New Credit Card deal!

 

**This post contains affiliate links that I may be compensated for if you use at no additional cost to you. 

I like to get the most of my money when planning our Disney Vacations.  

I open up a new card when we go in order to take advantage of the amazing new sign up deals!

This past month I found the Discover Visa card.

When you sign up under this referral link you automatically get a $50 statement credit when you make your first purchase within 3 months. 

The next step to saving on your Disney vacation is to purchase your Disney gift cards during the right time of the year.  

As I write this It's March 2021 and the quarterly cash back rewards deal is at grocery stores. You receive 5% back up to $75.  I waited until Meijer had their Mperks deal (for every $50 in Gift cards purchased receive a $5 Mperks coupon.) I bought $1,500 in gift cards which gave me $150 back in Mperks to use on my next purchase.  Since I used my new Discover Visa and it was during the quarter where I get 5% back at grocery stores I got another $75 savings.  Now here's the totally amazing part.... Since I am a new cardmember I also get double the cash back at the end of my first year. This means I'll be getting another $75 at the end of my year! 

** NOTE: I purchased $500 in gift cards with my MPerks account, $500 on my hubby's account and my mom was with me and purchased $500 on her account as there is a $500 limit in gift cards.

***Credit card NOTE: I HIGHLY recommend you call Discover ahead of time and let them know you will be purchasing $1,500 in gift cards in 3 separate transactions so they don't flag your account.  Give yourself enough time at the store in case they do flag the transaction, they will alert you and you will have to call the number in order to let them know it's you purchasing!  

(If Meijer doesn't have it's Mperks gift card deal again before the end of the month I recommend you wait until April if possible for the best savings.) 

You can just purchase your gift cards through a grocery store and still save 10%, but SAMs Club in April will get you more!

So in summary I purchased $1,500 in gift cards and got these rewards back: 

$50 statement credit for using the referral link.

$150 back in Meijer Mperks coupons.

$75 in 5% cash back on your Discover card.

$75 in double cash back at the end of the year. 

All in all for $1,500 in gift cards I only paid $1,150 for a savings of $350!! Thats a 23% SAVINGS!

Now the quarter for grocery stores is up at the end of March, but there is good news! April-June's deal is Club stores including SAMS club! So here I will outline what your potential savings would be there.

SAMS club offers gift cards in different amounts, but here the best percentage off is actually the $75 gift card packs. Saving you about 5%.

You want to purchase $1,500 in gift cards to get the full amount of cash back through you Discover card. 

That means you need 20 packs of the $75 cards. Now me trying to be a bit more friendly to the enviroment I personally would purchase the $150 card packs to save on some of that plastic so I will use that here.

Buy 10 packs of the $150 cards. for total of $1,449.80 (saving $51 already!) 

Here is the Summary. Purchased $1,500 in gift cards

$50 statement credit for using the referral link posted. 

$51 savings through SAMs.

$75 in cash back on your Discover card.

$75 in double cash back at the end of the year. 

So for $1,500 in gift cards you will only pay $1,249 for a savings of $251!! That's a 17% SAVINGS!

Let me know if you try any of these deals I'd love to hear about your savings! If you have any other savings questions or Disney questions I'm happy to help! 

When you are ready to book your next Disney Vacation let me know my concierge services are at no additional cost to you when you book through me! I will get you the best deal out there!

Board & Card Game Hall of Fame

This post contains affiliate links,  I will make a small percentage off of purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. 

We are keeping busy here during the Stay at home order.  Today marks our 3rd Sunday home and this coming Friday will mark 3 full weeks!  Yesterday I put the kids in charge of going through the game closet.  They did better than I expected and were able to get rid of a box of games!

I've been meaning to write this post for a long time so what better time than now?

We play so very many games in our house (we don't allow video games in our house so we have a lot of time for board games).  Not a Christmas goes by where there isn't a new game on the Christmas list!  

So without further adieu here is our list, in no particular order because it would be nearly impossible!

