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.

5/3/25 Weekly Freebies and Deals

This weekend is starting off right! Getting housework done, blog posts written, and of course- drinking a big iced coffee!

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 RESCUE! Pest Control Party Pack
FREE Bulgari Allegra Fragrance Samples
FREE Sample of Cesar Warm Bowls Dog Food
FREE Ionvac Hand Vacuum Cleaner at Walmart After Cash Back
FREE Sample of Redken Naked Gloss Lightweight Shine Oil
FREE Petmate Chuckit! at Walmart Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Craving Cheesecake Donut at Krispy Kreme
FREE Fragrance Samples from Macy’s
FREE Sample of Lunar Hot Sauce
FREE Chocolate Dipped Fruit Cone at Edible Arrangements
FREE Sample of Sheba Selections Filets Cat Food
FREE Sample of Erborian CC Creme
Unlock Your Wellness Journey with Free Nutrition Samples: Try Before You Buy
FREE Salonpas Lidocaine FLEX Patch Sample
FREE Pet Travel Water Bottle & Food Container
FREE Movie Ticket to Fight or Flight
FREE 4pk of Mother’s Day Greeting Cards & Poise Liners
FREE Sample of Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen Lotion
FREE Sample of Carol’s Daughter Goddess Strength Curl Restoration Concentrate
FREE Sample of Narrow Gate Coffee
FREE Fiona Grey Beer Drunk Glory Days Koozie

 

Deals:

Kate Spade Leila Medium Crossbody ONLY $59 (Reg $299)
PROfit Handheld Massage Gun ONLY $34.99 (Reg $75)
NEW Smashburger Coupon! 50% Off Shakes Every Friday from 2–5pm
Save Up to 70% Off on Clearance Items at JCPenney – Prices From $1.99
SKIMS Discount Codes & Coupons: Up to 60% Off an Order of Panties, Bras and Shapewear

Freebies and Deals for Teacher Appreciation Week!

Teacher Appreciation Week starts on May 5th, 2025. It is always the first week in May.

This year, it seems there are a lot fewer straight-out freebies and more discounts and BOGOs. Most of them require downloading an app—keep this in mind and be prepared to do a little legwork. And have your staff badge with you to take advantage of these deals!

At the time this article is posted, many freebies and deals that were available in previous years have not yet been confirmed for 2025. Be aware that if you see other articles with information to double-check that they are confirmed for 2025. I spent a lot of time going down rabbit holes and ending up at dead ends.

My absolute favorite deal is one that you can combine with coupons, store deals, and rebates apps (like Ibotta, Fetch, etc.): Vons’s/Albertson’s is offering Teachers a discount of 10% off their groceries (exclusions apply), May 3-6. With the rise in grocery prices, this offer may be the most practical.

Join Sonic’s Teachers’ Circle via their app before May 5 to unlock a whole slew of freebies to use between May 5 and May 9. You’ll receive exclusive rewards like a BOGO Sonic Blasts, entrees, or cheeseburgers, free large drinks or slushies, and a free small side with an entrée purchase. This is a legit offer, and sometimes Sonic has other in app offer throughout the year for teachers too.

15% off at Michaels. This is another one that is valid all year. It’s perfect for all kinds of teachers. I love this because teachers need supplies all year, and Michaels has great deals. You can use this online and in-store. It takes a little bit to be verified, but it’s worth it!

Not a freebie for everyone, but if you like Chipotle, this one might be right up your alley.  Teachers who verify their employment status at teacherthanks.chipotle.com between April 30 and May 12 will be entered for a chance to receive a free entree e-card. Chipotle will choose 100,000 winners who will be notified the week of May 13.

Office Depot/Office Max: They offer Discounts and additional bonus offers when you sign up and verify your teaching status through their website.

StaplesSimilar to Office Depot’s offer, Staples is offering 20% off in-store purchases with an app coupon and a teacher ID.

Apple: This is a great offer- Apple offers educators and support staff a discount on a new Mac or iPad through the Apple Education Store. To take advantage of this offer, verify your educator status to unlock the discounted pricing.

In past years, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Insomnia Cookies,  McDonald’s, and other restaurants have offered freebies or discounts for teachers with an ID. If you are looking for specific freebies, I recommend reaching out to brands or restaurants directly. For year-round discounts and offers, check out the NEA website.