easy

Earn Cashback and Gift Cards with Swagbucks!

Abby H.

Join Swagbucks!
You Can Get Free Gift Cards For Shopping, Searching and Discovering What’s Online at Swagbucks.com

Swagbucks is a great way to earn cashback and giftcards when you search, shop, or play online.

And right now, you can refer friends and earn $5!

Screen Shot 2016-12-13 at 9.49.35 AM.png

Have you ever heard of Swagbucks? They’re a completely free, no strings attached site that rewards you for all of the things you’re already doing online. Search, Watching Videos, Playing Games, Taking Surveys, Shopping and more – as you do these activities, you’ll earn Swag Bucks, which are reward points that you can redeem for all sorts of gift cards in the Rewards Store.

You can download their toolbar or download their OS and Android apps for more opportunities to earn. Choose the activities you like or have time for – how much you earn is up to you!

I have been using the search toolbar for all of my searches and I’ve been racking up the points!

I’ve used Swagbucks Since February 2012 and so far I’ve earned over $500! In fact, I just cashed out another 2 $5.00 Amazon Gift Cards! You can do the same!

Shop and Save at Sears and K-Mart with Shop Your Way Rewards!

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2016-12-05 at 8.37.57 PM.pngI’ve written about how I’ve saved money before with Shop Your Way Rewards, and here is another great deal!

If you aren’t familiar, Shop Your Way Rewards, it’s the Club Card for Sears and K-Mart (they are owned by the same company). You accrue points for each purchase, and points can be redeemed for dollars and cents off of purchases. They also have really great coupons that you can load to your account that can be used in store or online. Frequently, they have in-store only deals.

Like right now, when you spend $40 on clothing, shoes, or accessories, you’ll receive $20 in points good on your next purchase! This deal appears to be in store only.   Lil’ Man has shot up another 3 inches almost overnight, so he was in need of pants and underwear.

Now, here’s the catch- If you have points already, you can’t redeem on this deal to lower your OOP and receive the points. If you redeem points, you cannot also take advantage of earning any bonus or additional points.  At my time of checkout, I had $7.00 in points to redeem, but if I used it, I couldn’t earn my $20 in points. So, obvi (as the kids say), I saved my $7 in points..

I bought:

Screen Shot 2016-12-05 at 8.19.05 PM.png

Screen Shot 2016-12-05 at 8.19.14 PM.pngNow I’ve got $23 and change in points to use on my next purchase.

I’ll be using those points to pick up a few holiday gifts. I am able to use Shop Your Way Rewards to stretch our family budget for clothing, shoes, and gifts.

One of the things I like about Shop Your Way Rewards is that the deals and coupons are tailored to your shopping!

You can earn more points by checking out the sweepstakes section of Shopyourway.com and enter sweepstakes. Most of the sweepstakes have an instant win section where you can win points for free!!

Points can be used at both Sears and K-Mart locations!

 

4x Fuel Rewards from Kroger Stores Giveaway #KrogGC16

Abby H.

99e045db473a78e6794c06e4b7699fb5

Most of you know that I love Ralphs, which is the Kroger affiliated store in Southern California (You can find your local Kroger affiliated store here).

Did you know that when you scan your Ralphs card at checkout you earn fuel rewards? Fuel rewards are discounts in the form of cents off at the pump at local gas stations.

Well, Kroger is sweetening the deal!!! Now through 12/13/16, when you buy any Gift Card, you will earn 4x the fuel rewards! Just in time for holiday shopping!

Gift cards make great gifts! I’ll be stocking up on a few for Lil’ Man’s teacher. She always needs Michael’s and Target Gift Cards to buy supplies for the class. Stock up on gifts now for the holidays! Gift Card Selection varies by store, but you’re bound to find more than a few that you need!

Double Dip! Some Credit cards give you extra points or cash back when you make purchases at grocery stores. Use this to your advantage! Earn Credit Card Points/Cash Back and fuel rewards! It’s a win/win!

