saving money

6/6/22 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgIt’s Monday Morning, and that means Meal Plan time! Can you tell I’ve had my coffee already?

I shopped over the weekend and did some meal prep as well. We should be set for the week!

School is over on Wednesday, and we’ve got two weeks off before summer school starts. I’ve got two lazy days planned for the end of this week, but after that, we are starting fun activities and we’ll be out and about!

Saturday is Bitty’s Birthday Party and we are having a fairy themed affair. Snacks, wands, and wings (fairy wings that is).

Our veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $28, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $28. Seriously. It’s a deal. They email a preview of what will be in the boxes over the weekend, so I can start thinking about what I’d like to make.

With the increase in food costs, we are leaning more and more on our CSA box each week as the base of most of our meals.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods. On Friday night I ran to Sprouts and picked up the monthly freebies, and redeemed all of the Social Nature Coupons I had in my wallet. We’ve got all kinds of yummy snacks and treats!

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.

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. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. I’m back to packing lunches again. However, school lunches are free this year- Little Bit has been buying her lunch and expanding her palate.  The big kid still brings lunch from home.

Dinner: We’re still working our way through our Dream Dinners order for the month, and I’ve got two meals ready for this week.

Tea Collection: The Easy Does It Sale Is Happening Now ($10 and Up)

Abby H.

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

Summer shopping: twirly dress, a super soft romper, and piles of leggings to pair with everything. It’s time for the Easy Does It Sale from Tea Collection! Starting at just $10, there are tons of cute items for the kiddos in your life.

That sale runs Thursday, June 2, 2022 through Sunday, June 5, 2022.

 

Fine Print: Dresses, Rompers & Leggings prices as marked on site. Offer valid from 6/2/2022 through 6/5/2022 at 11:59 PM PT. Discount taken will be pre-tax. Cannot be combined with other promotions. No adjustments on previous purchases. Not redeemable for cash. Limited to stock on hand. Please note: costs have increased due to growing challenges in our supply chain. We have added a 0.75 cent fee to all orders. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to service@teacollection.com.

June 2022: New Month, New Coupons!

Abby H.

file000786402730Here is your monthly reminder!  A new month means new printable and electronic coupons!

The printable coupon market is slowly coming to an end. Smartsource no longer offers printable coupons, and you may notice that there are fewer coupon inserts in your Sunday newspaper. This is in favor of more offers available on apps. But if you love printable coupons….

  • Coupons.com (printable coupons, e-coupons, and a cashback app)

One of my favorite websites is the Sunday Coupon Review.  It helps me plot out scenarios in advance and I can email friends to ask for coupons in advance. Remember if clipping coupons isn’t your thing, but saving money is, check out my list of Smartphone apps that can save you the big bucks! New offers are added on the Smartphone Savings Apps all the time!

June is here! It’s National Candy Month, and it’s also time for Father’s Day (June 20th), and Graduation season (starting as early as June 5th in some places). There will be deals on men’s wear, technology for grads (like new laptops), and of course, summer stuff like swimwear, pool toys, and sunscreen!

For a complete list of types of foods and items that will be on sale, check out this post on the cycle of sales.

 

5/30/2022 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

I came back from my camping trip a few hours ago, and I’m already done with the meal plan for the week.

I’ll hit up the store tomorrow AM after I take the kids to school. We need just a few things… like MILK!

Our veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $28, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $28. Seriously. It’s a deal. They email a preview of what will be in the boxes over the weekend, so I can start thinking about what I’d like to make.

With the increase in food costs, we are leaning more and more on our CSA box each week as the base of most of our meals.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

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.

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. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. I’m back to packing lunches again. However, school lunches are free this year- Little Bit has been buying her lunch and expanding her palate.  The big kid still brings lunch from home.

Dinner: I picked up our Dream Dinners order last week, and we’ve got a couple on deck for this week. I’m leaving a lot of prepped foods for the rest of the family to enjoy while we are out camping.

    • Monday: Nug night- crinkle fries, apple slices & strawberries
    • Tuesday: Savory chicken with sesame honey butter, corn, broccoli
    • Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner (eggs, pancakes, fruit)
    • Thursday: Charhouse Chicken Sandwiches with Heirloom Potatoes,
    • Friday: Takeout night!
    • Saturday:  Leftovers
    • Sunday:  Breakfast Burritos, fruit

My Savings Checklist: Before and After The Shopping Trip

Abby H.

One of the ways I save money on groceries is to utilize cashback apps. But I’ve never shared how I do my cashback “work”.

