Saving 4 Disney: ShopKicks for In-Store Purchases

December 31, 2017 / lifeinears / Leave a comment

The last few weeks we have been looking at the ShopKicks App as a way to save (or earn money for Disney)…

To review:

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Make sure you have used my link to download the Shopkick App so we both get a few more Disney pennies when you sign up…

Referral Link : http://getsk.co/mall911058

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You have received your kicks for walking into a store and scanning items, but did you know that you can earn kicks 3 more ways when you are shopping? Here is how…

Purchasing with Linked Debit Credit Card

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The first way to earn In-Store ShopKicks for purchases is by linking and paying with a credit/debit card at participating stores.

It really is quite simple…link your card in the app, purchase using that card (if debit card it must be run as a credit card) and that it is it. After you’ve completed your shopping trip, ShopKick will reward you Kicks within a few days, though some stores make you wait 30 days before rewarding.

Most stores offer either 1 kick/$1 spent or 2 kicks/$1 spent as well as tiered bonus kicks! That means you earn the 1-2 kicks/$1 spent, plus if you spend $25, get a bonus 75 kicks, $50, 200 kick bonus, and $100 a 500-kick bonus. Each retailer has its own bonus tiers and fine print, so be sure to read them. Some stores limit transactions per week to 3 while others allow for 4. Some don’t reward kicks until after 30 days, assuming no returns are made. Some offer higher bonus kicks for less money spent too! ShopKick will also occasionally (usually around holidays) offer double the kicks per dollar spent at some retailers.

I must admit up until last week, this was not a feature I used for fear of identity theft, you know the more places you have your account numbers exposed, the increased likelihood that your information can be used by someone other than yourself. I decided to do a little more research on the safety of linking my card…

From Shopkicks: https://shopkick.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1335136-how-secure-is-linking-a-credit-debit-card-to-shopkick-

Is linking a credit card to Shopkick secure?

We focused on security when we created the linked card program – Shopkick does not store or display your credit card information, therefore it cannot be lost or stolen. All information is safely stored directly with Visa or MasterCard, not with Shopkick. Protecting the security and privacy of shopkickers is our number one priority.

We do not store your credit card information. We work directly with Visa and MasterCard to enable your card and keep it secure. No credit card information is visible in the Shopkick app.
If you lose your phone or account information, your credit card will not be compromised because Shopkick does not retain or display the credit card information.
You can unlink your credit card at any time, it takes only one click. Your credit card will automatically be unlinked if your account is inactive for an extended period.

This made me feel a little safer, so a couple of weeks ago I decided to try out this feature during ShopKicks Blue Weekend and earned over 2000 kicks or about $8 towards my next Disney adventure. I love using Swagbucks & Ebates for my online shopping for cashback, and now I get the option for In-Store cash backs with ShopKicks.

Kickbates

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The next way to earn In-Store Shopkicks is by purchasing a KickBate product, usually something you have scanned. Often, I find the same product in Ibotta or another one of my Disney Penny Apps, so I get to stack the Disney savings.

To earn Kickbates, scan the item(s), put in your cart and purchase the item(s). When you get home open the store, select the item(s) from the list of Kicks for Receipts, hit Claim Kicks, double check you got all the eligible items from that one receipt selected, then hit submit. Your camera will then turn on, with directions on how to photograph your receipt, complete with guides. If the receipt doesn’t fit, you can add a section later, so don’t worry. Once all of the receipt is captured, hit done. After they process the receipt, they’ll send you your pending kicks to your account. Receipts must be dated within the last 10 days, and purchases made in-store. Kicks range from 50-375 per item.

Make sure that your receipt is completely flat for scanning and free of excessive wrinkles, or it will be denied. Totally frustrating, it has happened to me more than once. I have now gone to taping my receipt to the counter before taking pictures and submitting.

Receipts

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The newest way to earn Shopkicks is just by submitting your receipt for stores offering kicks for receipts and you don’t even have to link a card. Simply look for the receipts symbol (it will usually have 1/$1 or something similar), check the Receipt on the menu, claim your kicks by taking a photograph of your receipt and submit. How easy is that?

Scrolling through the list I found this week that Walmart, Outback, Auntie Ann’s Pretzels, Target and Academy Sports were all offering kicks for your receipts no matter what you purchased! Just by submitting my grocery receipt the last couple of weeks I have added another couple dollars to my Disney savings.

