One Year to Save!!

[pinkxray]

The last time I posted was 2/2 and I really didn't expect much to be added since then. It looks like I am slowly moving along which is better than nothing. Feb and March are going to tough to add anything to the Disney fund. I hope to knock a few of the lower amounts on the 52 week challenge during the next few weeks that I have low hours at work and get back on track once I can start picking up shifts in the spring after the snow finally stops. It has been so tough dealing with work with DD missing so much school lately. I have put a stop to picking up extra shifts for now and I really miss them in my paycheck.

I've been averaging about $1 a day in swag bucks and maybe a survey here or there on i-say or sunshine, although they seem to have dried up lately.


sunshine 14.25
swagbucks 26.01
ISAY 5.65
unused disney gift cards 73.02
disney rewards 9.12
rundisney ING account 284.04
ebates 13.97
Total 426.06

I almost have enough in my e-miles and e-rewards accounts to make a transfer for southwest points so I can most likely bump up my rapid rewards points I need for goal. Right now I'm still at 23,500 and I usually need around 45,000 per trip. I should be adding 1500 soon.

 

[stayhomemom77]

My quickrewards credits are all accounted for. STILL waiting on isay though...

Added $3.96 to my fund since yesterday's update because I...

earned $1.55 from quickrewards...

earned $0.95 from isay... (new surveys)

earned $1.36 in credit card rewards

and found a dime last night and tossed that into the change jar!

So the new totals are:

$46.85 in rewards dollars for a survey site (which I will cashout to paypal)
$76.97 in quickrewards (which I will use to buy Disney gift cards)
$49.53 in credit card rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$5.64 in cc rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$49.85 in the change jar
$210.00 in the account
$1.05 american cash

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $439.89!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Got an email response from isay this morning, promising to look into my missing credits...in the meantime I was stiffed another $0.05, but sometimes they don't post immediately so I'm hoping it shows up tomorrow morning.

Added $3.93 to my fund since yesterday's update because I...

earned $0.88 from quickrewards...

earned $0.40 in credit card rewards

and added $2.55 to the change jar!

So the new totals are:

$46.85 in rewards dollars for a survey site (which I will cashout to paypal)
$77.85 in quickrewards (which I will use to buy Disney gift cards)
$49.93 in credit card rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$5.64 in cc rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$42.40 in the change jar
$220.00 in the account
$1.05 american cash

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $443.72!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Added $42.46 to my fund since yesterday's update because I...

earned $1.35 from quickrewards...

earned $0.45 from isay (STILL waiting on the dollar they owe me)...

earned $0.30 in credit card rewards...

earned $0.36 in credit card rewards...

and added $40.00 to the account! ($25 groceries, $10 gasoline and $5 misc)

So the new totals are:

$47.30 in rewards dollars for a survey site (which I will cashout to paypal)
$79.20 in quickrewards (which I will use to buy Disney gift cards)
$50.23 in credit card rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$6.00 in cc rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$42.40 in the change jar
$260.00 in the account
$1.05 american cash

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $486.18!!

Monthly target: $475
Revised monthly target: $500
Needed to make goal: $13.82

I am now BROKE!!!

I have $0.85 in my checking account (or will have once the remainder of the bills clear) and since payday next week counts as March money, I'll have to rely solely on "making" the $ I need to reach my revised goal.

It might be a bit of a stretch, but I'll see if I can do it!

My son insists he isn't doing his chores this weekend, so if he doesn't I'm going to commandeer his $5 for Disney. After all...I'll be the one doing the cleaning! I almost hope he sticks to his resolve because I REALLY want to reach that $500 goal!!

I do think that $100 a week for groceries is EXTREMELY tight and possibly unrealistic for our family. I'm going to try it again for another month to see if I can keep up a bit better in March. Our food storage suffered a bit this month as we were using a bit faster than we were replenishing, but we made a couple of rookie mistakes at the beginning of the month that I believe I can avoid next time. (We bought too much junk the first two weeks--ice cream and chips particularly.)

Also, if my budget was $100 but I only spent $97, I threw the rest immediately in the Disney fund. I'm not going to do that anymore. I'll just roll that money over for the next week. I'll need the entire $400 a month for food. I think this month I only spent $388!!

