One of my favorite websites 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 Smartphone apps that can save you the big bucks! New offers are added on the Smartphone Savings Apps all the time!
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 Smartphone apps that can save you the big bucks! New offers are added on the Smartphone Savings Apps all the time!
Oh, and don’t forget about MooMoney from the CA Dairy Board! You can learn more here about to score cash back on your fluid dairy purchases through 4/28/19.
Sunday Night I went to the grocery store to pick up milk, bread, and a few other things.
I spent $42 and it was not all that much stuff. While I was waiting in line, the lady behind me in line was going through her coupons, and her grocery list. We got to talking, I showed her the store app, where she was able to find a few more coupons. We started talking about how expensive it was to eat healthy, and I confessed to her that this was not my weekly shopping trip, I was just picking up stuff that I only buy at Food4Less:
Milk (it’s cheapest at FFL),
A specific kind of higher protein bread (it’s the cheapest place to buy this type of bread and has no High Fructose Syrup),
A specific kind of popscicles
5 lb bag of bananas (cheapest place to buy that many bananas)
This doesn’t have to cost a fortune!
And I picked up a few other misc. things that we needed and were on sale (cheese, oranges, and a 5 lb. bag of Gala apples), and a 2 liter of diet Cherry Pepsi and a jar of maraschino cherries (Mama needs a cocktail sometimes, OK?).
She asked about my grocery budget and where I shop the rest of the time. I told her my shopping strategy, after I make my grocery list:
My Top Ten Deals at 99 Cents Only– Start there for fresh produce. Salad, carrots, celery, berries, pineapples, zucchini, squash (all kinds), onions, potatoes are all types of produce that are regularly stocked. They usually have other interesting seasonally available produce too. They also have great sauces, condiments, herbs and spice blends.
Keep a Price Book- I know the best place to buy Milk, cheese, bread, and butter. I keep my price book in my phone now, but I used to use a little spiral bound notebook that lived in my purse.
Stock up on food that you will eat frequently when it does on sale. I’m not talking about fresh produce that can’t be kept (like lettuce), but if you find a good deal on strawberries, for example, chop and freeze some for smoothies or baking, make fruit leather, or dry some (they are really tasty dehydrated). Bread can be frozen, so can butter! Canned goods, shelf stable foods are perfect for stocking up. I also like stocking up on chicken when it’s on sale. I can butcher a whole chicken in a few minutes, and I frequently will break up large packages of chicken breasts into meal sized portions, season them, and put them into the freezer. Learn more about meal prep here.
For our family, meal prep and meal planning saves us a lot of time and money. There are always multiple choices for each meal at our finger tips, so the allure of getting food from take-away is gone. I always have a batch of pizza dough in the freezer too! I make two batches once a week- one for the freezer, and one to go in the fridge that gets used within 1-2 days of making.
It doesn’t matter what your food budget is, you can still eat well! It may take a little prep work each week, but the health of your family is worth it, right?
If you are on a very tight budget or are facing food insecurity, here is a list of San Diego based food resources that offer healthy food.
For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you saw all my pics last weekend of the fun (and food) from Influential Summit!
As always, attendees get hooked up with all kinds of goodies and snacks. I picked up a few extra to share with one lucky reader!
And this isn’t all of it!
There are all kinds of goodies, treats, and snacks! The awesome people at Boiron USA hooked me up with an awesome selection of homeopathic remedies, There are Probiotics from Lifeway, Lolleez Soothing lollipops (great for kiddos with sore throats),KIND Bars, KIND Kid’s bars, Hippeas, Runa, Ammo Bars (caffeine and granola together- RAD) and my personal favorite: One Bars!
Entering is SUPER EASY! All you have to do is comment on this blog post with what your favorite snack is, and I’ll choose a winner on 2/24/19! This contest is open to US Residents only!
And you missed Influential Summit, but wanna check out another cool conference, MommyCon is coming back to San Diego November 23, 2019 for the second year at the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley. Tickets are available for sale here. The goody bags are great!
This is NOT a sponsored post, I am paying to ship this package to the winner. I just want to share the goodies with you guys!
A New Year means that a lot of us are starting off with goals like saving money, eating better, and spending more time with family. I’m here to help you with the first two this morning!
Here is your monthly reminder! A new month means new printable and electronic coupons!
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 Smartphone apps that can save you the big bucks! New offers are added on the Smartphone Savings Apps all the time!
Here are just a few coupons to help support healthier eating!
There is no better time to start than January 1st- New Year, New Start!
If you want to start the year off with a frugal mind, check out my posts below. I wrote most of them a few years ago, but all the advice/tips/tricks are still applicable.
