frugal

New PinchMe Samples Drop 2/9/2021

Abby H.

Sample Tuesday is Coming 2/9/2021- Mark your calendars, set an alarm on your phone!

Don’t have any idea what I am talking about? PinchMe! Join PINCHme and receive free samples that you can provide feedback on.

PinchMe is awesome! Once you are signed up, they will email you reminders when new samples are about to drop, and remind you when it’s time to leave feedback.

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

There is nothing posted about what the samples maybe for February, but rest assured, PinchMe always hooks you up with something good!

Once you’ve had a chance to try the samples, complete a short feedback survey to tell PinchMe what you think of the samples.

What are you waiting for? Sign up here and get on the free sample bandwagon! I’ve gotten all kinds of awesome sample/trial size items, as well as full-sized items to try out from PinchMe!

Penzey’s: $50 Gift Cards $35 Groundhog Day Repeat

Abby H.

Penzeys Gift Card

Penzey’s is hooking us all up today! $50 gift cards for just $35.

If you don’t live near a Penzey’s Store (Where contactless pick up is available), you can score free regular shipping with $30+ purchase.
In addition, $1 Oregano and Cinnamon Sugar are available too! 10 free mini BLM heart stickers with any purchase.   Visit penzeys.com now and have your order be one of the first out the door.

Value Sizes Available From Kabrita

Abby H.

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

Scanning through my email this morning, I discovered that Kabrita (that’s the Goat milk formula folks) now have an even better deal!

Value size containers of Kabrita (900g tin) of their gentle Goat Milk Formula on KabritaUSA.com.

If you are new to Kabrita, check out their freebie offer here.

February 2021: New Month, New Coupons!

Abby H.

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

Check out the following sites:

One of my favorite websites 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!

February means that sweets, flowers, strawberries (for chocolate dipped strawberries), and other giftable items will be on sale- Valentine’s Day is 2/14/2021. For a complete list of types of foods and items that will be on sale, check out this post on the cycle of sales.

Here are a few of my favorite new coupons:

Save $0.75 on ONE (1) Hidden Valley® Secret Sauce
Save $1.50 off FOUR (4) Lean Cuisine Frozen Items
Save $1.00 When You Buy TWO (2) Hidden Valley® Original Bottled Ranch, Secret Sauce or any Dry and Ready-to-Eat Dips (excludes 1ct Dry Dips
Save $1.00 On any Unbun product, limit one per visit
Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of Green Giant® New Frozen Product, Any Variety
Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) package of Green Giant Veggie Spirals™

And my favorite Coupon:

Save $1.00 any ONE (1) Dave's Killer Bread® Breakfast Item

2/1/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis week is going to busy! Between doctor’s appointments, my birthday, and the usual stuff that we do each week- I’m so glad that I meal plan! It’s going to make dinner time each night.

I did my weekly trip to the store this morning after school drop off for bread, milk, eggs, and snack/lunch items.

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.

Lunch: The kiddo and I usually have something quick and filling (I’ve been prepping bean and rice bowls on Sundays for us to have during week) so we can get back to our adventures.  Big kid takes his lunch to school. He’s been digging on Bear naked protein granola in his lunch lately. It’s his new favorite.

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:  Soup, Salad, and Garlic Bread
  • Monday: Dream Dinner Meal, steamed veggies
  • Tuesday:  Protein shakes, Meal of Snacks
  • Wednesday: Nuggets, fruit, garlic bread
  • Thursday: Dream Dinner Meal, steamed veggies
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Fiesta

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?

1/29/2021 Friday Deals and Freebies!

Abby H.
bright boxes

Woo! It’s Frrriiiiday! I’m making pizza, hanging with the kiddos, and I’ve got my sights set on our weekend of fun!

I posted my list of 2021 Birthday Freebies this week- You should check it out here.

