One Year to Save 2015

[stayhomemom77]

I earned $8.46 since yesterday because I...

earned $0.60 from quickrewards...

earned $0.05 from isay...

earned $4.21 in credit card rewards...

earned $0 in credit card rewards...

added $3.60 to the Disney jar...

added $0 to the USD cash pouch...

added $0 to the bank account...

So the new totals are:

$19.00 in quickrewards...
$52.10 in isay points....
$19.61 in credit card rewards...
$4.12 in credit card rewards...
$36.45 in the Disney jar...
$14.54 in USD cash pouch...
$101.00 in the bank account...

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $246.82

Breaking it down further:

$1300.00 needed for food and cash expenses, $246.82 earned, $1053.18 still needed

 

[stayhomemom77]

Geez! I am the worst!! How can this much time have passed since I've updated my thread? Ah well...we forge ahead, no?

Since I last updated, I've added:

I earned $25.10 since yesterday because I...

earned $2.02 from quickrewards...

earned $0.95 from isay...

earned $8.64 in credit card rewards...

earned $0.44 in credit card rewards...

added $8.05 to the Disney jar...

added $0 to the USD cash pouch...

added $5.00 to the bank account...

So the new totals are:

$21.02 in quickrewards...
$53.05 in isay points....
$28.25 in credit card rewards...
$4.56 in credit card rewards...
$44.50 in the Disney jar...
$14.54 in USD cash pouch...
$106.00 in the bank account...

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $271.92

Breaking it down further:

$1300.00 needed for food and cash expenses, $271.92 earned, $1028.08 still needed

 

[stayhomemom77]

Since I last updated, I've added $17.66 because I:

earned $0 from quickrewards...

earned $0 from isay...

earned $12.36 in credit card rewards...

earned $0 in credit card rewards...

added $5.30 to the Disney jar...

added $0 to the USD cash pouch...

added $0 to the bank account...

So the new totals are:

$21.77 in quickrewards...
$53.60 in isay points....
$46.90 in credit card rewards...
$4.76 in credit card rewards...
$52.30 in the Disney jar...
$14.54 in USD cash pouch...
$106.00 in the bank account...

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $299.87

Breaking it down further:

$1300.00 needed for food and cash expenses, $299.87 earned, $1000.13 still needed

 

[CocoTravels]

I LOVE THIS! I might have to start a thread to track mine. I really want to plan a solo trip for a 4 day weekend. I can do free dining if I go my birthday weekend. Just need $1000 since I have flight points.

 

[stayhomemom77]

Okay...I know I have been MIA for a month...but I was earning and tracking for a lot of the missed time, it's just that we added things to the trip and changed things around several times and I never got the chance to fix the budget accordingly. However...I don't think any more changes are coming....so I will get right to work on the new budget and report back when I have something done. Then I'll continue on from there!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Since yesterday, I've added $3.82 because I:

earned $0 from quickrewards...

earned $0 from isay...

earned $3.43 in credit card rewards...

earned $0.39 in credit card rewards...

added $0 to the Disney jar...

added $0 to the USD cash pouch...

added $0 to the bank account...

So the new totals are:

$3.24 in quickrewards...
$9.15 in isay points....
$68.28 in credit card rewards...
$8.00 in credit card rewards...
$62.90 in the Disney jar...
$14.66 in USD cash pouch...
$175.00 in the bank account...

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $341.23

Breaking it down further:

$600.00 needed for food and cash expenses, $341.23 earned, $258.77 still needed

 

[stayhomemom77]

Since yesterday, I've added $6.45 because I:

earned $0.86 from quickrewards...

earned $0.75 from isay...

earned $3.74 in credit card rewards...

earned $0 in credit card rewards...

added $1.10 to the Disney jar...

added $0 to the USD cash pouch...

added $0 to the bank account...

So the new totals are:

$4.10 in quickrewards...
$9.90 in isay points....
$72.02 in credit card rewards...
$8.00 in credit card rewards...
$64.00 in the Disney jar...
$14.66 in USD cash pouch...
$175.00 in the bank account...

