Actual August 1 update

Disney Funds:
3 $25  Disney gift card $
1 $5 Starbucks card F
1 $20 amazon card +
2 $5 Amazon card +
1 $2 Target gift card +
1 $15 Target gift card +
2 $5 Walmart cards +
1 $10 Walmart card +
Paypal: 48.08 (I forgot to move my Patreon over for surgery) $
Cash to go into Paypal $22 (I'm dragging to Disney!)

Total: 217.08

In the apps:
$Money
F Food
+ misc

$SwagBucks: 1592

$Ibotta .95

$Fetch Rewards: Cashback from shopping. 7152 points, about $7

Receipt pal 650 pts (345/$1)

F+Lucktastic (scratch cards) $3.25 and 143126 points ($20)

F+Lucky day (scratchers)  $5.75 7.3 million points ($7)

+Lucky Winner $9.35  1.2 million

F+Smores (a lockscreen ad): 1900

$Shopkick: 3265 ($10)

$Sweat coin: 360 coins. 20 coins=$1 ($18)

$KO trivia/Lucky Draw :114704 ($10)

$Achievement 4787/10K, about $4

$F+Giftloop. 321809 points ($15)

$Coin Pop (games for points) 8864 (75c)

$App Flame: 5012 (50c)

?Playspot 16340

$App station: 5068 (50c)

$Cash Alarm: 19400 ($2)

$Lucky Miner: 9473 (1)

Total: 169.46

Funds for actual trip, including meals on the way and there: 232.85

Food fund: 60

Funds for etc: 77.35

Grand total: 386.54

Early update, because the pleasures of a miser are my own

Because I need to reassure myself that I am indeed getting back underway

Gabriel came through surgery fine. He has some discomfort, but he's healing well. Dentures in August. This is exciting. I plan to take him for steak for his birthday. He hasn't had steak for years.


But even though I spavined every account I had, I am not completely broke and I keep at it. (had some real GiftLoop success this last week)  And I keep mystery shopping, which helps.


Where are we now?

Disney Funds:
3 $25  Disney gift card $
1 $5 Starbucks card F
1 $20 amazon card +
1 $5 Amazon card +
1 $2 Target gift card +
1 $15 Target gift card +
2 $5 Walmart cards +
1 $10 Walmart card +
Paypal: 48.08 (I forgot to move my Patreon over for surgery) $

Total: 190.08

In the apps:
$Money
F Food
+ misc

$SwagBucks: 1420

$Ibotta .85

$Fetch Rewards: Cashback from shopping. 7000 points, about $7

F+Lucktastic (scratch cards) $3.25 and 138798 points ($20)

F+Lucky day (scratchers)  $5.75 6.7million points ($6)

+Lucky Winner $9.35  .383 million

F+Smores (a lockscreen ad): 1840

$Shopkick: 3255 ($10)

$Sweat coin: 339 coins. 20 coins=$1 ($17)

$KO trivia/Lucky Draw :44,558 ($3)

$Achievement 4685/10K, about $4

$F+Giftloop. 246,441 points ($10)

$Coin Pop (games for points) 7594 (50c)

$App Flame: 5012 (50c)

?Playspot 16330

$Cash Alarm: 19400 ($2)

Total: 129.75

Funds for actual trip, including meals on the way and there: 219.18

Food fund: 18.40

Funds for etc: 114

Grand total: 320.24

I think we can do it.

Starting all over

So, I cashed out everything we had. I'm basically starting from scratch again.

Disney Funds:
3 $25  Disney gift card
1 $5 Starbucks card
1 $20 amazon card
1 $2 Target gift card
1 $15 Target gift card
2 $5 Walmart cards
1 $10 Walmart card

Total: 137

In the apps:
SwagBucks: 327

Fetch Rewards: Cashback from shopping. 6369 points, about $6

Lucktastic (scratch cards) $3.25 and 132520 points ($20)

Lucky day (scratchers)  $5.75  5.4 million points ($5)

Lucky Winner $8.60  4.2 million

Smores (a lockscreen ad): 1800

Shopkick: 3217 ($10)

Sweat coin: 316 coins. 20 coins=$1 ($16)

KO trivia/Lucky Draw :14175 (50cents)

Achievement 4531/10K, about $4

Lifecoin: 401 (50/$1)

Giftloop. 148985 points ($5)

Coin Pop (games for points) 5992 (50c)

App Flame: 5012 (50c)

Playspot 16230

Cash Alarm: 18984 ($2)

Total: 136.60

We have 273, even if most of it is inaccessible. It's not the rock bottom I started this blog at.
And with 5 more months, I can make this happen.

