All About Me

Abby Benjamin

blogger + architect (to-be) + wife + foodie + wold traveller = superhero (or just me!)

Hello, my name is Abby. I am a young architect (to-be). My husband, Ross, and I live in New Jersey with our 2 dogs, Coco and Chanel and our cat, Tinkerbell (she's camera shy). In my "free time" (a term I use lightly), I am a private tutor, private chef, happy hour gold medalist and budget travel agent to my family. I love to dabble in dairy free, gluten free and vegetarian recipes...rearranging my old favorites for new, healthier versions.

A Blog is Born

2015 was a crazy, expensive, crazy expensive year. Not only did we get married, but we also finished building the home which we designed together, and moved in. With the financial stresses of planning a wedding for 200 people and simultaneously buying a new house, we really learned the value of not just the dollar, but the penny. We learned the value of handmade gifts and crafts, how easy it can be to create unique DIY versions of expensive in-store items. I designed and created our table numbers, placecards, favors, programs, guestbook and signage. With minimal effort, we were able to completely customize our wedding to fit what we pictured (and not just within the confines of what was available at Michael's or A.C. Moore!). And there a blog was born. Once the wedding was over, my DIY passion shifted from escort cards and favors to greeting cards and gifts for friends and family.

Some of my freebies from 2016! Quite the haul!

With the financial burden of a wedding and a house, Ross and I fine-tuned our bargain hunting and couponing skills to meet our needs (we are not extreme couponers by ANY means!). I have always loved a good deal, especially a freebie - who doesn't? In the years since I started dating Ross, he has become quite the deal hunter too, relying on coupons and free samples to get the best bargain. He loves to share the deals he gets on gifts for me (he won't buy without a coupon!) and I love hearing about them. I, on the other hand, love to try products in exchange for my honest opinion. It's exciting for me to receive packages in the mail and share these items with Ross. This passion has driven me to join sites like BzzAgent, Influenster, Crowdtap, and PinchMe. Across several sites like these, I earned over $600 in PayPal and Amazon gift cards and tried hundreds of dollars of freebies last year.

Thanks to the combined effort by Ross and I to find a bargain and save money, we have been able to travel several times this year. Throughout the years we have travelled to Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, NYC, Atlantic City, Cancun, the Bahamas, Punta Cana, Istanbul and most recently Hawaii (Molokai and Oahu). This may sound expensive, but with tools like Priceline and Travelzoo, we snagged bargains and kept on budget. Follow me on Instagram to find out where we're headed next!

When we are not travelling the globe, Ross and I enjoy catching up on Netflix with a glass of wine or homemade sangria and enjoying a good meal. I am always looking for ways to lighten up or healthify a meal (sneaking out the meat, dairy and gluten without sacrificing flavor is my claim to fame). When those recipes are a success, I love to share them here and get more feedback. I am not the only cook in the kitchen though, this year Ross has built the confidence to cook dinner when I am working late - big thanks to Terra's Kitchen.