family

School is Back in Session- Time to Start Saving!

Abby H.

Bus2I don’t know about you, but when I’ve got both kids home all the time, it’s a lot harder to keep on my frugal goals.

I’m all about taking advantage of local free and cheap fun (like events at our local library or community center, local parks and splash pads), but for some reason summer vacation always distracts me from frugality. Maybe is the 100+ degree temps we’ve been having most of the summer.

Well, we are into our second week of school and I’ve re-committed to my frugal lifestyle for my family.  Here are just a few things I’ve done over the past two weeks:

  • Meal Plan using what’s on hand in out cupboard before heading the the store. I’ve also planned out school lunches too!
  • Committed to taking drinks with us when we leave the house.  This doesn’t sound like a lot, but when it’s over 100 degrees in the shade, we go through a lot of water on our daily adventures. Check out the cool growler I got on Amazon. It’s supposed to be for beer, but I fill it with ice cubes and water each day and it comes with me in the car- it’s an easy way to get your 8 glasses in! I also take iced coffee with me in the morning to school drop off.
  • Set a schedule for Bitty Bird and I.  Again, a schedule doesn’t sound like a way to save money, but now I know what we are doing each day after Big Boy is at school. I have time each day while she is napping to write, research, and do Amazon Reviews.
  • Plan out shopping trips a little better.  Now that I don’t have two extra sets of hands helping me shop (especially a 5 year old who is constantly near death starvation when in proximity to a grocery store), I can look at ads, check my smartphone apps for rebates and deals. I also have more time to print coupons! This really saves me money (and time).

Now that school has started, I’d love to hear how you’ve recommitted to your goals (whatever they might be).

 

Review: The Monkey Mat

Abby H.

A few months ago, I posted that I was excited about trying the Monkey Mat.  Well, it arrived not long ago and we took it to our play group end of summer splash party at Santee Lakes!

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Relaxing while brother splashes!

Overall, this mat is great for those who picnic or head to the beach frequently. I thought it was a little too small for all three of us and our stuff. For a park picnic is was great, but it’s def. not a good beach blanket, since we have a lot of stuff to keep sand-free.

I like the stakes- they came in REALLY handy!

With weighted corners, a place for your keys, and lopps to be staked down, what more could you ask for?

Monkey Mat, AS SEEN ON SHARK TANK, allows you to make your space, any place! Originally inspired by an unexpected six-hour layover at the airport (constant cringing while two babies crawled all over dirty floors!), and also by overall active lifestyles, this go-everywhere large mat in attached ultra-compact pouch gives you a clean space on the go – no more bulky blankets! Perfect for all ages, all places – park, beach, concerts, dirty airport/hotel floors, camping, hiking, sports events & more! http://www.monkeymat.com

My readers get to save! Use coupon code “USFAM” for $5 off + Free Shipping!

Daniel Tigers Neighborhood – LIVE is coming to San Diego!!

Abby H.1 Comment

Lil’ Man is stoked! Daniel Tiger and all of his friends are coming to town!!

The legacy of the beloved “Mister Rogers” lives on with the hit television series, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, from The Fred Rogers Company and airing daily on PBS KIDS. Now, Daniel and all of his friends are hopping aboard Trolley to delight live audiences with Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live! coming to the California Center for the Arts, Escondido on Friday, October 28th at 6:30pm. Tickets at artcenter.org, 800.98.TICKETS, or the California Center for the Arts Escondido Box Office.

Donning his iconic red sweater, Daniel invites the audience on an interactive musical adventure as he and his friends explore the vibrant world of their much-loved Neighborhood of Make-Believe, sharing stories of friendship, helping others, and celebrating new experiences. This live theatrical production filled with singing, dancing, laughter and “grr-ific” surprises will warm the hearts of multiple generations.

And to make this show even more affordable, my readers can Save $5 on Daniel Tiger tickets in Escondido!

@usfg

Decorating Glass Ornaments: My Pinterest Fail…

Abby H.

