family

Free Mug from Tiny Prints!

Abby H.

I am excited to announce that today and tomorrow TinyPrints is giving away a Free Magnet, 11 oz. Mug, Notepad, or $15 credit towards your Gift or Home Décor purchase, plus enjoy 30% off Holiday Greeting Card and Holiday Party Invitation orders using the code TPFREEGIFT at checkout! Your Choice!

I’m def. picking up another photo mug- they make very popular gifts with our family! Here is the mug I made for Hubs recently:

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-13 at 12.15.59 PMI’m off to make another one!!

Here is the fine print: Offer expires 12/14/2015 (11:59 P.M. PT). Enjoy one (1) free magnet, 11 oz. mug, notepad, or $15 credit towards your gift or home décor purchase, plus enjoy 30% off holiday greeting card and holiday party invitation orders using the code TPFREEGIFT at checkout. There is no minimum purchase required for this promotion. Free offer applies exclusively to magnets, 11 oz. mugs, notepads, gifts and home décor and is not applicable to previously placed orders, shipping, taxes, rush processing charges, gift certificates, personalized postage stamps and personal stationery. The 30% off promotion applies exclusively to holiday greeting or holiday party invitations and is not applicable to previously placed orders, shipping, taxes, rush processing charges, or any other product available on TinyPrints.com. This promotion code cannot be combined with other offers. Offer cannot be redeemed more than once per account and/or billing address. This particular offer code can only be redeemed once. Offer is only valid on Tinyprints.com and is not applicable on third party or partner websites. To prevent fraud or abuse, we reserve the right to discontinue or modify this offer or cancel any order.

New Year’s Resolution #4- Spend More Time with your Family (without breaking the bank)!

Abby H.3 Comments

Throughout December, I’m going to be posting about New Year’s Resolutions. Each post will have tips and tricks to help you navigate through your resolutions to become more successful at all of your frugal endeavors!
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The Number 4 New Year’s Resolution on most top ten lists is: Spend more time with your family.

There are lots of fun, free or low cost activities you can do with your family.

  • In San Diego, there is free museum Tuesday in Balboa Park.  Here is a list of museums that are free and when they are free. 
  • Also in San Diego, October is kid’s free month at tons of museums, parks, and attractions (including the zoo!!). Here is a list of events and attractions that were free in October 2012.
  • Lots of Daily Deal sites have free credit when you sign up to defray the cost of your first purchase.  Here are just a few that I use and really like:
    • LivingSocial- They sell local gift certificates (like Groupon) as well as merchandise. When you sign up, you’ll receive a credit (it varies, but it’s usually between $5-$15).
  • Instead of eating out at full price, use coupons from websites like Get1Free, or if you’ve got an Entertainment book, USE IT!
  • If you’ve got kiddos, check out these great lists of restaurants where Kids Eat Free. For San Diego restaurants where kids can eat free try here, here, here, here, and here.
  • Is your birthday coming? Of course it is…. Well, then check out this post about Birthday freebies!

There are fun, free events all year long for the family. Here is a list of just some of the holidays each month:

  1. January: New Year’s Day, MLK Day
  2. February: President’s Day, Some communities have Valentine’s day events too.
  3. March: Saint Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras
  4. April: Easter
  5. May: Memorial Day and Mother’s day
  6. June: End of school/beginning of summer events, graduation, Father’s Day.
  7. July: Independence Day
  8. August: Back to School, Labor Day
  9. September: Back to School
  10. October:Halloween
  11. November: Thanksgiving
  12. December: Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza

New Year’s Resolution #3- Live a richer, fuller life (without spending more money)

Abby H.3 Comments

Throughout December, I’m going to be posting about New Year’s Resolutions. Each post will have tips and tricks to help you navigate through your resolutions to become more successful at all of your frugal endeavors!
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Of the Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions, number three on several lists is to live a fuller life.  What does that mean?  Get out, do more.  Don’t just sit on your couch, watching WWE and eating microwave popcorn. Of course, I want you to get out there and live it up, but, I don’t want you to spend a lot of money.

Here are some tips to live better and keep your budget in check.

  • Use all of the perks and benefits afforded to you by your job.  Some employers offer on site gyms, discounts on cell phone contracts, discount movie tickets, discount attraction passes.
  • Take advantage of free community events.  Check your City’s local Parks and Recreation Department website for free movies in the park, city events around holidays (Our local municipal Lake has a fun Easter event each year that is free).
  • Speaking of Parks, use of community parks is free.  Take a picnic, go for a walk, heck, go play on the playground equipment! Some local parks have walking trails or exercise paths.
  • Many businesses offer discounts to military, seniors, and other professional groups. Don’t be afraid to ask!
  • When you go to the doctor or dentist, don’t be afraid to ask for samples of medications or toothpaste/floss. When we take Lil’ Man to the pediatrician for his wellness check ups, she’s always giving us coupons and samples.  Doctors receive coupons and samples from companies and reps to give out- take advantage of it!
  • If you are looking for a way to experience theatre for free and have some time to give, consider volunteering to be an usher. In most areas across the Unites States, many of the larger theatre companies are actively seeking ushers. If you are unsure if your local theatre or musical organization needs volunteer ushers, call their administrative office and ask, or check their website and drop them an email. Many theatres, orchestras and symphonies are non-profit organizations. They rely on volunteers to help their organization succeed. Museums need volunteers as well to be docents, hand out brochures, and help with special events. If there is a local museum you like, think about volunteering. You will get to spend time in a place you like, and you will be helping an organization.

