My Favorite Money Saving Apps

As A Stay-at-Home parent, I am always looking for ways to save money. Although I am not one of those extreme couponers, I do what I can to save a few bucks here and there, without too much effort going into it. If clipping coupons is not your thing, here are a few apps and sites I use, that save me money.

First and foremost is .... Target Cartwheel!

http://cartwheel.target.com/

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Target Cartwheel. It is so easy to use and you get discounts from 5% all the way to 75% on items you would normally buy! To date, I have saved almost $400 just in Target Cartwheel alone. They are always adding new items weekly. And as I mentioned, super easy to use. Once you sign up, you browse their offers and add to your Cartwheel cart the items you would like. You can do this in several ways, the easiest being the app from your phone (available for android & iphones).  Once you download the app and sign up on your phone, head to your nearest Target and log in. From the app, you can scan every purchase you are buying to see if there is a matching Cartwheel discount. If there is, simply hid the ADD button to add that item to your cart. You can also browse through all the categories and add that way as well. You are allowed so many spots in your Cartwheel Cart. You can add more slots for saving the more you use your Cartwheel. You earn badges in different ways (ie: saving your 1st $10 opens slots, $25, etc)  and each badge opens more space to add items. 

*You can double, triple or even quadruple your savings by combining your Cartwheel with Target and manufacturer coupons (Target lets you stack coupons), then use your Target Red Card (either debit or credit card - if you don't have one, GET ONE!) for an extra 5% off your entire bill. And if you use Target Pharmacy (although I am sad to learn they are switching all Target pharmacies to CVS ) you get an extra 5% off an entire day of shopping after every 5th prescription filled. Combining all of those adds up to quite a big savings! Just to give you an idea, I have kept track of my savings and in 9 months I have saved over $950.00 using Cartwheel, coupons & my Target Red card. You gotta love Target!

Second to Target Cartwheel is Ibotta:

https://ibotta.com/register?friend=cdykqlw

Ibotta is a rebate app, that allows you to cash in on rebates for items you purchase. After you download & register the app on your phone, you browse through the offers. They have offers in grocery, electronics, travel, etc., and offer online rebates as well. Once you see an offer you are interested in, you need to unlock the offer. That usually requires watching a really short video, answering a poll question, learning a fact. Once you complete that short task, you offer is unlocked and now available for you to use. If it is an item I know I am going to purchase, I usually click on the little heart icon (♥) at the top to save it. This makes it easier to redeem later. After purchasing items that are offered on Ibotta, it's time to redeem. You simply open the app, on the drop down in the upper left corner you click on REDEEM, choose the store you are redeeming the offer(s) from and hit "SCAN PRODUCT BARCODES" click the item you purchased and then scan that items barcode to make sure the rebates matched. After you have done this with all the items you are getting rebates for, you then verify all the items by uploading a picture of your receipt with your phone. The app does it all for you. You usually get your rebate back within a day. Once you accumulate $10 (or more) n rebates, you can cash in and have the money directly deposited into your PayPal or Venmo account. Or, you can use your rebate money  for different gift cards, such as Amazon, Starbucks, iTunes, etc. 

Another way to earn rebates is through your Ibotta TEAMWORK: 

Any friends that also use Ibotta, helps you earn more rebates by completing levels throughout the month. The more friends you have in your Team, the bigger & better your extra rebate will be. So if you do decide to sign up for Ibotta, please use either my referral link (https://ibotta.com/register?friend=cdykqlw)  or referral code (cdykqlw) and that way, we can save even more money together! I have only been using this app for a short while and have already earned over $20 in rebates! 

Shopkick is a little different in that you earn "KICKS" just by entering stores where you are shopping. This includes grocery stores, clothing stores, pharmacies, pet stores, etc. Once you have downloaded the app and registered you can start earning your KICKS, which you then trade in for gift cards to places like Target, Walmart, Cheesecake Factory, Macys, Old Navy, Starbucks - just to name a few. You can also gain KICKS by scanning certain items in the store. You do not need to buy anything, you just scan the item they  ask for and you get your KICKS. Shopkick lets you know what stores have WALK-INS KICKS and SCAN KICKS. It works best if you open the app just outside the door. Usually once you get inside, you will get the welcome screen and then it will alert you that you received your WALK-IN KICKS

After you earn your Walk-In kicks, find the items listed in the SCANS, and scan them for your SCAN KICKS. 

