11/8/25 Weekly Freebies and Deals

I’ve got freebies and deals this week! There is a pretty good selection to choose from.

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

For free food resources, please refer to my comprehensive list, available here. It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

 

Freebies:

Deals:

The Children’s Place: Up to 70% Off Entire Site + 20% Off Coupon
Ultimate List for Where to Get Grocery Coupons
3-Piece Comforter Sets as Low as $23.93 (Reg $80)
Matching Family Pajamas From $10 at Target
Grab These Best Shoe Deals on Sale For Women, Men & Kids, Up to 60% Off
Kohl’s Clearance Sale is at 70% Off – Deals as low as Only $1.00
Christmas Inflatables as low as $9.86 Shipped at Walmart

Enjoy Reading Magazines? Magazines No Credit Card Required!

I love reading, and I love magazines, but they are so expensive. bPerx has a treat for all of us!

Once I’m done reading them, I collect them for a friend who does collages as part of her therapy practice. These magazines are perfect for collages too!

Ready to Claim Your Magazine Gifts? We just need a little info to get your gifts ready. No credit card required. The following subscriptions are gifts from bPerx.

Fine Print: US only, not available for Minnesota addresses. Users must be of age 18+ with a valid USA postal address and a valid email address.

I’ll be posting more offers like this as I find them!

 

Holiday Feast for 10 from Aldi for $40 (Plus $10 off)

Thanksgiving is coming up, and even if you don’t celebrate it,  this is a pretty good deal to fill your pantry or the pantry of someone you know.

Aldi, my favorite grocery store as of late, has a pretty amazing deal, and with Instacart store pickup, it’s even sweeter.

For $40, you can buy the following to create a tasty feast, or honestly, several great meals. I see ingredients that would make a few meals and hearty dishes, besides the usual holiday feast.

  • Whole Turkey
  • Chicken Broth
  • Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • Evaporated Milk
  • Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
  • Miniature Marshmallows
  • Cut Green Beans (x2)
  • 100% Pure Canned Pumpkin
  • Shells & Cheese (x2)
  • Brown Gravy Mix (x3)
  • Poultry Spices & Herbs
  • French Fried Onions
  • Pie Crust
  • Chicken or Cornbread Stuffing (x2)
  • Whipped Dairy Topping
  • Yellow Onions (3 lbs.)
  • Baby Peeled Carrots
  • Celery
  • Cranberries
  • Sweet Potatoes (3 lbs.)
  • Russet Potatoes (10 lbs.)

All of this is about $40 at your local Aldi. If you use Instacart store pickup through the Instacart app, you’ll save yourself about an hour of shopping (maybe a little more), and the groceries will be packed and loaded into your car for only $3.99

If you are new to Instacart, I’ve got a deal for you! Get $10 off your first Instacart order! Use my code AHEWES1A5 at checkout!  Terms apply.

And yes, if you have any remaining SNAP/EBT benefits available to you, there is no pickup fee.

Earn Money with Verasight!

I’ve been a member of Verasight for a few years now. I’m not sure how I got turned onto it; it was probably an email I received.

Verasight is a little different than other survey sites.

  • You cash out only in $10 increments.
  • Rewards are available via PayPal, Venmo, or Gift Cards. I always take Venmo.
  • You only receive an email when there is a survey for you to take.
  • 90% of the time, you are pre-qualified to take the survey. You will not spend time filling out a survey only to be denied or told you don’t qualify.
  • There is no referral program.

It doesn’t take much to redeem a reward. Most surveys are 500-1000 points and take less than 10 minutes to complete. For every 10 surveys you complete, you receive a 1000-point ($1.00) bonus.

I recently cashed out a $10 reward, and now I’m 1/3 of the way to my next reward with a 3300-point balance.

Verasight is definately a quick way to earn a little extra cash.

 

 

Weekend Freebie/Deal Round up!

We had a power outage that lasted most of the day, so while this was written at the wee hours of the morning, I wasn’t able to post it until now.

