frugal

5/15/2020 Friday freebie and Deal Round-up!

Abby H.

bright boxesIt’s Friday again, but because time is a flat circle these days, that doesn’t mean much for most of us.  What it does mean is that it’s time for a round-up of the most exciting freebies and deals the internet has to offer.

So let’s dive in:

Free Magazine Subscriptions:

Free Stuff For Healthcare workers:

Other Mic. Freebies:
Free Burger on Your Birthday at Ruby Tuesday
And here is a Big Ol’ List of Birthday Freebies (updated for 2020)
Free Slider at White Castle
Free Sample of SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier Serum
Free Slush or Drink with the Sonic App
Free Samples of R5 Aminos Sleep Aid Supplements
Free Icy Hot Topical Pain Relief Products

Deals:

Up & Up Concentrated Bleach In Stock at Target
Great Value Family Napkins: In Stock at Walmart
SmartyKat Catnip Cat Toys ONLY $1.97 (Reg. $4)
Equate Hand Sanitizer – Large Bottle in Stock
Colgate Toothbrushes ONLY $0.57 Each on Amazon
Westcott All Purpose Value Scissors 3-Pack ONLY $4.97 (Reg $11)
Apple EarPods with Lightning Connector ONLY $13.85 (Reg $30)

 

Stay home, stay safe, wash your hands- Flatten the curve!

Recipe: Hearty Veggie Soup

Abby H.
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This soup is vegan and high in protein!

I made this last month while it was cold and rainy. I keep forgetting to post this recipe. It’s so tasty. And easy. The leftovers (if there are any) freezes well.

 

It’s vegan and gluten-free as is, but you can make changes and use bone broth if you want, or even add meat of your choices I think kielbasa pieces would be really great in this soup!

I used Right Rice in this recipe in place of regular white rice. What I like about Right Rice is that it’s made from Lentil Flour, Chickpea Flour, and Rice Flour.  Those ingredients mean that this “rice” is high on protein! The “rice” thickens up the soup for sure.

 

AAVS2954.JPGI found Right Rice at Grocery Outlet, but you can also order it on Amazon.  You can substitute canned chopped tomatoes for fresh tomatoes- Use what you have on hand.

Hearty Veggie Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup bell pepper, diced (I used green)
  • 2 T. cooking oil (your choice)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 green or yellow zucchini (whatever is in season or you have on hand)
  • 2 quarts veggie stock
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes (you can also use a large can of diced tomatoes)
  • 1 14oz.-ish can of tomato sauce
  • 1 small can of tomato paste
  • 2 cups Right Rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 T. Penzeys Forward Spice Blend
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large, heavy-bottom stockpot, heat oil.
  2. Saute carrots, celery, bell pepper, and onions until onions are soft and clear, about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant.
  4. Add remaining ingredients and spices. Cook on low for 20-30 minutes, or until right rice is done and soup has thickened up.
  5. Soup can simmer on low as long as you like. I let it simmer on low for about 45 minutes.
  6. Serve with bread and butter and salad.

IMG_9957.JPGForward Seasoning blend contains extra bold black pepper, onion, paprika, garlic, turmeric, spice extractives (including oleoresin of celery, rosemary, black pepper, thyme, basil and paprika).

Turn Your Junk Mail into Rewards!

Abby H.

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I love sharing all the ways I earn extra money, especially when they are quick and easy. The Small Business Knowledge Center (SBKC) is my ace in the hole! I’ve been participating in their program for over 10 years, and I earn on average $120/year.

It’s simple. As a panelist, you will earn rewards by sending SBKC direct mail and email communications that you might otherwise disregard. SBKC mails you postage-paid envelopes, you stuff your junk mail into it and drop it into the mail. I send one envelope each week. The more you mail in, the more you earn!

The Small Business Knowledge Center (SBKC) studies marketing techniques and practices.  They securely dispose of your junk mail after they are done with it- no need to worry!

pngYou will receive points for your junk mail, and once you receive 2000 points, you will receive a $20 pre-paid Visa GiftCard!