You never have to buy a thing to earn your kicks and the kicks quickly add up so you can cash in for your gift cards. Super easy and totally FREE rewards! 

If you choose to take advantage of this awesome app, I ask that you please use my referral link when you sign up:

HTTP://GET.SHOPKICK.COM/SCALAR55051

This app is only available for Walmart stores, but is so easy to use and your savings can quickly add up depending on how often you shop at Walmart. It is simple really, after you install the app and register you do your shopping at Walmart. When you are done shopping, you scan your receipt using the app and Walmart compares for advertised ads  on the products you purchased. If an item is advertised for less on any competitors ads, Walmart will match the lowest price and credit you back the difference. You then can use your savings to cash in for a Walmart eGift Card. My savings have added up in the months I have been using this app to over $40, that I have then turned in for an e-Gift Card.
Simple and easy to use. My kids also make a game to see if they can find any discarded receipts when we shop at Walmart. You are allowed to submit up to 7 receipts per week.

This app is also super easy to use. All you need to do is snap a picture of your receipts. That's it. Once you fill up a card (which is 4 receipts) you get 100 points. You accumulate the points to redeem for gift cards to places like Amazon, Restaurants.com, or a general e-gift card that can be used at places such as Amazon, Best Buy, Starbucks, iTunes, etc. It takes very little effort and depending on how much you shop, your points can add up quickly. You can use receipts from grocery stores, travel, entertainment, clothing, gas stations. etc. So these rewards quickly add up if you remember to submit all your receipts. 

  

So there you have my list of the top money/reward saving apps.

 There are SO many to choose from, but I have found these to be the best when it comes to the payout and with very little effort. They are very easy to use, with tutorials and FAQ's to help you out if needed. The rewards can quickly add up. Please remember that if you do take advantage of these super money saving apps, to use my referral links or codes. In most cases, we both benefit from using my referrals, especially with ibotta! We can help each other save!

Other apps worth checking out:

*Snap by Groupon: https://snap.groupon.com/?ref=5b973065c9c15e5f

rebate app

Please use my referral code: 9Uq7vY

*Checkout51: https://www.checkout51.com/

rebate app

*SavingStar: https://savingstar.com/

rebate app

*Receipt Hog: http://receipthog.com/r/hipt6975

coins/rewards for receipts

please use referral code: hipt6975

*Shrink: https://bnc.lt/m/dQJgCagTin

rebate app

please use my referral code: JKSTAT

*Shopmium: http://shopmium.com/en/app

*rebate app
if you use my referral code, you will get an offer for a FREE Lindt chocolate when you sign up: KUKHFCAH

Coca~Cola Life

I love being a member of BzzAgent. I am able to try out so many products, that quite possibly I normally would never try. The latest sample I got is for a new line of reduced calorie soda by Coca~Cola. 

I love Coke, so I was very happy when I found out I qualified for the new mission. I was sent a bottle of Coca~Cola Life - a reduced calorie soda made with pure cane sugar (No HFCS! Yay!!!) and Stevia. My package arrived and I was quite surprised to see a bottle in there. It was wrapped perfectly and probably would have survived being dropped off a 10 story building. :) 

Bottle of Coca~Cola life and coupons to share! 

The first thing I noticed was that the Coca~Cola logo was not red. I am so used to seeing that red logo that it kind of threw me a bit. But I must say that the shade of green that Coke went with is very pretty and "earthy".  I really liked it. 

Part of the mission was to enjoy your new Coca~Cola life while enjoying the sweetness of life. And for me, that meant a beach day!! Nothing gets me happier than sitting on the beach, watching my kids play, looking at the beautiful ocean and enjoying a nice, cold drink! 

Does life get much better than this?

Ok, so now for the moment of truth. I will be honest and say I was a little iffy about trying a "reduced calorie" drink. I am not a fan of diet sodas at all, and avoid artificial  sweeteners as much as possible. However, this Coca~Cola Life is made with Stevia, which is derived from a plant so I was hoping it would be better than most.  The 1st sip tasted almost like a regular Coke. But then the "diet-y" aftertaste kicked in. Darn it! While the aftertaste is not as bad as most diet sodas, it was definitely still there and thus, would prevent me from buying it. I love that Coca-Cola made this with real cane sugar! I wish more than anything, sodas would go back to cane sugar and not HFCS. If Coca~Cola Life made a regular flavored Coke with cane sugar, that would be a dream come true. 

