family

Looking for Frugal Fun for Winter Holidays? Check out Neighborhood Light Displays!

Abby H.

This is one of our family traditions, even since Bubs was a baby. My brother and I grew up doing this, too. I’m not sure if winter holiday light displays on residential properties are big in other parts of the country, but here in Southern California, it’s serious business. Some of these houses put the Griswold’s to shame.

Here are our family’s favorite neighborhoods to visit:

East County:

  • Jingle Bell Hill (also known as Pepper Dr. Lights). Solomon Ave./Pegeen Pl. and surrounding area. Off 67 & Bradley. Dec. 8-26, Mon-Th 6-9 pm, Fri-Sun 6-10 pm.
  • 10248 Paseo Palmas Dr., Nicknamed “Tinsel Town”. Dec. 1-25, 5:30-9 pm. Most of the houses on this street are very well decorated with lights and moving displays! They have a Facebook page too!
  •  Starlight Circle, East and West Glendon Circles. Through December 26th, 7-10 pm. This is extremely popular!  Starlight Circle even has a Facebook page! Starlight Circle has gotten so popular in recent years that the neighboring high school has opened its parking lot. You can park your car and walk through.

There are some neighborhoods that we have added to our list this year. Most of them have been around for years, but we have not visited them yet.

  •  Christmas Card Lane in Rancho Penasquitos 9190 Oviedo St, San Diego, CA 92129
  • Christmas Park in Clairemont Jamar Dr & Lana Dr, San Diego, CA 92117
  • Merry-tage Court in Scripps Ranch Merritage Ct & Stonebridge Pkwy, San Diego, CA 92131

And if you are looking for some family fun beyond a car ride and light peeping, Groupon has a few deals on Holiday light events, including Jingle Jets: USS Midway Museum’s Dazzling Holiday Light Display and San Diego Bay Parade of Lights Cruise on Luxury Yacht Peregrine.

11/30/2025 Clothing Swap At Porchlight Community Services!

Abby H.

Looking to engage in some sustainable fun this weekend? Check out Porchlight Community Services’ end-of-year clothing swap this Sunday, November 30th, from 1pm-4pm.

Details can be found here.

They also have an upcoming toy swap on 12/6/2025, just in time for the holidays!

I love Porchlight. In addition to hosting swaps, they help keep food from ending up in landfills, and getting food into the hands (and bellies) of San Diegans in need. You can learn more about Porchlight’s mission here.

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar $29.99 (Starting Tomorrow)

Abby H.

I don’t usually post a lot of Black Friday Deals, but this one is close to my heart.

We’re a Lego Family, and a Star Wars Family, so when I saw this deal in my email the other day, I knew I had to share it.

Starting tomorrow 11/26/25, at Walgreens (and Walgreens.com), you can score this Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar for just $29.99. That’s 40% off the original price!! This deal is going to go super fast, so I recommend setting a timer or a reminder on your phone. I’ve already got a reminder set in my phone’s calendar with the link as the location.

This is going to be a great Advent Calendar for my oldest!

Earn More Fetch Points with the Fetch American Express Card!

Abby H.

Did you know that Fetch (my favorite cash back app of all time) has a co-branded American Express Card?

Those of us who know about rewards credit cards agree this is a great deal- BUT- only if you can use it responsibly. Credit cards like this are a tool.

The Fetch Card earns 10X points¹ on groceries—with no annual fee².

Apply now and get a 50,000-point bonus³ 
if you’re approved and spend $150 with the Fetch Card.  $150 on groceries isn’t hard to do these days.

As someone with an American Express Card, I see this opportunity as a great deal. 50,000 points is about a $50 Gift Card Reward in the Fetch App.

If you are new to Fetch, use my code ND2TB when you sign up, and you’ll earn Bonus Points (amounts vary from 1500 to 4000, depending on the current promotion).

And to learn more about how Fetch works, check out my post here.

$10 off Family Meals at Luna Grill (In-App)

Abby H.