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

For free food resources, please refer to my comprehensive list, available here. It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

Freebies:

FREE Clean Skin Club Face Towels, FREE Wondershop Ornament, FREE Dealworthy Cable Clips & More for Target Circle 360 Members

FREE Excavator Workshop at Home Depot

FREE Salonpas Lidocaine FLEX Patch Sample

FREE Meals at Taco John’s to Those Impacted by the Government Shutdown

FREE $35 Purchase at Target After Cash Back

FREE 30-Day Supply of MIRANEST Jelly Sticks for Dogs – a $120 Value

We Rounded Up Our Favorite Free Samples for Women

FREE Sample of 5-in-1 Kid’s Immune Support Gummies

FREE Full-Size BONKERS Surprise Dog Treats and Dog Toy

FREE $30 Purchase at Sephora After Cash Back

FREE With You in Every Season: 2026 Unity Calendar

1 of 4 FREE CeraVe Samples

FREE Medium Fries at McDonalds – Every Friday

FREE Holiday Magic Events at Target

FREE Tru Earth Fresh Clean Starter Pack

Free Full-Size Products from Home Tester Club

Claim Cash in the $4 Million TreeHouse Foods Frozen Waffles Class Action Settlement\

Deals:

Subway BOGO Deal: Buy 1, Get 1 Footlong Sub – New Subway Coupons, Footlong Desserts & Free Sandwich

Select Sephora Collection Makeup 80% Off at Kohl’s | Prices as Low as $2.80

 

I’ve Been Busy

Hey friends- I haven’t been posting much because I’ve been doing a lot of stuff away from the computer.

The holidays are soon upon us, and I’ve been stocking up on items to donate. I’ve been using the CVS app to find the best deals and the best way to get the most bang for my buck when it comes to my monthly $10 Extra Care Pass rewards. I pay for the Extra Care Pass program annually. It has a lot of great perks, including getting my prescriptions mailed to me for free. Between that and the free $10 in-store each month, it definately pays for itself.

So far, I’ve picked up shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, and body wash, all using my October 2025 $10 reward, as well as some $4 rewards I had on my CVS account from getting the kids’ prescriptions filled.

I’ve also been taking advantage of other sales and deals at Bath & Body Works. They have a great program where you can earn free full-sized products, access to free travel-sized products, and extra percent off deals. I recently had a free full-sized product, a free travel-sized product, and an additional 25% off coupon on my account. I was able to use all three and combine the 25% off coupon with the sale on $5.95 single-wick candles. I was able to buy presents for 5 people on my holiday gift list, including stocking stuffers for the kids.

I’ve also been taking advantage of grocery sales and rebate offers through  WeStock,  Social Nature, and Aisle to pick up free and less than $1.00 groceries to fill the local blessing box and donate to the local high schools’ food pantry.

Yes, these are clown beads. Littlest Kiddo loves clowns.

And because the holidays are coming up soon, I’ve kicked up my sewing and jewelry making. I’m going through my dwindling stash of fabric and craft supplies to make gifts for people on my gift list. I’m committed not to buy any new craft or sewing supplies unless I have a gift card and a coupon, or in the case of fabric, I can find it at a thrift store. There is a distinct lack of fabric stores in my area. I recently had a credit on my Temu account, and I was able to pick up some really cool beads.

I spent a few hours yesterday making bracelets and a few Paternosters for holiday gifts, and I pulled out the sewing machine and finished up some stuff lingering in my sewing inbox. One of the items was a medieval tunic that I made from an upcycled cotton tablecloth- I picked it up at a thrift store on 50% off day. And the trim was from a bag of misc. craft supplies at the same thrift shop on another day.

And of course, I do have a full-time job outside of the house, and I’ve got my kids 90% of the time.

I’m spending a lot of weekends hanging with kids, baking, meal prepping for the week ahead, and trying to teach the cat tricks- the last one isn’t terribly successful.

So while I may not be posting here multiple times a day any more, I am out there doing frugal stuff and trying to help as many people as I am able.

