JCP

August and September 2025 Upcoming JCP Kid’s Craft Events!

Abby H.

JCPenney hosts a fun craft event in-store for kids on the second Saturday of each month.  They are easy for kids and a fun, free activity.

While you are there, make sure to join their Rewards Program. There are a lot of great benefits, and it’s free to join. I do a lot of our shopping at JCP. They are very size-inclusive, have great prices/sales, and support diversity in the communities in which they are located.

In-store events are only where local mandates allow.  All kids must be accompanied by an adult. More details, including participating JCP locations, can be found here.

August:

8/9/25 11AM-12PM Decorate a back-to-school pencil pouch. The craft includes a pencil pouch with a zipper pull, markers, and a sticker sheet.

September:

9/13/25 11AM-12PM Make a wooden tic-tac-toe board. The Craft includes a wooden board and pieces with markers.

 

Back To School Shopping starts at JCPenney!

Abby H.

JCP is THE place we start back-to-school shopping.

From basics like underwear and socks to the perfect First Day of School Outfit, JCPenney’s has been the go-to in my family for generations.

Right now, back-to-school sales are in full swing, and JCP has some great deals.

Whether you shop in-store or online, don’t forget to check out their coupons page here.

And don’t forget their rewards program!

 

$5 and $10 Clearance at JCP!

Abby H.

JCP is the master of clearance. They have incredible clearance online and in-store, and right now, JCP has clearance for the whole family starting at $5!

If you are looking for inexpensive cotton shirts to tie dye or craft with, this clearance sale is a great time to stock up. I know craft stores that sell cheap shirts, but I love these shirts instead:

If you are looking for more information about tie dying, check out my post here.

Where do I find good, quality freebies?

Abby H.

I’m always on the lookout for good, quality freebies. What I mean by that is items that have value. Not just monetarily, but items that I will use. That can be anything from free food to a brand new washing machine and dryer.

A lot of of the freebie programs I have used in the past are no longer around (Example Tryit berged with Influenster), so those are not included in my list; however, here are some that I use today and recommend to others.

This list does not include rebate apps or anything where there is any sort of out-of-pocket where you are reimbursed later.

JCPenney All-Star advisors: While this program is around, I don’t think they are currently accepting any new members. I couldn’t find any info online about how to sign up or join their waiting list.

Home Tester Club is pretty cool. They are one of my new favorites. You sign up to review items, and they send you something. A lot of the time, they don’t notify you prior to shipping. you’ll get a package in the mail, and a few days later, you’ll get an email notifying you that you were selected and a link to the survey to complete once you have sampled the product. I’ve received all sorts of great skincare, cosmetics, food, and clothing from Home Tester Club.

Tryazon: The kids and I have been participating in Tryazon events for 5-ish years. We’ve gotten to try all sorts of fun toys, games, organizational products, and food.

Influenster: To get all of the products and free stuff offered by Influenster, you have to download the app.  When they send an offer for a free product, you have to jump on it right away. Their offers go fast! I’ve gotten clothing, cosmetics, perfume, and household appliances through Influenster.

Ripple Street: this company rebranded recently and was previously known as House Party. You can learn about them here. 

Smiley360  is a Word of Mouth (WOM) marketing website. Sign up for campaigns and you will receive samples to use, and coupons to share with friends. Report your sharing and earn points! I’ve received Laundry detergent (full-sized bottles), vitamins, supplements, tampons, and razors in the past.

If you are looking for apps or companies that offer 100% rebates on food, check my post here.

Talk back: What is your favorite website for getting free stuff?

Upcoming JCP Kid’s Craft Events!

Abby H.

Are you heading to the mall on 3/8/2025? Check out this fun, free craft from JCPenney’s.

Visit the Kids Zone inside JCPenney and kids can crate this cute rainbow mobile.

Parents/Adults score a 10% off coupon, which can be combined with another coupon. JCP Coupons can be found here.

April’s Craft is a cute foam finger puppet collection. April 12, 2025.

JCPenney hosts a fun craft event in store for kids on the second Saturday of each month.  They are easy for kids, and fun, free activity.

