deal

Early 2026 San Diego Clothing Swaps

Abby H.

I love clothing swaps- If you have read my blog, you know it’s one of my favorite ways to refresh the kids’ wardrobes (and my own).

And as always, if you are looking for more information about clothing swaps, check out my post (with other San Diego, CA area resources)  here.

Here are just a few Q1 Clothing Swaps in the greater San Diego, CA area:

 

The Good Loop hosts clothing swaps in Southern CA frequently, but has nothing currently planned. I recommend following them on Instagram to stay in the know.

Let’s Go Girls SD also hosts clothing swaps frequently. Check out their Instagram page.

Rubios- 2 Entrees for $16 Today & Tomorrow

Abby H.

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.

12/20/2025 Weekend Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

For most of us, yesterday was the last day our kids were in school for 2025. I personally am looking forward to 2 weeks of fun. The littlest one and I are visiting friends in Texas, while the big one stays home with dad.

I’m done shopping for holiday gifts, and I was able to keep it under my budget of $500, which covers 6 family members and a few co-workers. And Cat. Can’t forget her!

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 LINKChef Immersion Blender Set After Cash Back
FREE Hot Dog Combo at Sam’s Club
FREE 20 oz. Coca-Cola for the 1st 120,000
FREE 12-Pack of Paulaner Sunset Orange Cola
FREE Frozen Drink at Casey’s Every Friday thru December
FREE Kohl’s Cash Every Saturday (and One Sunday) in December – Up to $100
FREE Sleigh Ride Toy Build Event for Kids at Lowe’s
BOGO FREE Entrees Every Saturday at Chipotle
FREE Parfums de Marly Valaya and Althair Fragrance Samples
FREE Fries Every Week at Burger King
FREE Moonpig Custom Holiday Postcard
5 FREE 4×6 Photo Prints at Walgreens
FREE $20 Purchase at Macy’s After Cash Back
Ways To Get Free School Supplies for Students and Teachers in 2025

 

Deals:

WORX Electric Scissors ONLY $19.99 Shipped at Best Buy
Up to 50% Off Fragrances & Gift Sets at Macy’s
Tips On How To Use Kroger Digital Coupons + Ways to Coupon & Save at Kroger
Walmart Beauty Box ONLY $8.98 Shipped – Now FULL Size Items Added
50% Off Select Toys at Kohl’s – Prices as low as $2.25
Amazon Super Saturday Sale is LIVE – Last Chance for Gifts in Time at Great Prices
Zappos Sale: Up to 80% Off Women’s Clothing & Shoes, Up to 75% Off Men’s Clothing & Shoes + Coupon
Top 43 Restaurants with Senior Discounts: Updated 2025
The Pizza Hut BOGO Hacks You Need to Know (Yes, You Can Score FREE Pizza!)
Disney Princess Playdate Rapunzel Vanity ONLY $30 at Walmart (Reg $59)
Buy 1 Get 2 Free Candles, Blankets & Throws at JCPenney
Victoria’s Secret Body Care $8 Each (Reg $20) – Limited Time Only!

12/7/2025: Weekend Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

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? Don’t Leave Your Money on the Table!

Abby H.

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.

December 2025: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

Abby H.

 If you are into Organic/Natural/Healthy products, then Social Nature is right up your alley. Sign up and apply to sample products that you are interested in. I usually receive 4-6 offers/freebies per month, sometimes more if I have time to shop. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

In addition to the offers where they mail you a coupon for a free product, Social Nature has started offering 100% cash-back, similar to Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. I love this because I can select exactly what I want, Social Nature tells me which local stores have it, and I can add it to my next shopping list.

And it’s just as easy as Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. Snap a pic and upload it. You can select Venmo, Paypal, or an Amazon Gift Card for your rebate.

Here are just a few of the Free/100% Cashback offers available now:

  • George’s Farmers Market Humanely-Raised Chicken
  • ZICO PURE Coconut Water
  • Señor Rico Chocolate Natilla Custard
  • Tia Lupita Low Sodium Sauces
  • Rio Mare Wild Tuna in Olive Oil
  • Vgan Organic Chocolates
  • Truly Indian Indian Street Wraps

Dollar Tree: Free Shipping Through 12/2/25!

Abby H.

Dollar Tree is one of my favorite places to shop for goodies. They have great skin care dupes, their Bath Bombs are very good, and they have great sugar-free drink mixes.

Now through 12/2/25, you can score free shipping with promo code NOFEEWISH at checkout. Dollar Tree’s website is perfect for those of us who are making gift baskets or stuffing stockings.

If you follow Dollar Tree Dinners on Social Media and are making her meal kits to donate, this coupon code is a great way to have all the supplies delivered to you!

I am making stockings for the kids at my work who receive the weekend food backpacks, so this coupon code will come in handy! I’ve got all kinds of ideas, and this coupon code will save me time and money. I can do all my shopping online at Dollar Tree’s website, and it will be shipped to my door.

If you aren’t sure what to buy at Dollar Tree, check out my post here with my Top Ten Grocery Items from Dollar Tree!

 

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, 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 can be assured that it’s genuinely 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.

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.