Swap your stuff with Yerdle!!

Abby H.

yerdleHave you Heard of Yerdle? A few of my friends love it, and it’s pretty cool! It’s a great way to swap the junk laying around your house for stuff you actually need!

Swapping gets you better deals than shopping this holiday season! Join Yerdle and swap your stuff for new treasures you’ll love.

Sign up today to get $35 Yerdle Dollars + Free Shipping on your first purchase. Choose from over 70,000+ items — from dresses to shoes, purses to kid’s toys, home decor and more.

How it works: :

1. Click the link and sign up to claim your $35 Yerdle Dollars
2. Download the Yerdle App to see all 70,000 items
3. Pick out an item you want for $35 Yerdle Dollars or less, and pay no shipping fee or service fee! You must enter a valid credit card to check out.
4. Post your own items to earn more Yerdle Dollars and keep swapping.

Note: This offer is available to new users only. If you add 2 or more items to your cart, you’ll be charged a $2 “bundle fee” upon checkout.
I just joined! I can’t wait to start clearing out some of the stuff I’ve been holding onto!

 

 

2016 New Year’s Resolution #2: I want to save money!

Abby H.3 Comments

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Over the next two weeks,  I’m going to be posting about New Year’s Resolutions. Each post will have tips and tricks to help you navigate through your resolutions to become more successful at all of your frugal endeavors!

One of the most common New Year’s Resolutions is to SAVE MONEY. Here are just a few simple ways to save money throughout 2016:

1. Make a budget and stick to it.  We have a pretty tight budget at our house- It keeps us on track!

2. Use coupons for everything.  Coupons aren’t just for groceries. Check out sites like Get1Free for coupons to restaurants, day spas, golfing.  If you buy an Entertainment book, there are tons of great coupons for all kinds of meals and activities.

3. Back to coupons (again).  Carry a plastic envelope or coupon wallet with you at all times with coupons that you know you will use.  That way if you decide to have a spontaneous adventure- you can still save money money.

4. Try free activities.  Every community has free activities, check out your local Cragislist (under Community then click Events), community newspaper, or your local Patch for upcoming free events. Or Google “free events +name of your city +month of the year”.

5. Have a goal for your savings.  Saving to save is fine, but if you are saving money towards a goal, it’s harder to blow off the budget.  I mean, really… Would you rather have a new car or a cheeseburger? I thought so.

6. Wait. If you see a big ticket item that you want to buy, wait 10 days and see if the price drops.  Here is an article about the Sales Cycles that take place throughout the year.

7.  This is an oldy, but a goody.  Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without.   Use what you have on hand (substitutions in a recipe are OK, the writer of the cookbook doesn’t care!), repair broken toys, mend clothes.  Add a little water to the last bit of laundry soap to stretch it (You probably use too much anyway!). You don’t need every latest gadget, do dad and thingamagigger. Keeping up with the Joneses is so 1980′s.  Frugality is the new IN thing.  You want to be cool, doncha?

How do you plan to save money in 2016?

Ralphs: Three Baby Freebies! (Great for donation)

Abby H.

If you’ve got a Ralphs card, check this out: Go to RScreen Shot 2015-12-06 at 7.34.58 AMalphs.com, log onto your account, click on Savings, then digital coupons, sort by category (baby).

There are three Baby freebies you can load to your Ralphs card right now!

If you don’t have a baby, these items would be an awesome donation for your local food bank or charity.  Baby items are always in need!

The three items are:

FREE Comforts for Baby Diapers Receive ONE (1) FREE Comforts for Baby Diapers Jumbo Pack, sizes 1-6.

FREE Comforts for Baby Wipes Receive ONE (1) FREE Comforts for Baby Wipes, Fragrance Free (40ct).

FREE Comforts for Baby Formula Receive ONE (1) FREE Comforts for Baby Formula, any variety (up to 23.2oz).

And the best part is that the coupons don’t expire until 1/30/16, so you have a few weeks to make your way over to Ralphs.

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Get paid for your opinion: Focus groups!

Abby H.4 Comments

There are lots of online survey companies, but their payouts can be small and take a lot of time to accrue the amount of points needed to cash out.

In most large cities, there are research companies that run focus groups weekly.

How to find them?  Google “Your city name focus group”.

In San Diego there are the following research companies:

Another way is to look on Craigslist.  Go to Jobs and in the search field type “Focus Group”.  Some smaller companies may post ads for focus groups.  Recently I participated in a mock jury style focus group and was paid $90 for 5 hours of work.  Yesterday I participated in a focus group relating to housewares and received $40 for just an hour! I found both on Craigslist.

