Author: Abby H.

Earn $100 in Gift Cards from Bitmo Perks!

Abby H.

Wow. this is a great deal, and pretty easy! I’ve written about Bitmo before, and while I don’t use it as much as other cashback/money-saving apps, I still feel like it’s a good app. One thing I love is that there isn’t much you need to do besides signing up, link your bank card/credit card and start shopping. You can use other cashback apps at the same time too. I frequently double dip with Dosh, Drop, and/or Ibotta with Bitmo.

I am all about double-dipping to save money and score deals!

Speaking of deals, Right now Bitmo is offering bonus points when you refer new friends. 20,000 bonus points (that’s a $20 gift card) for everyone that joins, connects a card, and does a transaction within 14 days of sign up.

You can repeat this offer 5 times. That’s $100 in gift cards in your pocket.

Oh, and your friends get a little something for signing up too!

Monthly Side Hustle Totals- May 2021

Abby H.

I decided that at the end of each month in 2021 I’m going to post the breakdown of how much I made doing each side hustle/cashback app. My complete side hustle list can be found here and my complete list of Smartphone Apps can be found here.

I know some of you are curious about how much I make doing all of the hustles that I wrote about, and while I do a year-end update, I know some of you don’t wanna wait till the end of the year and that’s understandable.

Some of the side hustles I do frequently, like using the Fetch Rewards App every time I go shopping. Some of them I don’t do as often like Field Agent. I haven’t been really any Field Agent tasks that I’m interested in as of late. Most of them are alcohol-based and since I don’t drink because I’m not exercising to burn off the calories of the liquor I consume, I’m not terribly interested in bringing alcohol into my house.

Some of the hustles are more passive but have cumulative rewards so even though I do them each month, I may not receive a payout each month. It doesn’t make them any less valuable to me, they just take a longer amount of time to earn the reward. Honestly, those are fairly low-time investments, so I don’t feel bad that they take a long time to earn a payout. SBKC and Achievement are two of these.

And some I do in fits and starts. For example, I may not spend a lot of time doing PaidViewPoint surveys for a few weeks, and then I’ll get two or three emails telling me that I have time-sensitive or higher-paying surveys. Then I’ll rush over to the site and do five or 10 surveys and earn five or 10 bucks. It just depends on what’s available at the time.

Some of you might notice from this list that there are a number of research studies, I’ve been trying to do at least 1-2 a month because they tend to pay a lot better than surveys. I have been posting research studies and opportunities on the blog whenever they come across my email. I hope some of you are also applying for them and receiving opportunities to do them too.

Below is my list for May. I did a few Field Agent gigs since both of the kids are back to school full time and that gives me a few more hours each day to work my hustle (and research and write for the blog).  I have been doing a lot of reviews and such but don’t pay cash, but rather pay in-kind (Tryit, Influenster, Social Nature, and BzzAgent). Each one of those sends a product or samples.

I try not to take the sample only offers because it’s not worth my time to review a bunch of sample size stuff, especially when I can be working with brands and companies that offer me products that are full-size, or they pay me with cash. Because really, as nice as say five dollar tube of deodorant might be, I can’t really pay my utility bill with it.

  • Fetch Rewards: $45
  • Research Study/Focus Group: $75
  • Capterra: $50
  • Pinecone Research: $12
  • Field Agent: $37.39
  • PaidViewPoint: $16.10
  • State of CA Healthy Living Survey: $50
  • Sold some old toys/clothes on FB Marketplace: $75
  • Bitmo Perks: $5

Talk Back: How much do you make each month on your side hustles? Do you have any that you love and want to recommend? Leave a link in the comments below! Please no MLM or Direct Sales Opportunities. 

Fetch Rewards and PepsiCo Tasty Rewards!

Abby H.

 

 

Check your email from Fetch Rewards!

Unlock some PepsiCo perks your taste buds will love!

Whether it’s ice-cold drink or a mouthwatering Frito-Lay snack, make your favorite products even more rewarding. Check out PepsiCo Tasty Rewards!

It’s a program that gives you access to exclusive PepsiCo content, including offers, sweepstakes, and tasty new recipes. Plus, it lives right in the Fetch app.

Joining is fast, free, and deliciously rewarding. Sign up now for a special Welcome Offer to earn more points on the brands you love. I received a special offer for a bonus of 500 points when I buy a PepsiCo beverage and a Frito-lay snack.

 

If you haven’t signed up for Fetch Rewards yet, or want to learn more, check out my post here. Find the Fetch Rewards app in your app store, and when you download it and scan any receipt, use my code ND2TB when you sign up and you’ll score 2,000 bonus points.

