free

9/2/2022 Friday Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

This week has been really hot here in San Diego, and across the southwest. If you need a cool place to go in San Diego County, check out the list of Offical Cool Zones here.

It’s going to be hot all weekend. We’ll be having a lot of time indoors watching movies, and late-night swim sessions.

Mask Mandates are changing constantly in California and can vary by city and county, so please do your part if you are going to any in-person freebies.

2022 Birthday Freebies are here!

Freebies

Free Food & Drinks at Circle K
Free Hot Dog at Rural King
Free Starbucks BAYA Energy Drink
Sephora – Free Laura Mercier, amika, Tatcha or Ilia Mini Set
Free The Body Shop Mango Body Butter
Free DIY Horse Craft Kit at Joann
Free Yachak Organic Plant-Based Energy Drink
Free Headspace Access for Educators
Free Tasty Bite Entree at Target
Free Sweet Chaos Fall Snacking Party Pack
Ulta – Free DryBar Prep Rally Detangler for Your Birthday
Verizon Up Rewards – Free Screen Protector
Free L’Oreal Le Color Gloss Sample
Panera Members – Free Bagel Everyday in September
Free Signature Select Pizza at Safeway
Free Museum Admission – Bank of America/Merril Lynch Cardholders
Free RID Super Max Children’s Lice Treatment Kits
Free Redbox DVD Rental

Free Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition PC Game

Deals

Womens Adidas Slides ONLY $24 (Reg. $80)
Stella McCartney Adidas Shoe ONLY $82.80 (Reg. $230)
Coach Makeup Case ONLY $51 (Reg. $150)
Coach Zip Card Case ONLY $34.64 (Reg. $128)
Coach Zak Flip Flops ONLY $16.15 (Reg. $58)
Bliss Facial Masks ONLY $0.94 (Reg $4.19)
Farmhouse Drawer Dresser ONLY $224 (Reg. $360)
Ninja Nutri-Blender ONLY $19.99 at Walmart (Reg $40) 50% Off
Tired of Missing HOT Free Samples? Get Text Alerts
Pajama Set ONLY $10.79 (Reg. $27)
Women’s Cardigan ONLY $7.74 (Reg. $31)
Kid’s Bento Lunch Box ONLY $16 (Reg. $30)
BP Short Pajama Set ONLY $17.15 (Reg. $50)
Steve Madden Booties ONLY $60 (Reg. $140)

Free Food Resources for September 2022 (San Diego County)

Abby H.

Woo! A new month means a reminder about all of the free food options there is here in San Diego County.

Keep in mind there are still supply chain issues, so there may not be a lot of food at some distributions, especially those that serve a large portion of the community.

I recommend showing up a little early with a bottle of water and a book and waiting in line. Time passes quickly in these lines, and it’s a great time to learn from others about community food options. Remember to socially distance and follow local masking regulations.

You can find resources here for Central and East County, and Here for North County.

Our friends at Faith Chapel are super ahead of the game and sent out information regarding their 2022 food distributions early on in the year.

If you are located outside San Diego County, call 211. If you are not familiar with 211, here is their website and it can point you in the right direction.

San Diego Food Bank Distributions for September 2022 can be found here. Enter your address (or just your zip code) and the map will show you all of the distributions in your area or closest to you. You can filter by the days of the week to find food when you are available. If there is an income requirement/limit to participate, each location/listing will say such. You can learn more here about the Feeding San Diego Together Tour.

Neighbor distributions are intermixed with the San Diego Food Bank Distributions, however, they have no income requirements, and you come as you are. These Distributions are primarily fruits & veg, however, some locations may also distribute canned goods, dairy, and bread.

If you know of other resources, please leave a comment! And feel free to share this post with anyone you may know in need.

September Sprouts Farmers Market Monthly Freebies!

Abby H.

Sprouts is hooking us up and helping us stay healthy! Every month on the Sprouts app in the Digital Coupon section, there are between 4-6 free items (they are marked “SAMPLING PROGRAM”).