Right now, you can enter to win a $75 Amazon Gift Card! Just in time for the holidays! Spend it on gifts, or buy yourself something nice! To enter, Click here (the widget isn’t mobile friendly)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

This is a sponsored post, thanks to Tatu Digital Media for including me on this awesome offer and giveaway! All opinions are my own!

Help kids play with Ikea’s Let’s Play for Change!

Abby H.

play_for_changeIf you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you saw all of my crazy posts this morning from Ikea San Diego. A group of bloggers (and our kids) enjoyed breakfast in their cafe and learned out Ikea’s winter Good Cause Campaign, Let’s Play for Change, which highlights the benefits of play for all Children.

Honestly, the best part of being a kid is free time to play and learn. Children learn through play: social skills, emotional development, and so much more. Anyone shopping for the holidays at Ikea stores world wide can help the cause! For every children’s book and toy sold through November 20- December 24, 2016, the IKEA Foundation will make a donation of €1 (that’s about $1.10 USD) to projects in some of the poorest communities in the world. And you can help twice- Each store has a drop box where you can drop off purchased toys. If you buy toys at Ikea, that’s a double dip for the cause!

You can learn about the campaign by watching the video:

Ikea has partnered with Handicap International Federation, Room to Read, Save the Children, Special Olympics, UNICEF, and War Child. You can learn more about the Ikea Foundation by visiting their website.

And if you hasn’t visited Ikea lately, check out their awesome Ikea Family savings card! It’s free to sign up and you score all kinds of great deals and perks every day!

screen-shot-2016-11-20-at-3-50-18-pmIn addition to those perks, you score family only prices on tons of items each month. It’s definitely worth signing up. It’s free and easy to do.

Give the Gift of love each month with GrandBox!

Abby H.

It’s hard to buy gifts for Grandma and Grandpa. What do you buy for someone who has everything or limited space?  You only need so many sweaters, boxes of candy, or books…. right?

GrandBox is the original monthly subscription box customized and curated specifically for seniors 65 and up. It’s the perfect gift to bring a smile to the older loved ones in your life.

GrandBox, the subscription box for the ones who cared about you. Order yours now for the Holiday Season!

My readers get to save!
GrandBox perfect Holiday Gift for your loved ones! Save on your first purchase! Check out their website and save!

I think this would also be a great gift idea for those other older relatives that you may not be able to visit often due to distance. I know my Great-Grandmother would have loved to receive a box with a small snack or gift each month and photos of my brother and I!

I’ll have some feedback (fingers crossed) from a loved one to share soon. Who will receive it… SHHHH!! It’s a secret!

 

 

 

@usfg

Family Recipe: Marinated Salad

Abby H.2 Comments

6f6a6154-1This salad is a  favorite at our house. Because of it’s simplicity, it’s great to take to potlucks too! It would be a great addition to any holiday feast table.  It’s Vegan, Gluten Free, Low Carb, Paleo compatible!  No excuses- Give it a shot!

Marinated Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Mural of Flavor
  • 1 t. granulated garlic
  • 1 t. granulated onion
  • 2 large cucumbers, sliced into coins
  • 3 large tomatoes, sliced (your choice of variety)

Directions:

  1. Mix the vinegar, oil, and spices in a small bowl, set aside.
  2. Place the veggies in a large bowl.
  3. Slowly drizzle the dressing mixture over the veggies and toss lightly to coat. Cover bowl (I use a bowl like this one) and store in the fridge for 4-12 hours before serving- this allows the flavors to mingle. The salad can be stored for up to 4 days.

Sliced fresh mushrooms are also great additions to the salad, as are drained, rinsed canned artichoke hearts. If you aren’t concerned about it being vegan, adding 1/2 cup of cubed Monterey Jack cheese is tasty too!

Score Free Makeup and more from L’Oreal USA

Abby H.