 

 

10/11/25 Weekend Freebie and Deal Round-up!

The big kid and I went to an SCA event this morning, and we’re back home. I’m settling into doing some writing and getting some blog posts scheduled.

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

For free food resources, please refer to my comprehensive list, available here. It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

Freebies:

FREE Sample of EltaMD UV Clear and UV Daily Deep Tinted SPF
FREE Sample of Carol’s Daughter Goddess Strength Curl Restoration Concentrate
FREE Sample of Somni Sleep Aid Supplements
FREE Trick or Treat! Collection Donut at Krispy Kreme
FREE Fire Safety Scene Craft Kit at JCPenney
FREE $25 Purchase at Vera Bradley After Cash Back
FREE Fandango at Home Movie Rental for Xfinity Rewards Members
FREE Gamer Supps GG Energy Sample Pack
FREE Lowe’s x First Alert Fire Dalmatian Plush at Lowe’s on October 11th & 12th
FREE 16 oz. Can of PRIME Energy
FREE Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Set at Sephora After Cash Back
FREE Spray Tan at Sun Tan City
FREE Medium Fries at McDonalds – Every Friday
FREE Educational Comic Books, Activity Books, Posters & More
FREE Hill’s Pet Nutrition Dry & Wet Dog Food
FREE 6-Piece Chicken Nuggets Every Wednesday at Wendy’s
FREE HalloweeN Returns MP3 Album Download
FREE Vaseline Lip Therapy Advanced Healing Lip Balm After Walmart Cash – Up to 3
FREE Kilian Angels’ Share Fragrance Sample
FREE Drive Time 12V POWER FRESH Scent Diffuser
FREE 12-Pack of Paulaner Sunset Orange Cola
FREE Reward Every Week with Panda Express Wok Wednesday
FREE Autobrush Toothbrush & Toothpaste Set for Kids
FREE Bookmark & Pretzel at Auntie Anne’s
FREE Sample of L’Oreal Absolut Repair Molecular Mask
FREE Chip-or-Treat Reward at Chipotle Every Week Through Oct. 30th
FREE Sample of HIGHNMIGHTY Honeysuckle Face Tallow

 

Deals:

Bissell Lightweight Stick Vacuum ONLY $19.99 (Reg $35)
Up to 70% Off Kids, Baby Toys Sale at Macy’s
Best Walmart Cash Freebies and Deals This Week: Angel Soft, Downy Light and Tide Simply Detergent
Spooky Good Halloween Costumes On Sale For Kids and Adults: 2025
Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee & Espresso Maker ONLY $98 at Walmart (Reg $179)
Swiffer Sweep & Mop Deluxe ONLY $14 on Amazon (Reg $23)
JCPenney Home Sale – Up to 50% Off + Extra 30% Off w/ Coupon
Up to 50% Off Bras, Underwear, Pajamas & More
Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker ONLY $38.22 (Reg $100)
Rugs USA has up to 87% Off Clearance – Get $70 Rugs for ONLY $9 + Free Shipping
Skullcandy Wireless Bluetooth Headphones ONLY $5.88 (Reg $35)
Target Circle Week – 50% Off Halloween Decor, 40% Off Hot Wheels & More Today Only Deals
Armor All Car Cleaning Kit for Car Detailing 8-Piece Set? ONLY $17.97 (Reg $31)
Latest Panda Express Coupon Code: Get Two Large Sides & Three Large Entrees for $30
Michael Kors Card Cases as low as $23 Shipped (Reg $78) – HOT Deal!

Tryazon- New Game Packs with Stitch, Marvel, and Disney!

I’ve been a fan of Tryazon for about 7 years. It’s an amazing company that works with manufacturers of toys, games, food, and recreational/sporting goods. Manufacturers supply their goods to consumers to try out and review for free.

The kids and I have received toys, games, craft kits, and art supplies to test and have fun with.

Right now, Tryazon has a tasty sampling opportunity to apply for!

