free stuff

Food As Medicine Initiative: Free Food with Medi-Cal

Abby H.

In California, those who have Medi-Cal may be eligible to receive free food delivered to their home if they have certain health conditions.

Several programs partner with Medi-Cal that deliver pre-cooked meals or fresh fruits and veggies. To qualify, check with each program listed below. Each program has its own perimeters and availability.

The following programs appear to be available throughout Southern California. I recommend verifying that they are available in your county.

To find out about the Food is Medicine movement and medically tailored meals, I recommend checking out the California Food is Medicine Coalition and the California Department of Health Services website here.

If you have questions, it’s best to contact your Medi-Cal provider, as they know all of the details of your specific plan.

If you need help finding free or low-cost food resources near you, check out my page here.

It’s back! 7/11 is Free Slurpee Day!

Abby H.

July 11, 2025 marks a special day for 7/11!  Tastebuds across the country are in for a treat on Friday, July 11 (7/11), when the world’s largest convenience retailer celebrates its 98th birthday by offering a free small Slurpee drink at participating 7-Eleven®, Speedway® and Stripes® locations nationwide ( *Valid only on 7/11/25. Available while supplies last. Offer good at participating 7-Eleven, Stripes and Speedway stores. ©2025 7-Eleven, Inc. All rights reserved.).

And it gets better!  Loyalty members  (download the 7/11 app and sign up for the loyalty club) can keep the celebration going all month long by scanning their rewards information on Slurpee Day to get a coupon for another free small Slurpee drink to redeem before July 31- Valid 7/12/25-7/31/25. Limit 1 per customer.

Talk back: What is your favorite Slurpee flavor? I love a frosty Coke Slurpee, but any citrus flavor is a close second.

Earn Cashback Shopping at Walmart with OnePay!

Abby H.

Have you heard of OnePay?

I learned about OnePay recently at Walmart, of all places!

If you’ve shopped in a Walmart store recently, you know that they don’t accept Apple Pay or Google Wallet.  However, they do take OnePay. OnePay wallet is a digital wallet that offers 3% cash back rewards at Walmart (up to $150 spent with your debit card per month, with eligible deposits. Cashback earned as points).  That cashback can be transferred to your linked cards.

OnePay is great if you don’t have really great credit. They offer a credit builder that allows you to build your credit, and there are no fees. Through the OnePay app,  set aside a dollar a month for a year. Check your progress in the app, build your credit history, and you get your money back at the end of the year!

OnePay is a financial technology company; it’s not a bank. Bank services are provided by Coastal Community Bank or Lead Bank, both members FDIC. And right now, if you’ve never opened a OnePay account, you can click the link here and open an account, and you’ll earn $50 within the first 45 days. All you have to do is click the link here, open an account, and unlock cash plus in the first 45 days. This offer is good until 7/31/2025. And the fine print can be found here.

When I signed up for OnePay I got $50 cash back too. And it is currently transferring its way into my bank account. And I also get text messages from them when there are extra bonus point deals at Walmart. And I’m not shopping at Walmart often, but if I can earn points or cashback if I need to shop there, it’s definitely a bonus.

This post contains affiliate links,  For more information about the use of affiliate links and partnerships, visit my disclosure page. 

 

July 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 offers available now:

  •  Gluten-Free Pasta by GOODLES
  • Organic Kombucha by Humm Kombucha
  • Mental Performance Shots by Magic Mind
  • Gluten-Free Cookies by Schär
  • Gorgie Sparkling Energy Drinks
  • Crumbled Tajín Feta Cheese by Athenos
  • Electrolyte Refreshers by Leisure Hydration

Nothing Bundt Cake: BOGO Bundtlets this Week Only!

Abby H.

This awesome offer appeared in my inbox, and it’s too good not to share. Check your email to see if you received this offer too!

Now through Sunday, 6/29/2025, when you buy one bundlet in-store or online (not through the app) for in-store pick up, you can get one free with the coupon code BOGOJUN25. This offer is valid at select locations only. Double-check when ordering online to see if this is honored at your local store.

If you want to shop in-store, you’ll need the barcode from the email.

Oh, and don’t forget when you are in the store to ask about their Books and Bundts summer reading program. Your kids can earn free cake by reading this summer.

For other summer reading freebies, check out my post here.

Free Frazil Fridays in June!

Abby H.

Free Frazil Friday is tomorrow!

Every Friday in June, you can score a free Frazil Slushy drink at a convenience store near you. To find your local participating location, click the link here.

 

There are lots of locations in Southern California- in fact I found two close to Legoland, which is where the kids and I are going tomorrow!

 

 

7/11/2025 All-Inclusive Day of Play & Resource Fair!

Abby H.

It’s time again for the All Inclusive Day of Play & Resource Fair on Friday, July 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Miramar Hourglass Recreation Center – 10440 Black Mountain Road, San Diego, CA 92126.

All activities and resources are available free of charge and open to the public.