When it’s time to hit the store, I’ll scroll through Ibotta, Shopkick, and the Coupons.com apps to see if there is anything on my list. If so, I click the offer/coupon (only needed on Ibotta and Coupons.com, no work is needed beforehand for Shopkick). Sometimes I’ll check Fetch Rewards to see if there are any extra point offers. Last week there were two offers for hand soap in the Fetch Rewards app, which was on my list. It ended up making the handsoap free!

If I’m going to Target, I’ll also check the Target app for any coupons or Target Circle offers for anything on my list.

The nice thing about all of these apps is that you can scan the barcode of items if you aren’t sure they qualify for a rebate offer.

Once I get home and get everything put away, I take my receipts out and start scanning.

With Ibotta, Walmart and Target are no scan stores. Just make sure your payment card and Walmart/Target accounts are linked to Ibotta (It’s pretty easy and directions are available in the Ibotta App). For other stores, just open the app and follow the directions.

I scan my receipts through the following apps each time, regardless of what I buy:

I know it sounds like a lot of work, but really, it’s about 10-15 minutes once a week and I’m saving thousands of dollars a year. For the apps that offer gift cards instead of Paypal or Venmo payouts, I select gift cards for the stores I buy groceries or other goods frequently.

I love getting Target Gift cards. I can load them directly to my Target App, and use them at checkout straight from the app, no need to carry around printouts or remember to open emails or other apps at checkout.

Talk Back: If there are any apps that you like that I didn’t mention, please leave a comment!

 

 

 

Shopkick: Earn Cashback When you Visit Stores and Shop!

Abby H.

I’ve never talked about Shopkick before, and it’s a pretty easy program.

Shopkick is a rebate app, similar to Ibotta, where you earn points that can be redeemed for gift cards (there are over 70 gift card options) when you buy specific products.

But what makes Shopkick different is that you can also earn points by scanning barcodes in-store, and by opening the app while you are in the store and checking in through the Shopkick app. It definitely makes walking through the mall a little more lucrative. Walk-ins/Check-ins will net you between 10-75 points, and scanning product UPC’s will net you between 10-50 points. Each store and product is different. With over 40 stores, you can earn on almost any shopping trip.

I use Shopkick to check-in, and if I’m in Target by myself and not in a rush, I’ll scan a few product UPCs for extra points. I earn about $10 in Shopkick Gift Cards a month, just by doing my usual shopping and checking into stores.

And as you can see by the screenshots of the app, there are offers for products that you may actually buy. Nothing weird or hard to find.

If you want to check Shopkick out, you can sign up with code JOY087662 & we’ll both get a bonus! The Shopkick app is available for both Android and IOS phones.

6 Small Ways to Trim Your Out of Pocket

Abby H.

With my work year coming to an end, I need to trim my budget. It looks like my monthly income is about to be cut in half. I applied for a summer school job, but I haven’t heard back one way or another, so I’m guessing I didn’t get the job and I need to prepare for that.

There are fun activities that the kids want to do this summer, and they all cost money, so I need to trim a bit more so we have the opportunity to have some fun.

Here are a few ways that you (and I) can save some money and free up room in our budget this summer.

Start by looking over your family budget. Is there anything you can dump? Streaming services you no longer use, monthly subscriptions that no longer serve you? For us, we are dumping Netflix next month. We no longer use it enough to justify the $20/month. Feel like you are overpaying for your cellphone or other services, look into switching carriers or plans. If you don’t have a family budget, here is an easy way to put one together.

Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without. This is an oldie, but a goodie. And by this statement, I mean that use what you have on hand. Eat the food in your kitchen (meal planning can help with that), wear the clothes you’ve got, and repair them as needed. Don’t forget that there are groups like Buy Nothing, where you can share and receive goods and services from those in your neighborhood. It’s hard to not want to keep up with the Joneses, especially in our society where it seems like everything is based on presentation and showing off what you’ve got on social media.

Take advantage of programs in your community. There are so many free and low-cost programs meant to help families during this time of unprecedented inflation, low wages, and other social issues that contribute to financial instability. Here in San Diego County, there are resources for free food and free clothing. 

If you have someone in your family who requires electricity for their medical devices or if you are low income, check out your local power companies website to learn about discounts you may be eligible for. This post has details and more tips.

If you are looking for some free summer fun for the kids, there are events like Kids night out, and summer reading programs.  And in California, there will be free breakfasts and lunches for kids under 18 throughout the summer through schools and local parks and rec. As soon as I have more details on those, it will be a separate post.