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:

Lane Bryant Covert Client Program – Free Clothes, Points & More
2 Free L.A. Girl Cosmetic Products
Free Imuneti+ Elderberry Gummies
Free Pizza at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza
Free Night Cream, Neck Serum & Body Cream
Free Coca-Cola with Coffee at Walmart
Free HomeSchool Books, Kits & More
Free Gift of Kindness Thank You & Kindness Cards
Free Sample of Rituals of Namaste Anti-Aging Day Cream & Serum
Free Spiritu VIP Products
Free USPS Shipping Supplies
4+ Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Generate Kindness Stickers
8 Free Disney Movie Insiders Points
Free Sample of North Shore Care Pads, Liners, Wipes & More
Free Real Chemistry Environmental Rescue Daily Serum
Free Night Treatment
Free Eye Treatment Serum
Free Subscription to HGTV Magazine
Free Luxury Hair Care Products
Free TONYMOLY I’m Real Facial Sheet Masks
Free GoodGram & Kate Aurora Curtains, Doormats & More
Free 6-Month Ancestry World Explorer Subscription for Teachers
Free Activity Door Hanger Craft Event at JCPenney
Free Subscription to Harper’s Bazaar Magazine
Text for $10 Off at Lane Bryant = Free Item
Free 5 pk. Yakult Non-Fat Probiotics for Kroger & Affiliates

 

Deals:

Play-Doh Animal Crew Sherrie Shearin’ Sheep ONLY $5.24 (Reg $15)

50% Off Holiday Sale at ShopDisney + Free Shipping

Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer ONLY $28.88 (Reg. $60)

Buy Two Get One FREE Cosmetic Bag + FREE Shipping

Quadpod Adjustable 4-in-1 Swing Seat ONLY $39.97 (Reg. $85)

MUK LUKS Men’s Flip Mittens ONLY $14.99 (Reg. $34)

Fleece Throws as Low as $6.98 at ShopDisney (Reg. $20)

MUK LUKS Women’s Mittens ONLY $11.99 (Reg. $30)

Revlon Travel Hair Dryer ONLY $8.56 (Reg $18)

Lodge Pre-Seasoned Grill Pan ONLY $19.90 (Reg. $44)

Germ-X Hand Sanitizer In Stock – Large 32oz Bottles Only $5.44

Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Griddle ONLY $14.88 (Reg. $33)

Family Recipe: Cheesy Potatoes!

Abby H.

Potatoes are delicious and versatile. One of our favorite family recipes is these nomtastic cheesy potatoes!

Cheesy Potatoes 

Ingredients:

  • 6 – 8 large potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces (preferably russets)
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons AP flour
  • 1.5 cups whole milk
  • 4 cups cheese (I like medium cheddar, but you could use colby, or a sharper cheddar)
  • 1/2 cup bacon bits (I use Kirkland brand from Costco)
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
  • One sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed

Directions:

  1. Parboil potatoes, 6 to 8 minutes, drain.
  2. While potatoes are cooking, in a pot, melt the butter. Sprinkle melted butter with AP flour and stir until a paste forms over a low heat. The paste should brown slightly- DON’T BURN IT!
  3. Pour milk into the flour/butter paste and whisk briskly. You do not want lumps. Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens. This may take a few minutes. As the mixture thickens and there are no lumps, add the cheese slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time, until it is incorporated/melted into the sauce. Once the sauce with complete, remove from the heat.
  4. Mix drained potatoes with sauce, add bacon pieces
  5. Pour into a greased baking dish (I use 11 x 9 baking dish)
  6. Top with half a cup of cheese, and crushed Ritz crackers.
  7. Bake 30 to 45 minutes at 350°.

Serve with steamed veggies, or a green salad. I also like this with crusty French bread. This makes a great side dish, or contribution to a potluck.

You can omit the bacon if you are vegetarian.

You can swap out the bacon for 1 cup cooked, chopped ham or chicken if you want to make this a hardy main dish.

 

Fetch Rewards: Free Magazine Subscription for your Birthday!

Abby H.

