Hi! I’m Josh Elledge, the Chief Executive Angel of SavingsAngel.com and welcome to the SavingsAngel show! I’m podcasting to you on the cusp of November!

I am an extremely busy consumer expert, money-saving advocate, syndicated newspaper columnist, and that guy that helps consultants go from 6-figures to 7-figure rock stars at UpMyInfluence.com if you know someone who sells to business owners. I love what I do and can’t wait to get going on today’s episode.

In order to help you save more, earn more and live more abundantly on today’s show I’ll be covering:

• Budget-Friendly Fall Activities
• Rewards for Doing Your Regular Shopping with Shopkick
• Spending Strategies That Will Boost Your Savings

LINKS FROM THE PODCAST:

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Check out the Shopkick app!

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Budget-Friendly Fall Activities 

With the weather cooling down and autumn settling in, many of us are in the mood for fun fall family activities. Here are some budget-friendly ideas that are sure to usher in the spirit of the season!

Go to a U-Pick Farm 

There are thousands of U-Pick style farms across the country. Obviously, right now only harvest and autumn produce will be available, but your family is sure to have a blast and you'll save on fresh, in season produce.

There are several databases online that tell you what U-Pick farms are in your state and local area. See how far the closest farm is to you and consider a day outing with the kids. 

Carve a Pumpkin

One of the cheapest fall traditions that I love is scouring a local pumpkin patch with the kids and hauling it back home. Your kids can carve a unique jack-o-lantern and you can bake the seeds into a healthy snack that lasts quite a while! 

Pumpkin patches can be found all over and many suburban areas feature temporary neighborhood pumpkin patches if you're not close to an authentic one. Check your neighborhood bulletins and forums for information about local events such as this. 

Arts and Crafts

Have the kids help you craft fall décor or even Halloween costumes and décor. One of the best ways to save on all of these items is to craft them yourself. 

If you're looking to create budget-friendly Halloween costumes for your kids, now is the time to start. You have plenty of time to help them fashion the perfect outfits. Make sure to encourage them to get creative with it! Use old clothing and refashion them into new outfits, use paint and cardboard for certain props, etc. A great way to fashion simple outfits would be to check the remnants section of your local fabric store. There are large pieces of fabric here on major discount that can be made into capes, masks, and more. 

For fall décor, look around your local dollar store for items you can revamp or use in table settings and shelf décor. Remember, a little creativity goes a long way and you don't need to spend a ton of cash to have a lovely, festive home. 

Cook Fall-Themed Recipes

My favorite way to usher in a new season is to plan my weekly meals around the festivities. It's not expensive to cook some fall favorites, especially if you shop with coupons and use some of what you have at home. 

Autumn soups, stews, and casseroles are hearty and filling dinner options. Muffins, cupcakes, pies, cobblers, and coffee drinks are some of my autumn dessert picks. 

Have a Halloween Movie Marathon 

Many family-friendly television channels feature Halloween-themed movie marathons all day, everyday during the month of October. 

Celebrate the season by watching fun films with your family in the evenings this month. It will excite the kids for Halloween and put everyone in an autumn mood!

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Rewards for Doing Your Regular Shopping with Shopkick

I love tools and resources that reward you for the money you already spend. Whether that’s cashback, loyalty rewards, whatever — I always encourage stretching your dollar for all it’s worth… Recently, I discovered an app that rewards you with gift cards just by doing your everyday shopping.  Yes, listeners, we’re talking about Shopkick. 

Shopkick is one of the best ways to earn free gift cards through the shopping you already do. Shopkick uses currency, called “kicks”, as reward points. You earn kicks by performing simple in-store actions, such as buying or scanning items. You can even earn them by just walking inside the store. You can download the app and earn kicks for every dollar spent, too. Also, hook up your payment methods in the app to earn even more rewards while you’re shopping.

After you shop a few times, you can redeem your kicks for digital gift cards in the app. Shopkick rewards you with gift cards for some of your favorite restaurants and stores, like Amazon, Target, Starbucks, Groupon, and more. There are over 40 gift card options to choose from so you’ll always have variety in the savings you earn!

You can earn kicks in store and online — most Shopkickers earn one gift card weekly! My favorite way to earn kicks myself is to scan items at the stores I shop at. You just scan items as you go and collect kicks, it’s that easy. Also — this feature is 100% purchase-free. You just scan the items, earn your kicks, and choose your gift card when you’ve accumulated enough. I chose an Amazon gift card my first time around, and more recently, I snagged a Starbucks gift card! The savings I earned through the gift cards definitely made using the app worth it. 

You can’t go wrong with earning gift cards and savings for free; I loved Shopkick and I highly recommend giving it a try. You really can’t go wrong since you earn all your kicks just by doing your regular shopping.

Download the Shopkick app today and use the code ANGEL to get your first $5 gift card for free! That’s right, I’m hooking you up again, friends. Once again, download the Shopkick app today and use the code ANGEL to get your first $5 gift card for free. That’s code ANGEL.

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Spending Strategies That Will Boost Your Savings

I always like to share the latest tips, tricks, and ideas on saving you money. This week, let's take a look at spending habits and cheaper alternatives for everyday items. 

Frozen Produce 

I know, some of you are thinking that fresh is always better. Sometimes this is true, but not with everything. 

Most frozen veggies nowadays are flash frozen, which means they taste as fresh as the day they were frozen and sealed. They also retain their nutrients for much longer. 

Consider switching to frozen produce for certain things, like sides for meals. This will save you several dollars each time you substitute a frozen item for a fresh item and when you pick produce that flash freezes well, you can't even tell it has been. 

Don't Splurge on Convenience

This isn't always feasible, but when it is, do things yourself. Don't eat out for the fourth time this month because cooking seems too taxing that night. 

First of all, when you plan dinners for the week, pick simple meals that are easy to assemble. Dump and go crockpot meals or single sheet pan oven meals are great for this type of low-prep cooking. 

Stick to your menu for the week and avoid eating out altogether when you're really grinding to save extra cash.

Another tip on this topic — make your coffee at home! Even a cheap cup of coffee a day can cost you $60 – $70 monthly depending on your area. Skip buying coffee out and you're already saving a good bit of cash.

Also, if you ever hire maids or pay for car washes, try to limit your spending here as well by doing those tasks yourself (or delegating to household members!) 

Pick Up Your Take Out 

If you still want to eat out from time to time, don't have the food delivered. Picking up your take out or fast food will save you a lot on what you spend for it. Paying for convenience does have its perks, but it's not a mindset for those trying to save.

Do a Monthly Expenses Breakdown

Go through each and every bill you have for the month. Do you have an old subscription or membership you forgot about and never use? You might even have several and not be aware. 

These types of things are usually low in price and auto draft from your account, but don't let them continue if you know you don't use it. Doing a massive, in-depth breakdown like this every few months is the best way to get rid of bills you don't need to continue paying for.