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $347.68

Breaking it down further:

$600.00 needed for food and cash expenses, $347.68 earned, $252.32 still needed

 

[stayhomemom77]

Since I last updated, I've added $50.72 because I:

earned $0 from quickrewards...

earned $0 from isay...

earned $11.14 in credit card rewards...

earned $0.69 in credit card rewards...

added $20.55 to the Disney jar...

added $0 to the USD cash pouch...

added $18.34 to the bank account...

So the new totals are:

$4.10 in quickrewards...
$9.90 in isay points....
$89.33 in credit card rewards...
$8.69 in credit card rewards...
$52.45 in the Disney jar...
$245.00 in the bank account...

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $409.47

Breaking it down further:

$720.00 needed for food and cash expenses, $409.47 earned, $310.53 still needed

 

[stayhomemom77]

Well...

That sort of fell apart, didn't it? LOL

After a ridiculously busy summer and a SUPER fun vacation, I am back and ready to start saving for the next family trip.

This time around, we are doing things a little differently. At present, we are renting. DH's job was a three year contract with the option for permanence at the close of the three years. July 1st marked the beginning of year three and his boss says there isn't any reason why he shouldn't expect a permanent position to begin on July 1st of next year.

With that good news in mind, we decided that we would spend the next year actively saving/adding money to the savings we have for a down payment for a house. The housing prices here are pretty high, so the more we can get together before we buy (a new build) the better!

With that in mind, we can fund next summer's vacation with ONLY found money/bonus money/magic money as all of the savings from the regular budget need to go into the house account. So, for the first time ever...we will not have a specific trip planned. We'll simply save as much as humanly possible over the next 10 to 11 month and then towards the end of the spring, book something based on the amount we have set aside in the vacation account.

DS would like to do a New York City trip, DH would like to do another cruise (preferably western Caribbean and possibly leaving from New Orleans) and I'd love to go back to Vero Beach/Orlando for some summer fun. DD is fine with all three of these plans, however if the Canadian dollar stays low for the next year...we may do an Atlantic Canada road trip instead to maximize our money. We'll basically end up doing whatever we can afford and it's a VERY disconcerting way to plan a vacation. LOL

Anyway...I'll post yesterday's totals in the next post and then do today's in the post after that. Ideally, I'd like to scrape together three or four thousand dollars but I guess we'll just have to wait and see what we can do!

**Oh! And I have one new source of revenue...Checkout 51.

 

[stayhomemom77]

Since I last updated, I've added $126.17 because I:

earned $5.22 from quickrewards...

earned $15.50 from isay...

earned $7.49 in credit card rewards...

earned $1.87 in credit card rewards...

added $7.65 to the Disney jar...

earned $17.50 thru Checkout 51...

added $20.94 to the USD cash pouch...

added $50.00 to the bank account...

So the new totals are:

$5.22 in quickrewards...
$15.50 in isay points....
$7.49 in credit card rewards...
$1.87 in credit card rewards...
$17.50 in Checkout 51...
$7.65 in the Disney jar...
$50.00 in the bank account...

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $126.17

 

[stayhomemom77]

I've added $9.44 since yesterday because I:

earned $0 from quickrewards...

earned $0.50 from isay...

earned $8.39 in credit card rewards...

earned $0.55 in credit card rewards...

added $0 to the Disney jar...

earned $0 thru Checkout 51...

added $0 to the USD cash pouch...

added $0 to the bank account...

So the new totals are:

$5.22 in quickrewards...
$16.00 in isay points....
$15.88 in credit card rewards...
$2.42 in credit card rewards...
$17.50 in Checkout 51...
$7.65 in the Disney jar...
$50.00 in the bank account...

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $135.61.

That's AWESOME for only 5 days in!!

 

[Narnia_girl]

Sounds like you've got a good (new) plan!
You have made a whole lot more from Checkout 51 than I have. I signed up for Checkout 51 and Ibotta in May. So far my Checkout 51 total is about $5, but my Ibotta total is about $65!
Might be worth downloading if you can get it in Canada.

 

[DnA2010]

Glad to hear you had a nice vacation,remind me which cruise it was? All 3 of those ideas sound great!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Sounds like you've got a good (new) plan!
You have made a whole lot more from Checkout 51 than I have. I signed up for Checkout 51 and Ibotta in May. So far my Checkout 51 total is about $5, but my Ibotta total is about $65!
Might be worth downloading if you can get it in Canada.

