frugal living

Upcoming Q-Insights Online Focus Group Pays $125

Abby H.

QI-logoNOslogan.png

Q-insights is another company that I do research groups, focus groups, and online surveys to earn extra money.

They have a lot of stuff in South Orange County, and less often San Diego County.

I received an email this morning that Q-insights is currently looking for people to take part in an upcoming online survey about cellphones.

The online focus group is 2 hours long and they are currently scheduling from January 12 – January 14.  As a thank you for your time and participation you will be compensated with a $125 check made out to name.

If you are interested in participating, please fill out the survey here.  If you pre-qualify they will call you to ask some additional qualifying questions.

If you are looking for other online survey opportunities, here are a few online survey companies I like:

1/3/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgWe stayed home a lot last week, so I really need to hit the grocery store for snacks and lunch food today.

I batch cooked a few things yesterday, so we have ready to go dinners for two nights this week, but additional meals for later weeks.

I’m trying hard to stick to our budget of $100/week for groceries and prepare dinners that are filling and hearty.  It can be a struggle, but I shop sales, discount grocery stores, and use my cashback apps.

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.

The kids go back to school tomorrow! 1/2 days for the littlest bit, and full days for the big dude. This afternoon I need to pop over to the store and pick up some lunch goodies. Big kid takes his lunch to school, but little bit has lunch at home after school.

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:  Hot Beef Sandwiches and salad (I cooked the beef in the crockpot yesterday during my batch cooking day)
  • Monday:  Spaghetti Bolognese, steamed veggies, and garlic bread (I made the bolognese sauce yesterday during my batch cooking day)
  • Tuesday:  Frozen Entrees and salad
  • Wednesday: Waffles and fruit salad
  • Thursday:  Chicken Satay, salad, rice
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Shenanigans

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

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

Neighborhood Produce Distributions for 2021

Abby H.

I’ve written about the San Diego Food Bank’s Neighborhood Distributions before. It’s a great way to stretch your food budget on what is usually the most expensive part of any family grocery trip: Fresh Fruit and Vegetables.

The 2021 schedule has been updated. The website has changed and now they publish a monthly calendar, which you can see here. As you can see, there is at least 1 distribution per week somewhere in the county all month long.

The Neighborhood Food Distribution Program distributes fresh produce and nonperishable food items at 19 distribution sites every month throughout San Diego County. The majority of the food distributed at these sites is fresh produce – fresh fruits and vegetables. ANYONE can receive food at a Neighborhood Distribution Program site. Identification cards ARE NOT required. There are NO INCOME restrictions for this program.

Most of these locations offer a drive-up/drive-through service. Pull in, queue up, and when you get to the front of the line, pop your trunk and volunteers will put the food into your car and you are ready to go.

If you have further need for food, there are many programs that can help you all over the county. Check out my post here for food resources in Central/South/Eastern San Diego County and here for Northern San Diego County.

My Side Hustle Totals for 2020!

Abby H.

2020 wasn’t the best year for side hustles. Like most of us, I spent most of 2020 at home. That means no secret shopping, no audits with Field Agent. I did a lot more surveys and online research studies in 2020.

When there aren’t any side hustles to earn money, the name of the game becomes all about saving money.

My complete list of side hustles is here. And the list of apps I use is here.

Let’s start with Smartphone apps since they are pretty passive income for me. I’m not as much into them as a lot of other savers. The truth is, I don’t shop at most mainstream grocery stores, so apps like Ibotta aren’t very useful.

Misc. Most of these I have links to or more info in my side hustles post here.

  • Ohm Connect: $80 (It was hard to conserve electricity when we were all at home ALL YEAR)
  • Field Agent: $ 93.00
  • SBKC: $ 100
  • Research Studies/Focus groups: $1200 ( I did a ton of these online this year through Q-Insights and Digsite)
  • Capterra: $250
  • Selling stuff after we Marie Kondo’d the house: $555
  • PaidViewPoint: $47.06
  • Misc. Surveys, Rebates, and cashback offers: $280

That’s approximately $2800 in 2020. Not bad for a year where I spent most of the time writing, playing Playmobil, and attempting to conduct distance learning with two kiddos.

A New Month (and Year!) Means New Coupons!!

Abby H.

A New Year means that a lot of us are starting off with goals like saving money, eating better, and spending more time with family. I’m here to help you with the first two this morning!

file000786402730Here is your monthly reminder!  A new month means new printable and electronic coupons!

Check out the following sites:

One of my favorite website is the Sunday Coupon Review.  It helps me plot out scenarios in advance and I can email friends to ask for coupons in advance. Remember if clipping coupons isn’t your thing, but saving money is, check out my list of Smartphone apps that can save you the big bucks! New offers are added on the Smartphone Savings Apps all the time!

Here are just a few coupons to help support healthier eating!

Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) Rao’s Sauce
Save $1.00 on any TWO (2) Kellogg’s® Special K® Cereals

12/28/2020- Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgWe were given a Grocery Outlet Gift Card for Christmas! I used most of it yesterday to stock up on pantry staples, but I also bought us a few treats too.

There is a balance on the card, so I’ll be using it over the next few weeks to pick up some deals.

I’m trying hard to stick to our budget of $100/week for groceries and prepare dinners that are filling and hearty. This week, we are having a lot of easy to make meals that will give us leftovers for lunches.

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.  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

This is the second (and final) week of Winter Break. It’s cold and rainy today and will continue for a few more days. Our plan is to stay inside, play with new toys and games, read, and cuddle under warm blankets. If the weather clears up, towards the end of the week we’ll go check out some cool places that have water features after rain (Adobe Falls area for sure). Don’t Forget- I am giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card- Entering is super easy!

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: Leftover Beef Stew, Garlic baguettes, Fruit Salad
  • Monday: Vegetarian Chili, cornbread, salad
  • Tuesday: Bean, Rice, and Cheese bowls
  • Wednesday: Skillet casserole (probably Chicken Tetrazinni)
  • Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner (fruit salad, protein shakes, toast with butter)
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Shenanigans

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

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

This Weeks Freebies!

Abby H.
bright boxes

Since Friday is Christmas Day, I’m taking the day off blogging. Instead, I’m posting the weekly freebies post today. I skipped deals this week, I have a feeling most of us are shopped out.

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!

Freebies:

2 Free Pints of Nightfood Ice Cream
Free Beauty Partners Nail Polish Remover
Free Sample of Breathe Right Extra Clear Nasal Strips
Free Primal Kitchen Salad Dressing
Free Organica Naturals Full Spectrum CBD Capsules Sample
100 Free Kellogg’s Family Rewards Points
Free Mouthwash
Free Shampoo, Conditioner, Treatment Mask & Dry Shampoo
Free Sample of Sol de Janeiro SOL Cheirosa ’62 Eau de Parfum
Free Flow Alkaline Spring Water at Walmart
Free Pint of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
Free Shu Uemura Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil
Free Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce
2 Free Fussie Cat Dry Cat Food Samples
Free Carnitas or Carnitas Bravas at 7-Eleven & Stripes
Free H.E.R.L. Stickers
Free Core Bar at Walmart
Free $50 Amazon Gift Card with Nissan Test Drive
Free Hercolubus or Red Planet Book

 

Save Money on Gasoline with BPme!

Abby H.

If you have a BP or AMOCO gas station near you, check out this amazing money saving app!

Download the BPme app using the promo code OFFER to receive an introductory one-time 50₵/gallon additional discount (via email) on your next fuel up after you complete your first in-app transaction of $10 or more.

When you register for BPme Rewards you will start saving 5 cents on every gallon.

I downloaded the app this morning and I need to fill my car tomorrow or Saturday. I can’t wait to save money on gas too!


Cross Country Cafe: Cute Craft & Enter to Win K-Cups!

Abby H.

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

Cross Country Cafe has a cute craft and a killer giveaway! K-Cup® Pod Christmas Up-cycling CraftCheck out this sweet little dude you and your kiddos can make him in just a few minutes. If you are like our family, you have almost all of the supplies on hand.

And if crafting isn’t your bag, check out this great giveaway:

Win 96 Holiday Blend K-Cup® pods. It’s a winterful life, especially when you win free coffee! Enter our giveaway before 12/31/20.

Win 96 Holiday Blend K-Cup® PodsMonthly Keurig K-cup coffee giveaway- each and every month Cross Country Cafe will be giving away full size boxes of Keurig K-cup coffee to one lucky winner!

Cheesy Bacon Meatloaf Recipe

Abby H.1 Comment

I’ve been making this for years. It’s easy, tasty, and there are never leftovers!

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 pounds ground beef (70/30 is preferred)
  • 1/2 cup cooked bacon pieces (I like the Kirkland brand)
  • 2 egg
  • 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
  • 2T dehydrated toasted onions (Penzey’s has the best)
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (I like cheddar)
  • Pepper as needed (No extra salt is needed as it is in the seasoned breadcrumbs and bacon)

Directions:

  1. pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Spray a loaf pan (or a meatloaf pan) with spray release.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except the cheese and mix well. You may need to get in there with your hands. You want all of the ingredients well combined.
  4. Pack half of the mixture into the bottom of the pan.
  5. Sprinkle cheese over the bottom half of the meat mixture.
  6. Top the cheese with the rest of the meat mixture, make sure that all of the cheese is covered.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
  8. I like to top this meatloaf with Barbeque sauce, but it does have a little heat.

Serve with baked potatoes, salad, and a glass of milk for that wholesome 1960’s dinner. This makes approximately 6-8 servings.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Some people like to use Turkey, chicken, or pork instead of red meat. My mom uses half ground beef and half ground pork. Whatever makes you happy.

Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if you are gluten-free.

Unfortunately, this cannot be made vegetarian or vegan.