Make Money doing Surveys!

Abby H.1 Comment

I love to earn money, I mean who doesn’t?

Taking surveys online is a quick, easy way to make some money in your spare time.  I do surveys when I’ve got downtime (nap time, waiting for school pick up, on nights when Hubs has dinner meetings with clients or is out of town, etc.)  I don’t watch a lot of TV, so surveys are a good way to pass the time and make a little scratch. I work on surveys about 15-20 minutes each day, usually in the morning while Birdy is still asleep and Lil’ Man is watching Sesame Street and enjoying a warm cup of milk.

Here are a few of the survey panels that I am crazy about. I also included how much I’ve earned doing surveys from each one this year.
Valued Opinions sends my emails about twice a week to do quick surveys that take 10 minutes or less. : $25 so far in 2015

 

 

 

MySurvey.com is a group of consumers from throughout the United States who influence future products and services by volunteering to participate in consumer research. By sharing your opinions about products and services, you are rewarded with Reward Points to redeem for cash and merchandise. $30 so far in 2015

 

 
Opinion Outpost conducts surveys because businesses, governments, public bodies, and similar organizations are interested in the views and attitudes of the people who use their products and services. Take Surveys to give your opinion and shape the future.

Rewards include get cash, Amazon gift cards, game points, donations to your favorite charities, and more. Everyone is also automatically entered to a $10,000 sweepstakes by joining and taking surveys. The minimum cash out for Paypal is $10 and only $5 for Amazon gift cards. $60 so far in 2015.

Earn Cash with Paid View Point. Surveys are short (less than 5 minutes).  Earn cash with each Survey.   You get $1.00 when you sign up! The pay out is $15.00, and it takes about a month to earn $15.00. So far in 2015, I’ve earned about $75.00.

Earn Gift cards with Mypoints. I take surveys, click links in emails, and do all of my online shopping through Mypoints. So far in 2015, I’ve earned about $45.00.

I love to do surveys with Pinecone Research. They aren’t always looking for new participants, but check out their website and see if you fit their open demographics. I make about $20/Month doing short surveys (10 minutes or less).

With all of these survey companies, these are surveys I am pre-qualified for. No spending 10-30 minutes only to learn that you aren’t getting paid and they don’t want your opinions (that’s the #1 reason I do not do Swagbucks surveys and I don’t recommend you waste your time doing them either). All of these companies will email you when they have surveys for you to do. Take surveys, and collect points towards rewards (like Paypal payouts or gift cards).

Which survey companies do you use and like?

 

A New Month means 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 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 https://hewesfamilyfun.wordpress.com/2015/03/04/saving-money-with-your-smartphone/Smartphone apps that can save you the big bucks!

Here are just a few of the new coupons that have me excited:

$0.50 off ONE (1) package of HUGGIES Wipes
$0.50 off 1 Reese's Puffs cereal It’s our favorite family snack!
$1.00 off any 1 BOCA Foods product
$1.00 off any one HORMEL ALWAYS TENDER Meats

Review: Disney Pink Minnie Costume from Wholesale Halloween Costumes

Abby H.

Halloween will be here before we know it. So I’ve started the hunt for costumes early. Lil’ Man is presenting a challenge because he keeps changing his mind every 20 minutes, but Birdy is easy. Whatever I want to put her in works!

So this year she’s going be Minnie Mouse! Wholesale Halloween CostumesIMG_0731 IMG_0730 IMG_0729 has TONS of great, quality licensed Disney costumes. It was hard to chose, but after lots of hemming and hawing, we settled on Minnie. Right now it’s too big, but by Halloween it should be perfect!

The Minnie Mouse Costume Includes Onsie Tutu with Headband with Ears. It comes in two sizes: Fits 6-12 months or Fits 12-18 months.

What I love most is that the costume is based on a onsie, so in case of diaper change, it’s a quick job, no fussing to get the entire costume off and back on.

The fabric is excellent quality, and after inspecting it from head to tail (figure of speech, there is no actual tail on this costume) and I couldn’t find an errant thread or missed stitch.

I can’t wait to pair this dress up with a pair of white lace ankle socks and a cute pair of patent leather Mary Jane shoes (or maybe I’ll just get her a pair of Trompette socks)!

Wholesale Halloween Costumes has tons of incredible costumes new for 2015, including this cute Minnie Mouse costume. If you don’t have a little girl, don’t fret, they have costumes for little boys, teens of both genders, and and great variety of adult costumes.