Sigh.. I received this 12 pack of super cool clear glass bulbs to review about 2 weeks ago and now that Lil’ Man is back to school, I sat down yesterday to get crafty.

After surfing Pinterest and Google for ideas, I reached into my craft box and pulled out Sun Catcher Paint. My paln was to paint the glass ornaments with sun catcher paint so they’d look like stained glass. Cool, right? I would like to think that I am a creative person. I mean, I did create costumes for a living for 10 years. Well, these little glass ornaments failed me.

Ok, it wasn’t the ornaments. It was the medium. Sun catcher paint works on sun catchers because they have little wells or cavities for the paint to sit in and dry, the glass bulbs.. do not.

The ornaments themselves are pretty sturdy for being glass. The silver bale is easily removed and reinserted.

So here is my tale of woeScreen Shot 2016-08-26 at 8.19.54 PM in a photo collage….

I still have 10 left, so here is my Pinterest Board with a few ideas I’ll be trying this weekend!

 

Thanks to Tomsoson for the chance to try out these little ornaments for free in exchange for my opinions. I received no financial compensation.

 

Teachers: Score a Free Taco at Rubios!

Abby H.

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Back to school has started for most of us, but by 9/8/16, most teachers will be ready for a little pick me up! Check this pretty long list of folks that qualify for a free taco on September 8th in honor of Teacher Appreciation Day!

While you are checking it out, scroll at the way to the bottom of the page and join the Beach Club. You’ll score a free taco, as well as all sorts of awesome perks through the year (Like free noms for your birthday!).

Freebies!

Abby H.

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Everyone loves free stuff, and everyone loves opening their mailbox and finding something besides bills!

Here are just a few of the cool free samples and goodies that I’ve found online!

 

If you’ve found freebies online recently, please share a link in the comments section below!

Earn Money while you Save Energy with Ohm Connect!

Abby H.7 Comments

Screen Shot 2016-08-03 at 5.02.27 PM For those of us in Southern California, we know the pain of summer. Heat over 100 degrees more days than not, wild fires caused in part by droughts, and lets not forget those fun rolling brown outs. That’s when the power goes out unexpectedly because demand on the power grid is too great.

Lots of us converse power, my family included. Partially because we are frugal, and partially because it’s a good thing to save resources. Now those of us with Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas and Electric can earn some green in our pocket while conserving power.

Enter Ohm Connect! They work with the electricity market and the three power companies listed above to reward users for conserving electricity! I signed up about a month ago, after reading more about Ohm Connect here (it will answer all of your questions. Trust me, I am totally skeptical of stuff that sounds too good to be true).

And to prove to you that, yes, you will earn money even when it’s over 100 degrees outside, here is a screen shot from my account showing that I just cashed out $43.63 (They give you an extra $5 if you post it on your FaceBook wall too!). I took the payment via Paypal. I should have the money shortly.

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So why not give it a shot? You’ve got nothing to lose! And who knows, maybe you’ll be cashing out sums larger than $43 soon!

 

**Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you click on links or make purchases. However, I only post about stuff that I like and use for my family.

My hustle: How I make Part Time Income as a SAHM!

Abby H.6 Comments

When I started this blog, it was to get back to my roots- Helping people save and earn money. As a result, I don’t make a lot of money from this blog. So, I needed to bump up my side hustles to make the part-time income that I’d grown accustomed to. I thought I’d share my best hustles with you.

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If you are unfamiliar with the term hustle, Urban dictionary defines it as, “Anythin you need to do to make money… be it sellin cars…… If you makin money, you hustlin.”

I have two littles to take care of, so keep that in mind. If you don’t have kids, you might be able to spend more time doing each of these activities, which in turn could yield more money!

Surveys online. Here are two fer shure, legit companies that I use. Pinecone Research (they are always looking for 12-24 or Hispanic demographics) pays $3.00 paypal per survey! My other favorite is PaidViewPoint– They only send you surveys that you qualify for, so there is no wasted time. Payout is only $15.00, so I make payout about once a month. It’s not tons of work, and every little bit helps! What I like about these companies is that they only send you surveys that you are qualified for. No time wasted to find out a quota is full or that you don’t fit their criteria. 