Check this out! Not only does Fetch Rewards hook you up with gift cards just for scanning in receipts through their app, but they also kick down with a pretty cool gift for your birthday!

This was in my email inbox this morning! I selected Harper’s Bazaar for my subscription.

There are a variety of magazines to choose from. If you aren’t using Fetch rewards yet,  you can learn more here. Use my code ND2TB when you sign up and you’ll score Bonus Points (amounts vary from 1500-4000, depending on the current promotion they are running).   

To see more awesome birthday freebies, check out my post here. The birthday rewards are starting to roll in! I’ll be posting pics of my goodies on Instagram!

Looking to Build Credit History? Check out Self!

Abby H.

It’s important to have a good credit score. 

So many things depend on your credit score: Car insurance (really), renting or buying a home, even getting a job.

If you’ve never given your credit score a second thought, or maybe you don’t have credit, check out Self.  Self offers an accessible and responsible way for consumers to establish payment history and build credit, while saving money, through a credit-builder account.

  • Apply for a loan that is held by our bank partners. Your money is secured and protected in a bank account
  • Pay off the loan in 12-24 months^. You can choose a repayment plan that fits your budget.
  • Each payment builds credit history and adds to your savings. Your payments are reported to all three credit bureaus.
  • Get money back at the end after building credit history. Your paid off loan unlocks and you get the money back, minus fees and interest.

If that sounds like something that interests you, check out Self here.

I’ll have more posts coming up about credit and credit scores.

Meal Prep and Menu Planning Made Easy With Dream Dinners!

Abby H.

My girl Brooke hooked me with Dream Dinners recently. Most of you know that I am a huge proponent of meal prep and menu planning. I also recognize that not everyone has the time to spare a few hours each week prepping veggies, marinating meats, preparing sauces and bagging it all up to cook later.

And when you don’t have time to shop or do prep work, you lean on fast food or take out. Once in a while, it’s ok, but any more than that and it’s not healthy or good for your pocketbook.

Enter Dream Dinners! For less than the price of take out or a drive-through visit for the fam, and in 30 minutes or less, you will have a tasty, hot, fresh homecooked meal! I’ve reviewed Meal Kits in the past, and there are a lot of inherent problems with fresh and frozen food being mailed to you. Frozen cucumbers, smashed produce… You don’t have these issues with Dream Dinners. This is one of the reasons that Dream Dinners is better.

A few other reasons Dream Dinners is superior:

Dream Dinners is less expensive than other Meal Kit Programs.  That’s a plus in my book!

With locations all over San Diego County (and nationwide), you order online and pick it up at your local Dream Dinner Location. Pop your trunk, and the lovely Dream Dinners employee will place your food in the trunk. You are all set to go!

Chicago style chicken with roasted red potatoes

Your meals are prepped locally in store just for you! No squished produce, accidentally frozen ingredients, or worse (and this was a big fear for me) having to rearrange your entire day so you are home when the Fed-ex guy delivers your meal kit box so the food doesn’t sit on your patio. Here in San Diego, it’s hot and sunny frequently, and that means food sitting out (even in a sealed box with dry ice) might go bad or be unsafe to eat.

Lasagna Soup & Garlic Bread

I’m hosting a Facebook Party to share my love of Dream Dinners. If you are interested in joining and taking advantage of some great deals, Message me on Facebook and I’ll add you.

If you don’t have Facebook, you can visit the Dream Dinners Website and you can take advantage of the great deal going on!

Right now when you use the coupon code 15OFF, you save $15 on the $99 Starter kit- It’s a great deal.

To take advantage of this deal, make sure to use the drop-down box and type in my email: akeen02037@gmail.com to take advantage of this sweet Deal!

And with locations all over San Diego and the US, you can order meals, pick them up and have one less thing to worry about! I plan on buying meals each month, so we are eating well on those nights when I would rather play legos or Playmobils with the kids, or go for a walk to the park.

Talk Back: Which Dream Dinners Entree has you interested? Menu for February is here.