And that is how you use the ShopKicks App to earn your Disney Pennies while physically shopping in a store! Pretty, easy…what are you waiting for?

Stay tuned next week for On-Line Shopping Kicks and In-App Kicks

Saving 4 Disney: ShopKicks-Walk In & Scan Kicks

December 23, 2017 / lifeinears / 1 Comment

Last week, okay so it was 2 weeks ago…don’t you love how the busy holiday season messes up the ability to write a blog entry?, I gave you an overview of the first of my Disney Penny Apps, Shopkicks. This Saturday, we are going to take a deeper look into the In-Store Side and focus on Walk-In Kicks and Scan Kicks.

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VIDEO: What is ShopKicks?

But before I do make sure you have used my link to download the Shopkick App so we both get a few more Disney pennies…

Referral Link : http://getsk.co/mall911058

Walk In Kicks

By just walking into a store that is offering Walk In Kicks, you earn Kicks. It’s simple but you must have your location and your Bluetooth on. I have my settings set to “While I am Using App”, otherwise I find I am constantly using data through roaming and with 5 people using data in the household we hate the months where we use our “unlimited data” and are forced to use the slower data speed. However, with location and notifications on for the app, you’ll get a happy little bleep when you get close to a store that offers Kicks!

Before I go shopping, I open the Shopkick App to see who is offering Walk In Kicks or Scan Kicks and make my game plan on which stores I will be visiting. Normally after my morning run on Saturday, I go and pick up as many Walk In Kicks as I can before going home.

How to Get Walk In Kicks

When you park, open the app and select the store from the store list, and then step inside the store (sometimes just outside the store works too though). A little blue circle will appear on your phone saying, “Hi, [Your Name]” and then flip over to show you how many kicks you got for walking in! Then tap the circle to accept.

If it doesn’t do it right away, go back to the app’s home page, drag down to refresh the page. I often do this several times, as the app is trying to locate the store Wi-Fi to verify you are where you say you are…

If you still are not getting Walk in Kicks, try the following…

Double check that the store is offering walk-in kicks. Not all stores do this, nor do this every week.
If a store isn’t registering walk-in kicks, try either connecting or disconnecting from the store’s Wi-Fi through your settings. I often go in manually and turn Wi-Fi on and off to connect to a store.
If it’s still not working, close the app down on your phone, reopen the app, and try again.
If none of that works, click “Report Issue” at the bottom of the Walk-in information tab for that store…sadly most cases you will not get the Walk In Kicks for that visit.

Here are some things to know about Walk In Kicks:

Not every store offers walk-in kicks.
Walk-in Kicks may not always be available every day, even for stores that usually offer them.
The amount of Walk-in Kicks you can earn varies by day. ShopKick tends to offer higher walk-in kick rewards on the weekends and for holidays.
You can only earn walk-in kicks once per day per store, sometimes once per week.
You can earn anywhere from 5 kicks to 200 kicks for walking into a store and using the app.

ShopKicks Walk In Help Desk Link

Generally Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Carter’s, Oshkosh, American Eagle and TJ Maxx will offer Walk-In Kicks most weeks. Be sure that you look through your list often as stores change and check your email as there are always special events happening that offer Walk-In Kicks. Also, if you are traveling out of your normal location check for Walk-In Kicks at that location. I often find myself at malls when I am traveling for business and can pick up a few Walk-In Kicks at different locations and stores.

Scan Kicks

Call it a scavenger hunt…Scan Kicks is the fun way to get your little ones involved or send your bored teenager off to do. However, I do not recommend doing your Scan Kicks with your Mr. Grumpy, no matter how much free money you are making most do not have the patience to spend that extra time in the store. If you like to window shop, walk down every isle in a store, or take your sweet time as you shop, this app feature is perfect for you. It’s also a great time killer, when you are stuck with collegues who love to shop and you don’t on business trips. Various stores offer Scan Kicks (even if they don’t offer walk-in kicks) so make sure you check your app often.

VIDEO : How to Scan for ShopKicks

HELP LINK: Shopkicks Scans Help

When you enter a participating store, open the app on your phone, connect (or disconnect) to the store Wi-Fi so you don’t hit any “little potholes back there” and click the store from the list. Then tap the Scan kicks icon. Note: You must allow Shopkicks to access your camera.

