PACT and Paydays

Happy Monday! 

Back to the routine after the weekend.

I thought I'd share my personal experience with PACT today. Programs like this (get paid for healthy habits, pay out if you commit but don't deliver) can be very motivating ... those DietBets run along the same lines. (I have yet to try one of those. I can absolutely say I'll exercise and record my food, but I can't promise I'll lose weight.)

Gym Pact was one of the original reward sites out there. As I got involved with all the others reward programs (Reaping the Rewards), I looked at Gym Pact, but decided it wasn't for me. I didn't workout in a gym, but in my basement. Even when they introduced a motion tracker, I was afraid I'd forget to start/stop it, and the majority of my workouts are just 20 minutes ... Gym Pact required 30 minutes. Instead of simply working toward a reward, you were actually forced to put money on the line, $5 per missed workout.  I decided to pass on Gym Pact.

In January, MFP announced that they were partnering up with PACT (GymPact had shifted its focus away from only gym commitments, thus the change in the name). Now, there was also a food pact (logging three meals each day, at least 1200 calories) and veggie pact (although it should be called produce pact, as it's for fruits and vegetables). In addition to this change, Pact was also syncing with Fitbit, and 10,000 steps in a day would count as a "workout".

10,000 steps in a day.

Do you know me?
THAT is not a problem!

Logging my meals? At least 1200 calories?

That is not a problem!
(As long as I'm not penalized for going over).

Fruits and veggies every day?

Ok ... I'm NOT gonna comment or commit there.

I went ahead and signed up. I reluctantly input my credit card number ... I wasn't crazy about that part. I committed to six days a week for both exercise and food logging. I'm really doing it every single day, but I figured I'd give myself a bit of leeway, just in case. 

For me? It's been a breeze. My Fitbit steps have always synced without a problem. Not long after I reach 10,000 I receive a notification that my steps have been counted. My MFP meals connect and count without issue too.  The week runs from Mon-Sunday, and by Tues/Wed I receive notification that my pact is complete and I've been paid.  It isn't a lot, but it adds up. I hit my first $10 mid-February and I went ahead and withdrew it ... just to make sure I could. No problems. Just last week, I transferred another $21.54 to my Paypal account.

Now ... I suppose if I ever lost my Fitbit or my iPhone, I might have a problem fulfilling my PACT. You can contact customer service and put your PACT on hold, or even receive an pardon for sick days (like back in December when I was hit with the flu, I would have needed to do that as I wasn't stepping or eating). Reports of having to deal with customer service are a little hit and miss, some people say their issues are taken care of quickly, others say it's a horrible experience. My first three months have been issue free.

The veggie-pact ... it's actually the highest paying pact (per activity, and you can have more entries overall, up to five a day, 30 a week). You take pictures of the fruits/veggies before/as you eat them, post them to the PACT community, and then they get voted up or down. It sounds like a lot more trouble than it's worth to me ... that and I'm not good at getting in my fruits and veggies. There are a lot of complaints of "cheaters" ... posting multiple pictures, or pictures of pictures. People get frustrated when their foods are voted down. I have not participated in this pact.

Payments each week vary. They are based on the monies collect from those who failed to meet their pact commitments. What you choose to commit to is your choice. Do you want to commit to seven days a week, or only two? You can even commit to pay $10 for a missed workout, meal log or veggie, but the double the risk does NOT double your payout. I guess it's just more of an incentive for you not to miss.

After MY personal experience with PACT ... I do give it a thumbs up. At least when connected to Fitbit and MFP. I can't say it really motivates ME much though. There had been some days I took it easy and didn't get in my 10k steps. Since joining Pact, I have achieved 10k every single day (even though I give myself that one day leeway) so I guess there has been some motivation there. But for the most part, this is stuff I was doing, and would be doing regardless of my participation with PACT. I do know that a program like this can be very motivating to others ... maybe the risk of having to pay out, being more of a motivation than getting the small reward. What do you think?

Do you participate in PACT? 

Would something like this motivate you?

Join with the Motivation Monday team.

The link-up is below.

Just a quick weekend re-cap as well... I actually hit goal on Friday. I don't usually do that. But hubby was busy packing, so I had a little extra time to get an extra workout or two in. I didn't do my weights ... but I got them in on Saturday after the boys got off for their trip. No church meetings on Sunday, so I got in a couple extra workouts then too. The boys were traipsing all around New York City. Both boys forgot to wear their Fitbits (#1 thinks he lost his at airport security) but they were with my sister-in-law, and she had hers on. She sent me her stats ... I thought it would be fun to compare my day with theirs ...