If you order your costume before 4pm EST and your costume is shipping THE SAME DAY!

You can catch up with Wholesale Halloween Costumes on Twitter, Facebook, and of course, their website!

Lil’ Man is carefully weighing his costume options. We go to a bunch of Halloween events before the big day, including the Boo Parade, local community carnivals, and our play group halloween party. What do your kids want to dress up as for Halloween?

Disclosure: I was provided this costume in exchange for my unbiased, honest opinion. I was not financially compensated to write this review.

 

Two VentureFlex Shoes for $40 Plus Free Shipping at Reebok!

Abby H.

**The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.

If you haven’t finished your BTS shopping yet, here is a great sale. Through tonight, can get two pairs of  two pairs VentureFlex Shoes for $40 + Free Shipping with the code Venture.

After years of Lil’ Man destroying shoes (Boys have some crazy super powers!), I wised up and started buying him better made shoes. They may be a little more expensive at the start, but they last so much longer that I’m saving money in the long run!

Reebok has a lot of great sales coming up! I’ll try to post about them as they go live!

Savings Bonds: The gift that keeps on giving!

Abby H.

file0001658617775Thanks to hubs for the idea to post about this! Savings bonds are an awesome gift for the kiddo in your life that may have everything, or for the sullen teenager on your list.

Savings Bonds are an awesome long-term investment for kids. It teaches patience, and the value of savings.

You can no longer purchase paper savings bonds (the government nixed that program a few years ago), however, the $25 EE bond can still be given electronically.

The 0.10 percent interest at purchase turns into 3.5 percent-plus rate of return once the bond is held for 20 years and its value doubles! Depending on the age of the recipient, it may mature in time for college expenses!

A friend of hubs Grandmother purchased bonds for him and his sister each year got about 10 years. The bonds started to mature a few years ago, so he’s been cashing them out as they mature. It was a very thoughtful gift, and over the years the money has come in handy.

The interest is subject to federal income taxes, but free from state and local levies.

To give a savings bond (available in any denomination from $25 to $10,000) an adult has to set up a Treasury Direct account in the child’s name, but the account is only accessible by the giver until the youngster reaches 18.

While the savings bond is only digital, making a certificate and attaching the receipt to the back (for mom and dad’s records) is a good idea. The Treasury website is there to help! There is still a choice of seven colorful gift cards that can be printed out and wrapped.

Heck, I heard that even Santa likes to give Savings Bonds!

For more details on giving savings bonds and the paperwork, click here.

Recipe: Corned Beef in the CrockPot

Abby H.2 Comments

file291242792789I usually save this recipe for right around St. Patrick’s Day, but there are people who enjoy Corned Beef all year, so I thought, Why not post this now?

I know a lot of people don’t like corned beef because every time they’ve had it, it was chewy or tough.  I’ll share a secret with you: bake it, don’t boil it!  When you bake the meat at a low temperature in a crock pot for hours and hours, the heat breaks up the collagen and fat, leaving you with a tender, falling apart yummy corned beef, not the rubbery mess you got at the pub last year with your annual Guinness.

If the crock pot isn’t your speed, you can bake the corned beef in the oven at a lower temperature over several hours and get the same effect.

Baked Corned Beef

Ingredients:

  • 1 Corned Beef Brisket (2-4 lbs),
  • 1 cup (not packed) brown sugar- Light or dark, use whatever you have
  • 1 jar Stone Ground Mustard (I like Ingelhoffer or Moorehouse)- DO NOT USE DIJON. USE STONE GROUND MUSTARD ONLY.

Directions:

For Crockpot: line your crockpot with a Crockpot liner and turn on to LOW.

For Oven: Preheat oven to 250 degrees

  1. Remove beef from package. Rinse meat. Discard packaging and spice envelope.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine sugar and mustard. Stir until combined. It’s ok if it’s lumpy.
  3. Place beef in crockpot or baking dish.
  4. Pour sugar/mustard mixture over meat.

Crockpot: Put lid on pot and cook for 6-8 hours on low.

Oven: Cover loosely with foil and bake at 250 degrees for 3-4 hours.  Remove foil for last hour of baking.

Serve with baked or boiled New Potatoes, cabbage, and carrots.  I dislike boiled cabbage, so I usually make Coleslaw with Walden Farms Coleslaw dressing.

If you have any leftovers (you probably won’t) it makes great corned beef hash too.

