Monthly Side Hustle Totals 

I decided that at the end of each month in 2021 I’m going post the breakdown of how much I made doing each side hustle/cashback app. My complete side hustle list can be found here and my complete list of Smartphone Apps can be found here.

I know some of you are curious about how much I make doing all of the hustles that I wrote about, and while I do a year end update, I know some of  you don’t wanna wait till the end of the year and that’s understandable.

Some of the side hustles I do frequently, like using the Fetch Rewards App every time I go shopping. Some of them I don’t do as often like Field Agent. I haven’t been really any Field Agent tasks that I’m interested in as of late. Most of them are alcohol-based and since I don’t drink because I’m not exercising to burn off the calories of the liquor I consume, I’m not terribly interested in bringing alcohol into my house.

Some of the hustles are more passive, but have cumulative rewards so even though I do them each month, I may not receive a payout each month. It doesn’t make them any less valuable to me, they just take a longer amount of time to earn the reward. Honestly, those are fairly low time investments, so I don’t feel bad that they take a long time to earn payout. SBKC and Achievement are two of these.

And some I do in fits and starts. For example, I may not spend a lot of time doing PaidViewPoint surveys for a few weeks, and then I’ll get two or three emails telling me that I have time-sensitive or higher-paying surveys. Then I’ll rush over to the site and do five or 10 surveys and earn five or 10 bucks. It just depends on what’s available at the time.

Some of you might notice from this list that there are a number of research studies, I’ve been trying to do at least 1-2 a month, because they tend to pay a lot better than surveys. I have been posting research studies and opportunities on the blog whenever they come across my email. I hope some of you are also applying for them and receiving opportunities to do them too.

Below is my list for February. It has been a very busy month between doctors appointments for the kid’s, doctors appointments for myself, and I have been doing a lot of reviews and such but don’t pay cash, but rather pay in-kind (Tryit, Influenster, Social Nature, and BzzAgent). Each one of those sends a product or samples.

I try not to take the sample only offers because it’s not worth my time to review a bunch of sample size stuff, especially when I can be working with brands and companies that offer me products that are full-size, or the pay me with cash. Because really, as nice as say five dollar tube of deodorant might be, I can’t really pay my utility bill with it.

  • Fetch Rewards: $35
  • Research Study/Focus Group: $150 (I did two online)
  • Receipt Hog: $10
  • SBKC: $20
  • Capterra: $50
  • Paidviewpoint: $18.90
  • Field Agent: $4.00 (I know, it’s not much)

And there are a few more days in the month, so who knows.. There may be a few more dollars coming in.

Talk Back: How much do you make each month on your side hustles? Do you have any that you love and want to recommend? Leave a link in the comments below! Please no MLM or Direct Sales Opportunities. 

Love Crafting? Dollar Tree’s Crafter’s Square is Bigger & Better than Ever!

** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

All Dollar Tree locations now sport an expanded craft section!

Some of my favorite items include acrylic paint, staple-backed canvases, paintbrushes, pallets, watercolors, art paper, yarn, wood crafts, scrapbooking stickers, and more!

And if you need some inspiration, check out some of these great ideas:

Get Inspiration from Dollar Tree’s Crafts & Décor Blog!
Shop Holiday Craft Supplies!
Get Creative with Wood Crafts!
Reveal a World of Color with Dollar Tree’s affordable Paint Supplies!
Get Ready for Spring with Floral Crafts!

Just an example of the crafts we’ve made from Dollar Tree

When you shop online, you can take advantage of FREE shipping when you choose to have your order shipped to your local Dollar Tree store for pickup! It’s easy, convenient, and saves you money on shipping costs. You can learn more about In-Store Pickup here!

We shop weekly at Dollar Tree, and a trip is never complete without cruising the craft section and picking up a few goodies!

Achievement: Stay Active and Donate Your Points to Charity!

I love Achievement. It’s a great way to earn a little extra cash for syncing your fitness tracker! You can learn all about Achievement here and which Health and Fitness Apps are supported.

b0e5d5e05457e2c8a12dc87c9b6eafc7 (1)I received an email this week from Achievement about how you can use your points to help others!

Did you know you can donate your points to charity? Join Achievement in raising donations for these organizations that have made life-changing impacts in Black Communities across the country. In honor of Black History Month, they are highlighting these organizations on Achievement:

And if you are already hooked up with Achievement, Right now is a great time to refer your family and friends! When you refer a friend to Achievement and earn 450 points for EACH friend you refer (max of 20 referrals all time)! Refer a friend, earn points, and join them in amplifying Black voices all month long. Offer ends on Mar 1st 11:59 pm PST.

Disclaimer: if/when you click on my link above and sign up for Achievement, I’ll earn 450 Achievement Points. You can learn more on my Disclosure page.

