frugal

Receipt Hog: Hoggy Holiday Bonus Bash is Here

Abby H.

Receipt Hog is a great app for those starting out on a savings journey. It’s simple to use, and points rack up quickly.

You can download it here and get started.

In the app, snap pictures of all of your receipts from dining out to grocery trips and earn points that you can redeem for gift cards or money via Paypal. Reward options start as low as 1000 Points.

You can also connect your grocery and mass merchandiser accounts to earn extra points.  In addition to points, there is a game called Hog Slots, where you spin the wheel to win extra points.

Right now, through December 31, 2025, you can earn points and spins to earn extra points!

  • Upload 5 e-Receipts: 50 Spins
  • Upload 30 paper receipts: 25 Spins
  • Upload 15 Link Receipts- 25 Spins
  • Complete all the bonuses and earn 100 bonus coins!

 

StackInfluence: Free Products for Micro-Influencers

Abby H.

I’ve been around the micro-influencer sphere for a while.

There have been review programs for influencers since the beginning, and a lot of them have closed due to shady practices or blatant disregarding of website TOS’s.

StackInfluence is different, and pretty easy in my opinion. You sign up, select a campaign, purchase the item via the link provided, review the item as outlined in the campaign, and you are refunded your purchase price via Paypal or Venmo.

I’ve done a few campaigns with them (including this horrible upholstry stain remover), and reimbursement is super quick- less than an hour after you verify your social media post. And reviews can be honest. I try not to sugarcoat reviews, because if you are spending money on something I tell you is good, you better believe that it’s good. That stain remover was not. It was stanky and made my couch look worse.

Most items are for sale on Amazon, but there are a few on Walmart.com too.  I tend to redeem my rewards/rebate app rewards for Amazon Gift Cards and add them to my account, so when I order stuff through apps like StackInfluence, I’m not paying out of my own pocket for them!

Here are just a few of the newer campaigns I have my eye on:

I have a few artists in my family who would enjoy these Posca markers- If you’ve never used Poscas before, they are amazing Acrylic Paint pens!

And there is a certain Cryptid lover in my house who would love this BigFoot shirt.

If you have an Instagram or Tiktok account and you’d love to try new products, check out StackInfluence.

Looking for Frugal Fun for Winter Holidays? Check out Neighborhood Light Displays!

Abby H.

This is one of our family traditions, even since Bubs was a baby. My brother and I grew up doing this, too. I’m not sure if winter holiday light displays on residential properties are big in other parts of the country, but here in Southern California, it’s serious business. Some of these houses put the Griswold’s to shame.

Here are our family’s favorite neighborhoods to visit:

East County:

  • Jingle Bell Hill (also known as Pepper Dr. Lights). Solomon Ave./Pegeen Pl. and surrounding area. Off 67 & Bradley. Dec. 8-26, Mon-Th 6-9 pm, Fri-Sun 6-10 pm.
  • 10248 Paseo Palmas Dr., Nicknamed “Tinsel Town”. Dec. 1-25, 5:30-9 pm. Most of the houses on this street are very well decorated with lights and moving displays! They have a Facebook page too!
  •  Starlight Circle, East and West Glendon Circles. Through December 26th, 7-10 pm. This is extremely popular!  Starlight Circle even has a Facebook page! Starlight Circle has gotten so popular in recent years that the neighboring high school has opened its parking lot. You can park your car and walk through.

There are some neighborhoods that we have added to our list this year. Most of them have been around for years, but we have not visited them yet.

  •  Christmas Card Lane in Rancho Penasquitos 9190 Oviedo St, San Diego, CA 92129
  • Christmas Park in Clairemont Jamar Dr & Lana Dr, San Diego, CA 92117
  • Merry-tage Court in Scripps Ranch Merritage Ct & Stonebridge Pkwy, San Diego, CA 92131

And if you are looking for some family fun beyond a car ride and light peeping, Groupon has a few deals on Holiday light events, including Jingle Jets: USS Midway Museum’s Dazzling Holiday Light Display and San Diego Bay Parade of Lights Cruise on Luxury Yacht Peregrine.

11/28/2025 Freebies and Deals: Black Friday Edition

Abby H.

While I am not partaking in Black Friday, I know a lot of you do, so here are some deals (and freebies) that might excite you.

I’ve updated my list of freebies for birthdays in 2025, which you can find here. If you live outside Southern California, check out this list: Free Birthday Stuff in 2025: Get The Best 100+ Freebies on Your Birthday!