Right now on Craigslist there are a couple great opportunities in the San Diego area.

Review and Giveaway- ASPCA kids: Rescue Readers Books

Abby H.3 Comments

Screen Shot 2015-11-27 at 9.25.29 PMRecently, rad folks at Moms Meet and Studio Fun sent us a box that Lil’ Man could hardly wait to get into.

Studio Fun International, a Reader’s Digest company, has teamed up with the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), the first animal welfare organization in North America and the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services.

Screen Shot 2015-11-27 at 9.25.02 PMThese books are ADORABLE!  Lil’ Man is getting to the age where he wants a pet, and these books are a great learning tool for him.
Each story is inspired by a real-life animal rescue story from the pet’s point of
view and includes facts and photographs of the actual pet that inspired the story. Each book creates a fun and educational hands-on experience written at a Level 2 reading level for early readers. While he can’t read yet, he recognized most of the letters and I can see that these books will definitely get a lot of use as he starts reading.
I really like that the importance of care, protection, and love of animals is incorporated into each
tale with a focus on the joyous outcome. Lil’ Man wanted a dog, but when he saw how much work came with it, he quickly asked for a fish (Because, he told me, “Mommy, you don’t have to walk a fish!!)
For those of us who like our purchases to help others, fell good knowing that four to five percent of the purchase price of every book goes directly to the ASPCA to help continue its mission.

These incredible stories are available in paperback, library binding hardcovers, and e-books. The paperback books are priced at $3.99 (each) or $15.96 (for all four) everywhere books are sold, Including Amazon!

IMG_2249We sat down to snuggle on the couch with some soft blankets, cocoa, and read our new books tonight! Lil’ Man said, “NO pictures, please mommy. I has the no-feel-goods!” But I did snap a photo of our soft blankies and books!

Now it’s your turn to share these fun, heartwarming books with your special littles. Thanks to #momsmeet and #Studiofun I am able to give away a set of the four ASPCAKids books pictured above: I am Daisy, I am Picasso, I am Nibbles, and I am McKinely. Entering is Easy: Leave a comment with what your first pet was! When I was a kid we had a Keeshond named Arthur.

I’ll choose a winner on December 7th. This prize would make a great gift for any young reader on your list!

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.

 

Giving Back: Blessing Bags (A Tutorial)

Abby H.

One of the reasons that I coupon is so that I can have the fortune to help others. Many couponers donate to causes that are dear to them.  My local Coupon Group donates HBA to Naomi’s Closet in Santee, CA. We also support one of the local American Legion posts with two of their service projects: Coupons to overseas families and homeless veteran outreach.

We are able to donate and help others because we use coupons and shop sales. Many times we are able to pick up free items to donate, or items that are 80%+ off the regular price.

My mom’s group has made blessing bags in the past (We usually make some to be handed out at a local homeless camp on Christmas Day). For those who are not familiar with the term, a blessing bag is a small bag (usually a ziploc type bag) filled with:

  • small or travel sized toiletries
  • snacks like crackers, tuna in a pop-top can or pouch, granola bars, instant oatmeal
  • bottled water
  • hard candy
  • lip balm
  • safety pins
  • socks
  • hand/baby wipes
  • razors
  • an extra ziploc bag
  • Feminine Hygiene supplies
  • A large trash bag folded up (It can be used as a rain poncho)

I try to keep a couple in my car and I hand them out when we see those in need while we are out. For those of you who aren’t native to Southern California, there are a lot of homeless here. We have good weather most of the year, so it’s ok to sleep outside 6-8 months of the year. According to the 2014 Homeless census in San Diego, there are over 8500 homeless residents in San Diego. That’s just the number that were counted, there are many more that were not.

Last year Lil’ Man and I made blessing bags several times and we plan to make more this year.

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Examples of what we put in our blessing bags last year.

I keep all the samples I request in an up-cycled baby wipe container under my bathroom sink.

I also go through my HBA stockpile for items like BIC razors, lip balm, and toothpaste I picked up for free after coupon and store sale.

My parents travel a lot for my dad’s Board position in a non-profit, so they always have a stash of hotel soap/toiletries. My parents give us a grocery bag full to assist in the cause.

Last year, Lil’ Man and I sat on the floor and put together 26 bags. Not every bag had the same items in it, but they each contained a variety of HBA, snacks, and supplies.

Blessing bags area great way to help those of your neighbors who may be on the streets. If you live in an area where there isn’t a large visible homeless population, consider making blessing bags and donating them to a shelter or checking with your local churches for homeless outreach.

Black Friday Sale at Costume Express!

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2015-11-25 at 6.50.42 PM*This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Halloween is long over, but if your littles love dress up, this deal is PERFECT for you! Costumes make the holidays brighter, so why not save and shop the Costume Closeout with savings up to 90% off at Costume Express. You’ll also get 20% off for Black Friday!

Offer: Black Friday – 20% off no minimum at Costume Express
Coupon Code: CXFRIDAY
Valid: 11/27/15