freebie

Top Five Ways to Save Money as a New Parent

Abby H.

765500e0739c9b82c56108534584887c.jpgAhhh, kids. So cute and cuddly (and frustrating sometimes, let’s be honest), but oh my goodness, do they cost a fortune!

A few friends have recently given birth, and I shared with them my tips for saving money the first few years, so I thought I’d share them with you too!

  1. Resale shops, consignment shops, clothing swaps, and hand-me-downs are life (and budget) savers. Kids grow so fast, there is no reason that you need to break the bank buying new clothes. Most of these also have gear and toys too!
  2. Speaking of kids growing quickly, Car seats are a thing that has to be replaced too. Between September 16-30t, 2019, you can trade in an old car seat at Walmart and receive a Free $30 Walmart Gift Card to use on the purchase of a new car seat or other baby gear item. Target sometimes holds similar events.
  3. Mom support groups- Hear me out. Mommy groups get a bad wrap on social media, but it’s nice to know that there are people out there that know what you are going through. You can find mom groups via Facebook and Meetup.
  4. Free Stuff. There are so many companies that cater to parents and kids, everyone is giving away something, you just need to know where to look. Formula companies give away samples and send coupons (I won’t get into the whole debate of breastfed vs. formula fed. If you’ve read my blog long enough, you know about my struggles with IGT– FED IS BEST). Kabrita has a great offer. And as your kids get older, companies like Enfamil/Enfagrow have transitional formulas- and they offer samples and coupons too. I post freebie offers that include stuff for kids and babies each week!
  5. Stores like Walmart and Target usually run free gift bag deals when you start a registry. Right now you can order a Free Walmart Welcome Baby Registry Box when you start a registry.  Huggies has a “Made By You” free sample kit right now as well.

If you aren’t a new parent but know of one, here are a few ways you can help them out (and a recipe, because really, I love cooking!).

 

Free Credit Score and Monitoring with Credit Sesame!

Abby H.3 Comments

Just like your home, your finances need to be cleaned up regularly. If you haven’t taken a look at your credit report lately,  it’s time to give your finances a fresh look and get your credit in tip-top shape.

Did you know that the recent FTC study found that over 20% of Americans or 40 Million credit reports have reporting errors that are costing consumers money in credit card interest rates and loans?

Start by making sure that your credit report does not contain erroneous information that could be impacting your credit score. Keep tabs on your credit report activities and your score by signing up for free credit monitoring and score services like Credit Sesame, so that you can easily protect your financial good standing.

* Receive daily credit monitoring alerts
* Get your FREE Credit Score Monthly
* Limit ID Theft Damage
* Find Potential Errors Sooner
* Get Access to Better Loans and Save Money

What are you waiting for? Click here to register for free in under 2 minutes. You’ll get your free credit score and a complete view of your credit and loans. Plus, when you turn on the Credit Monitoring feature, you’ll be notified of changes to your credit profile, along with $50K identity theft insurance and live agents to help you restore your identity in case of theft. All for free. All in one place.

 

8/30/19- Weekly Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

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This week there are some good ones!

Samples

 

Events/In-Store

Magazines

Deals

 

Be a Taste Tester for Jack in the Box!

Abby H.

DSC00593.jpgIf you live in the San Diego, CA area and like to eat and earn money, this is an awesome way to earn a little extra scratch.

I’ve been doing it for 10+ years, as have several of my friends and family members.

And I know they are recruiting because a friend got a sticker on his Jumbo Jack last week with a link to a taste tester sign up.

Visit the website here and sign up. Please don’t comment or email me to sign up- I don’t work for Jack in the Box, I am just passing on a great opportunity.

8/9/19- Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

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It’s Friday- Time for Freebies and Deals! This week is pretty small, but everyone is a good one!

