February Savings Round Up

Hello everyone,

Brrr! It’s always a long winter in Cleveland. So how am I spending it? Well I’m planning summer trips, thinking about my garden, and getting cozy by the fire. Oh, and doing my usual coupon and rebate savings round ups! I’ve got a hearty list of both “stand by” and new/ rare coupons below in my February Savings Round Up.

I also want to call your attention to three new ways that i’m saving this year:

1. Dosh – Have you heard of Dosh? It’s one of the “newer” rebate apps—similar to Ebates or Swagbucks, but it’s actually a lot easier and has some added benefits. There are three primary ways to get cash back with the app: (1) In-store shopping (and this is my favorite feature); (2) Online Shopping; and (3) Travel.

To earn cash back from in-store shopping, you simply need to link credit or debit cards to your account. As an added bonus, you’ll get $5 for linking your first card. Once you’ve done this, Dosh automatically scans your purchases for savings from Dosh affiliated establishments. That’s it. You read that right. No scanning receipts, snapping photos, or scanning barcodes. It’s automatic! How cool is that?

In general, the cash back for both in-store and online purchases is 3-7%, very similar to Ebates and Swagbucks. For example, right now you can currently pocket 10% back from Denny’s, 7.5% Bed, Bath, and so on. Aside from big name retailers, you might even be bale to earn some cash back at local coffee shops or breweries. 

It’s pretty simple to sign up, and you can cash out for Paypal or donate to charity once you reach $15. Only one catch – you can’t use Dosh in conjunction with any other rebate program, but that’s fairly common.

Right now you can even earn a $25 bonus for booking your first hotel room through the app! Plus, their referral program is the best I’ve ever seen. You can earn $5 for each friend that signs up with your link, but they do frequest specials where the rate jumps to $15. A-mazing! What are you waiting for? Give it a try! *Note, due to popularity, you might encounter a waitlist.

2. Drop – Drop is a free mobile rewards app that allows consumers to collect points on top of their existing rewards programs on everyday spending. You simply link your debit and credit cards and seamlessly earn Drop points at your favorite brands, then redeem them instantly at major retailers like Amazon, Starbucks, and Apple. If you sign up and use my code – g0wex – you’ll get 1,000 free drop points on me. That’s essentially $1.00 in rewards just for joining!

  • Earning rewards with Drop (code – g0wex) is easy:
    • Download the app: www.earnwithdrop.com
    • Link any Debit and/or Credit cards.
    • Select your favorite stores to earn points with. Options currently include Target, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Sephora, Uber, Starbucks, McDonald’s, Walmart, and more.
    • Earn Drop points every time you make a purchase at any of the selected retailers by spending with your linked Debit or Credit cards.
    • Earn additional Drop points by redeeming limited time offers when spending at rotating brands.
    • Unlock rewards when a certain amount of points are collected. Users can redeem their Drop points instantly for giftcards at places like Amazon, Starbucks, Apple, and many other retailers.

3. SpotHero – Last, but certainly not least−I’ve been reserving parking spots a lot more than usual. I’ve needed to do so when I didn’t want to pay $25-35/night at the hotel, as well as, when I’ve gone downtown for an event. I stumbled on SpotHero which let’s you reserve your spot online or via their app. It’s quick, easy, and lets you park for cheaper than you would otherwise. If you use my link, we’ll both get $7.00 off our next reservation!

Cheers and happy shopping!

Jocelyn

PS – As always, in case you missed them, check out my top ways to save and other recent savings posts.

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own!

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Game Day Treats: Vegan Pigs in a Blanket & more

Hello everyone!

Whether or not you like football, you probably like getting together with friends to snack and halfheartedly watch the halftime show. Or maybe you just watch it for the ads. Either way, if you’re hosting a party for the big day, you’re probably already thinking about what to serve your guests. Is it an all vegan crowd? Do you need to please vegans and omnivores alike? Looking for an easy meal or appetizer to satisfy everyone on Superbowl Sunday? Don’t want to make something homemade? Don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. Today I’m bringing you Game Day Treats: Vegan Pigs in a Blanket & more! 