 

[texasroni75]

I'm pretty frugal as it is, but there's always room for improvement, especially in a very large household with kids who will take 30 minute showers if I'm distracted, or open a window when I have the heat on. UGH! And, because my utility bills can vary largely based on the time of year (spring electric bills are tiny compared to summer months when central air is on 24/7), it's not as easy to just glance at it and figure out if you are being energy-efficient.

So, I have begun a spreadsheet this year for saving on my utility bills. Left column has, for example: January 2013 and the amount I paid for utilities that month. Then, I try to "beat" that amount for the same month this year (aiming for at least $20 less each month). I do this by taking shorter showers, running the dishwasher less frequently, and turning off the central air whenever possible, etc. Whatever I save each month, the difference goes into my Mickey Jar. I'm doing this for my water bill, my heat bill and my electric bill. So far, I've saved $65 over last year, and that's just on my first month of bills.

For groceries, I already have a pretty strict weekly budget and we hardly ever eat out. But, I also save my receipts and whatever I saved on each receipt I put away too, as if I had spent it. It's not a lot of work since my grocery store lists all my savings at the bottom of my receipts - they even itemize where the savings were, such as in-store savings, coupons and how much I save by purchasing store brand items.

If I keep up at the rate things are already going, I'll have enough for another trip in record time!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Added $4.55 to my fund since Friday because I...

earned $2.84 from quickrewards...

earned $0.05 from isay...

earned $1.60 in credit card rewards...

earned $0.06 in credit card rewards...

So the new totals are:

$47.35 in rewards dollars for a survey site (which I will cashout to paypal)
$82.04 in quickrewards (which I will use to buy Disney gift cards)
$51.83 in credit card rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$6.06 in cc rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$42.40 in the change jar
$260.00 in the account
$1.05 american cash

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $490.73!!

Monthly target: $500
Needed to make goal: $9.27

Got an email from isay this morning saying a manual credit will be issued for the missing $0.95 within the next couple of days.

As long as that does indeed get processed, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be able to make the last $8 and change between now and Saturday.

 

[stayhomemom77]

Added $1.85 to my fund since yesterday because I...

earned $1.85 from quickrewards...

So the new totals are:

$47.35 in rewards dollars for a survey site (which I will cashout to paypal)
$83.89 in quickrewards (which I will use to buy Disney gift cards)
$51.83 in credit card rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$6.06 in cc rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$42.40 in the change jar
$260.00 in the account
$1.05 american cash

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $492.58!!

Monthly target: $500
Needed to make goal: $7.42

 

[stayhomemom77]

Added $8.14 to my fund since yesterday because I...

earned $2.66 from quickrewards...

earned $5.48 in credit card rewards...

So the new totals are:

$47.35 in rewards dollars for a survey site (which I will cashout to paypal)
$86.55 in quickrewards (which I will use to buy Disney gift cards)
$57.31 in credit card rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$6.06 in cc rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$42.40 in the change jar
$260.00 in the account
$1.05 american cash

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $500.72!!

Monthly target: $500

 

[rlu929s]

Can you tell me how you usually do QuickRewards? I played around today and tried 3 surveys and none panned out. They either eventually said not eligible or I had to quite on one because I was using an iPad and one section didn't work where I had to drag a brand to a product.

What device do you usually use for survey's. I'd prefer to do these while watching TV at night on my iPad rather than on my desktop.

 

[stayhomemom77]

Can you tell me how you usually do QuickRewards? I played around today and tried 3 surveys and none panned out. They either eventually said not eligible or I had to quite on one because I was using an iPad and one section didn't work where I had to drag a brand to a product.

What device do you usually use for survey's. I'd prefer to do these while watching TV at night on my iPad rather than on my desktop.

Well, I basically go down the list and click on each and every single one available! I generally do 2 to 3 a day that way and then I click on the peanutlab surveys every hour or so and see if there are any there for which I qualify. Sometimes I only get one of these a day...sometimes three or four.

And I use my laptop, so I can do them and watch tv at the same time.

When I first started quickrewards I was nowhere near this successful. I think it just takes time and dedication to get the point where you are earning every day.

Good luck!

 

[mamilovesdisney]

My thing is I hate doing surveys but will do it if pay is good and most of quickrewards are mostly under a dollar even just .50 cents. There has to be survey sites that pay more right? I tried a few and was told after multiple questions tht I don't qualify and that gets old fast!