I really wanted to like this, but the sugar substitute of Stevia still has too much of a diet taste for me. I do have to say, though, that if you are a diet soda drinker, than try Coca~Cola Life. I think it is slightly better than other diet sodas and if that is what you drink, you would like this!

I would like to thank BzzAgent & Coca~Cola for allowing me to try this new product. 

Summer is just around the corner ... Great Product Review

Let me start off by saying I am counting down the days until summer vacation starts. I don't think I have ever wished for the lazy days of summer as much as I am now. This year has been quite a busy year, but the last few months have been insane. During the month of April, there was a total of 2 or 3 days where we weren't on the go, had some place to be or something to do. March wasn't much better and May is looking to be much of the same. Needless to say ... I want my wonderful lazy days of summer!! 

Through another sample/review site, called Influenster, I was given a product to try. It just so happens that it was of a product I already use and love ... Sally Hansen's Airbrushed Legs. 

 I grew up loving to tan ... laying on the beach slathered in baby oil with lemon on my hair. Yeah, we didn't know better back then. My skin has definitely suffered my sun worshiping, tanning bed days. However, I truly love the look of tanned skin. I can't help it. I had tried  self tanners in the past and boy, was it comical!! From the orange tint tanners that leave you looking like an Oompa Loompa, to the ones that left huge streaks because it was too hard to blend all in, to the tanners that stained my hands. I had all but given up on self tanners until I tried Sally Hansen's Airbrushed Legs. It is not a self-tanner but make up for your legs!

I FINALLY found a product that was easy to apply and looks natural!

It comes in 2 forms - the lotion or the spray. I prefer the spray. It goes on light and is easy to rub in. It is also available in 5 different shades so you can find a color that works great on your skin. For me, it is the medium Glow. 

Light glow-for fair skin tones, medium glow-for light to medium skin tones, tan glow-medium to tan skin tones, deep glow-for tan to deep skin tones

As with all make-up, you need to be careful when applying. The directions on the spray say to spray it into hands and then rub onto legs. But for me, I found it works better if I spray it on my legs and rub it in. Allow it to dry for at least 60 seconds before putting on clothes. It washes off easy in the shower with soap and water.  I have never had it rub off onto my clothes, but I am sure it could. 

So if you like tan legs to show off with shorts & skirts, I recommend this product. I have found it to be one of the best out there for tan looking skin. 

Dislaimer:

*"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

INFLUENSTER
Join me: www.influenster.com/r/1089811

Kid Tested and Kid Approved (but what about Mom?) Red Baron Brick Oven Pizzas

Let me start out by saying I absolutely love BzzAgent. There are so many "free-sample" sites out there, some of them scams, some are just ... eh. But I find BzzAgent to be one of the top sites. Thanks to being a member, I have been able to try some great products. We are converts to Opal© Apples & Hemisfares© Pasta thanks to BzzAgent. Savannah still loves & plays with her Ever After High Thronecoming. I am always excited when I qualify for a new mission through BzzAgent. 

The latest mission I qualified for is the Red Baron Brink Oven Pizza. Who doesn't love pizza? When we went to the store to get it, we were very limited on what toppings we could get. And when I say limited, I really mean the only one they had was Pepperoni. Ok, Pepperoni it is.  

Pre-heat oven to 400*

Instructions are easy ... place tin foil and place directly on middle rack for 16-18 minutes at pre-heated 400*. When it came out of the oven, it was golden brown and looked delicious.   

After cutting it, we noticed that the crust was brown and crunchy, but the inside didn't seem to be cooked all the way through.  This is our biggest complaint with store bought frozen pizza - it always seems like the outer edges cook & brown, yet the middle doesn't cook all the way through. We were hoping the Red Baron Brick Oven pizza would be different, but it wasn't. However, it might be because we were also cooking chicken wings at the same time with the pizza. So we will definitely have to try again, cooking the pizza alone. 

Now came the taste test ... the kids thought it was really good. But all pizza to them is good. 

Pizza & Buffalo Wings
Yummm!