1. Settlers of Catan

 You can find Settlers  Here. I'm thinking many others are playing board games right now because it seems to be sold out on Amazon at the moment! We also love the Seafarers expansion found Here.  We have a couple other expansions but this is the easiest in my opinion.  Catan is a strategy game that can last hours.  We have been playing as a family since our middle kiddo was 4 and he would actually beat us sometimes too!  The age for this game is over 10, but if your kids have patience they can learn it and love it!

2.  Blockus

Blockus is one of my personal favorites. You can find it Here.  Sadly at time of writing this one seems to be out of stock as well.  This is another strategy game and it will remind you of Tetris! There is only one rule in the game so it's super quick to learn! 

3. Qwirkle 

Qwirkle will remind you of dominos, but more colorful and fun! Super simple to learn, and a somewhat quick play.  Find it Here. 

4. Sleeping Queens

This has been a favorite of our house for a few years now, when in doubt this is the game we choose, it's easy enough for 4 and up to play, lasts about 20 minutes or less and is a lot of fun. The story behind it is cute too, a young girl had a dream which led to creating this game! Find it Here.  

5. Cover your assets 

This one is so much fun and can get a little rowdy!  Friends of ours taught us this one and we just had to have it in our collection.  It has been camping and even to Florida with us. I strongly believe this has helped our younger two with math skills as well! Find it Here. The rules say to play to the first person to reach 1Million in assets, we typically just play one round and whoever has the most wins. Although one week camping we kept a running tally every day. 

6. King Domino 

It's embarrassing to admit this sat in our closet for nearly 6 months before our friends taught us how to play.  As the name states this one is similar to dominos, but you are building your own kingdom.  If you play Catan you will feel a certain likeness to it as well.  There are a many different strategies with it which makes it fun for all ages.  Find it Here.

7.  Cauldron Quest

I have to include this game as it's a cooperative one!  Everyone playing is working together to break the spell before the wizard wins the game, which means no whining when one person loses!  Says ages 6 and up, but our youngest has been playing since she was 4 and grasps the rules easily.  Find this fun cooperative game Here.

8. Azul 

We just got this one for Christmas, but it's quickly become a favorite..  The only thing I wish for is an expansion so that all 5 of us can play because our youngest at 5 years old loves this one too! Find it Here (out of stock at time of writing).  Play time is around 30 minutes. 

9. Zingo

Zingo is slowly being phased out here as it's more for the younger set, but I included it because it was one of our ultimate faves when the kids were little. While easy enough for the littles to play it includes a bit more strategy as opposed to say Chutes and Ladders! Find it Here.

What to pack in your Disney Park Bag!

**This post contains affiliate links which I may receive a small compensation from if you purchase from my links.  This costs you nothing. **

Before our first trip I spent hours reading all the blogs I could to make sure we were prepared if not over prepared for our days in the Disney parks!

Today I'm here to save you the time and stress with a list of my recommendations. 

Let's start with the fun stuff.

1. Magic Bands: If you are staying on property you will get these for free, you may choose to pay a small fee to upgrade them to something more fun if you wish, but it's not necessary. If you are off property you will have to purchase them yourself.  They are not needed, but definitely a conveinence  worth taking!

2. Lanyards: These are the ones I purchased for my kiddos the  Mickey lanyard and a princess one. There are so many other fun options to choose from including Toy Story and Minnie Mouse.  The main thing you are looking for is that it has a safety clasp to prevent strangulation.  We used the lanyards to hold all of their pins for trading as well as buttons (which are FREE at Disney! Be sure to ask when checking in if you are celebrating anything like a first visit or a birthday!).  You will also notice in the last pic locking pins these are to ensure your disney pins don't accidentally fall off!

3. Clickable Sharpie markers in black or color.  You will need to provide your own markers/pens to get autographs.  These make it super easy for any character with big hands (Mickey Mouse) to use and you won't worry about losing any caps! 

4. Items to autograph.  We chose hats for the kids first trip, they were a hit with the characters, and since they were wearing them we didn't have to carry anything extra around!  (note: characters will not sign anything you are wearing like a t-shirt, we took hats off to autograph).  Here are ours Mickey  &  Minnie. I also brought along a book to have characters autograph on their page! 