 

[mamilovesdisney]

BTW, yay op for reaching your goal!!!!! Happy dance!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Added $2.06 to my fund since yesterday because I...

earned $1.56 from quickrewards...

earned $0.50 in credit card rewards...

So the new totals are:

$47.35 in rewards dollars for a survey site (which I will cashout to paypal)
$88.11 in quickrewards (which I will use to buy Disney gift cards)
$57.81 in credit card rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$6.06 in cc rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$42.40 in the change jar
$260.00 in the account
$1.05 american cash

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $502.78!!

 

[fbb]

Added $2.06 to my fund since yesterday because I...

earned $1.56 from quickrewards...

earned $0.50 in credit card rewards...

$57.81 in credit card rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$6.06 in cc rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)

Nice work! Which credit cards are you using to get these rewards?

 

[bear74]

I don't have a year to save we are supposed to leave in 11 weeks. I had the money but we had to replace the heater/AC which took quite a bit of money. I need to sit down and do my taxes and see if I can recover most of it that way. I will come back and post what I need to save and what I manage to save.

Okay I need $3,500.00 this is for gas to drive, park tickets and food. I am giving myself 5 weeks if I can't get half of this I will cancel trip.

 

[stayhomemom77]

Nice work! Which credit cards are you using to get these rewards?

President's Choice MC and Walmart MC

 

[stayhomemom77]

Added $3.63 to my fund since yesterday because I...

earned $2.03 from quickrewards...

earned $0.90 from isay (and I am STILL waiting on the $0.95 from Feb 5th!!!)...

earned $0.03 in credit card rewards...

earned $0.67 in credit card rewards...


So the new totals are:

$48.25 in rewards dollars for a survey site (which I will cashout to paypal)
$90.14 in quickrewards (which I will use to buy Disney gift cards)
$57.84 in credit card rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$6.73 in cc rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$42.40 in the change jar
$260.00 in the account
$1.05 american cash

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $506.41!!

I plan to report first thing in the morning on my full progress for the month of February!!

 

[bear74]

Ok cashed out of all my reward sites I do
Clixsense 42.90
had in paypal 496.00
AdPaid will cash out once the points convert 20.xx
Sunshine Rewards 53.21
Quick Rewards $254.00
Creation Rewards have enough for $25 just not sure if I will do amazon or target
I do Mypoints emails I need to see how many points have
Swag Bucks have enough points for $10.00
Ibotta will wait on this one to cash out have 21.50 they have a new option called venmo and can earn an extra $5 for first time user
Checkout 51 only have $2.00 just started about 3 weeks ago need $20 to cash out
Shop kicks have enough kicls for $10 gas
Inbox Dollars trying to get to $40 so I can avoid the fee have 35.95
Bing almost have enough to cash out for 500 swag bucks

Wow doing better then I thought $846.11
with almost another $100.00 to cash out for

 

[DawnM]

We just budget.

Money coming in. Money going out.......are there areas that can be cut? Do it.

Easy cuts:

Cell bill lowering
Home phone canceling
Lower Internet speed if you can
Get rid of cable TV and buy an antenna
Stop eating out or budget a firm dollar amount per mont and do not go over
Don't shop unless necessary

Every dollar has a job (YNAB speak). Excess goes into savings funds. I have ING......$300/mo goes into the car replacement fund, $100 goes to a fund for extra curricular activities, $100 goes into a Christmas fund, $100 into a clothing fund.

We use Dh's bonus for our Disney trips. If he doesn't get a bonus or has a small one, we either don't go or we use other CASH we have in an ING account.

 

[stayhomemom77]

Added $3.15 to my fund since yesterday because I...

earned $1.95 from quickrewards...

earned $0.95 in credit card rewards...

earned $0.25 in credit card rewards...


So the new totals are:

$48.25 in rewards dollars for a survey site (which I will cashout to paypal)
$92.09 in quickrewards (which I will use to buy Disney gift cards)
$58.79 in credit card rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$6.98 in cc rewards (which I will use for groceries, freeing up the cash)
$42.40 in the change jar
$260.00 in the account
$1.05 american cash

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $509.56!!
March goal: $750

Hoping to make $50 in quickrewards...that is my goal for March!!

Totals earned for February:

$5.45 in rewards dollars for a survey site
$39.90 in quickrewards
$17.69 in credit card rewards
$3.10 in cc rewards
$12.10 in the change jar
$160.00 in the account

February total: $238.24