Here you will see a list of items in the store, which if scanned, earn you kicks! The amount of kicks is listed next to the item, as well as if the items are eligible for a KickBate™ which we will discuss next week. The eligible items are random, like a certain brand/style of diapers, a Barbie doll, a magazine, dog food, personal care products, wine, household products or food. Note that a lot of kicks will be similar in all stores offering Kicks. Once you scan the item in 1 store, it will not be available in the other store. So, I always pick the store that I can get most Kicks in one stop and if I have time, I scan at other stores.

When you find the specific item in the store, click on the listing for it in the app. Your phone will turn on its camera, so you can scan the bar code found on the packaging for that item. After you scan it, a blue circle (and happy noise) shows up and tells you how many kicks you earned by scanning a bar code as you shopped and browsed the store! If you scanned the wrong item, it will tell you and not award Kicks. I often will pull up the picture and enlarge it so that I can see the item more clearly.

I haven’t had many issues with Scan Kicks not working either. If I do have an issue it normally has to do with store Wi-Fi, so I go into my settings and disconnect & reconnect to Wi-Fi.

After you scan an item you may or may not have a quick little survey show up on your screen about that product. Most are optional and can be closed out before completing, without forfeiting your kicks.

Here are some things you need to know about Scan Kicks:

The same item is often listed under multiple stores.
Scan Kicks are awarded once per day, per item.
You cannot scan the same item in different stores, the same day, and earn kicks from both stores.
Some scan kicks refresh every single day. Others refresh less frequently, if at all.
A store that offered scan kicks before may not have any on a different day.
Scan Kick items’ range in value, some only 1 kick up to 500 kicks (which is rare). Generally, 5-20 Kicks per item is a good range.

Last weekend was a “Blue Weekend” with Shopkicks. This event happens a couple times each year and is a way for stores to actually get you in the stores by offering you literally up to thousands of kicks. During Blue Weekend, I was able to earn a $25 Disney Gift Card to put towards my next trip by just walking in, scanning, purchasing a few items featured and testing out the link my card feature. What are you waiting for, Disney Pennies are there for the making?

Next week, I will share more about In-Store Purchasing Kicks & Linking Your Card Kicks. Until then, Happy Kicking!

Saving 4 Disney Saturday: ShopKicks-Overview & Getting Started

December 2, 2017 / lifeinears / 1 Comment

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Disney Penny App #1: ShopKicks…Overview & Getting Started

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Over the course of the next few weeks, I am going to share with you how I was able to earn $1400 in 11 months by putting my computer/smart phone to work by using what I like to call my Disney Penny Apps.

This Saturday we are going to take a deeper look into ShopKick, which is one of my favorite apps and is a great way to get your children involved at the store while you are shopping. Call it a scavenger hunt, your kids will love it and shopping has now become a game instead of chore…a game that will pay off in a few more Mickey Bars. In the past I was earning a $25 Walmart gift card every 3 months using this app, but with recent upgrades I now find that I earn $25 Walmart gift card every month.

https://www.shopkick.com/how-it-works

ShopKick basically has 2 sides to the app, IN-STORE and AT HOME (mobile shopping), plus a few in app opportunities to earn a few by watching videos or clicking on products. So far, I have only used the IN-STORE part of the app because Swagbucks tends to reward you more for online/mobile shopping.

To earn “kicks” IN –STORE

WALK IN: Open the App as you walk into a featured store…EARN KICKS.
SCAN: With the App open you will find featured products and simply scan their barcode…EARN KICKS
PURCHASE: Simply put the featured item in your cart and then scan/submit the receipt after check-out purchase…EARN KICKS.
LINK CARD: Pay with a linked card…EARN KICKS. (I do not do this.)

To earn “kicks” AT HOME

Online Shopping-Simply kick on the store you wanting to purchase from and shop away.
Featured Stores/Products-Look for the eye symbol, click on it and earn a few kicks for looking at a product.
DISCOVER TAB-Scroll through products and look for videos that award kicks for watching, watch and earn!

How much are KICKS worth? While they vary from product to product and store to store, they are worth it in the end. Who can’t use $25-$50 extra each month in free gift cards at your favorite stores allowing you to treat yourself, your spouse, your kids or even save up for that Disney trip for doing what they already do, shopping?