At Home Educational Opportunities for Kids!

Most of us are burned the heck out from distance learning, hybrid learning, or jumping feet first into homeschooling. This last year has put us through the wringer.

I’ve been doing some research on apps, online programs, and ways for my kids to learn without them feeling like the weight of school is pressing down on them. I’m tired of Zoom Meetings, regardless of what they are for (the least useful for me at least was the telehealth appointment for physical therapy for one of the kids).

Here are some of the cool stuff I’ve found:

I’m sure most of you have heard of ABC Mouse. Right now when you sign up and receive a 30 Day FREE Trial of ABCmouse.
When I discovered this deal, I signed up for it. Bitty Bird needs a little help with phonics and reading, and I figured with a deal like this, we should give ABC Mouse a shot.

Membership includes: 8,500+ Learning Activities, Access on All Devices, Comprehensive Online Learning, and Advanced Progress Tracking.

Add up to 3 children for the price of one.

If your kiddo is older than 2nd grade, ABCMouse isn’t for you, but there is still a great program for your big kiddos!

Adventure Academy is a great way for older kids to learn, and you can try the first 30 days free.

Membership includes: 8,500+ Learning Activities, Access on All Devices, Comprehensive Online Learning and Advanced Progress Tracking

Add up to 3 children for the price of one.

 

And did you know that Hooked on Phonics is still around? Your first month is $1!

Here ‘s What You’ll Get Monthly:

  • Unlimited access to the Learn to Read app
  • Get a FREE Disney Bookbag with your welcome package. Your FREE gift will be automatically added to your cart. Offer valid for new members only.
  • Workbooks that direct you through each step of the program
  • 2 or 3 books specifically written to reinforce the lessons learned
  • Discussion questions about each book designed to strengthen reading comprehension.
  • Celebration stickers to reward reading milestones
  • Tips & ideas on how to extend the learning at home and on the go
And one of my favorite freebies is the amazing varieties of free Kindle e-books available on Amazon when you have a subscription to Amazon Prime!

2/21/2021 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis week is going to be a lot calmer/slower than the past few weeks. We are down to our usual weekly appointments only. Thank goodness, I don’t think I could handle a third marathon week.

I cleaned out/rearranged the freezer, fridge, and cupboard this weekend. I found a lot of great stuff I had forgotten about. I did the quarterly trip to Costco yesterday and grabbed a few things beyond our usual stock up of household goods (trashbags, laundry soap, dishwasher tabs, etc.). I grabbed a rotisserie chicken (good for at least three meals) and some fruit to get us through the week. If you need ideas for what to do with rotisserie chicken, there are ideas here, here, and here.

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. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

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.  The kids are nuts about pancakes. The Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Lunch: The little kiddo and I usually have something quick and filling (I’ve been prepping bean and rice bowls on Sundays for us to have during week) so we can get back to our adventures.  Big kid takes his lunch to school. He’s been digging on Bear naked protein granola in his lunch lately. It’s his new favorite.

Dinner: Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday:  Rotisserie Chicken, Salad, & Roasted Veg
  • Monday: Hashbrowns, eggs, Banana Bread, fruit
  • Tuesday:  Dream Dinners Entree (our last one), Roast Veg
  • Wednesday: Nugget Night with veggies, apple slices, and cheezits
  • Thursday: Crockpot Meal
  • Friday:  Pizza Night!
  • Saturday: Leftover Fiesta

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

Q-insights Survey for Females Pays $125

QI-logoNOslogan.png

Q-insights is another company that I do research groups, focus groups, and online surveys to earn extra money.

They have a lot of stuff in South Orange County, and less often San Diego County. These days they are doing most of their studies online via chat or online surveys.

Right now Q-Insights is recruiting for an upcoming online study:

Females ages 30-85 wanted to participate in a 45 minute webcam interview on Friday February 26th. Participants will be compensated $125 in the form of either a digital Visa gift card,
physical Visa gift card, Amazon gift code, or your choice of 90 different store gift cards.

If you are interested in participating please fill out the survey here. If you pre-qualify, they will call you to ask some additional qualifying questions.

2/19/2021 Friday Freebies & Deals

bright boxes

This week was a lot calmer than last, but we still had a few bumps in the road, including broken glasses, which resulted in a trip to the optometrist. Being an adult is never dull.

My birthday was earlier this month and I rocked a bunch of freebies. Wanna check out my list of goodies? Check it out here.

Most of these freebies and deals are online. I am not encouraging anyone to go into stores or go out into public. Mask up, wash your paws, stay socially distanced!