We can't. I looked into it already. Sad face.

We actually lucked out right before the trip....I was stocking up on cereal and granola bars and chips and junk like that for the trip and it just happened to coincide with some good checkout 51 payouts, so I took full advantage. I think I got like $11 before we even left for that trip just by buying stuff for it. It's definitely slowed down since then though.

Glad to hear you had a nice vacation,remind me which cruise it was? All 3 of those ideas sound great!

Carnival Conquest

St Maarten
St Kitts
San Juan
Grand Turk

Of course, Erika messed with the itinerary and we dropped St Maarten and St Kitts, had a wee bit more time in San Juan than originally planned, and added in Nassau (which we have already been to).

 

[stayhomemom77]

I've added $6.22 since yesterday because I:

earned $0 from quickrewards...

earned $0 from isay...

earned $1.06 in credit card rewards...

earned $0 in credit card rewards...

added $5.15 to the Disney jar...

earned $0 thru Checkout 51...

added $0.01 to the USD cash pouch...

added $0 to the bank account...

So the new totals are:

$5.22 in quickrewards...
$16.00 in isay points....
$16.94 in credit card rewards...
$2.42 in credit card rewards...
$17.50 in Checkout 51...
$12.80 in the Disney jar...
$20.95 in the USD pouch...
$50.00 in the bank account...

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $141.83.

 

[DnA2010]

We can't. I looked into it already. Sad face.

We actually lucked out right before the trip....I was stocking up on cereal and granola bars and chips and junk like that for the trip and it just happened to coincide with some good checkout 51 payouts, so I took full advantage. I think I got like $11 before we even left for that trip just by buying stuff for it. It's definitely slowed down since then though.



Carnival Conquest

St Maarten
St Kitts
San Juan
Grand Turk

Of course, Erika messed with the itinerary and we dropped St Maarten and St Kitts, had a wee bit more time in San Juan than originally planned, and added in Nassau (which we have already been to).

Oh wow that was a change! St Maarten is our favourite- we've been there twice now, and want to go back and vacation just there.

 

[dylans mommy]

This just inspired me to keep track of how much I am saving! Thank you for the inspiration!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

This just inspired me to keep track of how much I am saving! Thank you for the inspiration!!

Oh, I LOVE that I inspired someone!! You just made my day. So thank YOU!!

I started the original one in January of 2014 because when I told DH that I was scraping together some various bits to try and get back to Disney (we had a Mediterranean cruise trip planned for that summer, which was why I couldn't actively save thru the budget last year) he scoffed and said I'd "never" get up enough to go.

I was like...challenge accepted!! And I just knew that tracking every cent and reporting it somewhere that would keep me accountable would keep me motivated. And then it was just FUN!!

Good luck with your goal...saving with a purpose rocks!

 

[stayhomemom77]

I've added $8.91 since I last updated because I:

earned $0.53 from quickrewards...

earned $0.05 from isay...

earned $0.36 in credit card rewards...

earned $1.17 in credit card rewards...

added $2.80 to the Disney jar...

earned $4.00 thru Checkout 51...

added $0 to the USD cash pouch...

added $0 to the bank account...

So the new totals are:

$5.75 in quickrewards...
$16.05 in isay points....
$17.30 in credit card rewards...
$3.59 in credit card rewards...
$21.50 in Checkout 51...
$15.60 in the Disney jar...
$20.95 in the USD pouch...
$50.00 in the bank account...

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $150.74

 

[stayhomemom77]

I've added $3.97 since I last updated because I:

earned $1.31 from quickrewards...

earned $0 from isay...

earned $2.66 in credit card rewards...

earned $0 in credit card rewards...

added $0 to the Disney jar...

earned $0 thru Checkout 51...

added $0 to the USD cash pouch...

added $0 to the bank account...

So the new totals are:

$7.06 in quickrewards...
$16.05 in isay points....
$19.96 in credit card rewards...
$3.59 in credit card rewards...
$21.50 in Checkout 51...
$15.60 in the Disney jar...
$20.95 in the USD pouch...
$50.00 in the bank account...

...for a GRAND TOTAL of $154.71