Quantities are limited on the app, so if you are interested in any of these, I recommend that you add these coupons (by opening the Sprouts app, click on digital coupons, and click on each coupon in the lower corner where the little green circle is) to your app ASAP.

Not all Sprouts locations will have these freebies, so I suggest trying larger Sprouts locations in your area.

These are full-sized freebies- not small sample-sized products. they are located in the store with the other products of the same type.

Not all accounts will receive all the same products.

NEW Rubio’s Rewards

Abby H.

Introducing the NEW Rubio’s Rewards program, where you can earn points with every purchase and redeem them for free food.

  • $5 off your first order
  • 10 points for every $1 spent in the restaurant, in the app or online
  • Earn bonus points throughout the year
  • Special birthday surprises
  • Insider access to new products
  • Fast grab-and-go ordering

NEW XBOX REWARDS are at IHOP!

Abby H.

This slid into my inbox this morning, and while we don’t have an Xbox or eat at IHOP too often, I thought this was definitely worth sharing.

IHOP has teamed up with Xbox* to bring deliciousness to gaming. Join the rewards program, the International Bank of Pancakes, and earn PanCoins to redeem cool rewards including:

  • Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1-month trial code
  • Grounded full game download code
  • Forza Horizon 5 Premium Add-Ons bundle code

 

Tryazon: Another New Exploding Kittens Game!

Abby H.

We’ve been participating in Tryazon events for three+ years. We’ve gotten to try all sorts of fun toys, games, and food.  You can learn more about Tryazon here.

Exploding Kittens is back again with another Tryazon Featured Party opportunity! Introducing Hand to Hand Wombat, a totally unique take on classic social deduction games. Players work together in teams with their eyes closed to either repair or sabotage three stacks of square towers before time runs out. The goal is to earn points, figure out who’s working against you, and get opposing players out of the game before it’s too late!

Tryaon Has 250 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive a party pack with a Hand-to-Hand Wombat game and other extras to share with friends and family! Learn more and apply here.

Free Covid-19 Test Kits: Order Before 9/2/2022!

Abby H.

The federal government will cease providing free COVID-19 kits on 9/2/2022, as there will no longer be federal funding. Learn more at COVID.gov/tests.

However, in the meantime, Residential households in the U.S. are now eligible for another order of free at-home tests on USPS.com. Here’s what you need to know about your order:

  • Each order now includes 8 rapid antigen COVID-19 tests (FDA has more details about at-home tests, including extended shelf life and updated expiration dates: Authorized At-Home Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests)
  • Your order of 8 tests will come in 2 separate packages (4 tests in each package), each with its own tracking number
  • Packages will ship free

It’s easy to sign up for free kits. Order your free kits here. We ordered ours, and we test when we have been exposed, even though we are all vaccinated and boosted. COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere, and we need to do what we can to protect ourselves and our communities.

Frugal Tips for Quality Skin Care

Abby H.
My skincare routine

I love good skincare products. Quality ingredients, no fillers, and botanicals and natural ingredients that are clinically proven to heal and nourish the skin.

These types of products can be really expensive. Here are a few tips for saving big bucks on quality skincare:

CVS sells Dermalogica, Vichy, La Roche Posay, Murad, and other Spa/luxury brands. If you are a CarePass member, you’ll score a $10 ExtraCare Bucks each month. Learn more about the CarePass program here. 

Also, CVS sends out 30% off coupons once a quarter. You can combine these coupons with any ExtraCare Bucks you might have.

I have been saving up my Fetch Rewards for CVS Gift Cards, which I combine with coupons and ExtraCare bucks to lower any out-of-pocket I may have.

CVS also has a Beauty Club, where you earn gifts and discounts when you shop.

FYI- CVS’s online selection varies from their in-store product availability.

Looking for some free stuff? I sample and review skincare products through several review programs:

  • Bzzagent- I’ve been a member for about 15-ish years. You can sign up here, and they’ll email you when they have products that might fit your needs.
  • Influenster- They partner with brands and expect you to share your samples (called voxboxes) on your socials and report back. It can be a lot of work, but they frequently send full-size luxury brand products (Charlotte Tillbury and Laura Mercier for example).
  • And to a lesser extend Smiley360, they mostly have cleaning supplies and house-type stuff, but sometimes they have skincare or cosmetics available. It’s like Infuenster.

