Y’all know I love JCP. Between their rewards program and their amazing clearance sales, it’s a great place to shop for household basics.
Currently, they are offering an amazing winter sale, with prices up to 60% off using the coupon code 2REFRESH at checkout.
I’m on the hunt for some 100% cotton sheets for my big kid’s bed.
The best part about these sales is that you can shop online and either have your items shipped to you or pick them up in-store. Many stores offer curbside pickup, too!
I had never heard of Amazon Haul until earlier this week, when a co-worker told me she scored a box of 40 name-brand mechanical pencils for less than $10.
Amazon Haul is Amazon’s take on discount goodies, similar to Temu and Shein. Most everything is $20.00 or less. There is a section at the top of the Amazon Haul page with $1 & under deals! These items are limit 3 per customer.
I’m always on the lookout for inexpensive pencils for work and for my kids, so I had to give it a gander.
Here are a few of the sweet deals I ran across. I separated them by less than $1 and over $1.
In the $1.00 or less category-
Over $1.00, and still a good deal:
And there are thousands more deals in almost every category on Amazon Haul– It is definately worth a peek.
There truly is a National Day for everything. And today is no different, as it is National Use Your Gift Card Day.
A lot of us got Gift Cards for the recent holidays, and maybe you have some stashed. However, if you are looking to earn a few gift cards, here are some of my top tips:
Use Apps like Fetch, Receipt Hog, and Ibotta. My complete list of apps where I earn gift cards is here.
Spending a little bit of your scrolling time each day doing short surveys is how I earn the most gift cards. There is a good list of my favorite survey sites here.
I store my physical gift cards in an Ipsy pouch I got at a clothing swap in my purse. I don’t have tons, but it’s always great to have them on hand in case I go into a store or find myself at a Dairy Queen (there aren’t too many here, and I have had a DQ GC in my purse for a while).
If you are looking for an easy and inexpensive dinner option for tonight or tomorrow, Rubio’s has got you covered.
On 12/31 and 1/1/2025, use code NEWYEAR to receive two entrees for $16. There are a lot of great choices, and with a few extra sides, or even some chips and guac, this could be a meal for 4!
And don’t forget about their rewards program, where you can earn free food and discounts- plus they have a birthday freebie too!
Learn more about their rewards program here.
Does not include tax and gratuities. Offer not valid with other offers or discounts, including Taco Tuesday. Offer not valid on mix-n-match taco plates. Premium items available for an additional fee. Must use the code to get the offer. Additional restrictions may apply; see store for details. Manager reserves all rights.
I spent yesterday with friends at an SCA event in northern San Diego County, so I wasn’t able to post this. But today- We Freebie!
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 available outside my area.
Freebies:
Free Hair Samples: Discover Your Next Favorite Product for Free
FREE Holiday Cocoa Mug Workshop at Home Depot
We Rounded Up The Best Birthday Freebies That Are NOT Food
FREE Subway Footlong with Disney+ Perks
FREE Royal Canin Fussy Adult Dry Cat Food Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Febreze PLUG Scent Booster After Walmart Cash
FREE Edgard & Cooper Puppy & Dog Treats Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Full-Size Then I Met You Skincare Products
FREE Holiday Magic Events at Target
We’ve Done The Research, These Are The Best Companies That Send Out Free Samples
FREE Store Credit During GameStop Trade Anything Day – Today
FREE Pet Photo with Santa at Petco on December 6th
FREE $25 Purchase at Sephora After Cash Back
FREE Medium Fries at McDonalds – Every Friday
BOGO FREE Entrees Every Saturday at Chipotle
FREE Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste After Walmart Cash
FREE Keurig K-Express Essentials Plus Coffee Maker at Walmart After Cash Back
FREE Bottle of Vetality Canine Aspirin
Free Kids Activities for Creative Family Fun (Games, Crafts & More)
Deals:
10% Off Target Gift Cards – Up to $500 w/ Target Circle GOOD THROUGH TODAY ONLY
Matching Family Pajamas Up to 70% Off at JCPenney
50% Off Christmas Trees at Target
Vera Bradley Belt Bag as Low as $16 – NOW 70% Off
Kohl’s Gifts under $25 + New Coupon Code & Free Store Pickup
Ralph Lauren Pillows ONLY $9.99 (reg $25)
Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids Food Storage Containers 26 Piece Set ONLY $7.97 at Walmart
Liz Claiborne Event at JCPenney – Up to 55% Off Select Styles After Coupon
Do you have an FSA? An FSA is a Flexible Spending Account. It is a pre-tax benefit account offered by employers that lets you set aside money from your paycheck to pay for eligible out-of-pocket healthcare or dependent care expenses.
Funds can be used for things like co-pays, deductibles, and prescriptions, which lowers your taxable income. A key feature is the “use-it-or-lose-it” rule, meaning you typically forfeit any unspent money at the end of the plan year (thanks, PayChex).
A lot of these FSA plans expire at the end of the calendar year, which means you have 31 days to spend it up. If you have already seen your doctors, refilled your prescriptions, and visited any specialists this year (don’t forget the dentist and optometrist!), one way to make sure you utilize every last cent of your FSA funds is the OTC or Over-the-Counter Benefit.
Online Glasses companies like GlassesShop are a smart way to pick up a few extra pairs of glasses on a budget to stretch those last few FSA dollars. That includes prescription sunglasses, too!
And for my readers with Medicare or Medicaid, check out my post here about OTC benefits you may not have otherwise known about.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Hewes Family Fun 