Looking for an awesome summer camp experience for your tween/teen this summer?
Founded at Stanford University, Digital Media Academy is ranked as one of the ten best summer camps in the world.
Save $75 off summer camps at Digital Media Academy with code TECHSUMMER at http://www.DigitalMediaAcademy.org. Sign up for multiple weeks and save big! Campers save $125 for each additional course they register for. Register by May 31 to #CreateTheNext best-selling app this summer!
Kids and teens learn computer programming, app development, 3D modeling, robotics, graphic design, filmmaking, and much more. DMA summer camps are one or multiple week experiences taught by industry experts and tech professionals. Campers get hands-on experience creating projects using the latest hardware and software from Apple, Canon, Adobe, and more.
Digital Media Academy is also proud to introduce Made by Girls, a new program dedicated to empowering girls and closing the gender gap in the tech industry.
Give your teen a pre-collegiate experience or build a child’s confidence through project-based learning. Learn at some of the most prestigous colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Save $75 off summer camps at Digital Media Academy with code TECHSUMMER at http://www.DigitalMediaAcademy.org. Sign up for multiple weeks and save big! Campers save $125 for each additional course they register for. Register by May 31 to #CreateTheNext best-selling app this summer!
Questions? Call 1(866)656-3342 to speak with a Guest Service Representative or email info@digitalmediaacademy.org and mention the US Family Guide Special Offer
#CreateTheNext this summer at Digital Media Academy!
I love free stuff. I also love sharing free stuff with friends and family. When I discovered Moms Meet a few years ago I was psyched! It combines everything I love: Free stuff, natural products, and sharing with friends!
Moms Meet offers exciting opportunities for Mom Ambassadors and their groups (moms groups, play groups, church groups) to sample the latest healthy, green products. Past sampling opportunities have included EO all-natural hand sanitizer, Wallaby Organic yogurt, and To Go Brands Trim Energy.
I receive 1-2 sampling opportunities per month. It’s nice to provide free snacks at play dates that accommodate so many allergies, and moms get coupons and samples to take home.
Coming up next week, our play group will be sampling Applegate Half-Time meal kits! In addition to sampling the yummy lunch kits, we are going to decorate re-usable thermal lunch bags. Each friend will go home with a coupon for a free Half Time kit and a few other coupons.
If Moms Meet is something that you’d like to try, all you have to do to get started is fill out the form here, and Moms Meet will contact you when they have a campaign.
Summer is on it’s way! The kids will be out of school soon and the choruses of, “I’M BORED!” will being heard across the county.
Here are some cheap and free things that you can do this summer around San Diego County to alleviate the boredom.
The splash ground at Santee Lakes is GREAT! It’s only $2.00 per kid to play and if you park outside the Santee Lakes, you don’t have to pay to park! Take a picnic and it’s a great frugal outing! We go at least once a week in the summer and it’s always
a GREAT time!
The Santee Lakes hosts free summer movies throughout the summer. If you park your car outside the gates (there is lots of street parking!), there is no cost of the movies. If you drive your car into the park, it’s $8.00 per car, regardless of how many ppl are in your car. Bring a picnic and some blankets and kick back for a fun family movie!
Balboa Park still offers Free Tuesdays at various museums in the park.
San Diego County Libraries have story time and various kid events each week. I love taking Henry to the Santee library story time, and then we play at Mast Park right next door afterwards!
El Cajon, La Mesa, and Escondido all have classic car shows/rallies each week that are free. Most have free music too! Check out some sweet rides, cool tunes, and have a fun frugal night with the fam! DiscoverSD has a list of free events and classes offered in San Diego (not all are kid friendly)
Speaking of Parks- San Diego County has great parks, as do most of the cities in San Diego County! Our favorite parks include Big Rock Park in Santee, Kennedy Park in El Cajon, La Mesita/Junior Seau Park in La Mesa, Harry Griffin Park in La Mesa (great for little kids).
If your kid’s are like my guy, clothes never last long. rips, stains, oh yeah, and growing like a weed!
That’s one reason I love shopping at consignment shops, thrift stores, and online second hand stores like Schoola. Right now Schoola is offering $15 free and free shipping when you sign up here.
In addition to offering awesome gently worn kids clothes, Schoola also gives a percentage (40%) of each sale to a school. So you can feel good twice: Once while your saving $$, and again because you are helping support a school in need.
To get started, click here. And I can’t wait to see what you have scored! I got Lil’ Man 3 shirts!
Did you know you can keep up with us on Instagram too? Sometimes I don’t have time to sit down in front of my desktop and write up a full post, but I’ve always got time to snap awkward photos and post them with with short recipes, frugal tips, and sales I discover while I’m out and about!
If you love soup as much as I do, this deal will excite you. Now through Friday (4/24) Olive Garden is offering their unlimited Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks lunch for only $5!
So this year there are not too many Earth Day Freebies. Earth Day is 4/22/15, but most events are taking place this weekend.
There are a lot of fun earth Day Events around San Diego, including the Earth Fair in Balboa Park (which is FREE)!