My husband & I are a little more picky. I will be honest and say that it wasn't great. The cheese was good and there was plenty of it. The pepperoni was also good. For us (and this is just a personal preference) there was too much sauce and it had somewhat of a sweetness to it. I prefer pizza with less sauce and I do not like sweet sauces at all. It wasn't too sweet, as some pizzas I have tried have been. But there was a hint of it in the sauce. 

Overall, Red Baron Brick Oven Pizza is good. Not great, but good. Had it cooked differently, my opinion may have been slightly better. I gave this rating a 4 star rating, but it is more like a 3½. Now, if you asked my kids, they would probably give it a 4 or 5. 

I would like to try a different topping and prepare the pizza alone in the oven. This may change my review and if it does, I will be back to update. 

Other toppings available:

Cheese, Pepperoni, Meat Trio (pepperoni, sausage and ham), 

and Sausage Supreme (sausage, green pepper and onion)

*If you are interested in trying products like I do, check out BzzAgent:

http://u.bzz.com/pmpef
(Please use the above link so that they know I sent you!)

Solstice Canyon Hike, Malibu CA

Opie - the newest
addition to our family

From the moment I heard about Solstice Canyon, I knew I wanted to take the kids and go hiking here. I mean, come on! It's in Malibu, there are ruins, streams with rock ponds and waterfall! It was calling to me! We just recently adopted a new puppy, Opie (no, he was not named after the little boy on the Andy Griffith show. He was named after my favorite character on Sons of Anarchy) and couldn't wait to break him in and take him on his 1st hike.So after he was up-to-date on all his shots, we grabbed a few of the kids friends and off we set for the Malibu Canyon!

Getting there is very easy (just punch in 3998 Solstice Canyon Rd. CA 90265 into your GPS) There is a small FREE parking lot at the first stop. If you drive a little ways further, there is another FREE parking lot that is slightly bigger. However, I am sure it fills up really fast on the weekend. We went on a weekday so we lucked out with parking. We unloaded and off we went on our adventure ... 

The first part of the trail is paved and very easy to walk, which makes it a great trail for kids ... and puppies. You will come to a bridge and after that, the trail is dirt. But it is wide and still very easy walk for kids (and puppies!). 

       

After walking for a short distance you will come upon a sign on the right side. You have reached the 1st of the ruins ... 

The sign tells of a settler named Sweeney who built a wood cabin. A man named Keller bought the land (and cabin) in 1901. A fire destroyed the wood cabin in 1903 and Keller rebuilt it using stone. It stood for many years until a fire in 2007 destroyed it. The outside walls remain.


You can see the structure through the trees & brush, but do not cross here.  
Even though it looks like there is a small clearing leading up to the structure, the area is surrounded by poison oak. If you just walk a few feet more, there is a clearing where you can walk over to the structure. It is gated off so PLEASE respect the area and do not climb over the gate.

 

BEWARE of crazy wildlife!

This is where our hike got a little interesting ... The boys and the dog walked a few feet up and myself & the girls followed a few feet behind them (still on the trail). My daughter asked, "What is that sound?" and right as we looked down, a rattlesnake slithered over the path and into the bush right next to the path. It coiled and rattled. I knew that a snake can only strike it's body length, so we took a few HUGE steps backward. I got my zoom lens and shot a picture. Now, snakes don't freak me out. Had it been, say ... a tarantula? My butt would have been outta there!! 

Well, hello!

So, even though I am not freaked out by snakes, I definitely do not want to get to know a rattlesnake up close & personal. We gently backed away and continued on, our ears & eyes on high alert.

Thankfully, we did not encounter anymore snakes, but we did see quite a few of it's relatives ... lizards. There were also lots of butterflies & dragonflies fluttering about. However, I think seeing the snake put the kids on edge a bit and after just a little bit more walking, they were done and wanted to

head back.

   

What little I did see of Solstice Canyon, I loved. I definitely cannot wait to get back there and hike to the mansion ruins, the stream, rock ponds and waterfall. The scenery was just beautiful, and if you go on the right day, you will have the breeze coming off the Pacific Ocean. So stay tuned for a Part II of hiking in Solstice Canyon ... hopefully without the rattlesnake encounter.

the beauty of Malibu Canyon

Oh, and how did the puppy do on his 1st hiking adventure? Well, I think this picture sums it up ...

Sleepy Puppy