You can find out more about these social sharing/Word of Mouth marketing companies where I get a lot of my free skincare products here.

If you are looking for a list of my favorite skincare products and tools, I’ve compiled an Amazon List here.

 

8/29/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThe first week of school was great! The kids are glad to be back on schedule, and seeing their friends has made the beginning of the school year easier.

I went to the grocery store yesterday and got everything for this week plus a few extra things that were on sale for the pantry.

No CSA boxes until the weather cools down and I can be home when the boxes are delivered. With the heat and the lack of shade on my patio, if we aren’t home when it’s delivered, some of the more delicate foods can spoil.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods. I received a few more coupons over the weekend, so I’ll visit Sprouts sometime this week to pick up the new foods. I’m focusing on snacks and treats from Social Nature.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. This is really helpful for the summer when for some reason, kids are starving all the time.

Dinner: I’ve got a couple casseroles/freezer meals this week, and other than that we’re eating easy and quick stuff so I can spend time playing, coloring, building legos, and swimming, which is the plan for the week.

  • Monday: Chicken nuggets, Buttered noodles, fruit, cheese & crackers

  • Tuesday:  Marinated Salad, Rice-a-roni, crescent rolls

  • Wednesday: Lemon herbed chicken, salad, pita, hummus

  • Thursday:  Ravioli with pesto sauce, roasted vegetables

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday:  Omelets, sourdough toast, fruit

Weekly Freebies and Deals!

Abby H.

I was so busy yesterday that I forgot to post my usual Friday Freebies and Deals yesterday.

Between back to school and back to my part time job, it’s been a whirlwind week!

Mask Mandates are changing constantly in California and can vary by city and county, so please do your part if you are going to any in-person freebies.

2022 Birthday Freebies are here!

Freebies

Free Manly Ring Sizer
Free Pair of Altra Running Shoes
Free Black Box Wines Hat, Wine Glasses & More
Free Plush Dog
Free Beetology Organic Juice at Select Stores
Free Gain Fireworks Scent Boosters at Select Stores
My Bath & Body Works – Free Products, Coupons & More
Free Week of Classes at CorePower Yoga
Free Sample of WowButter Creamy Peanut Free Toasted Soy Spread
Free IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Sample
Verizon Up Rewards – 4 Free Movie Tickets
Free NARS Product
Free Moonshot Organic Crackers
Free Happy Hippo Kratom Sample
Free It’s My Big Big Baby
Free Bob’s Red Mill Baking Flour
Free Watercolor Bookmark Craft Event at Michaels
Free Sample of CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser
Free Set of CWPPRA Postcards
Possible Free Hasbro Toys
Free Dior J’Adore Parfum D’eau Sample
SampleSource – Free Plant Boss Southwest Plant Taco Crumbles
Free Bestway Fall Pool Party Pack
Huggies Rewards Free 4000pts for an Amazon Gift Card
Free $25 Marine Layer Credit
Free Downy Unstopables & Tide Pods at Sam’s
Free Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream Sample
Free Single Scoop Cone at Stewart’s Shops
Free Sugru or Tesa Glue & Tape
Free Cirque du Soleil 60 Minute Specials
Free Crayola Adult Coloring Pages
Free Ring of Pain PC Game

 

Deals

Disney Frozen 12-Piece Kids Nail Polish ONLY $8.99 (Reg $18)
Kate Spade Bracelet Bundle ONLY $35 (Reg $98)
Little Tikes Frog Pond Water Table ONLY $37 (Reg $60)
American Tourister Minnie Mouse Carry-On ONLY $69.99 (Reg $140)
Mainstays 5-Piece Patio Dining Set ONLY $116 (Reg $285)
Coleman Ultra Thick Insulation Soft Cooler ONLY $14.88 (Reg $35)
Buddy Biscuits Boosters Dog Treats ONLY $3.42 (Reg $8)