... so they beat me in steps yesterday! And in flights of stairs. I know they were at the top of Rockefeller Center, but I'm wondering if they climbed stairs or took an elevator, and if the Fitbit could tell the difference! But it's Monday ... hopefully I'll beat them today! I've got Zumba Tues/Wed and Thursday, so I should beat them those days! It's nice to have them give me a little competition!

I'm linking up with Move it Monday, MIMM, and MotivationMonday.

and of course, MY  Motivation Monday Team.
Join in and link up!

Tiffany/Morgan/Wendy/Alisha/Betty
JenB/Brandi/Jen/Gwen /Theresa

End of Pact. Achievemint Updates.

It's Thrifty Thursday.

I've participated in PACT for a few years now, and done several PACT posts ... but, the end is here. It is shutting down.  I received an email the other day (apparently not everyone did), so if you didn't, here's what it said ...

	Jun 30 (13 days ago)

Dear JenBlackham, Thanks for choosing Pact - we hope it has helped you live a healthier lifestyle, and been that kick you need to get off the couch on rainy days. Sadly, after much discussion we have decided to shut Pact down. Here’s what happens next: The last pacts that users can participate in will end on July 9, 2017, and you will receive your final rewards on July 11, 2017. Once we reach July 11, 2017 we highly encourage you to request your rewards - you’ve earned them! If you are no longer actively participating in Pact, feel free to request rewards sooner, even if they’re under $10. Pact will keep responding to concerns you may have through at least August 20, 2017. Be aware that we may experience a higher than normal amount of inquiries (we’re not sure - we’ve never done this before), so we apologize in advance if we are slow in getting back to you. Although Pact will shut down on July 9, that doesn’t mean an end to healthy habits. For motivation like Pact, check out Beeminder, which is based on many of the same principles and has the same amount of time in the incentives space as Pact. Our Partners are all standup apps, and many have motivation features such as goals or training plans to get you going. Geoff and Yifan personally use Runkeeper to train and have found it a perfect complement to what Pact offered. While we are sad that we will no longer be able to help our users get healthy, we are also thankful to have had such a passionate, supportive community throughout the years. Ultimately, while we hope that our incentives motivated you, it was each of you that snapped veggie photos, typed food logs, and went on runs. It’s amazing that together, you completed over 40 million healthy activities during our 5 years of existence. We are proud of what you have accomplished, and you should be too, Yours, The Pact Team

I have enjoyed the small paydays. I've earned about $1 a week with my 4-gym and 4-food logging commitment. In the years I participated, I only had to pay out once. My four day commitment was pretty much a gimmie. I always did that, no question. PACT didn't necessarily motivate me much, although in the past, when I'd committed to six or seven days it did.

I went ahead and cashed out ... and already received my payment.

Farewell PACT! I appreciated you! 

I was in a Facebook group for PACT users, and many bemoaned the closure of this program. I, and a few others have suggested Achievemint as another option. You don't fill in any motivating circles, but there is also no risk (whereas you might have to PAY with PACT). Achievemint is super simple. Just connect your fitness apps (Fitbit, MFP, etc.) to the program and get paid! Who doesn't like $$ for fitness and food tracking? I've noticed addition earning opportunities as well. Small surveys and such.

I'm a SAHM ... so as I answered the first question on the "employer" survey (homemaker) ... I was done, but I got the 100 points. I participated in a "sleep study" a bit ago. For a week, I'd get an email during the day asking about my "level of alertness" and that was it. Extra points.Plus my daily points for steps, weigh-ins, sleep tracking, food tracking. And ... refer a friend. If YOU happen to join off my referral (Join Achievemint) then I get 250 points, and SO DO YOU! A little birdy has told me that Achievemint has some new ideas in store, I'll update as I know more.

I'm off to enjoy my $25 payout from PACT ;)

Looking Back on Pact 2015

I've posted many times about fitness reward programs. Earning a bit of a kick-back from the activity I'm doing every day anyway. When I find someone who has a Fitbit, I love to tell them about the reward programs I recommend (FitStudio, Achievemint & Walgreens).  I usually leave Pact off my list, just because there is a risk with Pact, you can actually end up paying OUT money if you don't fulfill your commitment. 

January 2015, I posted about my experience to that point (My Yearlong Pact). As another year has now passed, I figured I'd do an annual update. If you just want the facts ... last year I made $113.38. This year it was $74.5. A decent return for doing things I'd be doing anyway.