For free food resources, please refer to my comprehensive list, available here. It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

 

Freebies:

FREE Crown Royal Military Care Package for Our Troops
FREE WaterWipes Fresh & Soothed Set
FREE Snowball Classic Cookie at Insomnia Cookies + Win FREE Cookies for a Year
FREE Magnesium Spray
FREE Animal Creatine HMB+ Powder
FREE Handcrafted Beverage at Capital One Cafe
FREE 42 oz. La Colombe Cold Brew at Target
FREE $25 Purchase at Ulta After Cash Back
FREE Perdue Holiday Nuggets & Collectible Plate on November 28th
Get Free Christian Items by Mail and How These Resources Can Help Nourish Your Spiritual Journey
FREE Rare Breed Dog Treats Intro Pack
FREE Ethel Lapel Pin + FREE Shipping
List of Stores and Brands That Give Away Freebies During Black Friday: 2025
FREE Blue Buffalo Love Made Fresh Tender Meatballs Chatterbox Kit
FREE Starbucks Drink for New Rewards Members
FREE Lowe’s Bucket of Gifts on Black Friday + Chance at a FREE Major Appliance Worth $2,000
FREE McCormick Products
T-Mobile Tuesdays – FREE 8×10 at CVS, FREE 7-Select Snack & More
FREE Bvlgari Man in Black Fragrance Sample
How to Get Free Beauty Samples Without Spending a Dime
FREE Sample of EltaMD UV Clear and UV Daily Deep Tinted SPF
FREE Stonemill Kitchens Holiday Dips Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Photo with Santa at PetSmart on December 13th & 14th
FREE Coffee at Sheetz Through November 30th
Black Friday Food Deals & Freebies On Coffee, Fast Food, Gift Cards and More: 2025
FREE Beech-Nut Products
FREE Ethel Bandana + FREE Shipping

 

Deals:

Carter’s Clothing Sets ALL $8.99 – Kohl’s Black Friday Doorbuster Deal
Sephora Black Friday Sale – Gifts Under $25, 50% Off Fragrances, Free Shipping and More
We Found The Best Black Friday and Cyber Week Streaming Deals: 2025 Edition
Here Are The Best Black Friday Deals Vetted By Our Deal Experts: Amazon, Kohl’s, Walmart and More! (2025)
Toastmaster Small Appliances ONLY $8.98 at Kohl’s (Reg $25)
Black Friday Sale: Blackstone Adventure Ready 2-Burner Grill ONLY $157 (Reg $224) at Walmart
Amazon Black Friday – Up to 79% Off Beauty Products
JCPenney Black Friday Doorbuster – Bras for ONLY $9.99
Macy’s Black Friday 2025 is LIVE – Up to 80% Off Bedding, Toys, Clothing & More
The Best Target Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals for 2025 + Today’s Daily Deal
Macy’s Black Friday – $15 Beauty Gift Sets ($75 value!)
Walgreens Black Friday 2025 – Save Up to 50% on Beauty Sets, Toys, Household & More
Walmart Black Friday Sale: Apple AirPods 4 ONLY $69 (Reg $130)
Black Friday Sale: VIZIO 65” Class 4K UHD Limited Edition Smart TV ONLY $228 (Reg $448) at Walmart
Black Friday Deal – Carote 10pc Pots and Pans Set ONLY $79.99 (Reg $139.99)

11/30/2025 Clothing Swap At Porchlight Community Services!

Abby H.

Looking to engage in some sustainable fun this weekend? Check out Porchlight Community Services’ end-of-year clothing swap this Sunday, November 30th, from 1pm-4pm.

Details can be found here.

They also have an upcoming toy swap on 12/6/2025, just in time for the holidays!

I love Porchlight. In addition to hosting swaps, they help keep food from ending up in landfills, and getting food into the hands (and bellies) of San Diegans in need. You can learn more about Porchlight’s mission here.

Black Friday Deals at Thrift Stores!

Abby H.

Thrift stores are getting in on the Black Friday Sales, too. And why not? With more people on a tighter budget, thrift stores are a great way to save money while shopping, support a charity, and keep clothing and home goods out of landfills.

Goodwill:

Black Friday (11/28)
Shop Goodwill SoCal stores and receive a free scarf with a minimum $30 purchase.*
All Weekend Long (11/28-12/1)
The first 25 people in line each day at Goodwill SoCal’s Retail Stores and Boutiques will receive a coupon for 20% off a future purchase of $30 or more.**
Enter for a chance to win a $2,000 gift voucher for our Goodwill SoCal ebay Shop!*** Learn more and enter to win at a Goodwill SoCal store near you.

