My Life in Ears

Loving & Running Disney

Skip to content
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Race Schedule & Past Races
  • Contact
  • Walt Disney World Posts
  • Disneyland Posts
  • Disney Cruise Line Posts
  • Universal Studios Orlando Posts
  • Aulani Posts
  • movie nights
Search

Disney Vacation Account

Saving 4 Disney:  ShopKicks-Walk In & Scan Kicks

December 23, 2017 / lifeinears / 1 Comment

mickey dollar

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.

shopkick_earn_rewards-300x200

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

1 skWalk 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.

scanScan 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: 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.

download
RunDisney01

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

dsc_9673

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?

23-3

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.

scroogemcduck

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

Saturday Saving 4 Disney: My Goal

June 10, 2017June 14, 2017 / lifeinears / 2 Comments

Dreaming of a Disney Vacation?  There is no denying that a Disney Vacation is expensive, but it’s an expense you can start planning, budgeting and saving for ahead of time.

il_fullxfull.538664744_jff3

It is a dream of mine to earn my Coast to Coast runDisney Medal (running a half at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the same calendar year) and I am setting my goal for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend January 2019 for the Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, Half and Full Marathon) and the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend September 2019 for the Dumbo Challenge (5K, 10K and Half Marathon).

 

dsc_9673
dsc_9673
download
RunDisney01

I have the dream, now what is it going to take to get there? The first step is putting some numbers down on paper and decide it this trip is doable budget wise considering we have 1 child soon to graduate from college and enroll in medical school, another in the next year headed to college, plus one still at home.

Disney has a great online tool that is associated with their Disney Vacation Account program that will help you Estimate Your Budget in 3 easy steps:

Step 1: Select your Disney vacation destination.
Step 2: Complete the form, using the links within the form to help you estimate costs. Remember, prices may change from time to time. Your estimate does not necessarily reflect what the actual cost of your vacation will be at the time of booking, and does not represent an actual reservation.
Step 3: Click “Calculate” to view the total estimate–which should be used for guidance only as you save for your vacation.

But I have a 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 will do Step 2 for you based on your desires/wishes, instead of you having to spend all the time doing the research.  From that quote, you can complete step 3, which will give you an idea on how much you need to save each month to reach your goal.

dl half
marathon

 

$5,370…Okay, I know I really can’t live with that number without choking and breaking out in hives. This translates to about $250 a month that I need to budget in my already tight budget for the next 2 years, so this is going to call for getting VERY RESOURCEFUL…

But I know that it can be done, last November I was able to get away for a week with the girls for a run-cation for Disney’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon.  My total budget for my trip was…

Screenshot (19)

I had a year to SAVE & EARN $2500 without dipping into my already tight household budget, because after all I was already being selfish by taking a girl’s trip without the family.  Thanks to some of my runDisney Gal pals I not only met my goal without taking a single penny from the household budget, but I came home with money in pocket to pay for a good chunk of our Disneyland tickets last spring.

Here is how I did it

  • $600 (Deluxe Hotel Accommodations at the Beach Club)-Purchased by tutoring a student 2 evenings a night for 3 months
  • $397 (plane ticket)-Purchased with my SW Rapid Reward Points thanks to putting dd’s college tuition each semester on my Chase Rapid Rewards card and then paying the card off each month from savings
  • $352 (race registration)-Purchases by writing a couple of Professional Development courses for my school district during the spring of 2016 and presenting them in the summer

Thrifty Thursday

But here is what happened with what I refer to as my “Disney Penny Apps” …

I set out to earn $1369 and ended earning $1401.15 in 11 months…

  • Swagbucks $700
  • Walmart Savings Catcher $81.14
  • ShopKicks $100
  • PerkTV $175
  • Ibotta $110.25
  • CheckOut51 $15.40
  • Pact $65.36
  • Ebay $154

I am totally stunned that I could earn over $1400 simply by putting my insomnia (thanks to RLS) to work and learning how to work a few apps while doing what I was already doing…exercising/training for my run and household shopping.

cards

Once you have a goal and estimate in hand follow My Life in Ears on Saturdays, (really every day would be nice), for Saving 4 Disney.  I am going to explore and share creative ways to not only SAVE money but to MAKE a few “Disney Pennies” along the way that that you can use to grow your own vacation fund, as I grow mine!

Next week, I am going to discuss the pros & cons of setting up a Disney Vacation Account and where am I going to stash my savings so I don’t spend my Disney Pennies before it’s time.

Social

  • View DisneyVacationsbyTammie’s profile on Facebook
  • View @DisneybyTammie’s profile on Twitter
  • View disneyvacationsbytammie’s profile on Instagram
  • View disneybytammie’s profile on Pinterest
Follow My Life in Ears on WordPress.com

Posts

  • April 2020 (2)
  • February 2020 (1)
  • January 2020 (2)
  • June 2019 (1)
  • May 2019 (1)
  • April 2019 (1)
  • October 2018 (2)
  • August 2018 (1)
  • July 2018 (5)
  • June 2018 (6)
  • April 2018 (1)
  • March 2018 (2)
  • February 2018 (2)
  • January 2018 (7)
  • December 2017 (10)
  • November 2017 (11)
  • October 2017 (1)
  • August 2017 (5)
  • July 2017 (8)
  • June 2017 (12)
  • May 2017 (10)

Categories

  • (almost) Wordless Wednesday (17)
  • Bringing the Magic Home Monday's (2)
  • Cars Road Trip (4)
  • disney food (1)
  • Friday Five (12)
  • My Disney Side (1)
  • PreTrip/Trip Reports (6)
  • Saturday Saving for Disney (6)
  • Siesta Sunday at a Disney Resort Hotel (1)
  • Tammie's Take Thursday (15)
  • Tuesday's on the Run (25)
  • Uncategorized (17)

Tags

#heighho adventure Animal Kingdom avatar Budget CARS Carsland celebration Christmas Cinderella's Castle Coast to Coast countdown Disney California Adventure Disney Details disney dining disney dining plan Disney Drinks disney food DIsneyland Disney Pennies Disney Penny Apps disney side disneyside disney vacation Disney Vacation Account disney vacation planner Epcot Epcot's Food & Wine Expedition Everest family family movie night food goals foodie Goals half marathon home Jeff Galloway Magic Kingdom marathon memories Moderate Resort motivation movie nights nostalgia pandora Photography PhotoPass planning pools Port Orleans Riverside recovery resort hotel resort room road trip Route 66 runcation runDisney running running injury runwalkrun saving scrapbook Shopkicks Signature Dining The Mother Road Touring Plans Touring Tips training travel vacation Walt Disney World welcome home wine Wine & Dine Wishes
Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Follow Following
    • My Life in Ears
    • Join 61 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • My Life in Ears
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...