I forgot to grab a screen shot at the end of the year (dang it, I know I thought about it but I couldn't find it in my files). So the image up top is showing me reset for 2016. I've earned almost $3 so far! I did change my profile picture sometime last year (to match my Facebook/Instagram/Twitter which I had updated earlier in the year. When I originally started using Pact, I was a little more enthusiastic about the program and had committed to tracking seven days a week. Although I never failed to meet my Pact, there were a few days when I didn't want to! I dropped down to five days a week for most of 2015. I lost a little motivation (and my free Friday Zumba when school started up with a conflicting carpool) and I dropped it down to four days. Then I was dragging SO much in December, I dropped it down to three (you are in control of what you commit to and can change it weekly if you wish). 

I caught a cold or something in December, and wasn't even sure I wanted to commit to three times a week for my exercise and food tracking. I decided to put my Pact on break (which is another option). Or I THOUGHT I did anyway. I apparently put the food tracking on break, but not the exercise/activity (which is too bad because I really was still tracking food the entire time). I hadn't even checked into the Pact that week, because I thought I was on break! I did peek at it as the weekend hit and ...oops, NOT on break! I really pushed on Saturday (Dec26) to hit 10k, but I just didn't have it in me on Sunday.

For the first time ... I hadn't fulfilled my Pact.

Actually, as I was anticipating writing up a review for the year, I figured it would be good to have the entire experience ... which can include paying out. Pact doesn't pull from your  earned credit, but from the credit card you put on file (required when you sign up). I did laugh a little when I was notified of the $5 deduction for the week. "Thank you for contributing to the Pact experience" ... "contributing" is actually a punishment but the made it sound like you were being magnanimous.

So looking back at Pact in 2015 ... my payout for the year was $79.50.  Minus the $5 payment I had to make, I earned $74.50 for the year. The weekly payout changes from week to week. It depends on how many participants did and did not make their Pact. Those who don't pay, and the pot is distributed among those who fulfilled theirs. I noticed some higher payouts in December ... I don't think I was the only one who missed a workout during the Christmas season.

Starting over again now.
I probably should up my commitment to at least four days a week ...
Maybe FIVE. We'll see.
I'll check back in January of next year!

Committing to Fruits/Veggies

My little eight year old came home from boy scouts the other day. For one of the requirements, they needed to draw some foods that are good for you. This was his picture *Ü*

I've mentioned it before ... I'm a picky eater (Eating Issues). I have actually eaten and liked all the foods drawn above (well, I didn't care for the pomegranate, but I did try it!). I'll eat pineapple, pears and clementines too. But most of the other fruits? Peaches, honeydew/cantaloupe, all the berries ... I don't eat them. The fruits I do eat, I only eat plain, not in smoothies, or cooked/combined or processed in any way (well, I'll eat banana bread and blueberry muffins ... but not any fruit pie). 

Vegetables? I'm even worse!
I've never had a salad of any kind.

Last month I talked a little about the PACT program. Formally "GymPact" ... you could sign up, commit to working out during the week and get rewarded if you completed your pact, and pay up if you didn't. Pact then expanded past just workouts, to motivate people to log their meals (via MFP) and to eat their fruits and vegetables.  I went ahead and signed up for the "gym" and the "food logging" pacts, committing to six days a week. I haven't had to pay out anything yet, and I've earned over $50.

I have not tried the Veggie Pact.  I'm just not sure I can keep that commitment. I KNOW, that's the point of the pact. To motivate you, to encourage you. But still, I'm just not sure I'm ready to commit to that. You can commit to five fruits/veggies a day.  I've been thinking about it ... perhaps I would try six per week. The OCD in me would like the match up with my gym & food logging pacts and wouldn't be a huge commitment. That should be doable, right?

The gym and food logging pacts get logged automatically for me. Once I hit 10,000 steps on my Fitbit, that counts as a workout (there are other ways to log a workout if you don't have a Fitbit). Once you log at least three meals and 1200 calories on My Fitness Pal, your food logging pact is complete for the day (some days I haven't eaten too much in the morning and I think "I may not hit 1200 calories today." Ha ha ha ha ha ... I always end up hitting 1200 and more. Luckily we are not penalized for going over, just having the minimum and logging).

The veggie pact works differently. It's not automatic. You have to take a picture of your fruit/veggie using the Pact app. The picture is then uploaded to the Pact Community for voting. Other people will vote on whether or not your picture qualifies. You must receive six up votes to get verified. Three down votes will disqualify the entry and it won't count.

Besides not being great at remembering to take a picture and hoping there are no network issues while it uploads, there are some issues with the voting process. Two main reasons for downvoting an entry are "not a full serving" (which can be a little arbitrary) and "can't tell it's being eaten" ... which has resulted in some disgusting openmouth chewing selfies ...