You can also forward emails to SBKC as well.

They email you once a month to update you on the number of points you have and with any special projects they have going on. A few times a year they look for special types of mail, open enrollment solicitations, IRA, or other investment/retirement info. When they want those materials, they’ll email you and let you know- usually, there is a bounty of extra points available too!

Unlike many other programs, you can sign everyone in your home who is over the age of 18!

If you are interested in signing up, visit the SBKC page here and click on the JOIN NOW button. In the box next to: How did you hear about the SBKC Consumer Panel? Please type my name: Abby Hewes. I get points for referrals, and once you sign up and refer your friends, you will too!

 

BIG NEWS from Fetch Rewards: Earn points at ALL stores and restaurants

Abby H.

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Every store. Every restaurant. Every time.

It just got way more rewarding to snap your receipts. That’s because now you can earn at least 5 points no matter where you shop or dine. Pretty exciting, right?

  • Enjoying a burger at McDonald’s?
  • Updating your wardrobe at Marshalls?
  • Grabbing some toys from Target?
  • Loading up on groceries for the week?
  • Getting your favorite pizza delivered?

These are just a few of the unlimited number of places you can earn points. So be sure to save and snap your receipts every time you shop or dine. You’ll be picking out your next Reward in no time.

 

If you haven’t signed up for Fetch Rewards yet, or want to learn more, check out my post here. Find the Fetch Rewards app in your app store, and when you download it, use my code ND2TB when you sign up and you’ll score Bonus Points.

In 2020, I’ve earned $35 in Amazon Gift cards! Sometimes there are extra point offers for buying specific brands or items, which is how I’ve earned extra points- but it was stuff I was buying anyway!

**Fine Print for this deal: The receipt processing function for the expanded set of retailer types and restaurants is currently only available on iOS devices on version 2.32.1.1, and only valid on receipts dated 4/27/2020 or later. At this time, we only accept paper receipts for these new retailers and restaurants.

4/24/2020 Friday Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

bright boxesFriday Friday Funday as my son says.

We finished up our week of distance learning with Zoom classroom time with his class this morning.

Now it’s time for the best freebies and deals!

 

Freebies:

Deals

Earn Amazon GC with UpVoice (New Referral Program)!

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2019-08-26 at 8.06.04 AM.pngI posted about UpVoice last fall (see my original post here), but there have been some changes to the program that I had to share! Now you can refer friends and family and earn more gift cards!

Do you spend time on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedin, and Amazon? If you do, consider joining UpVoice! UpVoice is BrandTotal’s user panel. They use the data that they collect from the UpVoice panel to build special insights for brands on their advertising activities and the ad campaigns of their competitors.

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I’ve been a member since August 2019, and I’ve earned over $100!

All you have to do is:

  • Click on the extension’s icon and go to the new “Referral” tab on the dashboard.
  • Copy your unique referral link.
  • Share it with your people through text messages, email, social media platforms, or any other way.

That’s it! Earn $5 (300 tokens) for every referral who fills out the qualification form on the website, installs the Chrome extension, and gains their first 100 tokens. You earn rewards for up to 20 successful referrals.

To get started, click here.

 

This post contains my referral link- if you click on it an install, I may earn a referral bonus.

4/13/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI went to the grocery store on Friday to stock up on essentials. I was hoping to go two weeks between trips, but the kids found the snacks. This time I’ve done a much better job of hiding them.

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 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 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: Right now our local school district is serving lunch for a drive-through service for kids 18 and under M-F. It’s great because it helps stretch our budget and it gets the kids out of the house for a few minutes. They also include a cold lunch (usually cereal and milk and a piece of fruit) for the next morning. Often times, the cereal ends up being a snack for late afternoon.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  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.

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.

The Big Kid is starting distance learning this week, so I’m trying to use the downtime I’ve got to do food prep and keep up on household chores.

