6/19/2024 Weekly Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

This week was a whirlwind! I’m looking forward to our adventure today- We’re going to The Wave Waterpark in Vista.

If you are looking for stuff to do this summer, check out my 2024 guide to a fun, frugal Summer Break. It’s San Diego County-specific, but there are many great ideas if you aren’t local to me.

The 2024 Birthday Freebie post is here! Check this article out and sign up for birthday freebies at least 2-3 weeks before your birthday.

My comprehensive list can be found here if you are looking for free food resources. It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

Freebies:

Free Mini-Treehouse Craft for Kids at Lowe’s
Free Perfect Bar at Aldi
Possible Free Afia Foods Falafel Bowls
Free Good Culture Probiotic Milk
Free Nurishh Animal Free Cream Cheese at Select Retailers
Free Sample of AlchemyTT Nourish Scalp Oil!
Free Simply Lemonade with Raspberry ReFUNd with Ripple Street
Free Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment Sample
Free Sample of Obagi Medical ELASTIderm Facial Serum
Free Snack Smart for Back-to-School Party Pack
Free Taco Bell Dips ReFUNd with Ripple Street
Free Stur Water Enhancer at Target
Free Taco Bell Kits ReFUNd with Ripple Street
Free 6-Piece Chicken Nuggets Every Wednesday at Wendy’s
College Students Eat Free on Thursdays at IKEA
Free Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Testing Ruler
Free Virtual Pet Check-Up with Petzey from Purina

Deals:

Free $15 Target Gift Card with Purchase of Two Select Diapers
ProFit Handheld Percussion Massage Gun ONLY $36.99 (Reg $75)
50% Off Everything at Old Navy
Kate Spade Sadie Envelope Crossbody ONLY $79 (Reg $279)
Discovery Mind Blown Kids Toys up to 67% Off
Cooks 2 Quart Air Fryer ONLY $24.99 at JCPenney (Reg $60)
Aeropostale Jeans Buy 1 Get 1 Free
Cooks 3-Piece Frying Pan ONLY $17.99 (Reg $50)
Nike Kids up to 70% Off + Extra 25% Off
Walmart Toys up to 75% Off
North Face Outerwear up to 58% Off

Natural Disasters: What to do in the Aftermath

Abby H.

For information about how to prepare for evacuating in an emergency, check out my post here. It is specifically aimed at Southern California natural disasters (wildfires being chief among them), but the information is pretty solid for anyone having to leave home in an emergency situation.

After the disaster, there is so much to do. It is extremely overwhelming.

 Use your Insurance coverage: Renters, homeowners, condo unit owners depending on your living situation. There are coverages for personal property and loss of use (pays for food and housing when your home is uninhabitable, up to a dollar amount specified in your insurance policy). These may be subject to your deductible.

Paying the Bills: Contact your creditors and let them know you have been affected by a natural disaster. Many times they can defer your payments.

Power: Contact your Gas and electric utility provider for information on payment assistance programs.

There are a lot of government entities that can assist you:

The IRS can also help with disaster assistance/ emergency relief. This website has more information. 

Feeding your family: SNAP benefits (food stamps) may be available to you after natural disasters.

Homeowners, business owners, and even renters may qualify for a Small Business Administration loan after a disaster. These loans have low interest rates. More info can be found at SBA.gov.

Per the FEMA website for those in immediate need after an emergency: Check with your local emergency management officials, and voluntary agencies or call your local 2-1-1. The FEMA Helpline (800-621-3362) may be able to provide additional referrals. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service.

If there is a natural disaster and you want to help from afar, contact your local blood bank to donate. Blood is in short supply after most natural disasters and it’s a great way to help if you can’t afford to donate time or money. 

Donations of used household goods are frequently not helpful. Getting trucks full of used goods into disaster zones can be hard. Local nonprofits and agencies local to the disaster zones have access to low-cost goods directly from distributors.

 

Got Dirty Clothes? Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent Sale!

Abby H.

 This deal is only good until Saturday night at 11:59, and for me, this is a RUN DEAL.

This week at Walgreens, all 27.5-28 oz bottles of Arm & Hammer Liquid Laundry detergent are on sale for only $1.99/each.

They are usually $7.49/each, but let’s face it, I’d never pay that much. With this sale price, each load of laundry costs.07-.09 per load!

They have 5 varieties:

No coupons are needed, and you can order online and do curbside pick up (with a minimum order of $10.00) so you won’t have to step foot in the store! If you have Walgreens cash, you can use it, and this deal combines with any “Earn $X when you spend $Y” offers you might have in your Walgreens account (check online or in their app).

My Recent Cash Outs from Cash Back Apps

Abby H.
I’m not earning Benjamins, but every little bit helps.

I’ve been meaning to post this for a few weeks, but I have been recovering from surgery, and trying to take the kids on short adventures.

You guys know how much I love a good cashback app, and here are some of my recent cashouts, and how I’m coming on reaching the payouts on a few more apps.

