It’s no secret that Disney vacations are expensive. That’s why I rely on sidehustles to pay for my trips. Sure, they take a little bit of time and effort. But, it also means that I can take my family on vacation without taking money out of our paychecks to do it.
Like most people, we have a modest income. So, if there’s something we want, we have to save for it. And now that we’ve recently added a new baby boy to the family, my expenses just got even more expensive.
Sidehustles That Pay For My Trips
Swagbucks
You’re probably tired of hearing about Swagbucks. But, there’s a reason everyone mentions it. IT WORKS!
The majority of my earnings come from this one site. Over the course of one year, I can add approximately $1000 to our vacation fund, just by using Swagbucks.
How do we do it?
There’s many ways to earn money (called Swagbucks, or SB). But, a good portion of my earnings come from surveys. Whenever I have a spare minute, I hop onto the Swagbucks Answer app and see if I qualify for any surveys. Even if you don’t qualify, many times you’ll still earn 1 SB for your time.
After using Swagbucks for many years, I have a good idea of which surveys will pay out and which will waste my time. If you get a survey that has a long qualification process, exit it. The chance of earning anything from them is slim to none.
I personally choose the shortest surveys that pay out lower amounts (usually 10-50 SB). I don’t have time to sit around for long periods of time hoping I’ll qualify, especially with a new baby in the house. I’m much more successful at adding to my vacation fun when I can knock out a few of the shorter, lower paid surveys over the course of a day.
Online Shopping
If you’re going to be shopping online anyway, you may as well let it work to your advantage. There are quite a few programs that offer cashback. So, I suggest signing up for as many as you can to maximize savings.
The best part is that many programs have Chrome extensions. If the program offers cashback, you’ll see a pop up on the side of your screen with how much you can expect to get back.
Click the best offer, cash out, and wait for your money. It’s really that simple.
Cashback Programs I Use
- Swagbucks Shopping
- Rakuten
- Rapid Rewards Shopping (Southwest Airlines)
- Top Cashback USA
- Honey
Grocery Apps
Grocery Apps is one of my favorite sidehustles because of how easy it is. Unless you’re going out to eat every day, you’re going to end up at the grocery stores at some point. And just like online shopping, if you’re going to be purchasing these things anyway, you may as well get some of your money back.
Don’t think you can earn much with grocery apps? I’ve gotten just over $1200 back for purchasing items I would have bought anyway.
Cashback Programs Use
Scan Those Receipts
Don’t like scanning barcodes? Scanning receipts takes even less effort. Take a photo of your receipts and wait for the money to roll in.
One of my new favorite Apps is Amazon Shopper Panel. All you do is scan 10 receipts over the course of a month and Amazon will automatically add a $10 gift card to your account at the beginning of the next month. If you get asked to fill out a survey, you’ll receive an extra $.25 for each survey you finish.
While this doesn’t necessarily pay off our balance, it does help us with all the new things we need for our vacations. We’re going to buy them anyway. So, why not let Amazon pay for it.
Earn Rewards For Products You’re Already Buying
Like most sidehustles on this list, it’s time you start getting money back for items you’re already buying. Companies want you to keep buying their products. So, if it means giving their consumers a gift card or product every know and again, they’ll do it.
We used Pampers a lot when our older boys were little. We’d turn in our points for new toys. But, now you can earn Pampers Cash that can be turned into Disney Gift Cards. And since we use Disney Gift Cards to pay off our trips, it’s a big incentive for me to continue buying their diapers.
If you use Huggies, they have rewards, as well. But, unlike other Rewards programs, you can only earn points through Fetch Rewards.
And diaper companies aren’t the only way you can earn rewards. While the earnings aren’t always as big, Reward Programs are a great way to add to your savings…even if it is just a few dollars at a time.
DietBet
You’re probably thinking, “What the heck is DietBet?”
DietBet is a program that motivates you to lose weight by betting on yourself.
You’re given small goals. And if you meet those small goals, you win a portion of the pot. How much you win depends on how much was bet and how many winners there are.
A few years ago, I wanted to lose weight for our upcoming Disney trip. I wanted to look better in our family pictures. But, more importantly, I wanted to feel better.
I ended up losing about 25 pounds before our trip because I knew that I was being held responsible for my actions. Suddenly that bowl of ice cream wasn’t so tempting when there was money on the line.
Have questions? Feeling anxious? Don’t know where to start? That’s where we step in.
We know what to do, and more importantly, what NOT to do. We’ve done the training, we’ve made the mistakes, and have learned from them, And that’s what makes us the perfect people to help you.
From perfectly curated itineraries to direct access to your Travel Professional, our goal is to take the stress out of planning your vacation.
Simply fill out whichever form works better for you, and we’ll discuss your options.
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