Now if you can’t make it out today, the fun continues throughout the month. San Diego Family Magazine has a list of events here.
If you are on the hunt for freebies the only one that’s confirmed for San Diego, CA area stores is the free reusable grocery bag from the Disney Store! On Wednesday the 22nd, visit your local Disney Store to receive ONE FREE Reusable Bag when you come in and recycle 5 plastic shopping bags. In the past the bag has featured Cars (Lil’ Man’s favorite) or Apes (from a Disney Nature movie). I’m unsure what this years design features.
Origins Confirmed that they are not having a free Earth Day item, however, per their tweet to me: “We are offering a FREE reusable tote with any purchase!”
Starbucks has not responded to my tweet asking if they are offering a free cup of coffee when you bring in a reusable cup. At this point, I would not count on it.
Not Strictly Earth Day Related, but I know ya’ll love a free RedBox Code! Text SHOPS to 727272 to get a unique coupon code for a free Redbox 1-day DVD rental (or $1.50 off your Blu-ray rental).
If you are looking for some fun on a budget, we have compiled a list of national retailers with hands-on workshops, classes and free in-store events for this weekend and many more that are coming soon.
Share this fun,money-saving list with your friends and family. And, if you know of any others to include, please let us know! It is always best to call ahead and make sure that your local store or retailer is participating to avoid disappointment.
Free National Park Entrance: April 18-19th opening weekend of National Park Week Find out the list of participating parks (over 405 of them) Barnes & Noble Saturday, April 18th at 11 AM Story time featuringAqualiciousplus related activities at many B&N locations. Most stores have free toddler story time, NOOK events, hands-on learning events and author events – find the times and participating Barnes and Noble stores here.
Home Depot Workshop for Adults
Saturday, April 18th from 10 AM to 11:30 AM – Organic Gardening
Sunday, April 12th from 1 PM to 2:30 PM – How to Install a Toilet
Saturday, April 18th from 11 AM-3 PM and a few locations offer crafts every Sunday.
Kids make and take a Whirly Twirly Windmill Craft. Get more information here.
Williams-Sonoma Free Technique Classes for Kids
Saturday, April 18th at 10 AM
Junior Chef: Baking Bundts – kids will learn to prepare different flavors and sizes of Bundt cakes with three different glazes. The Jr. Chef’s class is suitable for kids ages 5-13.
Williams-Sonoma Free Technique Classes for Adults
Sunday, April 19th -contact your store for class time
Coffee Techniques Class: Be your own Barista and learn brewing methods and discuss various roasts and grinds that affect your finished drink. To reserve a spot, and find out specific class times, contact your closest store righthere.
4/21/15 at 11 AM: Pottery Barn Kids Decorate biodegradable flower pots and plant seeds for Earth Day. Call your local PBK store here for a reservation.
5/2/15: Free Comic Book Day. Find participating stores here.
5/2/15 from 9 AM to 12 PM: Home Depot Workshop for KidsKids Learn How to Build a Picket Fence Photo Frame ~You can pre-register online here. (Some Home Depot locations do a kids workshop each week, no pre-registration required)
5/8/15: Free Admission to National Public Gardens. A favorite annual events just in time for Mother’s Day. Find Gardens Near You
5/9/15 at 10 AM Lowe’s Build and Grow Kids make and take a Mother’s Day Planter. Register at the website here.
5/10/15 at 10 AM: Pottery Barn Botanical flower arranging. Get more information and RSVP here.
5/18/15: Free Art Museum Day. Many art museums will be offering free or discounted admission. Find our more information here.
Lego Stores Free Model Build. Usually held monthly in stores, kids ages 6 to 14 can build and binoculars. Contact your closest LEGO® Store here for details.
And one of my favorites…Bowling for Kids all Summer: Kids Bowl for Free all summer at select bowling centers. Get two free games for each child, every day, all summer long. She rental is not included. Check to see what nearby bowling alleys are participating here.
And Starting in June: Family Movies for $1 During the Summer Participating Regal Cinemas, United Artists, & Edwards Theaters offer 9 weeks of family movies, rated G or PG, for just $1 on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings at 10 AM. You can see the schedule, starting dates and movies here on the Regal website.
Be sure and check out your local library (San Diego County Library event website) and parks and recreation departments for free programs and events right in your hometown!
For those of us living in CA, NV, AZ, TX we have the opportunity to save money by shopping the great deals at 99 Cents Only. 99 Cents Only is different from other discount/dollar stores in that the majority of locations feature a refridgator and freezer case with a variety of name brand foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition to fesh and frozen foods, most locations have a great diverse stock of shelf stable foods too.
And 99 Cents only has more than food, they carry the same types of items that you have grown accustomed to seeing at discount/dollar stores, such as health and beauty aids, school supplies, and kitchen tools.
