If you are like me, one of the ways you save money is with printable coupons and free samples. I love free samples because they usually come with high-value coupons.
If you love to bake, check out these sweet offers from Betty Crocker and Pillsbury! Get exclusive coupons (up to $250 per year in savings), access to free samples (quantities limited – one per member), the hottest recipes, and more.
I’m pausing our Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box subscription until January as we have a lot going on, and I’m having a hard time cooking all the veggies each week.
Over the weekend I made roasted veggies using Urban Accents Veggie Roaster seasoning blends. I use the Citrus pepper for green beans, and carrots, Italian Squash, and onions. For the baby Brussels Sprouts I use the Balsamic Onion kit.
I also made spiced apple sauce, which is a kid favorite.
We’ll be having those throughout the week with our dinners.
I cleaned out the fridge and reorganized the freezer, and this really helped me see what we have on hand.
We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.
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.
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. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind.
Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch from home every day and the littlest buys her lunch at school about half the time. In California, all public schools provide breakfast and lunch for free.
Dinner: This week looks to be on the slower side, but we’ve still got a lot of holiday fun stuff going on. It’s cold here at night (for California), so I’m turning the oven on to make dinner with greater frequency.
Monday: Chicken Pot Pie (recipe later this week), roasted veggies
Tuesday: Baked mac and cheese, Spiced Apple Sauce
Wednesday: Nuggets, fruit, crackers, and cheese (the typical Wednesday night dinner)
Thursday: Shakshuka, Sourdough toast, fruit salad
I’ve been spending a lot of time working extra hours at my day job and doing surveys for extra cash for the holidays and beyond. The kids and I have a lot of changes coming up over the next few months, and I’m trying to prepare as much as I can.
I may not be posting as much on the blog coming up. Honestly, blogging doesn’t pay as much or offer as many perks as it used to, and I need to spend time and make choices that allow me to take care of my kids (and the cat too). Work smarter, not harder.
Don’t forget all of the 2022 Birthday Freebies! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday. I will be updating for 2023 mid- January.
Freebies:
Free Thankful for Literacy Poster
Free Private Selection Bagged Coffee at Kroger
Free Sample of Ostofresh Liquid Deodorant
Free 8×10 Photo Print at Walgreens
Free Slater’s 50/50 Beef & Bacon Hot Dogs after Rebate
Free Medium Soup or Side at Wawa
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Free NutriCelebrity Stress-Free New Year Party Pack
Free Heyday Chickpeas or Beans at Sprouts
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Free Sample of Downy Unstoppables at Sam’s
Free Trimona A2a2 Bulgarian Yogurt
Free Sub at Firehouse Subs for Jamar, Andrew & Lisa
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Free Sour Patch Kids at Select Stores
Free Cheez-It Puff’d at Sam’s
Free Zatarain’s Blackened Seasoned Sausage after Rebate
Free Gingerbread House or Reindeer Stable at JCPenney
Free Photo with Santa & More at Bass Pro Shops
Though today, score 10% off Target Gift Cards- In Store or online. Make sure to add the Target offer to your app.
And if you are a RedCard holder, you’ll get your usual extra 5% off.
There is a limit of $500 in gift cards, it’s an amazing deal.
If you haven’t checked out Target Circle lately, there are all sorts of great deals, especially on toys ($10 off $50 and $25 off $100), and all sorts of gift deals for big people too.
It’s cold outside! We’ve been spending a lot of time snuggling under warm blankets and drinking cocoa.
Don’t forget all of the 2022 Birthday Freebies! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.
Freebies:
Free Santa Letters Mailbox from Home Depot
Free Febreze Plug-In at Walmart
Free Johnson’s Face & Body Cream
Free Sample of Advil Dual Action
Free Sour Patch Kids at Select Stores
Free Depend Sample Kits for Men & Women
Free L’Oreal Paris Serum & Sunscreen
Macy’s Review Squad – Free Products
Free Cheez-It Puff’d at Sam’s
Free Paper Towels
Free Snow Globe Craft Kit at Joann
Free Netflix Jr Magazine
Free 2023 Erie & Arts Calendar
Free Aveeno Kids Product
Free Maddy’s Sweet Shop Shortbread Cookies
Free Equality for All Sticker
Free FRISKA Women’s Daily
Free Sample of Erborian CC Cream
Free Sample of WowButter Creamy Peanut Free Toasted Soy Spread
New Free Samples from Sampler
Free Subscription to Wine Spectator Magazine
Verizon Up Rewards – Free Cheryl’s Cookie Card
Free Johnson’s 2-in-1 Products
Free Men’s Shaver
Free Zippo Lighter
Free Sample of Downy Unstoppables at Sam’s
Have an iPhone? Score Free $5 Paypal Cash in 1 Week
Free 8×10 Photo Print at Walgreens
Free Premier Protein Product
Deals:
Dash Gingerbread Mini Waffle Maker ONLY $7.99 (Reg $13)
Today Only: 60% Off Coats & Jackets for the Family at Old Navy
Wild Fable Puffer Jacket ONLY $16.80 (Reg $28)
HP 27-In Full HD IPS Computer Monitor ONLY $129.99 (Reg $270)
Free Medium Fries w/ Any $1 Purchase at McDonalds – Every Friday
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Fire TV Stick Lite w/ Alexa Voice Remote ONLY $14.99 (Reg $30)
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Kids Smart Watches ONLY $19.99 (Reg $65)
Sharper Warming & Cooling Wrap Pad ONLY $14.69 (Reg $30)
Cuisinart 10-Pc Animal Print Cutlery Set ONLY $14.99 (Reg $40)
A new month means a reminder about all of the free food options there is here in San Diego County.