So, how do I get started earning kicks that I can change to Walmart/Sams Gift Cards that I can turn into Disney Gift Cards?

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1.) First you’ll need to download the app to your phone. It is free to download and available for both Apple and Android devices. Please use my referral link. http://getsk.co/mall911058 and we both will get rewarded!

2.) Once it’s downloaded, open the app and set up an account. It’ll walk you through the steps, having you pick out your desired reward (more about rewards later), and create an account (or you can connect it to your Facebook account).

3) Link your credit cards in the app.

I know this sounds scary. And ultimately it will be up to you to decide if you want to do this (it is optional). Know that your card information isn’t saved by Shopkick, but through Visa or MasterCard’s secure site (they are the only two cards you can link in currently). You can link up to three Visa cards and three MasterCards. I do not personally do this.

4) Make sure your location is on so you’ll know which stores close to you participate on ShopKick. You can also do a search to find stores near you. Scroll through the store listings and familiarize yourself with what stores near you earn your kicks.

Your job this week is to get your account set up and start “playing” with the app. Next Week I will go into more detail on how to earn kicks through Walk-In & Scans.

Saturday Saving 4 Disney: Let the Penny Making Begin Again

November 25, 2017 / lifeinears / 2 Comments

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There is no way around it, a Disney trip is expensive. At this moment, I am not certain when my next Disney trip will be, but that is not holding me back from earning few pennies through what I like to call my “Disney Penny” apps that I use to earn my Disney money while I am shopping, and yes even sleeping.

Here is what you need to know about Disney Penny Apps

I call them penny apps, because basically you are earning pennies but over the course of time pennies add up to dollars. In reality, you are really “points” which you turn into gift cards to popular stores. I earn Walmart/Sam’s Cards which I then turn around and use to purchase Disney Gift Cards at a discounted rate at Sam’s, saving even more money for Disney. Making Disney Pennies does take time and effort, but can be seamlessly worked into your daily schedule or shopping routine without much disruption. Like anything in life, you only get out what you put into things. I refuse to spend money to make money, so unless it’s product that I am going to use, then I do not buy it just for the sake of earning “points”. Dealing with cancelling memberships and paying attention to rules is too much work for me, so you will not see me purchasing monthly membership trials either. Identity theft is real and very rarely will I ever link a credit card to my app accounts.

Those are my ground rules for Disney Penny apps, so which ones do I use…

While I use quite a few different app/websites the ones that make the most for me are

ShopKick
SwagBucks
Ibotta
Walmart Savings Catcher

These apps/websites, in addition to my Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Card and picking up a few side jobs I have been able to pay almost the entire cost of my Disney trips without ever having to dip into my household budget, since the majority of my trips are selfish ones where I am going with my runDisney girlfriends.

Let me show you an example with my 2016 Wine & Dine Trip:

The total cost of the trip was $2765 and I paid $0 out of my household budget, in fact I came home with almost $400 to roll over to my next Disney trip.

Beach Club DVC Rental $616

Actual Cost Out of Pocket $0

I had already saved this from a side tutoring job that I had done in the fall of 2015 so that I could book the Beach Club at the 11 month mark.

Southwest Plane Ticket $397

Actual Cost Out of Pocket $0

Purchased with my SW Rapid Rewards Visa card, thanks to putting my DD college tution each month and then paying it off from savings.

Wine & Dine 2016 2-Course Challenge Registration, plus 5K $352

Actual Cost Out of Pocket $0

Purchased by writing a couple extra professional development sessions for my school district during the spring of 2016 and then presenting them in the summer.

But here is where my Disney Penny Apps came into play…

Expenses $1400

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party $91
6 Day Park Ticket $378
Food & Spending for 7 Days ($125 a day) $900
Actual Cost Out of Pocket $0

Earned through Disney Penny Apps

Swagbucks $700
Walmart Savings Catcher $82
ShopKicks $100
PerkTV $175
Ibotta $275
Check Out51 $15
PACT $70

I was totally stunned that I was able to make over $1400 simply by putting my insomnia (thanks to a condition called Restless Leg Syndrome) to work and learning a to use a few apps while doing what I am already doing, shopping in the span of 11 months.

Over the next several weeks/months I am going to show you how you too can earn a few Disney pennies by putting your computer and smartphone to work for you.

