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

6/6/2025 Weekly Freebies and Deals!

Today was our last Friday of school! We celebrated with pizza (yes, I had a coupon).

  • 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 Govertex Skincare Serum and Fragrance Products
FREE Riversol 15-Day Anti-Aging Sample Kit + FREE Shipping
FREE $10 Off Groceries or Trail Mix Item for Target Circle 360 Members
FREE $5 Shop Cash
FREE Wasa Crisp Creations Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Sample of Eva NYC H2-Whoa Shampoo & Conditioner
FREE Sample of Rodan + Fields Active Hydration Serum
FREE Fragrance Samples from Macy’s
FREE Dog Treats Box from Zigzag – a $15 Value
Sweet Surprises: How to Score Free Chocolate
2 FREE How to Train Your Dragon Movie Tickets for Xfinity Rewards Members
FREE Sample of Cesar Mini-Pouches Dog Food
FREE Bloomingdale’s Little Freebies Box
Get Free Condom Samples Online and In-Person From Your Favorite Brands
FREE Suavitel Advanced Liquid Fabric Softener at Sam’s Club Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Chocolate Dipped Fruit Cone at Edible Arrangements for Graduates & Teachers
FREE Friendly Loom Crafting Party Pack
How to Score Sticker Freebies – Sticker Mule, Keds, Netflix and More
FREE $35 Purchase at Walmart After Cash Back
Get Your Free Teeth Whitening Samples: A Brighter Smile Awaits
FREE Entree at Chipotle During the 2025 Men’s Professional Basketball Series
FREE $35 Purchase at Sephora After Cash Back
FREE Sample of Dolce & Gabbana No-Puff Caffeine Eye Patches
10 FREE 4×6 Photo Prints at CVS
Unlock Your Wellness Journey with Free Nutrition Samples: Try Before You Buy
Score a Subscription to Condé Nast Traveller Magazine – No Credit Card Needed
T-Mobile Tuesdays – FREE Large Slurpee, FREE 1-Week Access to Local Cool Treats Perks & More
92,000 FREE Pints of Kroger Ice Cream on June 20th
FREE Carolina Herrera Bad Boy Cobalt & Bad Boy Elixir Fragrance Samples
FREE Army of Good Magnet
FREE Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

 

Deals:

Under Armour Shorts From $5 Shipped – Limited Time ONLY!
Bogg Bag Accessories on SALE – Score Phone Holders, Dividers & More | Prices Start at $2.55
Latest Panda Express Coupon Code: Get Two Large Sides & Three Large Entrees for $30
Bella Pro 6-Qt Touchscreen Air Digital Fryer ONLY $39.99 (Reg $100)

My secret tip to saving money…

The number one secret tip to saving money that I love to share is: take care of your stuff.

It seems simple, but taking care of your possessions can save you time and money in the coming years. With prices continuing to rise and wages stagnating, taking care of what you have has become more important. Here are a few ways that I take care of what I’ve got to save money.

Keep clothes in good repair/mending them as needed. This also means laundering them appropriately and folding or hanging them up once they are clean. 

Shoes: clean/polish/scuff free, and stuffing them with newspaper when they’re unworn and living in your closet. Or, if available, utilizing shoe trees.

This also means taking your car in for routine maintenance like oil changes, mileage-based tuneups, having your tires rotated, and making sure that your tires are properly inflated and in good repair.

Laundering your blankets and linens per the directions on the tag.

Vacuuming/cleaning carpet/rugs/flooring frequently as directed with appropriate cleaners.

Purchasing quality products that will last. This might mean saving up to make purchases, but this is better than buying cheap stuff and constantly replacing it.

To facilitate this at my house, I use Google shopping, or coupon and deal sites, where I’ll help you find the best deals and coupon codes. I use Mypoints and Topcashback. I’ve also used Honey in the past.

The secondhand stores are a great way to save money. Recently, there has been an uptick in new with tags and like-new items in thrift stores because people like the time or energy to return items or when you purchase items online, sometimes retailers is no longer want the items returned. They’ll issue the refund and ask the consumer to donate or dispose of the item.

June 2025: New Healthy Freebies From Social Nature!

 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 usually receive 4-6 offers/freebies per month, sometimes more if I have time to shop. And most of the time it’s full-size products, not just a tiny sample.

In addition to the offers where they mail you a coupon for a free product, Social Nature has started offering 100% cash-back, similar to Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. I love this because I can select exactly what I want, Social Nature tells me which local stores have it, and I can add it to my next shopping list.