We also have cool beach towels, cooling towels, carabiners, wheelchair gloves, an organizer for the electronic cables (I shopped on Wish with the Visa card)


Not all the money can be taken in cash though. Many of the apps only offer gift cards. So what do I do with these?

LuckTastic:
40,000 gets a $10 Burger King card for the trip down and back
200,000 gets a $50 WalMart gift card, to help with the wheelchair purchase. Or just the packing misc.
375,000 gets a $100 Amazon card, for ordering stuff delivered to the resort if need be

Lucky Day:
15 mil gets a $15 Amazon card
10 Mil gets a $10 Amazon, Starbucks (useful for breakfast in parks) or WalMart card, or Chipotles,  for the trip down.

Lucky Winner:
10 mill is $10 amazon

Shopkick:
12500 kicks is $50 Disney card (that's the goal)
6300 is $25 paypal cash
6250 is a $25 Walmart card or Target or Starbucks or Amazon

Sweatcoin:
20,000 coins is $1000
Keep dreaming. If I walked the full 5 coins every day, and did the daily bonus, I would earn 220 in a month. It would take 7.5 years

Achievement 10000 is $10

Smores: Amazon, Starbucks or target cards Either park breakfasts or travel gear

Giftloop:
2mill is $100 Amazon, target or WalMart
1 mil is $50 BK or Delta airlines or Target, Walmart, amazon  The Delta could be useful
400K is $20 to BK, Amazon, Walmart, Target, Ihop

Coinpop
47K= $5 BK, Chipotle,
93K-=$10, Chilis, Starbucks, Walmart
182K coins=$20, Paypal, Amazon, Uber. The uber might also be useful. The transport is slow.

App flame
47K=$5 paypal, Amazon, BK, Chipotle, starbucks
93K=10, paypal, Amazon,chilis, starbucks
182K=20, Paypal, Amazon

Since my packing list is long and includes some big ticket items:
A wheelchair, a wheelchair pouch, a suitcase, the WalMart will be useful.

Saving on plane tickets is terrific, but maybe out of the plan, and not paying for meals while driving is better. Oli insists on driving.

Revising our goals.

So, last night, we had a serious money talk.

Since we're using all the vacation funding on surgery, and with Olivia's wedding, we've had to push our date back. Also there is church stuff and Festival of Souls and all sorts of commitments in the fall
We're planning for May 1-8, 2021.

This gives me 5 more months to raise money.
Gabriel won't be working the 20-21 school year as he finishes his degree. And it may be my last chance at a vacation with him before he lights out for the Pacific Northwest.


So I'm starting to look at options (using May 2020)
Gabriel wants to do Blizzard Beach, which is about 75 more dollars.

Tickets: (undercover tourist)
Four day tickets are 426, park hopper is 504, park hopper plus (inc water park) 521
Five day are 446, park hopper is 514,ph+ 537
Six day are 459, park hopper is 527, ph+ 554 (5 park days, 1 water park day)


Lodging:
DVC includes free parking for 1 vehicle.
AK Value Studio: $1100
Old Key West: 1350
Saratoga Springs: 1394
Boardwalk: 1566
Wilderness Lodge: 1800
Bay Lake Tower 1872
Riviera: 1980
Grand Floridian& Polynesian: 2322

All Star Music: 1237, parking 13/night (6 day, ph+, dining plan, memory maker: 5710, plus 150 parking)  4 day is 5160
Art of Animation, mermaid room, 1697, parking 19/night
Port Orleans, 2173
Ft Wilderness Cabin: 2898
Contemporary: 3701 (4163 with tax)
Grand Floridian


Dining plan for 4 for 7 days: 1872

My plan:
5 day tickets; 446
Blizzard Beach: 75
Lodging: 400/person
Dining plan: 468
Memory Maker 43 (each)
1450/person, 5728 to stay in the Boardwalk
5538 to stay at the All Star Music, with a Blizzard beach day

I think the 47/person is worth it for the nicer room, the better location and walking distance of two parks. If I wanted to spend my vacation on buses, I'd stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge: for 1255/person or 5020

To really do it the way I want:
Contemporary Resort (Bay lake Tower), 6 day Park Hopper Plus, Dining Plan, Memory Maker,
6132 or about $400 more. Ouch, just out of reach

And the prices will only go up.

But I can dream, can't I?

Money changes

Most of the money i put together has been earmarked for Gabriel's teeth
I've done a lot of cashing out and upgrading, and here's where that fund stands:
We need 1700.