 

Deals:

Lodge Cast Iron Scrub Brush ONLY $4.56 on Amazon

Harry Potter Complete 8-Film Collection $39.99 (Reg. $100)

FREE Harrys Razor, Shaving Cream and Cover (just $3 to ship)

Eyeshadow Brush Set ONLY $5.50 (Reg. $13)SoBe LifeWater ONLY$ 0.90 Each on Amazon

Melissa & Doug Fill & Roll Grocery Basket ONLY $10.99 (Reg. $25)

 

Freebies:

Free Books, Journals, Stickers & More (I’ve done this one before- I scored a journal)

2 Free Chicken Tacos & Shake at Del Taco

Sprint Customers – Free $2 Amazon Gift Card

Free Pack of Baseball Cards on August 10th

National Bowling Day – 2 Free Game of Bowling on Aug. 10th

Free Sample Box Tuesday from PINCHme is Coming SOON

Free Fruitlove Spoonable Smoothie at Albertsons

Free Quest Protein Bar for Kroger & Affiliates

Fly for Free if Your Last Name is Green or Greene

Free Subscription to Fast Company

PayPal Users – $5 Off at Subway (I’m trying this today!)

Free Sejoyia Coco-Thins at Walmart & Kroger

Free 24-Count Crayola Washable Sidewalk Chalk at Target

It’s Time for Some Freebies!

Abby H.

8101f95433a1458fa8c2371f3b11b849I missed my usual Freebie Post on Friday, so let’s see what’s going on in the world of freebies this Tuesday afternoon.

Free Backpacks with School Supplies at Boost Mobile

Free Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara & Foundation Samples at Ulta

Free Box of Palm Oil Free Products

Free Back to School Event at Walmart  – No locations in CA

Free Glade PlugIns Scented Oil Warmer at Sam’s Club

Verizon Up Rewards Members – Free $3-$5 Amazon Gift Card

Free Sample of Qunol Turmeric Instant Drink Mix

Free Sample of Garnier Fructis Sleek Shot In-Shower Styler

Lowe’s Build & Grow Clinic – Free Build-a-Saurus

Free Scarecrow Planter at Home Depot

Free Duracell & Energizer Batteries at Office Depot & Office Max

Free Hallmark Greeting Card

7/31/19- National Avocado Day Freebies!

Abby H.

1cfc2e992b806a2617c9f84e087bd794.jpgLiving in California, every day is avocado day! Everyone knows someone- a friend, neighbor, relative who has an avocado tree (or 4).

For everyone else, REJOICE!! Tomorrow, July 31st is National Avocado Day and here are a couple freebies and deals for you.

Head to Rubio’s tomorrow with this coupon, and score a free Guacamole and Chips with any order. We’ll be hitting up Rubio’s tomorrow. The kids received free kid’s meal coupons in their Summer Reading prize packs from the county library.

If you don’t have a Rubio’s nearby, grab your phone and pull up the Chipotle app! Tomorrow you can score free guacamole on any order placed via website or mobile app.

I’ll be donning my sweet ‘Cado socks and chowing down!

Talk Back: Are you looking forward to National Avocado Day?

Back to School Deals!

Abby H.

Ok, so as much as I’ve been posting about summer fun and adventures, Back To School is lurking around the corner.

Here are some awesome deals and freebies:

Office Depot has a great selection of $10 backpacks, some of them (like the two above) come with pencil cases, lunch bags, and water bottles too!

Most office supply stores have great deals on markers, crayons, and markers right now too.  Deals are changing weekly.  If you don’t have time to chase deals, I’ve found a couple decent deals. Prices on Amazon change quickly, so I haven’t listed them, but you can click on each link and check them out.

 AmazonBasics Pre-sharpened Wood Cased #2 HB Pencils, 150 Pack
Elmer’s All Purpose School Glue Sticks, Washable, 7 Gram, 30 Count
Crayola Crayons Bulk, 24 Box Classpack, 24 Assorted Colors

If you are a teacher/educator, check out these three freebies:

If your kids are like mine, they lose stuff all the time, so I’ve invested in The back to school pack of label set from Mabel’s Labels.

