frugal

Cleaning your Closets: 5 Items That Have To Go!

Abby H.

I’m bringing this up because it’s time to pull out some of my fall/winter clothes and donate some of my older clothes, or clothes that I don’t wear as often.

Here are my Five categories for giving clothes the boot:

Stains: You know that one shirt in your closet that you love, but it has a stain that won’t come out. It’s time for it to go.  Clothing can be donated to be recycled. To find your closest clothing recycling location, click here.

It doesn’t fit: Too small, big, long, or short- it has to go. Time to throw those in the donation pile.  This goes for shoes too!

Needs repair and you lack the time or skills to mend/fix. The pants hanging in your closet are so cute but they are 1/4 inch too short and you can’t sew? One Caveat- Undergarments that are holely or stretched out go directly to the trash. No one is darning mass-produced socks. I mend and repair my clothes as needed weekly. If you are looking to learn about mending clothes, check out my post here. 

Out Of Style: Low-rise jeans? Powder Blue Tuxedo? Your Prom Dress from 1997? Time to throw those in the donation pile.

Cheap Crap:  This encapsulates several categories- Knock off’s (They are mass-produced in horrible conditions), poorly produced “fast fashion” that offers no quality and doesn’t add anything of substance to your wardrobe, and anything you bought and wore once, and it was damaged or you swore you’d never wear again. In my opinion, cheap shoes are the worst and are usually tossed into this pile.

Once you have your donate pile, if you are looking to donate straight away, check for your local non-profits needs. I also like donating my unwanted good clothes to local clothing swaps. For more info about clothing swaps, click here. 

Atkins Coupons!

Abby H.

I know a few people who follow the Atkins Diet, and while I don’t, I really like the Atkins treats. Perfect for times when I want a little sweet snack or treat, but don’t want lots of sugar!

Choose Get Atkins Coupons for Free!   Submit your email address to print coupons for discounts on Atkins products.

Save on your next purchase of Atkins snacks, nutrition bars, shakes, and meals, as well as get access to our online community!

  • Save $2.00 on any ONE (1) Atkins®Bar, Shake, or Treat Multi-pack.
  • Save $1 on any ONE (1) Atkins Frozen Entrée

 

Grossmont Healthcare District Open House!

Abby H.

This was in my email this morning, and in the past, the Grossmont Healthcare District has had some really fun events, including an open house last year where I won a set of pots and pans!

The open house is on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, 10 AM – 1 PM. At 10:30 AM, a brief program in the auditorium will feature highlights of the hospital, library, and district history. Then stay for:

  • Enjoy free food and beverages
  • Live music from Paul Nichols, Intentional Healing Music
  • A community painting project with Linda Bounds, new stARTs therapeutic arts program
  • A walking art tour with Carol Lockwood, La Mesa Historical Society
  • Crafts in the Library
  • A drumming fitness class
  • A scavenger hunt and more

 

The Library address is 9001 WAKARUSA ST. LA MESA, CA 91942. More info and RSVP information can be found here.

Tryazon: Build Outside the Box with Squaregles Building Party!

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.

Play beyond the build with a new Tryazon Featured Party opportunity from Squaregles! Squaregles have strong magnets that allow kids to build interactive structures so they can play with what they built. They have more ways to play with characters, comics for adventures, paperboard for doodling, tracks, cars for action, and more! Artists and storytellers can draw their own features on panels that pop in and out of magnetic frames so kids can build, play, re-design and repeat. Let kids get lost in play with Squaregles!

Tryazon has 100 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected get to receive a party pack with a variety of Squaregles sets to sample and share with friends and family, valued at $360+ in total!

Learn more and apply here.

October 2022: 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 get probably 1-2 products to sample each month. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

Social Nature has rounded up products that are available to try at a local grocery store or mass merchandiser near you.  Apply to Try the products that interest you to see if you’re a match here.

Here are some of the new sampling opportunities:

      • Veggie Pasta by Veggiecraft Farms
      • No Sugar Bacon by Pederson’s Natural Farms
      • Uncured No Sugar Kielbasa Sausage by Pederson’s Natural Farms
      • Almond Yogurt by AYO Almond Yogurt
      • Squeezable Smoothie by Sweet Nothings
      • Barley Milk by Golden Wing
      • Plant-Based Protein Bar by Lupii
      • Quick and Easy Breakfast by Belgian Boys

And More!

And one of the things I love about Social Nature is that they don’t leave our friends with food allergies out.

There are sampling offers for Gluten-free, nut-free, and meat-free foods frequently.

Canadian Friends- You are in luck, there are sampling opportunities for you too! So if you love trying new products, check out Social Nature!

Giveaway: Meal Prep Starter Pack from La Mesa Dream Dinners!

Abby H.6 Comments

I am so excited to share this giveaway with you! I’ve partnered with La Mesa Dream Dinners to give away a Meal Prep Starter kit that contains 4 medium meals (a medium meal feeds 2-3 people, but in our family of 4 it usually feeds all 4 of us with a couple side dishes added) or 2 Large Meals, which feeds 4-6 each.

Y’all know I love Dream Dinners. Dinner is on the table in 30 minutes or less, and there is no chopping, measuring, or shopping for ingredients. It’s awesome for us busy folks- I put 1-2 Dream Dinners in the fridge to defrost Sunday night, and we’ve got easy meals for our busiest nights.

