Apps to help you save and make money!

I don't know if y'all have heard........but Walmart Savings Catcher is going away.  I'm mourning.  But I guess this resolves all of our issues of using walmart pay and not being able to use other apps or using walmart pick up with the savings catcher.

Now that that's out of the way.............

I have some new favorite apps that are saving me money so I thought I would share.  You may not have any desire to use them - but it's honestly super simple especially once you get in the habit and you would be surprised how quickly you can save up money on these! Also - if you plan to go to Disney any time in the future - I've learned a fun tip that could save you hundreds!! So stay tuned!

I know I've talked about this a lot but the Ibotta app is my very favorite.  You just check off things you know you would buy anyway and then scan your receipt and it gives you money back.  It's that easy.  And they have bonuses that give you extra money. You can also use it for online shopping to get percentages back.  During the holidays - I got a lot back.  Also travel sites.  So anytime we stay in a hotel or fly - I use that and get a % back.  I know people really love ebates but I have just found that I love this more.  (If you don't already have it - you will get $20 CASH just for signing up!)

And this isn't rolled out to everyone yet - but they have added a feature where you can use Ibotta to pay in store at places like Gap, Old Navy, Ulta and a lot more and you immediately get like 4% cash back.  So that is a great addition!! If you have ibotta - look for that to come! I have already used it and it's awesome! 

This is new to me that I have been trying it out.  Shopkick works a little like Ibotta except you get kicks and so many "kicks" add up to gift cards from places like Target or Walmart (which lets admit - is the same as cash. ha!) You can get kicks from just walking in the store. Then you can just scan items for more kicks.  If you buy the featured items - you can get a lot more kicks.  It also works for online shopping where you get so many kicks per $ spent.  It adds up pretty quick for minimal work.  You can get 250 kicks just for signing up! 

Okay - I'm new to Dosh.  This one you link up your card to it and when you use your card at certain retailers like Sam's - it gives you a % cash back.  Which is Awesome.

BUT here is where my Disney tip comes in.  

In case you don't know this - you can buy Disney Gift cards at Sam's for 5% off.  So a $500 gift card costs $475.  Then if you purchase that in Sam's and have your card linked to Dosh - you can get 2% back.  So a $500 gift card ends up costing $465.  Then you buy as many of those as you need for your trip and you are getting a 7% savings (which as much as Disney costs can be HUGE).  But I've HEARD that there are times Dosh will give as much as 8% back at Sam's - so if you wait until then you could save 13% off your Disney trip! SCORE! (you can also use your red card to buy Disney cards for 5% off but you can't stack this extra savings on at Target).  

So there you go - if you didn't know - now you know! It's worth having just for that if nothing else! 

I literally just found out about Fetch and I'm trying it out.  For this one - all you have to is scan your receipt (no checking items like ibotta) and it looks for deals and then kind of like shop kick - it gives you points that you can redeem for gift cards.  Enter my referral code, XM8VQ at the sign-up screen and you'll get 3,000 Fetch Points ($3.00 in points!) when you complete one receipt. Download here https://bit.ly/2Ay6caM

The next 2 apps I'm going to tell you about are different.  They aren't savings apps but if you have time and want to make a little money and know anything about retail (or even if you don't they have training videos) - you might be interested. 

Field Agent is an app that looks at stores in your areas and has you check merchandising or gives you different jobs.  Often they have "buy and try" jobs where they pay you $5 plus reimburse the price of the item - to try and review an item.  It's small dollar "jobs" but they are usually very simple and things you can do while you are in a store shopping anyway.  I've used this app for a long time - not that much recently but it's fun to try! 

Easy Shift is similar to Field Agent but the jobs are a little more involved and take more time.  Field agent jobs normally average about 5 min of work and Easy shift can be more like 30 minutes.  But they often pay $15-20 a job.  You give your location and it maps out all the jobs near you.  It's often a lot of taking pictures of merchandising.  

I have loved using all of these and I love to share things that  I love and are working for me so I hope they work for you too! 

Spring Fling

While the kids were away at my parents - we had an actual date! It was nice to get out without trying to get back for a baby sitter.  We also enjoyed a night at home with the quiet.  It's so rare! 

I tried to get some things done while the kids were gone but I also got out and walked as much as I could.  The weather has been amazing and it's officially spring! 

My parents brought my kids back Thursday afternoon and I quickly unpacked, washed clothes and repacked so we could go on a little quick adventure.  

Scott took Friday off so we headed to Tulsa for 2 days.  But first we had to stop for donuts.  

Our first stop was the Tulsa Zoo.  My girls brought their OBU backpacks with them so we had to get a picture with the Tigers when we saw them.  

The highlight of the zoo was probably petting goats.  

It was a gorgeous day for the zoo.  But the Tulsa zoo is not our favorite.  There just didn't seem to be many animals out.  And WAY too many people.  

We didn't last too long at the zoo.  We skipped through and then paid $10 to take a 2 min train ride and that was the end for us. As we were leaving at 12:30 - people were lined up forever.  I heard it was an hour wait to get in.  And then cars were lined up forever to get in.  Needless to say - we were so happy to get out when we did.  

Our next stop was the new Gathering Place in Tulsa.  All of Oklahoma and Arkansas were on spring break this week and the weather was so pretty that apparently every single person decided to come to the same place.  We were hungry so we decided to stop for lunch.  

We ended up parking in a lot and taking a shuttle to the park.  This is a HUGE park/playground.  It's more like a collection of about 15 amazing playgrounds.   It's super super nice and FREE! If you get near Tulsa - it's a great place to go and take kids! 

The kids had the BEST time! 

We will FOR SURE be back.  I will probably take them sometime this summer! 

We had a great time! Even with a MILLION people with us.  