While you are there, make sure to join their Rewards Program. There are a lot of great benefits, and it’s free to join. I do a lot of our shopping at JCP. They are very size-inclusive, have great prices/sales, and support diversity in the communities in which they are located.

In-store events are only where local mandates allow.  All kids must be accompanied by an adult.

JCPenney- Buy 2, Get 2 Free Underwear, Socks, and Bras Sale (Ends today!)

Abby H.

Just in time for winter holiday shopping! Through today only, JCP has underwear, socks, and bras for the whole family on sale. Buy 2, get 2 free.

I just found out and rushed to get pairs in the kids’ current sizes (2 packs) and the next size up (2 packs). Perfect for the holidays (who doesn’t want underwear or socks in their stockings??), or jump on spring shopping by getting the next size up.

The sales end tonight, so if this is something you need, Get to it! I also shopped through MyPoints and earned 550 points, approximately the equivalent of a $3.00 Target Gift Card! To learn more about MyPoints, click here.

Free Fun at JCPenney’s Kid Zone (8/10/2024 & 9/14/2024)

Abby H.1 Comment

Y’all know I love JCP. They have great sales, an incredible loyalty program, and the Kids Zone!

The Kids Zone is an in-store program where kids can make and take a free craft in-store once a month.

Parents receive a 10% off in-store coupon. The best part is that the 10% off coupon can be stacked with other JCP coupons.

August’s craft is a cute pencil pouch and notebook!

Find your closest JCP location here.

And if you are a teacher, JCP is offering a 35% off coupon. You can learn more and sign up here. 

 

JCPenneys has a New Rewards Program!

Abby H.

Y’all know I love JCP.

They have amazing sales and deals, their towels are my favorite. They have clothing for the entire family, even tall sizes. We’re a tall family, and JCP is a go to for pants for all of us.

They’ve revamped their rewards program, and it’s looking pretty sharp.

Check it out:

  • The fastest way to earn points is to have a JCP or JCP Mastercard! Earn 1.5 points for every $1.00 spent at JCP or 1 point for every $5 spent at other merchants if you have a JCP Mastercard! If you use a different payment method, you will receive 1 CashPass Point for each $1 spent on a qualifying purchase up to the Point Maximum.
  • 200 Points is a $10 CashPass Reward!
  •  $10 JCPenney CashPass Reward (200 points) will be added to your Rewards Program account on your Birthday (requires member provide Birthdate within their JCPenney Rewards account.)
  • With each purchase at JCPenney stores, simply provide the phone number or email address linked to your JCPenney Rewards account at checkout to ensure earned CashPass points are assigned to your profile.
  • When shopping online, sign in to your jcp.com account before checking out on jcp.com to earn CashPass points on your purchase.

More questions can be answered on the JCP FAQ page here.

If you are new to JCP Rewards, sign up here and score a $10 CashPass just for signing up!

Recent Kitchen Glow-up on a Budget!

Abby H.

We didn’t end up doing a staycation this summer. Between Summer School and the overall unbearable heat that the southwest has been experiencing, I haven’t really wanted to drag two kids that are sensitive to heat out to “have fun”.

Because of that, I’ve decided to make some small cosmetic changes and upgrades to the kitchen- and the bedrooms too. This post is just covering the kitchen.

Our overhead fluorescent kitchen lights are starting to out. The ballasts are old, and while I’m saving up to have the kitchen lights redone, I needed a little something more. I landed on magnetic, rechargeable under the cabinet lights. I looked online all over, read reviews, and decided to give Temu a try.

I’m sure that you’ve seen advertisements all over for Temu. It’s similar to Ali Express and Amazon combined. Smaller international companies sell their goods on Temu. Shipping is pretty quick, usually less than 2 weeks.

I also picked up a few other things for the kitchen that I had on my “need in the kitchen sometime”. This included:

Plastic Garbage Bag Clips– These keep the trash bag from sliding into the can. If you got kids, these are perfect.

Aluminum Foil Square Stove Burner Covers  I usually buy them on Amazon, but this price and quantity were much better.

 

Dishwasher Magnet Clean Dirty Sign– We had a flippable magnet for years, but it was really hard to get off. This sliding magnet is much easier.

Refrigerator shelf liners– I love these and have wanted some for years. I finally bit the bullet and both sets for the freezer and fridge.

