saving money

Black Friday Deals at Thrift Stores!

Abby H.

Thrift stores are getting in on the Black Friday Sales, too. And why not? With more people on a tighter budget, thrift stores are a great way to save money while shopping, support a charity, and keep clothing and home goods out of landfills.

Goodwill:

Black Friday (11/28)
Shop Goodwill SoCal stores and receive a free scarf with a minimum $30 purchase.*
All Weekend Long (11/28-12/1)
The first 25 people in line each day at Goodwill SoCal’s Retail Stores and Boutiques will receive a coupon for 20% off a future purchase of $30 or more.**
Enter for a chance to win a $2,000 gift voucher for our Goodwill SoCal ebay Shop!*** Learn more and enter to win at a Goodwill SoCal store near you.

Goodwill also has a VIP program where you can score a 20% off coupon- Sign up here. 

Amvets: All items are $3.00, excluding clearance items. This deal is valid all day on November 28, 2025, at all AmVets locations. Locations can be found here.

Amvets is one of my favorite thrift stores; they always have great clothes and craft supplies.

Salvation Army is also having a Black Friday sale, but theirs is limited in time, unlike Amvets. Enjoy 50% 0ff the entire store on Friday, November 28, 2025, 8am-12pm.

If you can’t make it then, but are on the hunt for clothes- GOOD NEWS! All clothing will be 50% off Friday-Saturday, November 28-29, 2025.  Find your location Salvation Army Thrift store here. 

 

There may be other thrift stores having sales, but my internet searches were not that fruitful. I was aware of both of these because I had seen signs in stores recently.

 

 

Earn More Fetch Points with the Fetch American Express Card!

Abby H.

Did you know that Fetch (my favorite cash back app of all time) has a co-branded American Express Card?

Those of us who know about rewards credit cards agree this is a great deal- BUT- only if you can use it responsibly. Credit cards like this are a tool.

The Fetch Card earns 10X points¹ on groceries—with no annual fee².

Apply now and get a 50,000-point bonus³ 
if you’re approved and spend $150 with the Fetch Card.  $150 on groceries isn’t hard to do these days.

As someone with an American Express Card, I see this opportunity as a great deal. 50,000 points is about a $50 Gift Card Reward in the Fetch App.

If you are new to Fetch, use my code ND2TB when you sign up, and you’ll earn Bonus Points (amounts vary from 1500 to 4000, depending on the current promotion).

And to learn more about how Fetch works, check out my post here.

$10 off Family Meals at Luna Grill (In-App)

Abby H.

This is a deal I can get behind.

I love Luna Grill; it replaced Daphne’s in our area as the fast casual Mediterranean restaurant.

App Exclusive: $10 off Family Meals

Redeem by 12/31 in the Luna Grill app for $10 off Family Meals portioned for 4 or 6.

I love these family meals. They are great for take-out night or for meal prep. Sometimes I want grilled chicken for lunch during the week, but I don’t want to fire up the grill. I pick up the Family Meal for 4 and portion it out in my lunchwear for the entire week. The meals for 4 (and 6) and super generous and can definately stretch a few more servings.  I usually get 6 lunches from a Family Meal for 4.

The family meals include your choice of kabobs served with seasonal veggies, rice, salad, pita, and a choice of hummus or sauce.

Discount applies to the base price of Family Meal for 4 or 6. Valid in the Luna Grill app through 12/31/2025. *Limit (1) offer per guest per visit. No cash value. Must be presented at time of purchase. Not valid with any other offers or promotions. No substitutions.

 

Shopkick- Your turkey just got a bonus!

Abby H.

I received this email from Skopkick, and if you haven’t already picked up a turkey… Here’s an offer that might sweeten the deal:

From now until 11/24, purchase our featured turkey (Butterball Frozen Whole Turkey, All Natural, 10-16 lbs., Serves 5-8) at Walmart and submit your receipt to earn 750 kicks back.

If you are new to Shopkick, I wrote about how it works (and a link to get you started) here.

 

OTC Benefits with Medicare and Medicaid!

Abby H.

I learned the other day that some Medicare and Medicaid plans have a benefit where you can receive an allowance to purchase OTC medicines and devices to help you stay healthy. From what I’ve found, Medi-Cal (THat’s what Medicaid in CA is called) is not included in this, sadly.

To see if your plan has an allowance called an OTC health solution or OTCHS, check with your Medicare or Medicaid plan. For those with Medicare, it is often covered under Part D.

CVS is one pharmacy where you can use your allowance. They accept the following plans:

• OTC Health Solutions

  • S3
  • OTC Network
  • Nations Benefits
  • And many more

Walgreens also offers a service similar to CVS. In fact, Walgreens has a complete section on its website where you can shop for items covered by this program.

Over-the-counter medicines like pain relievers, eye drops, gas relievers, first aid supplies, vitamins, and oral care, just to name a few.

If your plan offers this feature, have you taken advantage of it before? What types of items do you purchase?

Save Money and Electricity with Ohm Connect!

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2016-08-03 at 5.02.27 PMI haven’t posted about OhmConnect in a while, and I wanted to bring it up again because of the change in seasons upon us. Lots of us will be turning on our heaters soon, and that means an increase in power bills.

OhmConnect is a program for Southern CA, New York, or Texas Residents. We save about $200/year on our power bill and earn roughly $150 in rewards. It’s a nice little extra for minimal work.