Here are the top ten resolutions, and tips on how to make them all happen!
I use ShopHer Media a lot- They have an impressive list of freebies that they update constantly (which is how I am able to pass on such great freebies every week or so to ya’ll). I also have a really great account rep, who answers emails quickly. They update their offers, I swear, daily.
In addition to freebies and deals, ShopHer Media also has printable coupons from coupons.com, and redplum, among other companies.
If you are interested in learning about learning more about their Influencer Marketing Platform, check ShopHer Media out!
Thankfully our diaper days are almost behind us, but if you have a little one or are expecting, this is a great deal for you!
Right now, when you sign up for the Pampers Rewards Program, you can score $30 off ErgoBaby. I love Ergo- they have great baby carriers, and they also make a super cute carrier for kids to wear their dollies.
Pampers Club is a great way to earn rewards for buying diapers and wipes. You’ll also receive money saving coupons for future purchases.
Times are tough for a lot of us right now. Coupons and deals are drying up left and right. Here are some ways that you can stretch your grocery budget without wasting time or energy.
The eternal question at Costco: Is Bigger Better? Learn about Price Per Unit here.
In addition to price per unit, you might consider starting a price book as well.
If you live in San Diego County, check out this list of Neighborhood Distributions all over the county. You can pick up 15-30 lbs of free produce each week. No proof of need is required. Just show up with your reusable grocery bags!
There are also food share programs in almost every community in the US. They provide low cost food boxes to families and individuals. A quick google search can help you find one near you!
In San Diego County, there are monthly distributions through the San Diego food bank at various locations. Colloquially called “commodities”, it’s officially called The Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP). Locations throughout the county distributes USDA food each month. If you live outside San Diego County, check with your local county or municipalities food bank network for more info on this service.
Don’t forget there are tons of money saving and rebate apps. My list is here.
Bartering: Most of us know someone with a backyard garden. Trade your skills (housecleaning, organizing, babysitting, car washing, you get the idea) for some home grown produce, or eggs (some of us live in areas where backyard livestock is ok). This may not be available to everyone.
Menu Planning is another great way to cut down on food waste- It’s a lot easier than you think once you get started.
Talk Back: I’d love to hear your tips for stretching your grocery budget!
It’s coming… For some of us, back to school is NEXT WEEK! For others it’s later in August, and some lucky folks, have until Labor Day in September. Regardless of when your kids go back, it’s nice to be prepared and save money.
Here are a few ideas to help you prepare and stay on budget!
Shop Online to Save Big- I love shopping online, especially at JCPenney and Kohls. Lots of great deals to be had, coupons, and ship to store to save even more!
There is a backpack and school supply giveaway in Santee on August 19th. More info here. If you need school supplies sooner, Assemblywoman Dr. Shirley Weber is sponsoring a Back to School Kick off and Community Health Fair on 8/11/18.
If you are worried about being able to provide a nutritious, healthy lunch for your kiddos, The San Diego Food Bank sponsors Neighborhood Distributions throughout the month all over the county. You can go and get free, fresh produce- usually between 10-30 lbs. per family. No proof of need- Just grab your reusable shopping bags and go!
Adjusting back to the school-year schedule can be a little tough- That’s why we start to get the kids back to bed at their regular time starting the beginning of August. For our kiddos, keeping them busy and active all day, really helps. Trips to the playground, beach, zoo, and pool really help.
We’ll be hitting up the night time zoo this week!
And one last back to school tip: Let your kids play and hang out with friends as much as possible before they go back, especially if they aren’t able to see some of their friends at school. We’re hosting a K’Nex Play Time Party with Tryazon this Wednesday at Shadow Hill Park in Santee! If you and your gang will be in the area, please stop by! There will bea chance to win prizes, yummy snacks, and cool toys!
Here is your monthly reminder! A new month means new printable and electronic coupons!
Sunday Night I went to the grocery store to pick up milk, bread, and a few other things.
Doesn’t everyone want to save money?
Are you a 
Times are tough for a lot of us right now. Coupons and deals are drying up left and right. Here are some ways that you can stretch your grocery budget without wasting time or energy.
It’s coming… For some of us, back to school is NEXT WEEK! For others it’s later in August, and some lucky folks, have until Labor Day in September. Regardless of when your kids go back, it’s nice to be prepared and save money.
Adjusting back to the school-year schedule can be a little tough- That’s why we start to get the kids back to bed at their regular time starting the beginning of August. For our kiddos, keeping them busy and active all day, really helps. Trips to the playground, beach, zoo, and pool really help.
Hewes Family Fun 