This is a deal I can get behind.

I love Luna Grill; it replaced Daphne’s in our area as the fast casual Mediterranean restaurant.

App Exclusive: $10 off Family Meals

Redeem by 12/31 in the Luna Grill app for $10 off Family Meals portioned for 4 or 6.

I love these family meals. They are great for take-out night or for meal prep. Sometimes I want grilled chicken for lunch during the week, but I don’t want to fire up the grill. I pick up the Family Meal for 4 and portion it out in my lunchwear for the entire week. The meals for 4 (and 6) and super generous and can definately stretch a few more servings.  I usually get 6 lunches from a Family Meal for 4.

The family meals include your choice of kabobs served with seasonal veggies, rice, salad, pita, and a choice of hummus or sauce.

Discount applies to the base price of Family Meal for 4 or 6. Valid in the Luna Grill app through 12/31/2025. *Limit (1) offer per guest per visit. No cash value. Must be presented at time of purchase. Not valid with any other offers or promotions. No substitutions.

 

San Diego, CA area Secret Shops at SkyZone Earn $50+!

Abby H.

Y’all know I love to secret shop!

I learned about Amusement Advantage from some friends who have had a blast doing secret shopping and having adventures with their families. Amusement Advantage has all sorts of fun shops: movie theatres, amusement parks, museums, and more! They have opportunities to do secret assignments in almost every state of the US and most of the Provinces in Canada.

Right now, they have assignments available at the SkyZone in San Diego! Amusement Advantage has a mystery shop available at Sky Zone – San Diego (Fran) in San Diego, CA 92126 for November!

SPECIAL WEEKDAY OPTION allowed FOR NOVEMBER ONLY: SHOP ANY DAY 11.21 – 11.30. Earlier dates are given preference.

Pay/Reimbursement: $20 + Reimbursement up to $100 + $50 Extra Pay + $5 Early Return Bonus.

$50 EXTRA PAY above the rate listed, offered on this assignment! $100 reimbursement-spend YOUR WAY-more jump time, guests, arcades, or food/drinks! Just 90 minutes required onsite – free fun and food plus profit!

They now pay via PayPal in 21-28 days.

CLICK HERE to view the details and apply!

Shopkick- Your turkey just got a bonus!

Abby H.

I received this email from Skopkick, and if you haven’t already picked up a turkey… Here’s an offer that might sweeten the deal:

From now until 11/24, purchase our featured turkey (Butterball Frozen Whole Turkey, All Natural, 10-16 lbs., Serves 5-8) at Walmart and submit your receipt to earn 750 kicks back.

If you are new to Shopkick, I wrote about how it works (and a link to get you started) here.

 

Save Money and Electricity with Ohm Connect!

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2016-08-03 at 5.02.27 PMI haven’t posted about OhmConnect in a while, and I wanted to bring it up again because of the change in seasons upon us. Lots of us will be turning on our heaters soon, and that means an increase in power bills.

OhmConnect is a program for Southern CA, New York, or Texas Residents. We save about $200/year on our power bill and earn roughly $150 in rewards. It’s a nice little extra for minimal work.

We’ve been using it for a few years, and they text and/or email you when you should conserve more power due to the demand on the power grid. It’s a win-win situation: You save money on your power bill, and you earn points from OhmConnect that you can cash out for PayPal, Amazon, or Target Gift Cards, OhmConnect store credit (to buy energy-efficient thermostats, smart plugs, etc.)

You can learn more about OhmConnect here.

Staycation Getaway in Borrego Springs with Deals at La Casa Del Zorro Resort & Spa

Abby H.

The kids and I love La Casa Del Zorro Resort & Spa. It’s an incredible resort out in Borrego Springs, CA. Borrego Springs is about an hour east of San Diego near the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Offer Details

  • Stay Two Nights, Third Night Free
  • $50 Daily Resort Credit (redeemable at The Fox Bistro, The Fox Den Bar, Casa Café & Market, and The Spa at La Casa Del Zorro)
  • Waived Resort Fee (includes parking)

Book with promo code CYBER25 and experience exceptional value wrapped in relaxation, adventure, and desert serenity.