Kids of all abilities will love this event, brought to you by the Special Needs Resource Foundation. Below is just a glimpse of what to expect:

Activity stations

  • Prizes
  • Crafts
  • Character meet and greets
  • Family resources 
  • Networking
  • Shopping
  • Games
  • Free parking 

 

Sign up to join us for this amazing day of inclusivity.

Activity stations for kids include favorites: Olaf Snowball Toss, Pokémon Scavenger Hunt, Super Wheelchair Awareness Course, Super Hero City Speedway, Crown-a-Polooza, and more!

Character meet and greets: Say hello to Princess Ariel and other beloved characters at this fun-filled event that the family will love.

Family resources and networking: Resource and service providers will be on-site to speak with parents and offer helpful information. Be sure to pick up a copy of Flourishing Families at our Special Needs Resource Foundation booth.

ShopAble Bazaar: Stop by to browse and buy amazing products and valuable services from business owners with disabilities.

Sensory Time: From 11 to 11:30 a.m., families who need a quieter environment can enjoy the event with just one opening announcement and no music.

June 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 offers available now:

  • Gluten-Free Whipped Feta by Athenos
  • Neuro+ Smoothie Blends by Brainac Foods
  • Swirl Smoothie Bowls by Pitaya Foods
  • Mental Performance Shots by Magic Mind
  • Gorgie Sparkling Energy Drinks

2025 Summer Reading Programs!

Abby H.1 Comment

Summer break from school means summer reading programs from the local library systems, plus a few other places.

At the time of the publication of this post, the City of San Diego has not officially posted their information, however, I spoke to a librarian at a city library, and they said it would be almost identical to the program offered in years past.  For more information on prior years’ program and prizes, click here.

Here are a few of our favorite summer reading programs. Unless specifically stated, the programs start on June 1st.

Book It has a summer program where kids can read and earn free personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut! Book It is the FAVORITE reading program in my house. parents can enroll their kids for the summer! All logging of reading and prizes is now done on an app. Learn more here.

The County of San Diego Library summer reading program started June 1st. They have all sorts of prizes for kids and adults.

If you want your family to experience a multicultural world through reading, I  recommend PJ Library.  PJ Library sends free, award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture to families with children from birth through 12 years old.

My kids love learning about faraway places and experiences different from their own. The PJ library books have opened their eyes to new holidays, customs, and ways of life.

Read Conmigo provides free books for kids by mail in Spanish and English to children ages preschool to fifth grade. They are only available to kids in CA, TX, and Florida. We used to receive the books, and they are ok, but my kids aren’t interested in learning Spanish. The books were super useful for me learning to read in Spanish (Beyond what Duolingo teaches).

Barnes and Noble has a summer reading program starting July 1st. More info here.

Dolly Parton has established the Imagination Library, it is available in select regions, and those who live in participating areas can receive one book for their kids every month via mail.

Many of you have told me about Nothing Bundt Cake’s reading program. Books & Bundts is their youth reading program for pre-K through elementary students that celebrates the joy of reading. It’s easy and free with delicious results. Contact your local bakery to see if they are participating and to learn more.

If your kids like Chuck E. Cheese, this offer is great!  When they read every day for two weeks, they can fill out and turn in this calendar for 10 free play points!

 

5/3/25 Weekly Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

This weekend is starting off right! Getting housework done, blog posts written, and of course- drinking a big iced coffee!

I’ve updated my list of freebies for birthdays in 2025, which you can find here.

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

Let’s get onto the Freebies!!

FREE RESCUE! Pest Control Party Pack
FREE Bulgari Allegra Fragrance Samples
FREE Sample of Cesar Warm Bowls Dog Food
FREE Ionvac Hand Vacuum Cleaner at Walmart After Cash Back
FREE Sample of Redken Naked Gloss Lightweight Shine Oil
FREE Petmate Chuckit! at Walmart Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Craving Cheesecake Donut at Krispy Kreme
FREE Fragrance Samples from Macy’s
FREE Sample of Lunar Hot Sauce
FREE Chocolate Dipped Fruit Cone at Edible Arrangements
FREE Sample of Sheba Selections Filets Cat Food
FREE Sample of Erborian CC Creme
Unlock Your Wellness Journey with Free Nutrition Samples: Try Before You Buy
FREE Salonpas Lidocaine FLEX Patch Sample
FREE Pet Travel Water Bottle & Food Container
FREE Movie Ticket to Fight or Flight
FREE 4pk of Mother’s Day Greeting Cards & Poise Liners
FREE Sample of Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen Lotion
FREE Sample of Carol’s Daughter Goddess Strength Curl Restoration Concentrate
FREE Sample of Narrow Gate Coffee
FREE Fiona Grey Beer Drunk Glory Days Koozie

 

Deals:

Kate Spade Leila Medium Crossbody ONLY $59 (Reg $299)
PROfit Handheld Massage Gun ONLY $34.99 (Reg $75)
NEW Smashburger Coupon! 50% Off Shakes Every Friday from 2–5pm
Save Up to 70% Off on Clearance Items at JCPenney – Prices From $1.99
SKIMS Discount Codes & Coupons: Up to 60% Off an Order of Panties, Bras and Shapewear