Healthy, Frugal Summer Snacks

The kids eat so much when school is out of session.

Because of our current schedule, we are missing out on the free lunches available throughout San Diego County for the next few weeks.

That means I need to spend my money a little more wisely and fill our pantry with healthy snacks.

Here are a few of our favorite snacks- and yes, I buy some of them in bulk from Dollar Tree.

Freeze-Dried Fruit: I love freeze-dried pineapple, Bitty loves freeze-dried strawberries, and Bubs likes freeze-dried mangoes.

Flavor Blasted Goldfish are the kids’ favorite. I like the original goldfish crackers, but really, most flavors are good.

Meji Chocorooms– These are part cookie, part candy. Sometimes Dollar Tree has them, but they are also found at Cost Plus and Costco.

Sobisk Honey Graham Cracker Bear Cookies, 10-ct. Packs. These are really good by themselves or dipped in yogurt.

Sometimes in stores, they have other flavors like chocolate chip or chocolate.

 

Select Choice Chewy Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, 6-ct. Boxes. These bars are comparable to the Quaker Chewy bars. Some locations have other varieties in store, including chocolate chip.

And if you are looking for a wide variety of beverages that everyone will love, Dollar Tree has a great selection of drink mixes.  Our current family favorites include Sonic Limeade, Wyler’s Strawberry Lemonade, and Welch’s Orange Peach.

And while not a snack, the kids and I have been carrying around our 40-ounce insulated Stainless steel tumblers from Michael’s. Yes, I had a coupon for each one. It’s keeping us all hydrated, and it’s saving me trips to Sonic, Starbucks, or the gas station while we are out this summer.

 

Secret Shop and have fun with Amusement Advantage!

Y’all know I love to secret shop!

I learned about Amusement Advantage from some friends who have had a blast doing secret shopping and having adventures with their families. Amusement Advantage has all sorts of fun shops: movie theatres, amusement parks, museums, and more! They have opportunities to do secret assignments in almost every state of the US and most of the Provinces in Canada.

From their website: “We only evaluate attractions, amusement locations, and entertainment facilities.  Our shops give you the opportunity to have fun with friendly and family and include reimbursement for you and some of your guests’ expenses, and in most cases, a little extra cash profit or extra free tickets for your time and efforts.  Click here to see a list of locations we are currently shopping.  Curious what other shoppers say about our company?  Click here to see reviews from other shoppers just like you!”

If you want to check out Amusement Advantage and see if there are opportunities near you, click here. If you decide to sign up, use my email akeen02037@gmail.com as a referral. We’ll each get a little something extra.

Nothing Bundt Cake: BOGO Bundtlets this Week Only!

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.

6/22/2025 Weekly Freebies and Deals!

This week has been full of shenanigans. We hit up the Legoland Water Park on Friday. We took advantage of their summer pass deal (no longer available), which allows us to visit Legoland, the water park, and the Sea Life Aquarium as often as we’d like through September!

We took snacks and water, and had a blast.

We also slept in late, made cookies, and did crafts. The adventures continue on!

Here are a few ways that we will be having fun and being frugal:

  • The Summer Library Reading Program post can be found here.
  • Fun Free Summer Activities for Tweens and Teens here.
  • The Summer Movie Deals can be found here.
  • Don’t forget about Cheap Stuff to do with Tweens and Teens here.
  • Kids Bowl Free is back for 2025- More info here.

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.

Let’s get onto the Freebies!!

Freebies:

Dorel Home Products – FREE Coffee Table, End Table, Nesting Tables, or Vanity Desk with Flip-Out Mirror
FREE Sample of Hemp Heart Protein Powder
FREE Sol de Janeiro Body Cream at Ulta After Cash Back
FREE Sample of Breathe Right Extra Strength Strips
FREE EstyBeauty Perfume Sample
FREE $20 Venmo Cash from Truly on July 4th
5 FREE Greeting Cards & $10 Gift Card from Ink’d
FREE Paint or Stain Sample at Lowe’s
FREE Lemonhead Ropes on Rainy Fridays Through August 29th
FREE Brutus Broth Yappy Hours Party Pack
FREE Sample of Trinny London Take Back Time Elixir Serum
Target Baby Registry – FREE Welcome Kit In-Stores
FREE Food at SONIC Every Friday Through August 29th

Deals:

Kenzie Card Case Crossbody ONLY $55 (Reg $199)
Insignia 32-Inch Fire TV ONLY $69.99 Shipped (Reg $130)
Viva La Juicy Gold Couture Perfume ONLY $38 (Reg $106)
The Pizza Hut BOGO Hacks You Need to Know (Yes, You Can Score FREE Pizza!)