With the kid’s extracurriculars and therapies, every day is busy right now. I’m up at 5:45am making breakfasts and lunches, washing dishes, and feeding the kitty. By the time 5pm rolls around, the last thing I want to do is spend an hour plus in the kitchen.

Dream Dinners is cheaper than takeout, healthier, and many times, it’s the same amount of dishes to wash. Yes, I serve takeout on plates and use silverware. I’m not eating Chinese takeout out of the little paper boxes with my hands.

If you are new to Dream Dinners, check out my post here with all the details, and how they compare to other meal kits.

Onto the Giveaway- Enter using the Rafflecopter widget/link (it’s not mobile-friendly) below. For a mobile-friendly entry, click here.

The first and easiest entry is to check out the October Menu here and leave a comment on this post letting me know what you are most excited about trying. Then click ion the Rafflecopter link below and complete the remaining entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Fine Print: This giveaway will run from 10/11/2022 until 10/19/2022. A winner will be chosen at random on 10/19/22 and will be notified via email. The winner must reside in the San Diego, CA county area and pick up their prize directly from La Mesa Dream Dinners. The winner’s contact information will be supplied to La Mesa Dream Dinners to coordinate the delivery of the prize.

This contest is not sponsored or endorsed by WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Baby on the Way? Three Freebies Opportunities for Expecting Parents!

Abby H.

If you are expecting a baby, or know someone who is, this post is for you!

Here are three great offers, all with various freebies and opportunities to save money.

First up- BuyBuy Baby! Start your online baby registry, then visit a buybuy BABY stores to receive a free Goody Bag full of free samples and a buybuy BABY coupon!

And when you shop for essentials: Start earning points for every $1 spent. You”ll earn 10 points for every $1 spent – no exclusions.

Enfamil is hooking you up with some goodies!

Join Enfamil Family Beginnings® and get up to $400 in FREE gifts including coupons, formula samples, Belly Badges™, and more! (Available while supplies last!)

This is a great opportunity to try different formulas without breaking the bank.

If you are looking for other formula samples, check out this post about Kabrita. My kids loved this formula.

And finally- Walmart has a great offer! Create a Walmart Baby Registry & you can sign up for a free Welcome Baby Registry Box.

This offer is not mobile-friendly, so you’ll need to use a laptop/desktop.

 

Please feel free to share this post with anyone you know who might be expecting or adopting soon. The best part about these offers is that you will continue to receive coupons and discounts for baby and kids items for an extended period of time!

New PinchMe Samples Drop 10/11/2022!

Abby H.

Sample Tuesday is Coming on 10/11/2022- Mark your calendars, and set an alarm on your phone!

Don’t have any idea what I am talking about? PinchMe! Join PINCHme and receive free samples that you can provide feedback on.

PinchMe is awesome! Once you are signed up, they will email you reminders when new samples are about to drop, and remind you when it’s time to leave feedback.

Answer a series of questions about your household and shopping habits in the Member Profile. PinchMe learns what you like and offer samples just for you.

Once you’ve had a chance to try the samples, complete a short feedback survey to tell PinchMe what you think of the samples.

I get PinchMe samples every month. Here is what arrived at the end of September for the September 2022 box. Fiona really dig the Delectables Squeeze up Cat Treats- It’s like a gravy Capri Sun for cats!

What are you waiting for? Sign up here and get on the free sample bandwagon! I’ve gotten all kinds of awesome sample/trial size items, as well as full-sized items to try out from PinchMe!

Kohl’s Rewards Members- Check your Accounts!

Abby H.

I love shopping at Kohl’s. They have great deals on clothes and home goods. Did you know they have a bussin’ toy department (at least according to my kids)?

If you are a Kohl’s Rewards Member, log on to your account and check your wallet for a $10 of $50 toy department coupon (exclusions apply)! They are valid through 10/31/2022 in case you have a birthday to shop for, or if you’re like me and you want to get a jump on your holiday shopping.

And to sweeten the deal, through 10/31/2022, select Lego sets and toys are 20% off!

October is Kids Go Free Month 2022 Edition!

Abby H.

October is a great time to be a kid in San Diego!

This October 1-31, kids 12 and under receive free admission at many arts, cultural, and science museums and historical sites in San Diego County.

For those of us with curious kids, this is perfect! Kids can get into over 40 museums in the San Diego area free with paying adults (all the info can be found here).

Some of the participating organizations include:

Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Fleet Science Center (Galleries only)
Heritage of the Americas Museum
Japanese Friendship Garden
Living Coast Discovery Center
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Marston House Museum & Gardens
Mingei International Museum
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Museum of Making Music
Museum of Photographic Arts
San Diego Air & Space Museum
San Diego Automotive Museum
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
San Diego History Center
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat)
Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center
Timken Museum of Art (it’s always free for everyone FYI)
Women’s Museum of California

A full list can be found here. Oh, and as part of free October, Kids can get into the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park free when accompanied by a paying adult!  Other Kids go free attractions include: Legoland, Sea World, and the USS Midway!!

*Some museums charge fees for special exhibitions, programs or films. Some museums may limit offer use to once per month per guest. Purchase of a Balboa Park Explorer Pass does not qualify as a paid adult admission for the Kids Free in October program. Purchase of a Go San Diego Pass or card does not qualify as a paid adult admission for the Kids Free in October program at most museums; call museum(s) before visiting to enquire.