6/7/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis week marks the end of our school year. Woo Hoo? Big kid is doing ESY (extended school year aka summer school) so it’s no big thing for him. Also this week our Bitty Bird turns six! We’ll be having a socially responsible party this coming weekend with friends and family in our bubble.

I went to the grocery store Friday while the kids were at school. 99 Cents Only and Grocery Outlet had tons of great deals, and I was able to stock up for the week (and beyond) and stay on budget.

The CSA emails us in advance to give us a heads up as to what may be in our boxes each week, and that really gives me an upper hand when it comes to meal planning for the week.

Veggies and fruit are delivered each Monday by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal. I spend about an hour on Monday afternoon cleaning and prepping veggies for the rest of the week.

Over the weekend, I did some meal prep: I prepared the last of our CSA veggies to roast, and a big salad with all the fixings.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids.  The kids are nuts about pancakes. The Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunch: Kids take lunch to school. I eat leftovers. Everyone rejoices.

Dinner: Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday: Beans, Rice, roasted veggies, fruit salad
  • Monday: Chicken with Floretine sauce, roasted veggies, potatoes
  • Tuesday:   Frozen Entrees, Salad, Texas Toast
  • Wednesday:  Nugget night (nuggets, fruit, crackers, milk)
  • Thursday:  Skillet Casserole, Salad
  • Friday:  Takeout Night
  • Saturday: Soup, Roasted Veg, Texas Toast

Please stay safe you guys!

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

June 2021: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

Abby H.

 If you are into Organic/Natural/Healthy products, then Social Nature is up your alley. Sign up and apply to sample products that you are interested in. I get probably 1-2 products to sample each month. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

Social Nature has rounded up products that are available to try at a local grocery store or mass merchandiser near you.  Apply to Try the products that interest you to see if you’re a match here.

And one of the things I love about Social Nature is that they don’t leave our friends with food allergies out.

There are sampling offers for Gluten-free, nut-free, meat-free foods frequently.

Canadian Friends- You are in luck, there are sampling opportunities for you too! So if you love trying new products, check out Social Nature!

 

New PinchMe Samples Drop 6/8/2021

Abby H.

Sample Tuesday is Coming 6/8/2021- Mark your calendars, set an alarm on your phone!

Don’t have any idea what I am talking about? PinchMe! Join PINCHme and receive free samples that you can provide feedback on.

PinchMe is awesome! Once you are signed up, they will email you reminders when new samples are about to drop, and remind you when it’s time to leave feedback.

Answer a series of questions about your household and shopping habits in the Member Profile. PinchMe learns what you like and offer samples just for you.

Once you’ve had a chance to try the samples, complete a short feedback survey to tell PinchMe what you think of the samples.

What are you waiting for? Sign up here and get on the free sample bandwagon! I’ve gotten all kinds of awesome sample/trial size items, as well as full-sized items to try out from PinchMe!

6/4/2021 Friday Freebie and Deals

Abby H.
bright boxes

Good morning!

This week has been full of end-of-school-year stuff around here, and I’ve been busy finding lots of summer fun (and food) as well.

If you are looking for birthday freebies, fret not! I put together a list new for 2021- Check it out here.

Most of these freebies and deals are online. I am not encouraging anyone to go into stores or go out into public. Mask up, wash your paws, stay socially distanced, get vaccinated when it’s your turn!

Freebies:

Free Bob’s Red Mill Oat Crackers
17 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Poise Impressa Sample Pack
Free Samples of Astroglide Lubricant
Free Fast and Furious Movie Tickets
Free Original Grand Slam at Denny’s
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
National Donut Day Freebies & Deals RoundUp Today June 4
Free Norton Hurley Underwear Samples
Free Sunscreen + $25 Amazon Gift Card
Free English Translation of the Quran
Text for $10 Off at Lane Bryant = Free Item
Free Subscription to Cosmopolitan Magazine
Free RXBAR Protein Bar
5 Free Items at Sprouts – Sign up for their Sampling Program
Free Bottle of Bedtime Burn
Free Aura Bora Herbal Sparkling Water
Free Chloe’s Salted Caramel Oatmilk Pops
Free Sample of Joolies Organic Medjool Dates
Free Samples Returning to Costco This Month
Free Beer, Seltzer or Non-Alcoholic Beverage with Vaccine Goal
Free Bottle of Coca-Cola on June 15th – Sign Up Now
Free Pride Sticker Pack
Free NeilMed Sinus Rinse or NasaFlo Neti Pot
Free Sample of Xyzal Allergy 24H

 

Deals:

Allure Beauty Box ONLY $23 ($200+ Value) + 2 Free Gifts
Benadryl Liqui-Gels ONLY $3.29 on Amazon
Style Trends & Fashion Discounts on Amazon
Green Toys Fire Plane ONLY $6.80 (Reg. $15)
Schwinn Shuttle Bike Trailer ONLY $99 (Reg. $199)
CHI Flat Iron ONLY $49.99 at JCPenney (Reg $130)
Beats Solo Pro Light Blue ONLY $134.99 (Reg $300)
Play-Doh Tool Box ONLY $7.98 (Reg $12.99)
Kate Spade Leila Small Card Holder Wristlet ONLY $29 (Reg $89)
Bluetooth Waterproof Speaker ONLY $17.99 (Reg $29)
Godinger Dublin Set of 4 Wine Glasses ONLY $16 (Reg $40)
Bissell Portable Spot & Stain Cleaner ONLY $89 (Reg $110)
Fitbit Ace 2 Activity Tracker ONLY $39.95 (Reg. $70)
50% Off JoyBay Ride On Swing Cars for Kids Now $34.99 Shipped
Nespresso Vertuo Next w/ Milk Frother ONLY $135.99 (Reg $275)
Carter’s Rainbow Sandals ONLY $12.60 (Reg $36)
Bella Air Fryer 2-Quart ONLY $24.99 Shipped (Reg $52)
I Love You, Stinky Face Board Book ONLY $3.75 (Reg. $7)
Echo Auto ONLY $24.99 Shipped (Reg $50)
Martha Stewart Reversible Bath Towel ONLY $4.99 (Reg $16)
Kenneth Cole Men’s Quinn Flip-Flop Sandals ONLY $14.99 (Reg $39)
Rachael Ray 5-Piece Bakeware Set ONLY $29.99 (Reg $100)

AO Opinions: Two Upcoming Projects

Abby H.

AO Opinions is another Market Research company that I get information from. Right now they are recruiting for two upcoming research studies:

The First Survey is for Schizophrenia Caregivers of loved ones.

  • To be considered complete the pre-screener here. 
  • Compensation: $75-$150 (if chosen)
  • Thursday, June 17th, 2021 (Various Times)

 

The Second Survey is on the subject of beverages.

  • To be considered complete the pre-screener here. 
  • Compensation: $175-$325 (if chosen)
  • Open to: 18-54 year olds
  • Homework Assignment Monday, June 7th, 2021 – Friday, June 11th, 2021: During the pre-assignment, we will ask you to answer questions via text, video, or photo responses. It’s a 2-hour total time commitment.
  • Tuesday, June 22nd, 2022- Thursday, June 24, 2022 (Various Times)

Cents of Style Lounge Sets EXTRA 20% OFF Starting UNDER $16

Abby H.

Summer Sale

** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

This week’s weekly deal from Cents of Style is very relaxing. SUMMER Lounge Sets are an EXTRA 20% off the sale price! These sets come in a variety of styles and sizes from XS-3XL.

To take advantage of this sale, use coupon code SUMMERBREAK takes an extra 20% OFF making these Start under $16!! Don’t forget FREE Shipping over $35! The code is active until 6/8/21 at midnight.

2021 Summer Reading Programs for Kids

Abby H.2 Comments

Thankfully, libraries have planned summer reading programs for summer 2021! I’ve been working on this post for a while, asking around, making calls, and googling like mad. I’ll update this post as more programs are announced. Right now I am waiting to hear back from the San Diego County Library for information on their summer program.

I know my kids love summer reading programs. In addition to reading, they win some great prizes.

San Diego City Libraries are having a similar summer reading program as they have in years past. Information including sign-up and prizes available can be found here.

Pizza Hut’s Book It program is available for summer, where your kids can earn free delicious pizza hut pizza just for reading. Information about the program can be found here.

Don’t forget to check out the Free little libraries in your neighborhood. They are a great way to share your unwanted books with neighbors, and discover new books for free!

If you want your family to experience a multi-cultural world through reading, I  recommend PJ Library.  PJ Library sends free, award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture to families with children from birth through 12 years old.

My kids love learning about faraway places and experiences different from their own. The PJ library books have opened their eyes to new holidays, customs, and ways of life.

Read Conmigo provides free books for kids by mail in Spanish and English to children ages preschool to fifth grade. They are only available to kids in CA, TX, and Florida. We used to receive the books, and they are ok, but my kids aren’t interested in learning Spanish.

Dolly Parton has established the Imagination library, it is available in select regions (sadly not available in San Diego California), and those who live in areas that are participating can receive one book for their kids every month via mail.

Barnes and Noble has a summer reading program starting July 1st. More info here.

If you know of any other programs, please leave a comment! I’m trying to keep my kids out of crowded areas and spaces this summer, as neither of them can be vaccinated against Covid-19 at the present time. In California, masks will no longer be mandatory in public spaces starting June 15, 2021.