 

Cashback apps where I have almost reached the threshold for payout: 

  • Ibotta: right now I’m at $23.75
  • Drop: they ran out of gift certificates/rewards so I will try again on Thursday. They release a limited number of each week. Right now I have enough points to cash out $25 worth of rewards. It has taken me almost 2 years. I count this is one of my very passive apps to use. 

If you are interested in learning more about the cashback apps, I use, check out my cashback app page here. Many of the apps I use are affiliate-linked, so when you sign up for them, you will receive a bonus for first-time use, and I will also receive a small bonus. Think about it as buying me a Slurpee, or buying my kids a donut. 

For more information about the use of Affiliate links, check out my disclosure page. 

Earn Money This Summer with Surveys

Abby H.

It’s not all beach trips and hot girl summer here. This mama needs to earn a little cash on the side to afford all the fro yo my kids want.

One of my favorite ways to earn cash is to do surveys, here are a few of the survey companies that I use and earn with regularly.

Join Inbox Dollars free and get paid to take surveys, shop online, try name-brand products, and play games online.

You do online activities: Take Surveys, Watching Videos, Shopping, and More.

You earn real CASH!

Receive cash back from Kashkick when you read emails, complete surveys, take quizzes, refer your friend, and subscribe to special promotions.

Earnings are deposited into your Paypal account!

 

The Survey Junkie community shares feedback with brands in exchange for rewards such as cash, gift cards, and more.

    • Complete three or more surveys a day, earn as much as $100 monthly.
    • Complete four or more surveys a day, earn as much as $130 monthly.

Sharing your opinions can earn you real rewards you can use anywhere! The Survey Roundtable rewards program grows every day, all depending on what our members most want to earn.

To make the most of your opinions, you’ll first take a Personality Survey. It’s how they target  surveys to your needs and interests

Here’s what virtual debit cards ($10 and up) are currently available: Amazon.com, Banana Republic, Barnes and Noble, GAP Brands, Regal Theaters and more.

Take Surveys and earn cash, sweepstakes and prizes for your participation from SurveyClub.com.
Earn cash for participating in online surveys, private panels, focus groups, clinical trials, in-home usage tests, online bulletin boards, taste tests, and mystery shopping studies.

SurveyClub gives companies the unique opportunity to access its panelists by posting studies directly on its website.

Piquant Post- Deals on Spices!

Abby H.

This is a new website to me, but I looked it over, placed an order, and decided to share. Have y’all heard of Piquant Post? It’s a spice website that sells individual spices, herbs, and blends, but it also offers subscriptions. Go month by month, 6 months at a time, or annually. Each month you’ll receive a package.

Piquant Posts has in-house chefs who curate the selection of spice blends and develop recipes around a new theme each month. In addition, 4 printed recipe cards to use the spice blends each month (1 for each blend).

And don’t worry about repeats: They currently have enough spices in their catalog to never repeat spice blends for 21 consecutive months.

I have a lot of cooks in my life and this subscription is going to make a great gift for a few of them!

But if you are looking for a single spice or herb to refresh your spice rack, or want to try something new, check out all of their offerings here. 

Aisle: Cash back Rebates at your fingertips!

Abby H.2 Comments

Have you heard of Aisle? It’s a cash back program, where a majority of the products available have 100% back rebates.

It’s super simple:

  • Visit Aisle. Enter your zip code to find rebates available near you.
  • Select your rebates, enter your cell number, and Aisle will text you a reminder and details on how to submit your rebate (it’s via text).
  • You can also enter your zip code and they’ll text you the three closest stores that sell the product!
  • Purchase the products, snap a pic of your receipt, and text it.
  • Money is paid via Venmo or Paypal.

Here are just a few of the brands: HOP WTR, Stur, Unite Bar, Pop & Bottle Functional Oat Milk Lattes, Yesly Enhanced Still Water Beverage, B.T.R. Nation Dark Chocolate Brownie Superfood Bar, August Tampons And Pads, Dark Chocolate Coconut Zing Bar, and hundreds more!

If you are looking for more Cash Back apps, check out my list of favs here!

My Top Ten Grocery Items to Buy at Dollar Tree

Abby H.

Now that The 99/ 99 Cents Only has closed, and inflation continues to cause the price of groceries to skyrocket,  more of us frugal shoppers will be headed to Dollar Tree. I’ve been doing more shopping at Dollar Tree since The 99 changed over from 99 Cents Only a few years ago.

One thing I love about Dollar Tree is that you can buy items from their website in bulk. That means if you love, for example, Powered Drink Mixes, you can buy a whole case (12 packages) for the same price as in-store. This is one of my Top Ten items, in case you were wondering.

Here are my top ten must-buys at Dollar Tree and their price that other nationwide retailers:

1. Belvita dupes – These come in a couple different flavors. Brand name Belvita biscuits and store brand varieties can cost between $2.99-$4.99 depending on the retailer.

2. Frozen onions and peppers, sometimes called stir fry blend. Dollar Tree sells them in 12 oz bags for only $1.25 each.  The same items can cost between$1.99-$2.72 depending on the retailer and brand.