I’ve posted before about how I score so much cool frees tuff, but I wanted to update and share about one program: L’Oreal USA.

The makeup Giant wants women from across the United States 18+ to join and take surveys on products, daily skin care regimens, and test new products. When you take 5 surveys, you are eligible to receive a full sized L’oreal product (Of their choice)! They also do consumer product testing. They send you a product, you test it and complete a survey.

I recently completed a product survey. They mailed me products which I tested over a period of a month, then I completed a survey about the products I tested. The product surveys are long- they take about 20 minutes to complete, but, you get to try awesome new products, and as a than you, L’Oreal sends you some pretty sweet goodies.

Here is what I got as my thank you gift yesterday in the mail:

img_9874It may not look like a lot, but these three products have a value of about $90.00!

Lancome Large Shadow Brush $29.50
Lancome Color Design Eyeshadow Palette in Mauve Cherie $50.00
Maybelline Brow Drama $8.50

 

I’ve been part of their survey panel for about 10 years, and I’ve done four in home product tests. They can be hard to get into, however, the products you test are top quality, and the thank you gifts are pretty great!

And if you’re curious about why I got Lancome products, here is a list of companies that L’Oreal USA owns.

Save with These Make Ahead Breakfasts!

Abby H.3 Comments

file000369727419
Everyone loves something easy. And I like something healthy too. So when I can find food that’s easy to prep and healthy, I’m in! I love doing breakfast prep once a week. It keeps us out of the drive thru, and that helps our bottom line.

As part of the Pinterest Generation, I’ve seen and tried TONS of make ahead/batch cooked breakfasts. All with little success (not fails, really, but nothing that I’m super excited to try again or share). Here are two favorites at our house:

screen-shot-2016-09-29-at-10-22-04-pmIt seriously doesn’t get any easier!

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages of 8 count Sausage links (I used Farmer John)
  • 2 tubes 8 count biscuit dough (I scored a 2 pack at 99 Cents Only)

Directions:

  1. Cook and drain sausage links per package directions. Set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  3. Open biscuit dough package and roll out biscuits until flat.
  4. Place sausage on flattened biscuit, roll up dough, encasing sausage.
  5. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire baking rack.
  6. Once cool, store in zip top bag or container with a snap top lid. Can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, but really, they won’t last that long.

Makes 16 rolls.

Add a cuppa Joe and you’ve got a quick, filling breakfast.

And if you prefer to start your day with fruit and something rich and creamy, check out our parfait recipe (it’s seriously a no-brainer!)
screen-shot-2016-09-29-at-10-39-06-pm Inspired by my love of the McDonald’s parfaits.  I’m serious, since they changed over to Greek yogurt, my mouth waters every time I glance at the Golden Arches. You can make your own at home in just a few minutes!

I make a batch once a week! I use Ball canning jars (like these) that originally had home made jam in them (thanks Mom!), but you can use whatever jars or reusable containers you have on hand.

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 cups frozen fruit- I like berries, but feel free to use whatever is on sale or you have on hand. Skip melon, mango, banana, or pineapple- You may find them frozen, but they won’t taste very good or have a good texture in this recipe.
  • 1 large carton Vanilla Greek Yogurt (it’s about 4 cups)
  • Honey, if desired

Directions:

  1. In each container, pour in 1/4 cup yogurt.
  2. Top yogurt with 1/2 cup frozen fruit.
  3. Repeat layer of 1/4 cup yogurt. Drizzle with honey, if desired.
  4. place a few pieces of fruit on top, gently pressing down into the yogurt if needed.
  5. Screw on lid and refrigerate.

Makes 6-8, depending on sizes of jar and type of fruit used. If you need “crunchies” on your parfait, individually portion out 1 cup of cereal and stash them in the cupboard. I use the snack sized bags like these and portion out cereal, then put the portions in a tub like this one. It lives on the counter. No more cereal mysteriously being eaten in one sitting. Really, who is going to open a bunch of little bags into a big bowl and pig out?