Some survey companies also do paid trials: They send you a product, you use it then complete a survey and give your opinions on the product. And you get paid! So it’s a win win. You get a free product, and you get paid!

Secret shopping. There are tons of apps and websites that will help you find secret shopping gigs. I recommend checking out Volition.com for a listing of secret shopping companies (and reviews). A few of my friends recommend jobslinger.com as a great resource. I earn about $75.00/week doing secret shopping and that’s for less than 1 hours work! Some companies don’t need you to buy anything, just go in an evaluate customer service, or audit shelves to make sure items are in stock. Oh, and I can take Bitty Bird along with me!

Turn your Junk Mail into Cash! I’ve been doing this for YEARS, and I love it. You can learn all about Small Business Knowledge Center here.  I just got another $20 Visa GC in the mail yesterday! My forth this year! We get tons of junk mail right now because we refinanced our mortgage not long ago.

Focus Groups. I wrote about them here. They are not a constant source of money, but I do one about once a month or so, and they tend to pay $75 or more for just a few hours of your time. It’s a fun way to share your opinion with companies and earn some great money.

And of course, I use cashback apps. My full list of favs can be found here. No lie, I cash out about $50.00 a month between all of the apps downloaded onto my iPhone!

Then there are of course the old stand-bys to make money:

  • Garage sale (seriously, everyone has too much stuff),
  • Utilizing Resale Shops (Kids clothes, ladies clothes, sporting goods, etc.)
  • Recycling bottles and cans,
  • Driving for Uber or Lyft,
  • Babysitting or pet sitting
  • Selling your plasma. In San Diego, Scantibody Labs is the main company that does this.  There are some pretty strict rules about this so if you have a lot of tattoos or piercings you may not qualify. I have super tiny veins, so I am unable to do it.
  • Selling your stuff on Craigslist, or apps like Close5 or OfferUp.
  • Tutoring kids or offering lessons in an area that you excel in (musical instruments, art, sewing, math, cooking, etc.)
  • Finding items at thrift shops or garage sales and re-selling them on eBay or other sites for a profit.

A lot of these can be done from the comfort of your home, or can be done in conjunction with your normal errands, so there is no extra money spent on gas.

What is your hustle? How do you make extra money?

Frugal Recipe: Bachelor Mousse

Abby H.2 Comments

This is a family fav, and it’s super easy to make. So easy, in fact, even kids can help with this recipe!
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It’s only three easy to get ingredients!

  • 1 Large Box Pudding (any flavor and brand, but I prefer Jello Brand Chocolate or Chocolate Fudge)
  • 1 1/2 cups cold dairy milk (use of soy or non-dairy milk means the pudding won’t set)
  • 1 large tub of whipped topping (aka cool whip)

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, mix milk and pudding until thick, about 2 minutes.
  2. Spoon whipped topping into pudding mixture, and fold together gently until combined.
  3. Pour mixture into container with lid. Chill in fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.

This is great poured into a graham cracker curst, or served with fresh fruit! This serves about 6-8 dessert sized portions, and you can make this entire dessert for less than $5!

This is def. a kid-approved dessert. Both of our kids devour this stuff!!

 

Bricks 4 Kidz Imagine This Contest!

Abby H.

Ok, so we are slightly Lego obsessed around here, when I found out about the Bricks 4 Kidz Imagine This Contest, I had to share!

Post a Photo of Your GREATEST ORIGINAL LEGO CREATION For A Chance to Win $200 And Be Featured in A NATIONAL BRICKS 4 KIDZ ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN! Want to win? Here’s how…Visit their Facebook page here and Submit Your Photo. Encourage friends and family to VOTE FOR YOUR PHOTO. The person with the most votes wins!

The contest runs through September 12th. The person with the most votes will receive a $200 cash prize and be featured in the 2017 Bricks 4 Kidz advertising campaign. Second and third place winners will receive a $50 cash prize. Enter your Creation Today!

Lil’ Man is working on his entry right now!