We’ve been using it for a few years, and they text and/or email you when you should conserve more power due to the demand on the power grid. It’s a win-win situation: You save money on your power bill, and you earn points from OhmConnect that you can cash out for PayPal, Amazon, or Target Gift Cards, OhmConnect store credit (to buy energy-efficient thermostats, smart plugs, etc.)

You can learn more about OhmConnect here.

California and Utah Residents: No Cost Wellness Kits for Medicaid members!

Abby H.

I found out about Stay Well US recently while researching for another post. This offer is 100% free and is only for those with Medicaid (Remember, in California, Medicaid is called Medi-Cal).

If you live in California or Utah and you have Medicaid, this offer is for you!

Stay Well US has three types of wellness kits available for free:

The process to obtain any of these is easy:

  • Submit a Quick Form: Tell Stay Well a little about your health needs.
  • They Verify Coverage: They work directly with Medicaid, so there’s no cost to you.
  • Receive Your Kit: Your approved COVID tests and wellness items are delivered discreetly and securely.

These offers have no out-of-pocket cost to you. As I find more deals and offers like this, I will post them.

11/15/2025 Weekly Freebies!

Abby H.

The deals this week are not dealin’, so it’s an OOPS All Freebies edition.

I’ve updated my list of freebies for birthdays in 2025, which you can find here. If you live outside Southern California, check out this list: Free Birthday Stuff in 2025: Get The Best 100+ Freebies on Your Birthday!

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.

This first Freebie is OMG amazing, and if you live near a JCPenney and have a kid, you need to go do it! FREE LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Toucan or Monster Truck Craft Kit at JCPenney (December 13th)

Freebies:

FREE Letter Box Build Event for Kids at Lowe’s- Going on today!
FREE LEGO Tom the Turkey Build Event at Toys R Us in Macy’s– Going on today!
FREE Catalyst Protein Bar
7 FREE K-Beauty Sheet Masks
FREE Chipotle with Chipotle U Rivalry Week
FREE Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm at Sephora After Cash Back
FREE Hot Sandwich at Love’s Travel Stops
FREE Holiday Magic Events at Target
FREE LEGO Plum Blossom Flower Set After Cash Back
FREE Sample of Garlique Garlic Supplement
FREE $10 Off + FREE Shipping at e.l.f.
Free Dog Food Samples: 7 Companies that Will Send You Free Dog Samples by Mail
FREE L’Occitane Karite Confort Ultra Rich Body Cream
FREE Emergen-C Vitamin C Powder After Walmart Cash – Up to 3
Free Chick-fil-A: The Chick-fil-A Hacks You Need to Know – Yes, It Includes FREE Chicken!
Lots of Freebies for Moms: The Freebie List I Wish I Had When I Became a Mom
FREE Frozen Drink at Casey’s Every Friday thru December
Black Friday Food Deals & Freebies On Coffee, Fast Food, Gift Cards and More: 2025
FREE Amy’s Kitchen Products with Instacart – Up to $12
FREE 2026 Snort Calendar
FREE TheraBreath Toothpaste
Burger King Perks Week – FREE Chicken Sandwich, Cini Minis, Whopper Jr, Cheeseburger & More
FREE Barilla Pesto Savor The Creaminess Party Kit
We Found The Best Birthday Freebies For Kids
FREE Salonpas Lidocaine FLEX Patch Sample
FREE LUNCHABLES Kit
Big List of 110 Restaurants to Get Free Food
FREE Autobrush Sonic Pro Toothbrush for Kids or Adults
Get Free Beauty Product Samples With Topbox Circle
FREE Simply Pop Prebiotic Soda Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Medium Fries at McDonalds – Every Friday
FREE Cali XL Burger at Carl’s Jr.
FREE 6-Piece Chicken Nuggets Every Wednesday at Wendy’s
FREE Ethel-On-The-Go Luggage Tag + FREE Shipping
FREE Clorox Gift of Clean Gift Pack & a 2 Hour In-Home Cleaning Service
FREE Candy Crush Upside Down Lollipop
Free Photo with Santa, Giveaways & More at Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s

Office Depot/Office Max: Savings and Deals!

Abby H.

Office Depot/Office Max has really beefed up their rewards program!

Are you a Teacher/Educator? EXCLUSIVE TEACHER OFFER
25% back in Bonus Rewards on a qualifying purchase.
Limit $100 back in rewards per member per week (details here).

Are you in the military? EXCLUSIVE MILITARY OFFER
25% back in Bonus Rewards on a qualifying purchase.
Limit $100 back in rewards per member per week (details here).

RECYCLING REWARDS Get $2 back in recycling Rewards the next day when you recycle your Ink & Toner Cartridge and make a $10 purchase in the same month.

Earn 2% back in Rewards on supplies, technology, furniture, and more.

And this is a new perk to me: Earn $2 Back in Rewards for reviews
Up to 3 reviews per month. Online only. Learn More

 

11/8/25 Weekly Freebies and Deals

Abby H.

I’ve got freebies and deals this week! There is a pretty good selection to choose from.

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.

 

Freebies:

Deals:

The Children’s Place: Up to 70% Off Entire Site + 20% Off Coupon
Ultimate List for Where to Get Grocery Coupons
3-Piece Comforter Sets as Low as $23.93 (Reg $80)
Matching Family Pajamas From $10 at Target
Grab These Best Shoe Deals on Sale For Women, Men & Kids, Up to 60% Off
Kohl’s Clearance Sale is at 70% Off – Deals as low as Only $1.00
Christmas Inflatables as low as $9.86 Shipped at Walmart