5. Glowsticks are fun for your own kiddos, but they are even more fun to pass along "pixie dust" by handing them out to random park goers! You can find great deals at the dollar store.

6. Stroller lights: If you will have a stroller this is a great way to quickly locate it in the stroller corrals after a night show trust me! here are some fun ones! Don't forget the batteries!

Florida can be HOT and cold at night and Rainy! Be prepared so you can keep comfortable!

7. Hats and Sunglasses.

8. Ponchos  come in handy for those random rain showers that pop up as well as for certain rides like splash mountain!

9. A  Quick dry towel will also come in helpful on water rides and rain showers as well!

10. Cooling towels are a must!! We used our two often during the 90+ degree days.  The kids all got their own mini- towels in their stockings this Christmas as well. 

11. Misting fans we used these small ones, but I have since purchased one of these larger ones because we were HOT on our trip! I would also recommend a stroller fan if you are going with a baby or toddler. 

12. Sunscreen Here is my personal fave we have been using for years it's a clean choice that works great and smells amazing to boot! You don't want to have to pay park prices for sunscreen trust me.

13. Bugspray.  Although I have heard if you go to a first aid tent they can provide you with bug spray.

Misc. things to add to your bag

14. Tylenol for adults and children. 

15. Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes.

16.  Kleenex

17. Ziplock baggies to hold small purchases, or snacks. 

18. Gum:  If you need gum you will have to bring it in as it's not sold in the parks.

19.  Reusable Straws Disney has gotten rid of plastic straws which is awesome.  The paper straws however leave much to be desired so if you are picky you will probably want to bring your own straws. 

20. Portable Charger  This is not mine, but it has 10,000+ reviews on amazon.  This will come in handy because you will use your phone often to check on your plans, make fast passes, and order food using mobile order.  

21. Blister Bandaids You will be walking A LOT! I suggest you bring two pairs of comfy walking shoes to alternate between, trust me.  If you do get blisters these bandaids are amazing!

22. Stroller Hook. If you are taking a stroller with you this will be super helpful to hold your purchases and popcorn bucket!  (FYI Disney does have size restrictions on strollers be sure to check them out before you go.) I also recommend a large plastic bag so you can quickly put everything from the bottom basket into a bag when folding up the stroller to get on transportation. 

23. Snacks: Our favorites were single serve peanut butter containers with pretzels or graham crackers to dip in it, beef jerky; it doesn't weigh much but packs a lot of protein, granola bars, and fruit strips!

24.  Water bottles.  You can get free water at most snack stands, but they give it to you in a cup with no lid which is great if you need ice cold water not so great to keep water on hand at all times.  I would go for something that doesn't weigh a lot unless you have a stroller to carry them all. 


That about covers it! Am I missing anything you would add to the list?

Are you dreaming of your own Disney vacation?  Let me know I would love to plan your vacation at no cost to you! I will do all the planning you just enjoy your time!
Contact me at Jordon.kamphuis@ gmail.com

Money Making App #4

Dosh

I'm loving the newest app I'm using, and I know you will too!! I've said this before, but this is truly the easiest one so far!   All you have to do is sign up HERE (you will receive a credit once you link your first card, and I will receive a referral bonus at no cost to you.)  Once you have your account you will want to link a credit card to it.  The rest is easy going, you shop, use the linked card and dosh will credit you back a percentage of your purchase!  Just the other day I shopped at Carters, and before I even left the store I got the notification that I had received $6.18 cash back.  It doesn't get much easier than that! 

Here are the details. 

Pay with your linked card to 1,000's of stores and restaurants to receive up to 10% cash back!

In order to receive immediate cash back you will need to run your debit card as a credit card.

Sometimes it can take a few days for things to show up, for instance when I use my SAMS club MasterCard it takes about 3-4 days for my cash back to appear. When I used my Visa at SAMS club the cash back appeared immediately. If it has been a few days and still no pending activity you can create a ticket easily and they will get back to you.

When you are ready to cash out you have a few options.  You may choose to transfer your money to your bank account, Venmo, PayPal, or even donate your money to charity!