If you read my Vegan Cinnamon Rolls post, you know that I’ve been coming up with some unique uses for the Pillsbury® Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet. I found the perfect game day, two-ingredient recipe—Vegan Pigs in a Blanket. Anyone could make this recipe. It’s simply foolproof, but it doesn’t taste like it! It’s the perfect party food, clocking in at just 15 minutes of cook time, and easily customizable from the size of the serving to the taste. If you want something delicious that will satisfy your craving plus make you reminisce about childhood, check out my complete recipe below!

Okay, maybe you’re looking also for some “just buy it and you’re done” items? I’ve got you covered on those, too. How about getting a few packs of Louisville Vegan Jerky to display in a serving dish? This jerky packs a punch with flavors ranging from Smoked Black Pepper to Smokey Carolina BBQ or my favorited Smoke Chipotle.

Your friends like cheese doodles or cheetos? Well, why not get some Hippeas for them to enjoy? These cheesy puffs are derived from chick peas, but they sure don’t taste like it!

Want to throw in some healthy snacks? You can’t go wrong with a crudité platter with cauliflower, baby carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, red pepper slices, hummus, and some Just Ranch, too!

Or check out other party-ready recipes from one of my all-time favorite vegan cookbooks, “Thug Kitchen: Eat Like You Give a F*ck.”

Check out my Vegan Pigs in a Blanket recipe below! Let me know what you’re making for game day in the comments.

Happy eating!

Jocelyn

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate and referral links. I may earn a commission or bonus if you click through to make a purchase.  All opinions are my own. I only work with companies and brands I personally support.

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The Impossible Burger: My 5-Minute Review

Hello everyone,

Staying warm? Enjoying the snow? I don’t know about you, but when it’s cold outside I crave comfort food. One of my favorite comfort foods is a hearty vegan “burger.” That’s right—a faux meat patty topped with gooey, melty vegan cheese, Heinz ketchup, banana pepper rings, and a dollop of Just Mayo. It always hits the spot! Well, I’ve been hearing buzz about the Impossible Burger for months and months, so I finally decided to find one nearby to give a try. Today I am here to finally provide The Impossible Burger: My 5-Minute Review.  

After years of research and $180 million in funding, the Impossible Burger debuted in the summer of 2016 in NYC at Momofuku Nishi. Now, this restaurant is not a burger joint. It’s an asian fusion restaurant. Possibly an odd place to launch a veggie burger, but it worked! People were lining up hours before the restaurant opened to get a bite of the Impossible Burger.

So why was everyone in a tizzy? Well, the Impossible Burger is a plant-based burger that looks and cooks like ground beef. These qualities are supposed to make it satisfy vegans/ vegetarians and omnivores alike. How does it achieve this? It includes heme—a molecule extracted from fermented yeast that mimics the same molecule that’s found in animal blood. This enables this meatless burger to “bleed” and sear, just like animal-based burgers.

Impossible Burger

Now, these qualities are off-putting for many vegans/ vegetarians, but considering I didn’t cook the burger, I didn’t mind it. The Impossible Burger looks like a medium cooked  regular burger, but so do many other veggie burgers. In fact, I found it to be similar to Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger in both flavor and texture. The Impossible Burger tasted juicy and a bit greasy, with a slightly crispy exterior and soft center. I ate mine topped with pickles, vegan cheese, lettuce and ketchup, and boy, did it hit the spot! Continue reading “The Impossible Burger: My 5-Minute Review”

Recipe: Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Hello friends,

Happy New Year! What better way to ring in 2018 than with a super simple recipe for Vegan Cinnamon Rolls. I just love taking a somewhat complicated dessert and making it under an hour. For years, I’ve wanted to make vegan cinnamon rolls, but honestly, the dessert intimidated me. This holiday season I purchased several Pillsbury seamless dough sheets to play with. It’s the perfect way to take this dessert from a bit of a hassle to one of the quickest and easiest dishes to make!

These vegan cinnamon rolls will make your home smell like a Cinnabon location. They are light, airy, have just the right level of sweetness. The secret is using pumpkin puree to help get the right level of gooey sweet goodness. So why not take it easy today. Go get a cup of coffee and enjoy making these quick and easy vegan cinnamon rolls with your loved ones!

Happy eating!