Paypal: 878.25
Credit Card: 600
Swagbucks 114.15
~~~
Total: 1592.40
Need 107.60




Disney Funds:
3 $25  Disney gift card (acquired sale items for trip)
1 $5 Starbucks card
1 $25 Visa cards
1 $20 amazon card
1 $2 Target gift card
1 $15 Target gift card
2 $5 Walmart cards
1 $10 Walmart card

Total: 162

In the apps:
SwagBucks:0

Fetch Rewards: Cashback from shopping. 6344 points, about $6

Lucktastic (scratch cards) $3.25 and 120869 points ($20)

Lucky day (scratchers)  $5.50  4.38 million points ($4)

Lucky Winner $3.50 2.56 million

Smores (a lockscreen ad): 1660

Shopkick: 3147 ($10)

Sweat coin: 290 coins. 20 coins=$1 ($14)

KO trivia/Lucky Draw :183327 ($10)

Achievement 4351/10K, about $4

Lifecoin: 398 (50/$1)

Giftloop. 57703 points ($2)

Coin Pop (games for points) 121065 (over $10)

App Flame: 50536 ($5)

Playspot 15458

Cash Alarm: 18984 ($2)

136, not all of it accessible. I need to play harder and make the last $100.

Mid June

Where we stand right now:
4 $25  Disney gift card
1 $5 Starbucks card
Paypal balance: $0  (went to dental)
1 $25 Visa cards
1 $20 amazon card
1 $2 Target gift card
1 $15 Target gift card
2 $5 Walmart cards
1 $10 Walmart card

Total: 187

In the apps:
SwagBucks: 10897

Ibotta: $2.75

Fetch Rewards: Cashback from shopping. 6169 points, about $6

Killi (get paid when your info gets sold, as it will): $0.88

Lucktastic (scratch cards) $3.25 and 112741 points ($20)

Lucky day (scratchers)  $5.50  2.69 million points ($2)

Smores (a lockscreen ad): 1537

Shopkick: 3076 ($10)

Sweat coin: 246 coins. 20 coins=$1 ($12)

KO trivia/Lucky Draw :130719 ($10)

Achievement 4097/10K, about $4

Lifecoin: 383 (50/$1)

Giftloop, lost all my points in the reboot. 36419 points ($1)

Coin Pop (games for points) 111394 (over $10)

App Flame: 45314 ($5)

Playspot 14671

Cash Alarm: 18574 ($2)



Total, about $230 if I could cash it all out. Most of them need a lot more before the minimum point.

Grand total: 417  Yes, we're going backward. Teeth come first,

Spent all week being someone else

It was a very productive week in Nick and Gabriel land.

I found out about Crisis Role Playing. This is where you go be a disaster victim for the National Guard.

You can look for jobs in your area here:
http://work4hds.com/

You apply on line, and if selected, you show up a little before the designated time.

You go through moulage (makeup) and are given an injury. The coordinators explain the scenario and you come up with ideas of how to be your injured self. You have a tag listing your injury, pain level, mood, and your vitals (blood pressure, pulse, capillary refill)

I was a Nonambulatory Open Fracture (my ambulation is iffy at good times), and had a very good latex appliance of a compound fracture of the tibia.

The coordinators were short of roleplayers, so I contacted everyone I knew for a $15/person bounty.
I made about $135 extra. (not sure if Evan counts for one day or two)

So, for two long days out doors, with free water, snacks and lunch, I was paid $250.  Which the bounty brought to $385.

I had to let guardsmen cut my clothes off, (I had on a t-shirt that said "I'm Naked" to let them know where to quit), decontaminate me and triage me after they pulled me from the wreckage of my earthquake wracked apartment.

It took seven of them to move me from decontam board to gurney and I screamed a lot because of the broken leg. I was calm and helpful unless they messed with the leg.

It was easy money. And a lot of fun. I made a couple new friends and caught up with people I don't see enough of.


The second fun thing was a drag debut.
If you know me, you know I'm queer. There's no other word that fits. I'm genderfluid and polyamorous and kinky and generally strange and unusual.

On Friday, I took the stage at Dru's Place for Open Stage. Drag performers make tips. (I got $3)

And this got me into the community and I made some acquaintances, which may lead to paid gigs, similar to what Gabriel gets. (I already have a second show booked!)

Me, out on the town.

Gabriel's been performing and doing light work for shows all spring to help pay his part.

This is my favorite of his

He also went to the dentist and we now know it will take 2200 to get his teeth pulled and dentures made. We have about $800 in cash right and the money coming in from the roleplay will help.
But all the vacation savings--except gift cards--are going to this.  It's a setback, but not a huge one.

The Dream continues because we can still do this!