Here is a glimpse into my current balance, the purchase at carters yesterday was a small one to return/exchange some things from our earlier trip that got me $6 back. SAMS club is a limit of $15 earned per day, so we made a couple different trips this week there as I had some big purchases.  This works on Disney cards at SAMS yahoo!!! (The only thing I suggest is purchasing another item along with the cards just incase as I have heard that gift card only purchases sometimes don't get cash back.)

There is it! Simple isn't it? Let me know if you are already using Dosh what your favorite cash back place is, if you aren't I can't wait to hear how much you will start making! Let me know if you have any questions as always I'm happy to help!

Breakdown of Disney Visa savings.

This is the quickest way to earn free Disney gift cards!

It does have a few steps you need to follow in the exact order so please read through carefully!

*****as of May 2, 2019 Swagbucks is experiencing what we are hoping is only a glitch.  Swagbucks are not posting for the Disney gift card purchases.  I will be sure to update once we know for sure what is going on!  For the time being Purchasing your Disney gift cards from SAMs club looks to be the best bet when purchasing using your Disney Visa card. Be sure to work the math on the gift cards at SAMs as the pack with the most cards is not the best deal!

Here are the steps:

1) Sign up for Best Buy rewards program (it's free!) HERE is the link to Best Buy's website.

2) Sign yourself up for the Disney Visa (also free) ***using a referral code*** If you just to go the website and sign up for the free card you will only get a $100 statement credit, this is the most important step! Using my link. HERE will get you to the correct site. Signing up through this link will earn you a $200 statement credit once you have put $500 on your card in the first 3 months. (more on this in a bit)

3) In your first 3 months you will make 2 *separate* trips to Best Buy.
 
A)Head to Best Buy and grab $100 worth of Disney gift cards.
      -*note you cannot buy more than 3 Disney gift cards in one transaction and you need the full           $100 to be in one transaction, so depending on what your Best Buy has in stock here are your options.
    a) "choose your amount" card in $100
    b) 2- $50 cards
    c) 2- $25 + 1- $50 card
    d) 3- $25 cards + 1-$25 card from another source.
 
  B) Have the cashier scan your SwagBucks QR code before completing transaction!
  C) Purchase your cards using your Disney Visa
    * In order to get the maximum amount of savings you need to purchase $100 on each trip no more or less.

4) Create your own Chase Visa referral link HERE is the link for that you only need your last name, zip code and the last 4 digits of your Disney Visa.

5) Your spouse/parter/best friend/mom etc. will use this link to sign up just as you did.

6) Visa #2 makes the same 2 trips to Best Buy (note they can use your swagbucks QR code, but you will get even more swagbucks if they have used your Swagbucks referral code and signed up under you as you get 10% of their lifetime earnings!)

7) Within the first 3 months each card will need to put an additional $300 on their card for a total of $500 on each card in the first 3 months. (Be sure not to carry a balance from month to month to avoid any fees of course.)

8) After Visa #1 has put $500 on the card they will receive a $200 statement credit making those $200 in Disney cards you purchased FREE (not to mention the 10.5% + savings from using swagbucks!) The same applies for Visa #2 although once both of these have been completed Visa #1 will also receive an additional $100 in Disney Rewards on their Card!

Here is the Breakdown

Visa #1 $500 on card - $200 statement credit + $100 Disney rewards from referring Visa #2
Visa #2 $500 on card- $200 statement credit

Swagbucks 750 Bonus SB's per $100/Day trip to Best Buy = 3,000 SB's or $30
You will also get 2-3% depending on what the current rate is back in SB's from Best Buy Ex: 3% back = 1,200 SB's or $12
3,000+1,200= 4,200 or $42 back making your gift cards 10.5% off!!

1% back in Disney rewards on your Visa's = $10

.5 points/$1 spent at Best Buy with 250 points= $5 in Best Buy Rewards.
$400 spent on gift cards = $5 + an extra 150 points banked.

Using your Disney Visa and Swagbucks at the 3% back means your gift cards end up being 11.5% off!!!

**This post contains affiliate links which maybe provide me a small commission at no additional cost to you.