And it’s just as easy as Ibotta and Fetch Rewards. Snap a pic and upload it. You can select Venmo, Paypal, or an Amazon Gift Card for your rebate.

Here are just a few of the offers available now:

  • Gluten-Free Whipped Feta by Athenos
  • Neuro+ Smoothie Blends by Brainac Foods
  • Swirl Smoothie Bowls by Pitaya Foods
  • Mental Performance Shots by Magic Mind
  • Gorgie Sparkling Energy Drinks

Swap your Coffee Shop habit with Protein Coffee

Nothing better than an iced proffee in the morning!

I love coffee, but drinking an iced coffee every morning doesn’t help me stay full or get me to my nutritional goals.

I started drinking a Proffee/protein coffee every morning about 2 years ago. It’s a good way to hydrate and get vitamins and minerals into your system in the morning. Because yes, even though coffee has caffeine in it, it is still hydrating!

If you are looking for a way to kick your coffee shop iced coffee habit, here is what you’ll need. 

Cold brew. I make cold brew at home twice a week. If you are short on time, there are plenty of pre-made store-bought cold brews available. 

If you want to make your own cold brew, this mason jar brew system is pretty good.

You can also use a cold brew bag and a plastic or glass pitcher that you already have. I have made these in the past, too. It’s a small drawstring bag made from muslin and a cotton drawstring.

Protein shakes. I prefer the Premier Protein premade shakes. They are less chalky and don’t have the weird “protein shake aftertaste” that some other shakes have. They come in 10+ flavors.  Atkins also has some great-tasting tasting ready-to-drink to drink shakes.

This is a nutrition label from the cinnamon roll Premier Protein- check out all of the vitamins and minerals.!

Additives like sugar-free syrups, sugar-free chocolate, or caramel syrups. Even 1-2 T of sugar-free pudding powder can give your Proffee a creamier, more coffee shop flavor and texture.  

Ice– I have a tabletop ice maker. Having your favorite ice helps. As much as I love pebble ice, it goes so fast at my house, so this type of ice is better for cold drinks.

Select the right size cup for you. I have a 30-ounce Yeti that I love. I won it online. I don’t have Yeti Tumbler money. 5 Below has a great selection of Yeti and Stanley dupes. Heck, Simple Modern has a really good one too!

And finally, I love my drink frother for mixing up my Proffee. My drink frother gets a lot of use in my kitchen. Between mixing drinks and making pudding/mousse, I’m constantly cleaning it!

5/30/2025 Weekly Freebies and Deals!

School is out for some of you, but we’ve still got 8 days left- not that we are counting.

  • The Summer Library Reading Program post can be found 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.

If you are looking for free food resources, my comprehensive list can be found here. It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

Let’s get onto the Freebies!!

FREE Beech-Nut Oaty Bites Toddler Snack
FREE 12 Count of Ball Mason Jars at Walmart After Cash Back
Calm and Cozy: Free Baby Sleep Music for Restful Nights
FREE Food at Burger King for Perks Week: Today BOGO Whopper
FREE Mainstays Waterproof Beach Tote Bag at Walmart After Cash Back
FREE Sample Of Pamprin Max Pain + Energy
Free Baby Samples & Full Sized Products from Amazon
FREE CeraVe Facial Moisturizer Sample Bundle
T-Mobile Tuesdays – FREE Large Slurpee, FREE 1-Week Access to Local Cool Treats Perks & More
Claim a FREE Coffee Voucher in the Family Dollar Chestnut Hill Ground Coffee Class Action Settlement
FREE Fit Dog Magnet
FREE Frazil Slushie Every Friday in June
FREE Sample of GummiShot Energy Gummies
FREE Pair of Garden Snips at Lowe’s
FREE Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream Sundaes Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Sample of Ready Sports Drink
FREE Crown Royal Military Care Package for Our Troops
FREE Full-Size Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm After Cash Back
The Ultimate Guide to Birthday Freebies for Kids and Babies
FREE Sample of e.l.f. Holy Hydration Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm
Get Free Beauty Product Samples With Topbox Circle
FREE e.l.f. Pout Clout Lip Plumping Pen
FREE Bottle of EcoStrong Oxy Pet Carpet Cleaner
FREE Samples of Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops & Protini Polypeptide Cream
Celebrate Tropical Smoothie National Flip Flop Day with a FREE Smoothie TODAY
Get Started on Your Wellness Goals with Free Supplement Samples
FREE Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish Glow Up Party Kit
FREE 30-Day Supply of MIRANEST Jelly Sticks for Dogs – a $120 Value
FREE Rabanne Invictus Victory Absolu Fragrance Sample