Because of the upcoming holidays, you may notice that some locations will be advertising additional distributions or special Thanksgiving or Winter Holiday meal giveaway events. As information about these events becomes available, I will be sharing them.
Keep in mind there are still supply chain issues, so there may not be a lot of food at some distributions, especially those that serve a large portion of the community.
I recommend showing up a little early with a bottle of water and a book and waiting in line. Time passes quickly in these lines, and it’s a great time to learn from others about community food options. Remember to socially distance and follow local masking regulations.
You can find resources here for Central and East County, and Here for North County.
The Rock Church, which has many locations all over San Diego County has a food and diaper pantry distribution at many of its locations throughout the month. More info can be found here.
Our friends at Faith Chapel are super ahead of the game and sent out information regarding their 2022 food distributions early on in the year.
If you are located outside San Diego County, call 211. If you are not familiar with 211, here is their website and it can point you in the right direction.
San Diego Food Bank Distributions for December 2022 can be found here. Enter your address (or just your zip code) and the map will show you all of the distributions in your area or closest to you. You can filter by the days of the week to find food when you are available. If there is an income requirement/limit to participate, each location/listing will say such. You can learn more here about the Feeding San Diego Together Tour.
Neighbor distributions are intermixed with the San Diego Food Bank Distributions, however, they have no income requirements, and you come as you are. These Distributions are primarily fruits & veg, however, some locations may also distribute canned goods, dairy, and bread.
If you know of other resources, please leave a comment! And feel free to share this post with anyone you may know in need.
Venmo users: Check the email linked to your Venmo account for this sweet deal!
Spend $100 on Amazon orders now through 12/31/22 (Max 200k redemptions available under this offer), and you’ll score $10 back in your Venmo Account.
Pretty sweet, right?
If you hadn’t heard by now Amazon and Venmo are now buddies- You can pay for Amazon purchases with Venmo. Learn more here.
And you haven’t signed up for Venmo yet, check it out here.
Our Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box arrived yesterday and it’s a jumbo this week. I spent a lot of time roasting veggies last night.
We’re having a lot of veggie-based meals this week to make as much of our CSA box as possible.
We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.
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.
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. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind.
Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch from home every day and the littlest buys her lunch at school about half the time. In California, all public schools provide breakfast and lunch for free.
Dinner: This week is packed as far as appointments, so I’m leaning on stuff that’s easy and tasty. I prepped fruits and veg over the weekend and made up the last Dream Dinner and portioned it into lunch-sized servings.
Monday: Chicken Tetrazzini, roasted veggies
Tuesday: Breakfast sandwiches (eggs, cheese, sausage), fried potatoes with onions and peppers, fruit salad
Wednesday: Nuggets, fruit, crackers, and cheese (the typical Wednesday night dinner)
Thursday: Baked pasta, salad
On Tuesday I posted about practical gifts for busy families. Little did I know that Yasukochi Family Farms was having a sale this weekend!
This sale is only good today, FRIDAY, 11/25, and ends on Sunday, 11/27! To learn more or order, check out their website.
One month of CSA Boxes your choice of regular box or Jumbo box. and 1 bottle of olive oil. I love this olive oil, it’s the best I’ve tried.
I get a Regular sized box each week, and it’s good for a family of 4 or smaller. A Jumbo-sized Box is perfect for larger families or for families that are vegetarians or vegans.
I’ve been busy this week with family stuff, the kids being off school, and getting posts up about upcoming deals (and some yummy recipes too).
Don’t forget all of the 2022 Birthday Freebies! Make sure to check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.
Freebies:
Free Rise Brewing Co. Nitro Cold Brew Coffee
Free CHKP Plant-Based Yogurt After Rebate
Free Garnier Whole Blends Products
Free Valvoline Patches, Cards, Stickers & More
Free Tena Sample Kits
Free Red Clay Hot Sauce or Hot Honey After Rebate
Free Bag of Daily Crunch After Rebate
Free Nature Mary’s Bath Teas Sample
25 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Jazz Bath: The Bath Bomb Sessions CD
Free Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau Fragrance Sample
Free Sample of EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF46
Free SiriusXM Listening Event
Free Macy’s Fragrance Samples
Free Jimmy Choo I Want Choo Forever Fragrance Sample
Free Sadler’s Smokehouse Brisket Burnt Ends or Pulled Chicken
Free ASPCA Pet Safety Magnet & Window Decal
10,000 Free Marvel Insider Points
Free HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Showtime & Epix Channels Preview
Play Star Citizen for Free
This is a freaking RUN deal!
This is an amazing sale!
Hewes Family Fun 