3. Prime, Monster, and other energy drinks. This is a big savings strategy if you like energy drinks. You can buy Monster, Prime, Rockstar, and other brands online by the case! At Dollar Tree, they are only $1.25 (plus any CVR), and other retailers sell energy drinks $2.99-$4.00 depending on the retailer and beverage.

4. Boost Protein drinks. Dollar Tree sells them individually, but most stores sell multi-packs that break down to $2.50-$2.75/each drink.

5. Instant beverage powders, as mentioned above, you can buy an entire case of one flavor online, or go to the store and see all the varieties. They retail in stores for $2.00-$3.99 per box depending on flavor and retailer.

6. Hungry Jack Pancake Mix. This is a favorite in my house. It’s great for pancakes, and waffles, or you can make baked pancakes. Our favorites are from Dollar Tree Dinners on TikTok.  a 16 ounce box is only 41.25 at Dollar Tree vs. $2.72 at Walmart.

7. Spices- This is one where you need to go into your local Dollar Tree. Brands like Kingsford, Tajin, Mortons, Fresh Success, Kraft, and more. There are single spices, spice blends, and seasoning kits like Taco Seasoning and Chili seasoning. These are all available for $1.25 each, whereas other stores charge $1.50-$5.00 depending on blend and retailer for the same items. 

8. C&H brown sugar, 16 oz. This is a pretty good value at just $1.25, my local Target has it for $2.99. 

9. Pillsbury frosting. I usually make my own frosting, but sometimes, in a pinch, you need a can of frosting. Most Dollar Tree locations have a selection of flavors for $1.25 a can. Other retailers sell the same size can for $1.99-$2.49 depending on the retailer.

10. Full-size boxes of cereal. This is one where you need to go into your local Dollar Tree. Varieties and availability differ by location. Recently our local Dollar Tree had Family sized Cheerios varieties for just $1.25 a box! Meanwhile, full-size boxes of cereal can cost upwards of  $7.99 depending on variety and retailer.

 

Talk Back: I’d love to hear about your favs and must-haves from Dollar Tree!

 

This post contains affiliate links, to learn more about how affiliate links work, check out my disclosure page.

This Week’s Meal Plan!

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI forgot to hit Publish on this post on Sunday night and just discovered it in my drafts. Oops.

We are back in the kitchen, and I will be posting pics of it on Instagram this week. I absolutely love my new kitchen. It has tons of counter space, and cabinets, and my new dishwasher is 1000 times better than the old one.

I picked up a bunch of stuff that was stashed in my mom’s chest freezer that I was unable to make without a kitchen, so the only grocery shopping I did this week was for some milk and plain bagels for the girl child.

Thanks to the great freebies from Social Nature, we’ve been trying new foods lately. It’s fun to try new foods.

If you 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 good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I 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.

Breakfast: I’ve been really into protein coffee lately. It helps me hit my protein goals and keeps me full until lunch. I use premade protein shakes like these and these. The kids request bagels and fruit most mornings. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. We eat lunch at home most of the time over the summer. Sometimes we take advantage of the kid’s free summer lunches (info here).

Dinner: I’m back in the kitchen again and the CSA boxes are coming weekly. I’ve got all kinds of plans for batch-cooking soups and stews over the coming weeks.

  • Sunday:  Dream Dinners (Chicken Tarragon with roasted potatoes)
  • Monday: Smoothies or Protein shakes and snack trays

  • Tuesday: Grilled Cheese sandwiches (cheese of your choice), fruit, chips

  • Wednesday: Sloppy Joes, chips, fruit, and veggies with hummus

  • Thursday: Chicken nuggets or a veggie burger, fruit, and chips

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Palooza

Family Recipe: Chow Mein Hotdish

Abby H.
My mom made some recently and sent some home with me!

OK, so growing up we used to have this like once every few weeks. It’s quick, it’s easy, and I swore that it was a family recipe.

When researching this recipe, I then found out that apparently, this is a hot dish that’s made all over the Midwest. And according to my mom, it’s in tons of church cookbooks.

This recipe is pretty simple, and it’s delicious, and it is kind of weird. And definitely not at all Asian.

Chow mein hot dish 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon of dehydrated toasted onions, or 1/4 diced white onion
  • one can of cream of mushroom soup
  • half a can of cream of mushroom soup filled with water
  • One cup of uncooked rice
  • Two ribs of celery, diced
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 small can of water chestnuts slices, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can of chow mein noodles

Directions

  1. In an electric skillet over medium heat, cook and crumble ground beef and onion.
  2. Add all remaining ingredients except chow mein noodles.
  3. Cook on medium stirring often until rice is tender.
  4. Remove from heat, top with chow mein noodles, and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

If you want to add extra veggies, add 1 cup sliced mushrooms when cooking the meat and onion.

You can cook this on the stove, but I’ve always cooked the majority of my hot dishes in an electric skillet. I’m not sure why. Probably because my entire family does.

Some people like this served with a little bit of soy sauce, but I find that the condensed cream of mushroom soup is salty enough as it is.