 

Deals:

Up to 46% off Select Patio Furniture at Home Depot
Summer Dresses up to 50% Off at Macy’s – Prices as low as $8!
Best Places To Buy Cheap & Affordable Furniture Online: 2025
Take 5 Oil Change and Car Wash Coupons for 2025
Everything You Need to Know About Michaels Rewards
Save Up to 70% Off Women’s Jeans at Kohls – Prices as low as $7.42
Kate Spade Ginnie Crossbody ONLY $65 (Reg $199)
Teachers: Save 20% with the Under Armour Teacher Discount
Kids Digital Camera ONLY $10.49 (Reg $30) on Amazon
TODAY ONLY All Swimsuits at Old Navy 60% Off for the Whole Family
Check Out This Persil Detergent Deal for ONLY $8.97 with Walmart Cash
Lock n Lock 30-Piece Storage Container Set ONLY $22 (Reg $76)
Save 48% Off Folding Floor Chair at Wayfair
Some of the Best Things to Buy at BJ’s Wholesale That Are Worth Your Money in 2025
Kate Spade Spade Flower Quilted Cosmetic Pouch ONLY $39 (Reg $129)
Best Walmart Cash Deals This Week: Belvita, Persil, Purex, All, Dove, Dole and More
Sandals & Flip Flops From at $12.79 at JCPenney
Vera Bradley Belt Bag as Low as $11 – NOW 80% Off
Belvita Energy Snack Bites ONLY $2.97 (Reg $4.48) after Walmart Cash
Revlon 1875W Compact Hair Dryer ONLY $10.97 at Walmart (Reg $29)

$5 and $10 Clearance at JCP!

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.

5/10/2025 Weekly Freebies and Deals!

This week has been great for summer freebies and deals!

  • The Summer Library Reading Program post can be found 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.

If you are looking for free food resources, my comprehensive list can be found here. It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are outside my area.

Let’s get onto the Freebies!!

FREE Capri Sun Single Serve Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Sample of L’Oreal Everpure Bond Strengthening Pre-Shampoo Treatment
FREE Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Set at Sephora After Cash Back
FREE Paint or Stain Sample at Lowe’s
FREE Baseball Game Workshop at Home Depot
FREE MyONE Custom Fit Condom
FREE LEGO Classic Brick Box Set After Cash Back
FREE $35 Purchase at Target After Cash Back
$1 Million in FREE Chipotle for Cinco De Mayo
FREE Slider at White Castle on May 15th
FREE Frozen Drink at Casey’s Every Friday in May thru August
FREE Pack of EXTRA Gum – 1st 500
FREE Sample of Sunrise Strips Fabric Sun Protection Strips
FREE Ticket to the Movie Watch The Skies
FREE Planet Fitness Summer Pass for Teens
FREE Food & Beverage Products from the Nestle GoodNes Community
FREE Skinnygirl Avocado Oil Salad Dressings Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Starface Black Star Pimple Patches
FREE Groovies Dog Dental Chews
FREE 8×10 Photos at Walgreens
FREE Hootenanny Games Party Pack
FREE Air Wick Plug In Scented Oil Advanced Gadgets After Walmart Cash (Get 3 Free)
FREE Sample of BIODERMA Original Cleansing Micellar Water
FREE Cold Foam Days at Starbucks on May 7th – 11th

 

Deals

Doorbusters Sale at JCPenney: Save up to 55% Off Select Styles
Yankee Candles Mother’s Day Sale – Buy 2 Get 2 Free
Graphic Tees $6, $5 & $4 at Old Navy
Grab These Best Shoe Deals on Sale For Women, Men & Kids, Up to 75% Off
Ulta Coupon: $3 off $15
Up to 30% Off Fragrance & Beauty at Macy’s
Pizza Coupons, Promo Codes and Deals From Papa John’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Little Caesars and More!
Quick Dri Bath Towels $4.99 Each at JCPenney
Top Magnetic Building Tiles Under $30: Tested in 2025
Old Navy – Save up to 70% Off Clearance Styles – Prices Start at $0.96
JCPenney Scented Jar Candles ONLY $8.99 (Reg $26)

Saving on Summer fun with Tweens and Teens with Groupon!

We’ve got less than 30 school days left, and the kids are already asking what we’re doing this summer.