Oh, and Corned beef stays pink after it’s cooked because of how it is cured (or corned), so if you are squiffy about stuff like that, get a food thermometer. It should read 160 degrees or higher.

 

Free Lemonade at Hot Dog on a Stick this week!

Abby H.

unnamedIt’s hot, and all Lil’ Man wants to drink is lemonade. Well he’s in luck because this Thursday, August 20th, we’ll be heading over to Parkway Plaza to score a free lemonade at Hot Dog on a Stick!

Hot Dog on a Stick is pouring sunshine and hope on National Lemonade Day! On Thursday, August 20th, to celebrate the holiday, Hot Dog on a Stick is giving away its famous hand-stomped lemonade for free to raise awareness and funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). To date, Hot Dog on a Stick and its parent company, Global Franchise Group, have raised more than $1 million for LLS and is committed to raising $500,000 in 2015.

Customers who visit any Hot Dog on a Stick location in the San Diego area on National Lemonade Day and say the phrase, “Lemonade for LLS,” will receive a free 12-ounce lemonade. Customers can also upgrade to a souvenir cup for $3, and $1 from each upgrade will be donated to support LLS’s investment in research to advance lifesaving new treatments for blood cancer patients.

Here is the list of participating San Diego locations:

Fashion Valley
7007 Friars Road
San Diego, CA 92108

Westfield Plaza Bonita
3030 Plaza Bonita Road
National City, CA 91950

Parkway Plaza Mall
713 Parkway Plaza
El Cajon, CA 92020

Otay Ranch Town Center
2015 Birch Road
Chula Vista, CA 91915

Westfield North County
200 Via Rancho Parkway
Escondido, CA 92025

Westfield Plaza Camino Real
2525 El Camino Real
Carlsbad, CA 92008

 

Save 15% on iTunes gift cards $25 or more at JCPenney! #iTunesJCP15

Abby H.

file0001262541721I’m a big fan of gift cards, especially when they are on sale, so this deal is right up my alley!

Starting today through August 29th at JCPenney’s you’ll save 15% on iTunes gift cards $25 or higher! If you haven’t finished your Back to School shopping, make sure to stop by JCPenney’s and check out this deal.

But wait… It gets better. You can double dip if you’ve got a rewards credit card. We’ve got the American Express Blue Cash credit card and we receive  2% cash back rewards on purchases made at department stores including JCPenney. Check your rewards credit card to see if you get a special amount or even extra rewards at department stores.

And here is a triple dip idea: If you’ve got the Receipt Hog rebate app (learn more about it here) you can scan in your receipt to earn points towards an Amazon Gift Card or cash via Paypal.

I love buying gift cards on sale because it’s like getting money for free. I am always on the hunt for gift cards on a discount- it helps stretch our gift giving budget.

Whether you opt to give these discounted gift cards as gifts (they’d be well paired with some new earphones or as a stocking stuffer), or keep them for yourself to purchase apps, music, movies or ebooks. Did you know iTunes Gift Cards can be used in the iTunes Store, App Store, iBooks Store, or Mac App Store? iTunes gift cards make a great gift for pretty much anyone- especially college kids, teachers, or that hard to shop for teenager on your holiday shopping list.

To celebrate this awesome deal, the sponsor of this post is hosting an awesome giveaway of a $25 Amazon e-gift card. Everyone could use an extra $25, right?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I had to share this deal with you and I hope you’ll share it with your friends!

This deal is only valid on iTunes gift cards available for purchase in JCPenney stores that have a $25 value or more. This deal specifically excludes $15 iTunes Gift Cards. For more details, check with your local JCPenney store. This is a sponsored post from our friends at Tatu Digital Media, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Learn a new Skill for Free from Craftsy!!

Abby H.1 Comment

Online Sewing ClassLooking for a good way to spend your weekend? Check out the new free mini classes from Crafsty.

Here are a few of the free mini-classes that are on my to-do list:

And here is another class I’m the MOST excited about taking…  the Perfect Pizza at Home will provide me with some tips and tricks to make our next pizza extra delish!

Want to check out the classes and see what the big deal is? Here’s the full list of Craftsy free mini classes to choose from!

 

Sometimes you can’t Adult…

Abby H.

We’ve all had those days… I’m having one today. Check out the cute shirt that Cents of Style is offering for days just like today..

 

Reg. Price- $29.95
Deal Price- $14.95 & FREE SHIPPING Just use Coupon Code: CANTADULT at checkout 

I already ordered mine…. The deal is good through tomorrow night.