Free Frazil Fridays in June!

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!

 

 

Celebrate Southwest Airline’s Birthday with Deals!

Y’all- This deal has the potential to be amazing!
Southwest Airlines is celebrating its birthday with low rates- One-way as low as* $39.

Here are some of the most important fine print details:
*21-day advance purchase required. Book by 6/19 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Cont. U.S. travel valid 8/5-12/17/25.

Thanksgiving Travel? End of Summer Travel? Wanna just escape your home for a weekend or longer? Is Vegas calling? Whatever and wherever, it’s a great time to pack a small carry-on/personal bag and head out of town!

 

And if you are a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards member, this deal gets better- You can use your points!

The rest of the fine print:

Cont. U.S. travel to/from Hawaii, intl., and San Juan, PR valid 8/17-12/10/25. Interisland HI travel valid 7/8-10/1/25. Cont. U.S. blacked out 9/1, 10/13, 11/24-11/26, and 12/1. Cont. U.S. travel to Hawaii, intl., and San Juan, PR blacked out 8/28-9/2 and 11/20-11/24. Cont. U.S. travel to Hawaii, intl., and San Juan, PR blacked out 8/28-9/2 and 11/28-12/2. Interisland HI blacked out 9/2. Nonrefundable. Seats, travel days, and markets are limited. Fares are valid on nonstop service where indicated; if not indicated, fares are valid on single connecting service. Points bookings do not include government fees of $5.60 per one-way flight. Additional fees may apply.

 

 

Magazine Subscriptions: no credit card required from bPerx!

bPerx is hooking us up! Ready to Claim Your Magazine Gifts? They just need a little info to get your gifts ready (like your mailing address). No credit card required. Enjoy a few magazine subscriptions sent directly to your mail box monthly!

The best part: No Credit Card Needed

 

Want to Eat Out & Save? Check out Restaurant.com!

I’ve been a fan of Restaurant.com for at least a decade.

Seriously! You purchase a discounted gift certificate (make sure to check the certificate for restrictions, such as a minimum purchase amount or mandatory gratuity) for a local restaurant. You have a year from the date of purchase to use it.

Right now the following deal is available:

$100 eGift Card for only $18.00
$200 eGift Card for only $36.00

The Restaurant.com eGift Card can be redeemed at over 62,000 restaurants and providers nationwide. Available denominations vary by restaurant, and certificates are subject to minimum spend requirements and other restrictions. You can split up the $100 or $200 among a few local restaurants.

Here are two examples of how to use the certs to your advantage.

Cafe XYZ- Certificate for $15.00. Terms of cert: $15 off the purchase of $30 or more.

The check comes to $30.00
Minus Cert amt. -$15.00
Total New Bill: $15.00
Gift Certificate Cost $6.00
The price for this complete meal is $21.00 (that includes the cost of the certificate). The total amount saved $9.00.

ABC Cafe- Certificate for $25.00. Terms of the cert: $25.00 off the purchase of $35.00 or more.

The check comes to $35.00
Minus Cert amt. -$25.00
Total New Bill: $10.00
Gift Certificate Cost $10.00
The price for this complete meal is $20.00 (that includes the cost of the certificate). The total amount saved $15.00.

Don’t forget to tip your server!

Recipe: Oat Flour Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

The kids love cookies. It’s one of the few foods they both agree on.

I started making these about 6 months ago. They are so good, easy to make, and they are pretty customizable if you have food allergies.

Oat Flour Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • Two sticks (1 cup) salted butter, softened
  • 1 cup peanut butter, smooth preferred
  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups AP Flour
  • 2 cups Oat Flour
  • 1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 baking chips of your choice- I used Milk Chocolate, Semi-Sweet Chocolate, and Peanut Butter chips.