Jocelyn

PS – Like this recipe? Check out my recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Roll.

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate and referral links. I may earn a commission or bonus if you click through to make a purchase.  All opinions are my own. I only work with companies and brands I personally support.

Continue reading “Recipe: Vegan Cinnamon Rolls”

2017 Savings Round Up

Hello friends!

A few years ago I resolved to save more and spend less. While I have not been the best at “saving” per se, I have been spending less through the dedicated use of coupons, rebates, and web-browser extensions. I’m pretty pleased with my 2017 Savings Round Up.

This year I saved over $400!

One of the ways I did this was to spend a little time on Sunday mornings creating my shopping lists and looking for relevant promo codes coupons online. Additionally, I checked a variety of product rebate apps to see if there were deals on items I was planning to buy. Check out all the ways I saved below! In 2018, you can resolve to save more!

Rebate Apps: (Check out my Top Ways to Save)

  • Ibotta – $52.29
    • I’ve earned nearly $200 since downloading this app!
      • This is one of my favorite apps because it is SO easy to use. In fact, I use it almost every time I shop because there is consistently a $0.25 rebate on any one item of your choice!
    • *If you sign up with my referral code, dlgmcji you can get a $10.00 welcome bonus.
  • Checkout 51 – $31.55
    • I’ve earned $64.10 since downloading the app!
  • Fetch Rewards – $16.70
    • I’ve earned $16.70 in Amazon.com gift cards since downloading the app!
    • *Join me and earn 1,500 points when you use my referral code (BU7GX). That’s $1.50 in free points! Download the app at http://www.fetchrewards.com
  • Berrycart – $15.50
    • I’ve earned $51.25 since downloading the app!
  • Shopkick – $6.00 in Amazon.com gift cards
    • I’ve earned $27.00 in Target/ Amazon gift cards since downloading the app!
    • Try Shopkick and we’ll both get points toward a free gift cards! Use code BEST121199 or download the app here: http://getsk.co/best121199
  • Savingstar – $0.50 (need $5)
  • MobiSave – $10.95
  • *Cartwheel by Target – $717.71 in total savings since June 2013

Swagbucks

Online Savings Tools/ Browser Extensions:

  • Swagbucks – I’ve earned $125.00 in $25 Amazon.com gift cards this year!
    • Click the above graphic for $3.00 referral bonus when you earn 300SB! 
  • Coupon Cabin – I just started using Coupon Cabin, and I’ve already earned $33.04 cash back!
  • RetailMeNot – While RetailMeNot is a goto when looking for online promo codes, many people overlook it’s cash back rebate offers. I’ve received $14.00 cash back in just two purchases.

Other Ways to Save:

  • Ebates Coupons and Cash BackEbates – $116.96 (I’ve earned over $220 since December 2015)!
    • Why not give it a try, too?Get $10 when you join with my link! Click on the graphic! 
  • Robinhood – I had been looking for an easy way to get started in stock trades for the past few years. Acorns is popular, but I determined it wasn’t for me since it automatically rounds up all purchases. I kept looking and stumbled on RobinhoodRobinhood App
    • Robinhood let’s you join for as little as a $5.00 trade deposit. Plus, traders can buy and sell individual stocks for $0 a trade. On top of that, you and your referral each get a free share of a random stock when a referral link is used!
  • Discover It Card – This year I switched to the Discover It card. One enticing reason was that they have an excellent promotion for your first year—Discover doubles your entire cash back amount. This includes 1% cash back on all purchases, plus the 5% rotating quarterly categories (which are quite good and occasionally include Amazon.com!). Other perks include: no annual fee, free FICO credit score, no foreign transaction fee, and a 0% Intro APR for 14 months on purchases/ balance transfers.

So was it worth it? I saved over $400 this year not including Discover cash back. That’s not bad for doing little more than snapping a photo of my receipts, taking some surveys, and adding browser extensions. In my opinion, the time investment is minimal, and these savings tools really do make you think about what you purchase and the amount you spend. Plus, think of all the things $400 can buy—a round trip ticket to Los Angeles… my cats food and litter for a year… I could go on.

So what do you resolve to do this year?

Cheers!

Jocelyn

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own!