Another tip I have for you is: Set up your coffee maker before you go to bed. For those with a classic coffee maker, it’ll just be a quick flip of the switch to get your coffee fix. We have two French Presses, I set them up at night, one I fill with cool water and steep over night to make iced coffee in the morning for myself. I prep the other with grounds and fill the Tea Kettle for a hot pot in the AM for the Mister.

I turn on the stove in the AM and in less than 10 minutes, he has a steaming cuppa Joe and I am already on my second iced coffee!

 

Talk back: What is your go-to frugal breakfast?

Recipe: Crockpot Shredded Chicken

Abby H.1 Comment

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 1.51.25 PMThis is a total time saver! I do this twice a month. It really saves time when it’s time to cook dinner. And on those days when you are just going going going, it’s nice to know that you’ve got something easy and tasty waiting for you!

It’s so easy, All you need is a crockpot, a food scale, and two forks!

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs of chicken, whatever is on sale (I used chicken breasts- bone-in with skin)
  • 1 c. broth or water
  • Seasoning to taste- I use a little dehydrated onion ( I like this one from Penzey’s), a little garlic powder, and a little pepper.

Directions:

  1. Cook in the crockpot on low 6-8 hours. Allow to cool.
  2. Shred it with a fork (removing bones and skin).
  3. Grab ziploc bags (I like the snack size ones), our Digital Kitchen Scale, and a glass bowl. I use a measuring cup to scoop the meat (and juices) into the glass bowl, but I am measuring by weight.  The measuring cup is just my scooping tool of choice.
  4. Place the glass bowl on the scale, then turn the scale on- I only want to weight the food, not the glass bowl.
  5. After I weigh the chicken (into 4 ounce portions), I pour it into a snack size ziploc bag, seal it (and squeeze out the air), and put them in the freezer.

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 1.55.43 PM Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 1.55.58 PMThen when it’s time to make quesadillas, chef salad, or pretty much any time we want chicken (Hubs like to top his frozen entrees, like this one with a little bit of chicken for added protein), just grab a bag and defrost it in the microwave!

Frequently, I’ll get a larger Ziploc bag and measure out 2 cups- this is just enough for a casserole. Just defrost, mix in the other ingredients and cook!

I also like to make and portion out ground turkey cooked with black beans and fajita blend frozen veggies flavored with Taco Seasoning. It’s great on salads, quesadillas, or in chicken broth for a quick tortilla soup!

 

Earn Money while you Save Energy with Ohm Connect!

Abby H.7 Comments

Screen Shot 2016-08-03 at 5.02.27 PM For those of us in Southern California, we know the pain of summer. Heat over 100 degrees more days than not, wild fires caused in part by droughts, and lets not forget those fun rolling brown outs. That’s when the power goes out unexpectedly because demand on the power grid is too great.

Lots of us converse power, my family included. Partially because we are frugal, and partially because it’s a good thing to save resources. Now those of us with Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas and Electric can earn some green in our pocket while conserving power.

Enter Ohm Connect! They work with the electricity market and the three power companies listed above to reward users for conserving electricity! I signed up about a month ago, after reading more about Ohm Connect here (it will answer all of your questions. Trust me, I am totally skeptical of stuff that sounds too good to be true).

And to prove to you that, yes, you will earn money even when it’s over 100 degrees outside, here is a screen shot from my account showing that I just cashed out $43.63 (They give you an extra $5 if you post it on your FaceBook wall too!). I took the payment via Paypal. I should have the money shortly.

Screen Shot 2016-08-03 at 4.57.30 PM

So why not give it a shot? You’ve got nothing to lose! And who knows, maybe you’ll be cashing out sums larger than $43 soon!

 

**Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you click on links or make purchases. However, I only post about stuff that I like and use for my family.