Pick the pack you are into! Introducing games about everything you are into with this Tryazon Featured Party opportunity, from Top Trumps! Stitch Goddit is a brand new, high-energy card game. 55 unique puzzle cards and zero time to waste! Top Trumps Match is a crazy cube game challenge trying to line up the characters while pushing out your opponents. Top Trumps Quiz will put your knowledge to the test with 500 questions to challenge every fan! Top Trumps classic is a family favorite across the world. Each card features stories and facts to take fans deeper into their passion! Which pack will you choose?!?

There are 500 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive one of three party packs (your choice!) for free with a variety of games to share with friends and family!

Learn more and apply here. 

 

10/06/25 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis weekend was a lot. I helped a couple friends with household stuff, sewed up a couple projects, cleaned my house and tackled the mountain of laundry, and did a little meal prep for lunches.

I’m trying to get back down to my pre-covid weight- I know it’s been 5 years, but I’ve had some health and family stuff come up since then, and I had major surgery last year. Now it’s time to do it.  I’m doing a lot of meal prep for lunches and snacks, and trying to keep dinners easy and light since I probably won’t be eating what the kiddos eat.

To keep my grocery budget down, I shop at Aldi (using Instacart, I wrote about how to do it here), our local Grocery Outlet, and use cashback rebates that offer a lot of 100% back (I write a post about some of my favorite apps here).

Breakfast: The kids tend to eat cereal, a bagel, or an MBS (Mrs. Bear Special) each morning for breakfast. I usually have a proffee and a slice of toast or a mini Cliff bar.

Lunch: M-F I pack myself and the kids’ lunches. I bring 5 lunches to work on Monday and stash them in the fridge. I pack the kids’ lunches each night before bed, except for the cold stuff and ice pack- those I put in when I get up in the morning. This week my lunch is Chicken Divan casserole with lots of broccoli.

Dinner: This week, dinners are lots of salads, fresh fruits, lean meats, and noodles. Mostly for the kids. They love them some starches.

I love me a good old-fashioned casserole, and so does the little one. The big one not so much, but he’ll drink a smoothie any day of the week, so I’m not terribly concerned about him not getting something nutritious in his belly.

  • Sunday:  Pizza for the kids (home-made of course), and I had fruit salad and a couple of hard-boiled eggs.
  • Monday: Cheddar brat pigs in a blanket, and fruit
  • Tuesday: Soup and Salad (and possibly garlic flatbread too)

  • Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Chicken with broccoli and rice

  • Thursday: Chicken Tikka Masala, rice, and veggies (it was so good last week, and I have another jar of sauce in the cupboard)

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Palooza and whatever leftover fruit is hanging around.

9/29/2025 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgY’all- Getting old is rough. Living through unprecedented times constantly is tiring. This week’s meal plan is another easy one.

Breakfast: We tend to eat cereal, a bagel, or an MBS (Mrs. Bear Special) each morning for breakfast. I usually have a proffee and a bagel.

Lunch: M-F I pack myself and the kids’ lunches. I bring 5 lunches to work on Monday and stash them in the fridge. I pack the kids’ lunches each night before bed, except for the cold stuff and ice pack- those I put in when I get up in the morning.

Dinner: This week, for dinner, I chose meals that require almost no prep, since I didn’t do a long meal prep session over the weekend. I opted for a 3-hour nap on Saturday afternoon.

I may opt for a casserole on Tuesday; we’ll see how I’m feeling and how hot it is that day.

I love me a good old-fashioned casserole, and so does the little one. The big one not so much, but he’ll drink a smoothie any day of the week, so I’m not terribly concerned about him not getting something nutritious in his belly.

  • Sunday:  Pizza and Best Salad Ever
  • Monday: Elote chicken enchiladas and green salad
  • Tuesday: Smoothies or fruit salad and grilled cheese

  • Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Chicken with broccoli and rice

  • Thursday: Chicken Tikka Masala, rice, and veggies

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Palooza and fruit salad