My final tip- Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. There are so many programs and resources out there to help. Even if you feel like there are people and families out there who “have it worse”, you deserve help. This isn’t a “who has it worse” situation. Everyone deserves to live a good life. Take advantage of opportunities that come your way.

Talk Back- If you have tips or tricks to help with lowering your Out of Pocket, I’d love to hear it!

 

Earn Cashback at Walmart with Zarty!

Abby H.1 Comment

I learned about Zarty on Reddit last week. I downloaded the app, and had to try it for myself. Last night I went to Walmart and decided to give it a shot.

There are three parts to earning cashback with Zarty.

  • First, scan the product in-store before you buy it.
  • Then scan the receipt after purchase, and answer a few questions.
  • Finally, a few days later, answer some additional questions about your experience with the product.

Some products have a 100% cashback rebate in the form of points. This week, it’s frozen veggies and crescent rolls. There was a Snickers bar too, but I missed out on that by a few hours.

What I like about Zarty is that it’s super easy to use. Once you earn 10,000 points you can cash out for a $10 Walmart Gift Card.

That’s it. It’s simple, it’s easy, and you can use it with other cash back apps. You earn points every time you scan in a Walmart receipt too, even if you don’t have any offers on your receipt.

We don’t have a great Walmart in our city. It’s not a supercenter or neighborhood market, so they don’t have a lot of groceries, but if you live in an area with either of those and you shop there, this app may be a really great way for you to earn even more cashback.

There is no referral link or code to download this app. Just go to the app store or Google Play store and download the Zarty app to get started!

5/23/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

This is a short meal plan week for me. I’m taking the big kid camping starting Wednesday afternoon. We are going to Potrero War, run by our local SCA branch. I’m on staff, so we are going early.

I went to the store last night and picked up some goodies to get us through the week. Little Bit and her daddy are staying home. She is not outdoorsy.

I’m so excited because our JUMBO CSA box is arriving today while I’m at work. That means this afternoon I’ll be prepping fruits and veggies to keep us healthy and fed for the week. I’m taking about half of the veggies with us to cook while we are camping. We cook a lot over charcoal in dutch ovens, and I’m excited to see how some of my recipes at home turn out in a dutch oven!

Our veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $28, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $28. Seriously. It’s a deal. They email a preview of what will be in the boxes over the weekend, so I can start thinking about what I’d like to make.

I went to the grocery store last night to pick up milk and some misc. groceries last night. With the increase in food costs, we are leaning more and more on our CSA box each week as the base of most of our meals.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

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.

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. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. I’m back to packing lunches again. However, school lunches are free this year- Little Bit has been buying her lunch and expanding her palate.  The big kid still brings lunch from home.

Dinner: I picked up our Dream Dinners order last week, and we’ve got a couple on deck for this week. I’m leaving a lot of prepped foods for the rest of the family to enjoy while we are out camping.

    • Monday: Nug night- crinkle fries, apple slices & strawberries
    • Tuesday: Lemon Feta Turkey Sliders with Crispy Shoestring Fries, green salad
    • Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner (eggs, pancakes, fruit)
    • Thursday: Pasta with roasted veggies
    • Friday: Takeout night!
    • Saturday:  Leftovers
    • Sunday:  Quesadillas, beans, rice, green salad

Saving Money on Alcohol!

Abby H.

I know not everyone enjoys or partakes of alcohol, but for those who do, saving money can be hard.

I’m here to show you a few ways to save money while stocking your bar for your next get-together!

First, let’s start with rebate apps.

  • FetchRewards partners with a lot of brands including Coors Banquet and Miller. So you’ll earn points that can be redeemed for gift cards, and frequently they have offers that make products free or heavily discounted.
  • Shopkick frequently has alcohol rebates.
  • BYBE is available in most states. This app has rebates for beer, wine, liquor, and more.
  • Target frequently has both coupons and Target Circle offers for alcohol. Check the app or website before heading out to shop. And you save 5% when you shop with your Target RedCard! Remember that you can stack Target app deals and coupons with Cashback apps to double and sometimes triple dip!

Check your grocey store’s app for further discounts, coupons, and rebates. Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs/Kroger frequently have digital coupons for alcohol.

Next up are good old fashioned rebates. Especially with alcohol, you may find rebates on products in store. There are also online rebates frequently. When searching for rebates, make sure to include your state in the search, as well as the year. “CA 2022 beer rebates” will bring you better searches than, “beer rebates”. Websites like phatwallet and slickdeals often have forums dedicated to rebates, where you can find more alcohol rebates.

I hope this helps!