If you need some help obtaining school supplies for your kiddos, there is help out there for you.

Free Backpacks with School Supplies at Boost Mobile

If you are an East County Area Resident (San Diego County), check out this awesome offer from the Santee Mobilehome Owners Association, INC (SMOAC) is handing out backpacks full of supplies for kids Kindergarten and up. Each backpack has age/grade-appropriate supplies.  This event takes place at the Santee Library from 10 AM until they run out. In addition, there will be free haircuts for girls and boys and many other surprises that day.

Talk Back: If you know of any free school supplies or deal, please share!

7 Frugal Ways to Beat The Heat!

Abby H.
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Ok, so it’s not *that* hot, but close…

This week has been slightly hellish. It’s hot, humid, and just so gross no one wants to move.

It’s too expensive for us to run our AC all the time (Thanks SDG&E!), and really, I don’t want to spend all day in the house, so here are my top 7 Frugal Tips to Beat the Heat in San Diego!

  1. Check out your local library. Both County Libraries and City of San Diego Libraries have awesome summer programs for kids and adults!
  2. There is still time to sign up for Kids Bowl Free All Summer! Just pay for bowling shoe rental!
  3. Visit Balboa Park for Free Tuesdays at various museums each week. Another free activity in Balboa Park is the Botanical Garden and Lily Pond. Right next door is the Spanish Art Village, which is fun to explore as well. Pack some snacks and make a day of it.
  4. Check out your local indoor mall for fun family activities. In San Diego, we’ve got a couple- Plaza Bonita, Parkway Plaza, and Westfield North County (the mall formerly known as North County Fair). Each one has monthly fun activities for kids and families- just check your local mall’s website.
  5. Have you seen the kinds of Groupons that are available lately? Uptown Jungle has 6 options! There are all kinds of fun activities from Axe throwing to waterparks, you’ll be having all sorts of frugal adventures in no time.
  6. Get in the Water! Beach, lake, river, local pool… whatever. Heck, get in a kiddie pool and splash around. Don’t forget the SPF and snacks.
  7. If you want to stay home, close up all the windows, draw the shades/curtains, turn on all your fans, set the AC to something comfy but not arctic (for us, that’s 80-82 degrees when it’s going to be over 100 outside). Once the house is chilled out, pop some popcorn and assemble some awesome snacks (We had this pumpkin/fuck it bucket because I received it in the mail to review), make a pillow fort and watch some fun movies. We did that the other day. We watched Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and Zootopia.

If you are looking for a way to cool down in your pillow fort, this little dude is pretty cool (haha, temperature pun!)

Talk Back: What are your favorite ways to beat the heat?

Top 5 Freebie Sites that Actually Deliver!

Abby H.

Y’all know how much I love freebies, I post them at least once a week.  There are a lot of sites out there that promise to deliver freebies, but fall short.

Here are my top five favorite freebie sites:

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

Once you’ve had a chance to try your samples, complete a short feedback survey to tell Pinchme what you think of the samples.   New samples are available once a month!

2. MySavings– MySavings updates their freebies and deals daily! I love the variety of samples they post. And if the offer is no longer valid, you just click the Expired button and notify them.

3. Social Nature- 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.

4. Smiley360  is a Word of Mouth (WOM) marketing website. Sign up for campaigns and you will receive samples to use, and coupons to share with friends. Report your sharing and earn points! I’ve received Laundry detergent (full-sized bottles), vitamins, supplements, tampons, and razors all in the last year.

5.  Home Tester Club is pretty cool. They are one of my new favorites. You sign up to review items and they send you something. A lot of the time they don’t notify you prior to shipping, you’ll get a package in the mail and a few days later, you’ll get an email notifying you that you were selected and a link to the survey to complete once you have sampled the product. I’ve gotten a Changing Pad Cover, Flushable Wipes, Makeup Remover, and a moisturizer.

BONUS- Looking for some freebies to celebrate your birthday? Check out my list here.