After falling down the rabbit hole of Temu, I switched over to a few other sites- JCP, Target, and Amazon for the other things I needed.

My kitchen canister set was janky. It was at least 11 years old. I got it for Xmas when the biggest kid was a baby. Several of the lids were cracked, and the remaining lids were not able to be cleaned properly.

I did a lot of research online, I looked at 4 or 5 sites, read reviews, and watched videos. I didn’t want glass ones again, and I wanted snap-on lids. So much easier to clean, and easier to stack.  Based on my kitchen size and how much I needed to store, I opted for the 14-piece Airtight Food Storage Containers with Snap-On Lids.

I switched over all of the canisters, and I also poured some other frequently used foods into canisters to be stored on the shelf where I keep our coffee and protein shakes supplies.

The remaining containers I used to store rice, pasta, and some other misc. snacks in the pantry. These all fit really well in our pantry, and yes, it’s all still organized like I did here.

I also bought new kitchen rugs to replace the older ones, and a couple packs of kitchen towels in white (they are easier to keep clean).

While I was doing all of this, I was cleaning out the cupboards and got rid of broken, chipped dishes, unwanted mugs, and extra kitchen stuff. I also ordered new dishes, but they haven’t arrived yet.  Once the new dishes arrive, the remaining old Rachel Ray/Albertsons dishes from the mid-2010’s will be donated.

Now I’m sure y’all are thinking, “How did she pay for all of this??” I worked my “hustles” and saved up Amazon Gift cards by doing surveys (I post opportunities weekly), used my cashback apps, cashed out as soon as I was able to with all of them, and stashed the money in my savings account. All in, I ended up paying $18.51 out of pocket, and that was for the kitchen towels that I bought at Ross.

It’s not new cabinets and new flooring (Cabinets were painted and flooring was replaced last year as part of our water loss), but it’s the little things that make our homes more comfortable!

5 Tips to Save on Black Friday (and earlier)

Abby H.

Black Friday shopping is not my jam, nor has it ever been. I know a lot of people love getting up at the crack of dawn to save money, but I’d rather snuggle with my cat.

Some Retailers have already started their Black Friday Deals: JCPenney, Walmart, and Target have deals up on their sites and in-store now. Here are my top five tips to help you save a little more on Black Friday (and beyond):

  1. Make a List! This seems like a no-brainer, but make a list of each person you are shopping for and then list a few possibilities. There are still supply change issues, and that means some stores may be out of what you had planned.
  2. Use Rewards Programs to your advantage! I’m talking about Target Circle, Target Red Card, JCPenney Rewards, MyPoints, Swagbucks, and Ibotta. I did a bunch of holiday shopping yesterday online at JCP. JCPenney Rewards members earn a $10 bonus Reward for every $50 spent in-store and online on qualifying purchases 11/18/22-11/30/22. Limit 3 bonus Rewards per customer. I had already planned to do the bulk of my holiday shopping there anyway, so these rewards are a bonus that I’ll use to buy kid socks, which both kids need. And if you are looking for coupon codes- Don’t forget the Honey Browser Extension!
  3. Make a Budget and STICK TO IT. Seriously. And if you do stockings- take those into consideration as part of the budget.  I save Amazon Gift card codes all year for gift shopping, and I set aside a small count each month in a separate saving account for holidays and gift-giving occasions. I earn Amazon Gift cards by doing Research studies (like the ones I post about all the time) and surveys on  MyPoints and Swagbucks.
  4. If you shop in person, take cash. If you are easily tempted, take cash, and leave your cards at home. This forces you to stay on budget.
  5. Homemade Gifts are awesome!  If like me, your budget is very small this year, don’t forget to flex your craft/artistic/cooking skills. I make hats, cookies, pj pants, and aprons usually for several folks on my gift list. I use supplies that I already have on hand. I love making soup, so I’ll be making several large batches, freezing 4-6 serving-size portions, and giving them to family members.

And finally, remember that the winter holidays are not about gifts. They are about coming together with friends and family to celebrate. If you having a difficult time making the magic happen for your family this year, check out my 2022 Holiday Resources post here. In December I’ll be hosting an Amazon Gift Card giveaway as well.