Goodwill also has a VIP program where you can score a 20% off coupon- Sign up here. 

Amvets: All items are $3.00, excluding clearance items. This deal is valid all day on November 28, 2025, at all AmVets locations. Locations can be found here.

Amvets is one of my favorite thrift stores; they always have great clothes and craft supplies.

Salvation Army is also having a Black Friday sale, but theirs is limited in time, unlike Amvets. Enjoy 50% 0ff the entire store on Friday, November 28, 2025, 8am-12pm.

If you can’t make it then, but are on the hunt for clothes- GOOD NEWS! All clothing will be 50% off Friday-Saturday, November 28-29, 2025.  Find your location Salvation Army Thrift store here. 

 

There may be other thrift stores having sales, but my internet searches were not that fruitful. I was aware of both of these because I had seen signs in stores recently.

 

 

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar $29.99 (Starting Tomorrow)

Abby H.

I don’t usually post a lot of Black Friday Deals, but this one is close to my heart.

We’re a Lego Family, and a Star Wars Family, so when I saw this deal in my email the other day, I knew I had to share it.

Starting tomorrow 11/26/25, at Walgreens (and Walgreens.com), you can score this Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar for just $29.99. That’s 40% off the original price!! This deal is going to go super fast, so I recommend setting a timer or a reminder on your phone. I’ve already got a reminder set in my phone’s calendar with the link as the location.

This is going to be a great Advent Calendar for my oldest!

Earn More Fetch Points with the Fetch American Express Card!

Abby H.

Did you know that Fetch (my favorite cash back app of all time) has a co-branded American Express Card?

Those of us who know about rewards credit cards agree this is a great deal- BUT- only if you can use it responsibly. Credit cards like this are a tool.

The Fetch Card earns 10X points¹ on groceries—with no annual fee².

Apply now and get a 50,000-point bonus³ 
if you’re approved and spend $150 with the Fetch Card.  $150 on groceries isn’t hard to do these days.

As someone with an American Express Card, I see this opportunity as a great deal. 50,000 points is about a $50 Gift Card Reward in the Fetch App.

If you are new to Fetch, use my code ND2TB when you sign up, and you’ll earn Bonus Points (amounts vary from 1500 to 4000, depending on the current promotion).

And to learn more about how Fetch works, check out my post here.

$10 off Family Meals at Luna Grill (In-App)

Abby H.

This is a deal I can get behind.

I love Luna Grill; it replaced Daphne’s in our area as the fast casual Mediterranean restaurant.

App Exclusive: $10 off Family Meals

Redeem by 12/31 in the Luna Grill app for $10 off Family Meals portioned for 4 or 6.

I love these family meals. They are great for take-out night or for meal prep. Sometimes I want grilled chicken for lunch during the week, but I don’t want to fire up the grill. I pick up the Family Meal for 4 and portion it out in my lunchwear for the entire week. The meals for 4 (and 6) and super generous and can definately stretch a few more servings.  I usually get 6 lunches from a Family Meal for 4.

The family meals include your choice of kabobs served with seasonal veggies, rice, salad, pita, and a choice of hummus or sauce.

Discount applies to the base price of Family Meal for 4 or 6. Valid in the Luna Grill app through 12/31/2025. *Limit (1) offer per guest per visit. No cash value. Must be presented at time of purchase. Not valid with any other offers or promotions. No substitutions.

 

San Diego, CA area Secret Shops at SkyZone Earn $50+!

Abby H.

Y’all know I love to secret shop!

I learned about Amusement Advantage from some friends who have had a blast doing secret shopping and having adventures with their families. Amusement Advantage has all sorts of fun shops: movie theatres, amusement parks, museums, and more! They have opportunities to do secret assignments in almost every state of the US and most of the Provinces in Canada.

Right now, they have assignments available at the SkyZone in San Diego! Amusement Advantage has a mystery shop available at Sky Zone – San Diego (Fran) in San Diego, CA 92126 for November!

SPECIAL WEEKDAY OPTION allowed FOR NOVEMBER ONLY: SHOP ANY DAY 11.21 – 11.30. Earlier dates are given preference.

Pay/Reimbursement: $20 + Reimbursement up to $100 + $50 Extra Pay + $5 Early Return Bonus.

$50 EXTRA PAY above the rate listed, offered on this assignment! $100 reimbursement-spend YOUR WAY-more jump time, guests, arcades, or food/drinks! Just 90 minutes required onsite – free fun and food plus profit!

They now pay via PayPal in 21-28 days.

CLICK HERE to view the details and apply!