In the past I’ve written posts about free stuff to do in San Diego over the summer, and I’ll have one up later this week, but Tweens and Tweens sometimes are “too big/too cool” for the splashpads at parks, or don’t want to go to the library for craft events.

I headed over to Groupon this morning to see what I could find that might appeal to my posse.

If you are looking for different activities, new restaurants to try, or maybe even a massage, check out Groupon. They have all sorts of cool deals available!

Weekly Reset- Preparing for the week ahead (family edition)

This is by no means a comprehensive list of everything I do each weekend to reset, but it does hit all the major points.

On Saturdays, I do the weekend prep for the week ahead. This includes the following:

Laundry. I try to do a few loads of laundry during the week so that it doesn’t pile up, but Saturday is my day to fold clean clothes, hang things up, and make sure everything gets put away. And mate socks. I usually listen to a podcast or watch something on my phone while I do this. I keep my eyes open for deals on laundry detergent. One of my favorite deals is the Buy one, get two free Arm and Hammer detergent deals that happen every 6-8 weeks or so at Walgreens. The deal starts again tomorrow, May 4, 2025.

Put outfits together. I started doing this about a year ago, and it saves me time every morning. I can just go into my closet, pull off an outfit off the hanger, and I will have a top and a bottom already to put on. My youngest picks out their clothing before bed every night, and my big kid does not care what he wears to school. So most of his clothes are mix and match athletic shorts or exercise pants, and a funny graphic shirt or a sweatshirt if it’s cold.

Clean out the fridge. I was up this morning before 7:30, and I reorganized the fridge and pulled out the food that was starting to look a little beyond its days. I prep the fruits and vegetables that may expire or go bad first. For me, that means roasting vegetables, making a fruit salad, or making applesauce if we have some apples that are starting to bruise or go soft. Applesauce is super easy to make and does not take that long at all. If you have a lot of apples, you can make it in the crockpot. My crockpot applesauce recipe can be found here.

Restock the lunch/snack bins. I keep two plastic bins in my pantry full of lunch components for the kids lunches.  I tend to buy snacks in bulk when they are on sale, and then stash the extras downstairs in the garage in a plastic tote so they don’t all get consumed quickly.  For us that includes: Granola bars, goldfish crackers, bags of popcorn, gogosqueez pouches, lunch-size bags of preferred chips, freeze-dried fruit, dried mangoes, crackers, beef jerky, and individual bags of cookies. 

Restock the drinks and the protein shakes. I have a premier protein premade protein shake every morning for breakfast with 20 ounces of cold brew. Every weekend, I go down to the garage, grab enough for the week, and stash them in the fridge.  I will also put drinks in the fridge if we have premade drinks (that does not happen very often), and more juice boxes/Arizona iced teas in the fridge for the kids’ lunches for the following week. I will usually also make a pitcher of lemonade.

I make a batch of cold brew. Previously, I used my French press, but that was taking a while, and it takes up a lot of room. So I started making bundles with oversized coffee filters and cotton twine, but that just made too much waste. So this weekend, I’m gonna make some cold brew filter bags that are reusable. I’ll be using muslin and cotton twine, and I am hoping to make several of them. You can also buy cold brew bags online.

Clean out the kids’ backpacks. Usually, they will do it themselves, but every once in a while, I peek in there and find piles of crumpled papers and broken pencils and other stuff. This also includes pulling out their lunchboxes and making sure that their school iPads are charging. Once a quarter or as needed, I will throw their backpacks and lunch bags into the washer. Nothing is worse than a stinky backpack/lunchbox.

I clean the bathrooms each weekend. This includes taking out the garbage, sweeping, cleaning the toilets, and spraying down the showers. 

Vacuuming and sweeping. My cousin gave me a Roomba recently, and Roomba is currently doing its thing in the living room. And it does a really good job, much better than the Shark iRobot we previously had. Also, this Roomba has the cat on high alert. She sits and supervises to make sure that none of her toys get sucked up. 

Changing the sheets. I changed the sheets every weekend. I usually do one bed on Friday, one bed on Saturday, and one bed on Sunday. And put the bedding in the washing machine as soon as I strip it off the bed, that way I don’t have that much more laundry to do. These are my favorite sheets from JCP. They are on sale frequently, and cotton sheets are great for warm or cool weather!

I’m sure you are asking: What do the kids do? The big kid takes the trash and recycling down. The smaller kid helps gather dirty cups/dishes and gets them ready to load into the dishwasher. They both help with laundry. They pick up their belongings, and they keep their rooms tidy.