While 99 Cents Only does not accept manufacturer coupons, they frequently send out coupons that are good for a free item when you purchase X number of items (most recently they have been buy 5 items, receive one free). And there are a few apps that are not retailer specific (such as checkout51, snap by groupon, Mobisave, berrycart, shrink,and shopnimium) that you can submit your receipts to to earn a little extra cash back!
Not everything is .9999/each, many of the items are .7999/each, .6999.each, 2/.9999, or 4./9999. .9999? What? That’s right, after many years in business, last year 99 cents only had to increase prices just a fraction to keep up with inflation. So at .9999/each (or really, rounded up to $1.00), many things are still a screaming deal.
Here are just a few of the great deals that you shouldn’t pass up:
Carrots. A 20 ounce bag (that’s 1.25 lbs) of baby carrots is .9999. At most regular grocers The same bag is upwards of $2.50.
Bagged greens. Most locations carry multiple brands including Dole, Ready Pac, and Earthbound Organics (just to name a few), which can sell at most mainstream grocers for upwards of $4.00/bag!
Disposable person care items, such as cotton swabs. 1000 cotton swabs for $1.00! That’s a lot of clean ears! A box of 500 or so can run upwards of $5.00 at most mass merchandisers.
Men’s dress socks. I’m serious. At $1.00/pair, you’re saving approximately 75-80% over department store prices. Most of hubs socks come from 99 cents only, and he’s been wearing them for about 2 years.
Cake mix. I’m talking name brand here. Unless there is a sale and you have a coupon at the local grocery store, you’ll be spending a few bucks for a cake mix. Drop by your local 99 cents only and take a gander, you’ll be surprised by the variety and brands of cake mixes available. Last time I stopped in to my local store, they had Pillsbury cake mixes!
Bananas. Most grocery stores in San Diego charge .65/-.80/lb for bananas! Most 99 cents locations have bananas for just .49/lb. some select locations have 3 lbs/$1.00!
School/art supplies. Perfect for the parent of an artistically minded kiddo or a homeschooler, most locations have a great selection of construction paper, paint, craft kits, and bulletin board supplies. We get most of our craft supplies at 99 cents only!
Party Supplies, from disposable plates and utensils to goody bag filler, most locations have a decent variety. Not just plain colors, but fun themed goodies as well. Our local store has princess, pirate, minion, TMNT, frozen, sweet 16 themed party supplies.
Bread. This photo isn’t the best representation of what they have most of the time,cut most stores have a variety of fresh breads from companies like Sarah Lee, Orowheat/Arnold’s, and bread in the freezer case too from brands like Ecce Pannis and Texas Toast. Don’t forget to look for bagels and buns too!
Ethnic spices. Making a batch of menudo? Trying your hand at curry? Need Jugo? Don’t forget to check your local 99 cents only for ethnic spices before you start cooking! I get a large bag of bay leaves twice a year and split it with a friend. Perfect for soups and stews!
There is a lot of stuff that may be a good deal, depending on what your rock bottom price for specific items is. To determine if something is a good deal for my family, I keep a price book with the prices of the top 20 items I buy most often at the 5 stores I shop at most in my area. You can learn more about price books here.
Yummy fresh strawberries- right off the truck!
Recently I spied .79/can Starkist Tuna can, 10 lbs of potatoes for .99, 1 lb packages of fresh Dole Strawberries for just .99, and name brand ketchup, mustard, and BBQ sauce for just .69/each.
If you are hesitant to buy produce at a discount store because you are concerned about freshness, call your local store and ask them what day their produce truck comes. Most of our local stores receive their produce truck on Thursday mornings, so I am ready to shop for fresh fruits and veggies as soon as I drop the Kiddo off at school.
For my family, 99 Cents Only is the starting point for my shopping each week. I start by filling my cart with tons of fresh fruit and veggies, checking the freezer case for any deals, and picking up any needed canned goods that are not on sale elsewhere. By starting my shopping at 99 Cents Only, I am able to keep our food budget at $50/week! When there are really good deals (like the case of Larabars for only 99 Cents!) I tend to spend a few extra bucks and stock up, since quantities are limited and 99 Cents Only doesn’t offer rain checks.
What’s your favorite thing to purchase at 99 Cents Only?
Save $75 off summer camps at Digital Media Academy with code TECHSUMMER at 
I love free stuff. I also love sharing free stuff with friends and family. When I discovered 
Coming up next week, our play group will be sampling 
The splash ground at Santee Lakes is GREAT! It’s only $2.00 per kid to play and if you park outside the Santee Lakes, you don’t have to pay to park! Take a picnic and it’s a great frugal outing! We go at least once a week in the summer and it’s always
If you love soup as much as I do, this deal will excite you. Now through Friday (4/24) Olive Garden is offering their unlimited Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks lunch for only $5!
So this year there are not too many Earth Day Freebies. Earth Day is 4/22/15, but most events are taking place this weekend.
If you are looking for some fun on a budget, we have compiled a list of national retailers with hands-on workshops, classes and free in-store events for this weekend and many more that are coming soon.
Home Depot Workshop for Adults
Lakeshore Learning Store
Hewes Family Fun 