We left there and ate at Ted's.  Which was good but not our favorite Mexican place (I KNOW IT"S VERY LOVED BY OKIES! Don't at me. :-) ) Then we went to our hotel and all showered and just relaxed and went to bed early.  

The next morning was gloomy and rainy.  We ate breakfast at our hotel and then we went to the hospital where Harper spent the first month of her life.  She was air lifted to Tulsa the night she was born.  We haven't been back in 10 years.  It has changed SO MUCH! We couldn't honestly even figure out where we were or remember much about it.  The NICU where she had been was moved probably 9 years ago so we tried to find the vicinity of where we spent so many hours sitting but it was just really confusing.  But it's still a place that means so much to us - it's an Ebeneezer stone to us that we can go back and see how faithful God was to us.  We walked around the hospital for a while and then drove by the Ronald McDonald house we had stayed at.  

Then we headed to the mall.  My kids have never really been to many malls.  I grew up going to malls but it's just not something we ever do so I think they thought it was so cool.  We went to the Disney store.  

Then we went to Cheesecake factory.  I had the most delicious salad.  

And my family had cheesecake (with their lunch).  Let's just say they loved it.  

After lunch - we headed home and then we went over and had dinner with some of our good friends and had the best time.  

Yesterday we weren't to church and then had lunch with 2 families we are best friends with.  We adults sat together and put the kids together and we had such a good time laughing and laughing.  

And today things to back to normal.  It's also Scott's birthday so we hope to celebrate him! 

Spring Break

We are on spring break this week! I had decided to take kids to my parents to visit for a day and night.  My mom called later and offered to keep the kids for a couple of days.  

So Monday morning we headed their way and stopped for lunch.  

Hollis' birthday just keeps going on and on.  She got presents from my parents and Aunt Linda and we had birthday cake.  

The kids were quickly outside playing in leaf piles and my parents' dog.  

And Will Holden is always in heaven when he gets to ride Papa's tractor.  

We had beautiful weather on Monday and Tuesday so being outside was perfect! 

Aunt Linda came over and brought the girls tons of jewelry and purses she had cleaned out of her collection for them.  The girls are so lucky to have her pass on all of her fun things to them.  They LOVE it! 

Yesterday morning I got up early and drove home and left them behind.  The difference between leaving little kids with their grandparents and bigger kids is the girls have ipads and their grandparents wifi so they can text me and face time me.  And they facetimed me twice yesterday.  But at least I know how they are doing.  As great as it is to be home in a quiet house - I miss them! 

It was SO nice outside and I probably should have been cleaning something but I decided to go on a long trail walk.  It took me 2 hours but I walked 6.5 hours.  I could barely move last night but it felt so great! 

Mean while the kids have had a great time.  Will Holden told my mom "My parents won't mind if you take me to Walmart and buy me a toy" .  ha ha ha!  That is not true but it worked! 

I"m trying to get a lot done today and then Scott and I are going on a date tonight! The kids are coming home tomorrow and then we are going on a little weekend trip as a family! 

We aren't really "spring break trip" people.  But I have been looking at places we might could go next year.  Maybe as the kids get older we will pull off a spring break trip.  But for now a few days with grandparents and each other is perfect! 

March Madness

A lot of weeks there are just not a ton of things to talk about.  It's a lot of busy mornings, school, appointments, meetings, piano lessons, soccer practice, dinner, reading, bath times.  But that's the good stuff even if it's not exciting.  

I hate to say it out loud but I think spring may have arrived in Arkansas.  It's been in the 60's the last week.  There is rain and wind but it's starting to get warm and trees are starting to bud.  

Will Holden and I have gone to parks and Sam's - where he talked me into eating lunch before 11 because he was so hungry.  

Friday was our last day before spring break and the day before Hollis' birthday and so I picked her up at lunch time and took her to lunch.  Her favorite spot is Waffle House.  We both love it.  She wore her birthday crown to school.  She was SO PROUD to have a birthday! 

The girl can put away some food. :-) 

She had a few gift cards so we went to the cutest toy store and to a few other places before picking up the others from school.  

Her best friend moved to Texas in August and they miss each other so much.  They face timed on Friday and Saturday.  Hollis just LIGHTS UP when Kampbell calls her.  It's the sweetest thing (and the the saddest because they are 10 hours apart).  

After school Friday we stopped by a park for a while because it was so nice outside! 

We are so happy for a break! We aren't spring break trip people but we have a few fun things planned! 

Saturday was Hollis' actual birthday.  Will Holden woke me up saying "I don't feel so good" and then ended up throwing up.  So we just knew he had a stomach bug.  I took Hollis to soccer practice and Scott stayed home.  We had already bought movie tickets for the afternoon so Scott was going to take the girls.  But then thing about WH is he throws up often and randomly.  I always get nervous he has  a stomach bug but it's always just a one time fluke.  So since he was fine the rest of the day we went on to a movie.  

We saw Wonder Park and it was so cute! 

We ate dinner at Outback.  We had kept WH on saltines and applesauce all day and tried to get him to just eat a little at dinner but he was starving and eating everything in sight.  

I think after a week of celebrating that this girl had a pretty great birthday! 

I made sure no one could pinch any of our kids at church yesterday! 

But I guess Scott missed the memo that it was St Patricks Day.  He came out on our way to church dressed like the 4th of July. ha!  We went to church and lunch and then to Barnes & Noble so Harper could use a gift card on spring break books to read.  

It was SO gorgeous outside yesterday.  60 and not windy and the sky was so blue.  We went on a 3 mile walk and had the best time.  

I love family walks so much! 

We tell the kids they are in Disney Training.  WH tries to say he won't need a stroller at Disney but these walks show us he does! ha! 

We are ready for a week to sleep in and rest up and have some fun!