Freebies:

Free Entree at The Old Spaghetti Factory
Free NEATwipes – Kills 99.9% of Germs
Free Tropicana Premium Drinks at Walmart
Free Tylenol Products After Rebate
Free Ice Cream at Baskin Robbins
Free Short Stack of Pancakes at IHOP
Free Tom Ford Traceless Soft Matte Foundation Sample
Free Contadina San Marzano Style Whole Canned Tomatoes
Free Sample of Vitafol Ultra or Gummies Prenatal Vitamins
Free 6 Months of Apple News+
Free Arm & Hammer AbsorbX Cat Litter with Mail-In Rebate
Free Dr. Charles Stanley Love Lessons DVD
Free Ocean’s Halo Organic Soy-Free Dressing
Free Maker’s Mark Ambassador Gifts Every Year
Free Astroglide Oil Liquid & Massage Lotion
Free Kite Hill Dairy Free Yogurt at Select Stores
Free Mane ‘n Tail Quin Houff Hero Card
Free Samples of Nature Nate’s Honey Minis
Free 4-pk of Seemore Meat & Veggies Natural Sausages
Free Sample of CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

 

Deals:

Crayola Toy Story 4 Coloring Pages ONLY $4.99 (Reg. $10)
Womens Clog Slippers With Memory Foam ONLY $19.99 (Reg $35)
Power Rangers Beast-X King Morpher ONLY $9.99 (Reg. $20)
Play-Doh Party Pack ONLY $4.49 (Reg. $8)
Women’s Leggings ONLY $4.79 at JCPenney (Reg $16)
Kids Snow Boots ONLY $9.99 (Reg. $30)
I Love You to the Moon and Back Board Book ONLY $3.59 (Reg. $8)
Glow in The Dark Acrylic Paint Set on $13.72 (Reg. $40)
Toozey Puppy Toys for Small Dogs 7-Pack $12.74 (Reg. $30)
Ply-Doh Cash Register Toy ONLY $8.08 (Reg $15)
Gillette5 Men’s Razor Blade Refills 12-ct ONLY $14.81 (Reg $25)
Portable Generator on Sale for $199 (was $417) – Hurry
Medical Thermometer with Fever Alert ONLY $5.77 (Reg. $16)
Carter’s Baby Girls 4-Piece Pajama Set ONLY $10.79 (Reg $36)

Frugal Recipe: Beef Machacas (Slowcooker recipe)

Look at the delicious marbling!

This is an easy recipe, and it is divine! You may already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen too!

It’s pretty flexible when it comes to the meat- You want a good roast with some marbling. Chuck Roast, Tri-tip, Round Roast, Rump Roast are all good options. This recipe cooks low and slow all day. Break out your slow cooker my friends!

Let’s dive into this beefy, delicious recipe!

Machacas

Imgredients

Directions

  1. In a heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet or dutch oven, heat canola oil, add beef, and sear each side for 5-8 minutes. You want a nice brown crust on each side. If the piece is large, cut it in pieces to fit into your slow cooker.
  2. As the meat is searing, in your slow cooker pour frozen vegetables.
  3. In a mixing bowl, mix tomato sauce, salsa, and spices.
  4. Place the meat in the slow cooker, and pour water into the pan that browned meat. Stir and scrape off any browned/burned bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour that water into the sauce bowl and mix thoroughly.
  5. Pour sauce over meat and cook on low in the slow cooker for 10+hours.
  6. Pull meat out, and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker, and keep simmering on low until the sides are ready to eat.

I serve this meat with beans, rice, tortillas, Corn and Avocado Salsa, and a green salad. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, and you can freeze it as well. It’s also excellent in the morning with eggs in a breakfast burrito.

2/16/2021 New Coupons!

It’s the middle of February, and if one of your goals for the new year is to save money, check out the coupons below! I’ve been printing and clipping coupons for years (decades really), and while the coupon values have dwindled over the past few years, I still manage to find some good ones to share with you a few times a month.

I’m all about keeping cash in your pocket!

Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) SlimFast® Original or Advanced product

Save $0.50 on any ONE (1) pack of Energizer® Batteries

Save $2.00 ANY ONE (1) Garnier® Whole Blends® Sulfate Free Remedy or Miracle Treatment product

Save $1.00 On any Unbun product, limit one per visit

 

New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

 If you are into Organic/Natural/Healthy products, then Social Nature is 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.

Most of the time, Social Nature will mail me a coupon for a free product and I go to my local Target, Sprouts, or other retailer and pick up the item. I’ve gotten products valued at $20+ too. I recently sampled and reviewed skincare products, kombucha, frozen entrees, and veggie burgers to name a few.

Right now there about a dozen new products that you can apply to try from Social Nature!

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, meat-free foods frequently.

Canadian Friends- You are in luck, there are sampling opportunities for you too!