Saving 4 Disney Saturday: Disney Vacation Account

June 24, 2017 / lifeinears / 2 Comments

In my first installment of Saving 4 Disney Saturday I discussed defining your Disney Vacation Dream, in my case my next runDisney Challenge…Coast to Coast in 2019 via the Walt Disney World Marathon and the Disneyland Half Marathon.

With my dream defined it was time to sharpen the pencil and get a good estimate on the financial means needed to cover that dream. I shared with you a great online tool found on the Disney Vacation Account page…

The Account Budget Estimator

But I had simpler suggestion, being an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner & Affiliate of Academy Travel/mickeyvactions.com, let me build you a free, no obligation quote on a Disney Vacation of your dreams.

I estimated that to make my dream of

come true it would cost me around $5400, plus a whole lot more in training hours, sweat and tears. Broken up monthly I would need to save about $250 a month over the course of the next 18 months. The question before I start addressing the HOW to do this without tapping into my already tight household budget is WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH MY SAVINGS.

If you are like me I will have saved some money specifically for a purpose and then life throws me a curve ball and the money is gone. I need a better way of separating the money I am specifically saving for my next Disney dream vacation from my Dave Ramsey emergency fund (which should be the first thing you have funded before you even think about saving for a Disney vacation).

How have I decided to keep my Disney vacation money separate from my other savings, since apparently the method I am using is just not working?

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DISNEY VACATION ACCOUNT

After a couple of weeks researching the pros and cons of the Disney Vacation Account in addition to other savings account options, I have decided that the Disney Vacation Account meets everything I am looking for…

Must be Free and have ZERO FEES
FDIC-Insured Bank (Chase)
Savings Account Separate from my current savings account for the sole purpose of paying for my next Disney vacation
The money is always mine and easily accessed should I need to withdraw the money for an emergency (but not so easily accessed that it just becomes a place for a slush fund) …money is refunded in the original form of payment with a 3-4 Day processing time
Pays some type of interest so my Disney pennies are growing while I am saving
Allows me to save over time and make as many deposits as I want, even automatic deposits from my current checking/savings accounts plus being able to add all my Disney Gift Cards that I earn from my “Disney Penny Apps”
Be able to track my saving progress

The Disney Vacation Account is simple you set up your account online, you make payments as you wish either randomly or automatic, you take the money out when the time comes and pay for your vacation. The great thing is that if you start now for a vacation a few years down the road you will have the money you need when it is time, if you make the deposits. Disney will also pay you 2%, which I could not even come close to with high interest online savings accounts. Of course, Disney will pay you in the form of a Disney gift card for 2% of whatever you spend on your vacation. So, I could be earning and extra $100 for my Coast to Coast Challenge, which in Disney terms means 20 more Mickey ice cream bars, the perfect way to refuel after a runDisney event.

Since I am a half empty type of gal, what are the downsides of a Disney Vacation Account?

When you are spending your money on a Disney Vacation you must either purchase directly through Disney or through an Authorized Disney Vacation, like myself…no third party cheap ticket agencies, discounted hotel websites…but why would you use those anyway when you get complimentary concierge level trip planning services when you book your Disney vacation through me. Sure, you are saving a few dollars, but doing a lot more work that involves lots of time and research that simply you don’t have to do (unless you are a planning nut like me).
Money is not available during your Disney Vacation, so should you be saving for spending you would need to request a withdrawal prior to travel, which can be requested in the form of a Disney gift cars which takes 4-6 weeks.

Like everything you do, read the fine print before you decide if the Disney Vacation account is for you. Also, don’t take my word that the Disney Vacation Account is a good savings plan, do your research.

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Next week, I will walk you through setting you your My Disney Vacation Account and we will begin saving!

My Life in Ears

Loving & Running Disney

Disney Pennies

Saving 4 Disney: ShopKicks for In-Store Purchases

Referral Link : http://getsk.co/mall911058

Purchasing with Linked Debit Credit Card

Kickbates

Receipts

Saving 4 Disney: ShopKicks-Walk In & Scan Kicks

Walk In Kicks

Scan Kicks

Saving 4 Disney Saturday: ShopKicks-Overview & Getting Started

Saturday Saving 4 Disney: Let the Penny Making Begin Again

But here is where my Disney Penny Apps came into play…

Saving 4 Disney Saturday: Disney Vacation Account