The $50 Daily Resort Credit applies exclusively to The Fox Bistro, The Fox Den Bar, Casa Café & Market, and The Spa at La Casa Del Zorro. Credit may not be used toward room rate, resort service fees, parking, or taxes.

Offer Valid: November 1, 2025 – December 5, 2025. Stay Dates: November 1, 2025 – March 5, 2026

Borrego Springs is a Dark Sky Community, and that means amazing stargazing year-round. La Casa del Zorro has plenty of places on site to sit and stare up at the stars.

There are all sorts of things to do in Borrego Springs after your soak in the hot tub or swim in the pool!

And if your kids are anything like mine, after a long day of fun and adventures, only a pizza will do. And Borrego Springs has Calico’s– and they deliver to the Resort!

Calico’s pizza is really good- Lots of cheese, chewy crust, and it was delivered quickly!

11/15/2025 Weekly Freebies!

Abby H.

The deals this week are not dealin’, so it’s an OOPS All Freebies edition.

I’ve updated my list of freebies for birthdays in 2025, which you can find here. If you live outside Southern California, check out this list: Free Birthday Stuff in 2025: 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 outside my area.

This first Freebie is OMG amazing, and if you live near a JCPenney and have a kid, you need to go do it! FREE LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Toucan or Monster Truck Craft Kit at JCPenney (December 13th)

Freebies:

FREE Letter Box Build Event for Kids at Lowe’s- Going on today!
FREE LEGO Tom the Turkey Build Event at Toys R Us in Macy’s– Going on today!
FREE Catalyst Protein Bar
7 FREE K-Beauty Sheet Masks
FREE Chipotle with Chipotle U Rivalry Week
FREE Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm at Sephora After Cash Back
FREE Hot Sandwich at Love’s Travel Stops
FREE Holiday Magic Events at Target
FREE LEGO Plum Blossom Flower Set After Cash Back
FREE Sample of Garlique Garlic Supplement
FREE $10 Off + FREE Shipping at e.l.f.
Free Dog Food Samples: 7 Companies that Will Send You Free Dog Samples by Mail
FREE L’Occitane Karite Confort Ultra Rich Body Cream
FREE Emergen-C Vitamin C Powder After Walmart Cash – Up to 3
Free Chick-fil-A: The Chick-fil-A Hacks You Need to Know – Yes, It Includes FREE Chicken!
Lots of Freebies for Moms: The Freebie List I Wish I Had When I Became a Mom
FREE Frozen Drink at Casey’s Every Friday thru December
Black Friday Food Deals & Freebies On Coffee, Fast Food, Gift Cards and More: 2025
FREE Amy’s Kitchen Products with Instacart – Up to $12
FREE 2026 Snort Calendar
FREE TheraBreath Toothpaste
Burger King Perks Week – FREE Chicken Sandwich, Cini Minis, Whopper Jr, Cheeseburger & More
FREE Barilla Pesto Savor The Creaminess Party Kit
We Found The Best Birthday Freebies For Kids
FREE Salonpas Lidocaine FLEX Patch Sample
FREE LUNCHABLES Kit
Big List of 110 Restaurants to Get Free Food
FREE Autobrush Sonic Pro Toothbrush for Kids or Adults
Get Free Beauty Product Samples With Topbox Circle
FREE Simply Pop Prebiotic Soda Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Medium Fries at McDonalds – Every Friday
FREE Cali XL Burger at Carl’s Jr.
FREE 6-Piece Chicken Nuggets Every Wednesday at Wendy’s
FREE Ethel-On-The-Go Luggage Tag + FREE Shipping
FREE Clorox Gift of Clean Gift Pack & a 2 Hour In-Home Cleaning Service
FREE Candy Crush Upside Down Lollipop
Free Photo with Santa, Giveaways & More at Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s