons!).

And moving right along into June…

On June 13th, from 11am to noon, kids can make and take a Super Hero Plaque!

All materials are provided but are only available while supplies last.

Plus, parents get a free 10% off coupon (and it can be combined with other JCP coupons!)

 

5/2/2026 PRC Research Study Round Up!

Abby H.Leave a comment

PRC is a nationwide research study company. They are always conducting studies and seeking additional respondents. They email me once a week about the online studies they are looking to fill. Research studies are a great way to earn a little extra money, and most of them can be completed from the comfort of your own home, using your computer or laptop.

For Healthcare Professionals (Physicians, NPs, PAs, Nurses, etc.)

  • When: May 18–24, 2026
  • Where: Online via webcam
  • Length: 45 minutes
  • Incentive: $300

If you are interested in participating, complete the intake survey here. If you pre-qualify, a recruiter from PRC will contact you via phone.

 

Topic: Health Treatments

  • Who: Consumers – 18+ yr old
  • When: May 18-24, 2026
  • Where: Online webcam
  • Length: 45 min
  • Incentive: $200

If you are interested in participating, complete the intake survey here. If you pre-qualify, a recruiter from PRC will contact you via phone.

 

Topic: Health Issues

  • Who: Adults, 18 +
  • When: May 19-20, 2026
  • Where: Online & At Home Product testing
  • Length: 4 days Online Discussion Board + 45 min webcam session
  • Incentive: $225 (Online Discussion Board) + $75 (45 min session – if chosen)

If you are interested in participating, complete the intake survey here. If you pre-qualify, a recruiter from PRC will contact you via phone.

 

Topic: Long Term Care Decisions

  • Who: Adults 18+ years of age
  • Date: May 11-18, 2026
  • Duration/type: 60-minute online interview (webcam required)
  • Incentive: $125
  • Location: From the comfort of your home or office

If you are interested in participating, complete the intake survey here. If you pre-qualify, a recruiter from PRC will contact you via phone.

A few notes about PRC:

It is recommended to use Google Chrome or Firefox to complete the pre-qualification survey.
Only one participant per household.
Their surveys are open to U.S. Residents.
Incentives are paid via Digital Incentive unless otherwise stated.
To participate in any study that requires a webcam, please use a laptop or desktop computer ONLY—No smartphones or tablets.
If you use ChatGPT or any other AI assistance for your responses/feedback during any of the research projects, please keep in mind that you will not receive compensation and will be removed from the database.
If you pre-qualify, a PRC Global Market Research recruiter will contact you via phone.

Got A Teacher in Your Life? 7 Ways to Lend Support

Abby H.Leave a comment

May is upon us, which means it’s the downward slide into the end of the school year. It’s also that time of year when your teacher friends are a little more stressed than usual. For some states, standardized testing starts after spring break. For most classrooms, the supplies that were purchased in August have run out completely.

Here are seven ways that you can lend your support to an educator in your life without buying $30 wrapping paper at their next fundraiser.

If you’ve got the time, cash, or inclination, here are a few ways you can help the teacher in your life:

  1. Check with them to see if they need supplies.  Between Dollar Tree, Walmart, and Amazon, there are a lot of places you can find inexpensive number 2 pencils, markers, and lined paper.
  2. Headphones/in-ear headphones. Mid-year is about the time when they stop working. And most schools can’t afford to replace them. A lot of classrooms use programs that read to kids, especially in the lower grades and special education classrooms. Standardized testing frequently has sections that are read to students or require them to speak. A handful of the plug-in in-ear headphones from Dollar Tree or Five Below can help. School iPads use USB-C headphones.
  3. Do they have a Donors Choose Page? Are they trying to raise funds for a special project? Throw $10-$20 their way, and share their donor’s choice link on your socials.
  4. Ask if they have an Amazon wish list. Buy something, share it on your socials.
  5. If you eat out frequently, check to see if your teacher friends’ PTSA/PTA utilizes restaurant fundraisers. The school my children go to has a restaurant fundraiser once a month with local restaurants in our community. 20% of the bill goes towards funds for the school. We don’t eat out very often, but it’s a good way to support my kids’ school without having to buy a $30 roll of wrapping paper.
  6. If you have flexibility in your schedule, offer to volunteer. Either in class or after school. Teachers need help after teaching hours with grading, resetting the classroom, prepping projects, and changing out bulletin boards.
  7. Be supportive. Teaching is more than the three hours, and it can take a lot out of teachers. Teachers are not only educators, but they are also the social and emotional support for kids for six hours a day, 180 days a year.