  • Monday: Italian Feast Night (I’m making a batch of meat and veggie sauce, that I’ll be serving with pasta, as well as garlic bread, steamed veggies, and leftover pizza for the big kid since he doesn’t eat meat)
  • Tuesday: Baked Potatoes, Soup/Salad
  • Wednesday: Frittata and Fruit
  • Thursday: Pizza Night!
  • Friday: Frozen Entrees & Veggies
  • Saturday: Leftover fiesta!
  • Sunday:  Baked Pasta & Veggies

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?

Keeping Kids Active During the Quarantine!

Abby H.

There are all kinds of ways to get your kids active during the best of circumstances. However, life during the quarantine has proven challenging for all of us.

Chuze-RECT-rgb.jpgThanks to the awesome people over at Chuze Fitness, we can get our wiggles out as a family on the daily.

 On Chuze on-Demand new videos are posted each day, so the whole family will be able to break a sweat without breaking out of the house. This workout series was made in an attempt to bridge the gap when it comes to family-friendly workout videos by providing 20-minute classes designed for both big and little Chuzers to get their wiggles out.

On-screen, instructors lead their kids in stretches and fun movements that feel like a throwback to your own P.E. classes growing up – all you need to participate is a big room and a WiFi-connected device to follow along with. To access these Family Workouts, you can find them either on the Chuze on-Demand website or the Chuze Fitness YouTube page.

b0e5d5e05457e2c8a12dc87c9b6eafc7If this isn’t your cup of tea, or your kids need something that’s just for them here are a few other exercise options:

Go Noodle: Either from their website, or their YouTube Page. There are lots of fun videos to dance along to- we like Kitty High Five, Cat Party, Pop See Ko, and Run the Red Carpet.

Cosmic Kids Yoga: Jaime is a fun Yogini! She leads kids on fun asanas that often follow themes of their favorite movies, TV shows, or games. It’s a great way to make Yoga accessible to kids. We love Star Wars Yoga.

Dance Party: I’ll put on fun, funky, or silly music and the kids and I will dance for 20 minutes. Family favorite songs to shake our tails include anything by Grand Funk Railroad, Thrift Shop by Macklemore, Last Friday Night by Katy Perry, Rock Party Anthem, Uptown Funk, What does The Fox say.

Talk Back: How are you keeping your kiddos active during this tough time? 

Fetch Rewards: 5 Million MORE Points are up for Grabs!

Abby H.

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Have you heard about Fetch Rewards Spring on the Points Giveaway?

They gave away 5 million points last week- and they are doing it again this week!

Through Wednesday, any store receipt or eReceipt could be a winner, from 500 to 25,000 points*, so be sure to continue submitting them like you always have. Fetch Rewards will randomly select 5,000 winners and award points on 4/16.

If you haven’t signed up for Fetch Rewards yet, or want to learn more, check out my post here. Find the Fetch Rewards app in your app store, and when you download it, use my code ND2TB when you sign up and you’ll score Bonus Points.

So far in 2020, I’ve earned $24 in Amazon Gift Cards simply by scanning my grocery store and mass merchandiser receipts into the Fetch Rewards App.

Faith Chapel’s Meet The Need is Drive Through Today 4/5/2020

Abby H.

I’ve posted about Meet The Need at Faith Chapel before– It’s a great way to pick up some groceries if times are tough for you. Usually, there is a little fellowship and the chance to pick up second-hand household goods and clothing (and they usually have diapers too- you just have to ask). Paster Josiah and his helpers aren’t letting the current crisis stop them from helping those in need!

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This Sunday Meet The Need drive-thru. In an effort to abide by the safety health ordinances within San Diego County due to the COVID-19 crisis, they are changing how they serve the community but certainly will not stop serving it. They will be providing a ready to eat meal & groceries this Sunday from 1:00pm-3:00pm.

The food will be distributed through your car window, so no need to leave your car, at the flagpole, outside the main sanctuary in the upper parking lot. They’ll be taking above and beyond precautions for health safety and social distancing.

No need to sign up in advance- all sign ups will be done on site!