To make Oat Flour, pulse oats in a blender or food processor until the oats are a smooth flour. 1 1/2 cups of oats should make about 2 cups of flour. You can also buy it online or at most health food stores. 

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and peanut butter.
  • Add sugars one at a time and mix until fluffy.
  • Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated fully.
  • Mix in baking powder, salt, flours, and oats.
  • Once all are blended into the dough, add chocolate chips.
  • Drop tablespoon-sized dough balls on cookie sheets that have been greased or are lined with parchment paper. I prefer parchment paper.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes.  Let cookies rest 1-2 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack.

This recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies. 

This dough also freezes well. 

If you are allergic to peanuts, you can substitute sunbutter or your favorite nut butter. Do not use Nutella- It contains a lot of sugar and other ingredients that will throw off the chemistry of the recipe, and you won’t get yummy cookies.

Gluten Free Peeps: You can use 1:1 Gluten Free AP Flour and Gluten Free Oats in place of AP flour and regular oats.

Vegans: Substitute Crisco or Coconut Oil for butter. Do not use margarine/spread as it can contain a higher quantity of liquid than butter. Use your favorite egg replacer.

6/13/2025 Weekly Freebies and Deals!

We’re free! School is over for the year, and the kids and I are so excited for tons of adventures.

Here are a few ways that we will be having fun and being frugal:

  • The Summer Library Reading Program post can be found here.
  • Fun Free Summer Activities for Tweens and Teens here.
  • The Summer Movie Deals can be found here.
  • Don’t forget about Cheap Stuff to do with Tweens and Teens here.
  • Kids Bowl Free is back for 2025- More info here.

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.

Let’s get onto the Freebies!!

Freebies:

FREE Happy Hippo Sample Pack
FREE Ocean Spray Bold Snacking Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Air Wick Plug In Scented Oil Advanced Gadgets After Walmart Cash (Get 3 Free)
FREE Toucan Mobile Workshop at Home Depot
Free Baby Samples & Full Sized Products from Amazon
FREE 8×10 Photo at Walgreens
FREE NESCAFE Espresso Lemonade Kit on June 13th, 20th & 27th
FREE Sample of TEMPTATIONS Cat Treats
FREE Frozen Drink at Casey’s Every Friday in May thru August
FREE GoVerden Guac It Up Chatterbuy Kit
FREE OLAY Cleansing Melts
T-Mobile Tuesdays – FREE Large Slurpee, FREE Grill Spatula & More
FREE Pair of Garden Snips at Lowe’s
How to Score Free Feminine Hygiene Products and Save on Essentials
Father’s Day Freebies & Deals RoundUp
FREE Movie Ticket to The Unholy Trinity
FREE Full-Size CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 50
FREE Powered by Love Sticker
FREE Samples of Maneuver Men’s Grooming Products
Get The Top 17 Free Baby Boxes in 2025: Walmart, Target, Amazon
FREE $25 Purchase at Nike After Cash Back
FREE Diet Cherry Coke at Kroger
Here Are 6 Ways To Get Free Baby Formula Samples
FREE $5 Shop Cash
FREE Royal Canin Chewable Supplements for Dogs Chatterbox Kit
FREE Sample of Nutree Hair Mask
FREE Sample of Moroccanoil L’Originale Eau de Parfum
Over $1 Million in FREE Chipotle During the Summer of Extras Promotion
FREE Sample of AAVRANI Hair Thickening Blowout Primer

 

Deals:

Women’s Dresses on Clearance – Prices From $7.39 at JCPenney!
Father’s Day Gifts as low as $5 at Target – Free Store Pickup!
Additional Service Benefits BJ’s Members Enjoy
Doorbusters Sale at JCPenney: Save up to 60% Off Select Styles
Shop Sneaker Deals – Save on Top Brands Like Adidas, On Cloud, Vans & More
67% Off Kate Spade Sadie Small Crossbody + Free Shipping
13 Bath & Body Works Fragrance Dupes that Smell Just as Good as Luxury Perfumes