Then there is the the questions, what SHOULD count as a fruit/veggie? Do corn and potatoes count? Some people vote yes, others downvote them saying "they are a starch, not a vegetable". What about juice? What about beans? Iceberg lettuce? Dried fruit? What about a fruit or veggie with so much other unhealthy stuff included with it ... does that negate the entry?  One person said he didn't think ANYTHING other than fresh (not canned/frozen/processed) should count. I think that is taking it a bit far! There are no hard and fast rules which makes it hard ... Pact actually put forth a blog post about it (here). 

How do you think YOU would vote?

Then ... there are the CHEATERS. As I haven't joined the VeggiePact yet, and my stuff syncs automatically, I don't really check out the community feed. I've never voted on a picture myself. I've joined a Facebook group for Pact users though, and I've seen many a post come across pointing out cheating (especially on Sunday nights, as the Pact comes to a close). Pictures of pictures ... often from cookbooks. The same fruit/veggie presented in different views. Obviously uneaten (sometimes even unpurchased ... still at the supermarket in the background). Then there are the silly entries ... a bowl of "Fruit" Loops, fruit snacks, beer/wine, etc. 

I'm still debating trying it ... it does seem like quite a bit of bother to earn about $1 (which might be my return on a commitment of six per week, it does vary week to week). But if it did get me to eat more fruits/veggies ... to be more conscious of it (I wouldn't want to pay $5 for a missed commitment, the "punishment" would be more motivation than the payment). 

A while back (last November) ... I posted that Hubby was on board. That he was wanting to get back to the eating and exercise. Well, for the first time in his many ups and downs ... it didn't happen. Every other time the Hubs has decided to get on track, he has had immediate success. Not this time. It just didn't click. We'll, he's recommitting again now. I've tried to fill the fridge with healthy choices. I need to get back to prepping him a lunch to take to work. To make healthy dinners. To allow him time to exercise. To be supportive without being pushy. Already (it's just been a couple of days) I can see my mental attitude change a bit in what I'm doing myself ... thus my thoughts about joining veggie pact.

So ... even though I'm NOT getting any official credit for it. Guess what I ate this Wednesday? A banana.  Yea me!   Linking up with What I Ate Wednesday ... maybe in a future WIAW post I'll have a week's worth of fruit/veggies to share, and an update on my Pact experience. Also linking up with the Wednesday Hump Day blog hop at FitnessBlondie and the Wednesday Linkup At Fit FoodieRuns. 

My Yearlong Pact

 It was January of last year when I started the PACT program. I posted about it on this blog after I'd used it for a couple of months and redeemed my first "paycheck" (Pact and Paydays). Now that an entire year has passed, I thought I'd give a summary of my year with Pact.

When I first started last year, I committed to six days a week of exercise (10,000 steps via Fitbit, other options are available), and six days of food logging via My Fitness Pal. There were a few days I didn't hit 10k in steps, or forgot to log a meal ... but that's why I didn't commit to seven days a week. That day off gave me a little bit of leeway. If I had missed a day, I was under a little pressure to get in my workout on a Sunday, when I might have taken it easy otherwise.  I was already big fans of Fitbit and MFP and I was achieving my Pact goals already, and everything would sync automatically. In all of 2014, I never had to pay Pact once.

In July there was talk of a Lake Powell trip ... as it would be without wifi, I put my Pact on hold for that week. I had no trouble scheduling my "break" or resuming my routine. I lost a little motivation the last couple months of the year and I dropped my commitment from six days to five, and then to four. With the holidays here, I cut back my food logging a day too, just in case I didn't get around to it with all the busyness. 

After my initial withdrawals of $10 and $21.54 ... I planned and waiting until I hit $50 and then getting "paid". I just never got around to requesting another transfer to my Paypal account. I then decided to wait until the end of the year. $81.84. So that was $113.38 for the year.

I could have earned a bit more if I joined in the "Veggie Pact" option (but then again, I probably would have ended up paying out for that one!). I debated it, but never did join in ... it just seemed to be too much work (taking pictures), not definite (other users have to vote them up or down) and full of too much drama (cheaters). I just stuck with the fitness and food pact ... easy peasy.

My workout would usually sync to Pact very shortly after I hit my 10,000 steps (often in the morning after Zumba, but a couple of times I was getting in a few more steps just to hit that number before heading to bed). Luckily Pact doesn't penalize you for going OVER calories on the food logging ... just as long as the minimum 1,200 calories was logged over three different meals throughout the day.

I never had a problem with not getting credit for something. I never got sick or had unexpected items come up keeping me from completing my Pacts. I never had to contact customer service. I was never erroneously charged. My payout came shortly after it was requested. So all in all, a very positive experience for me.

For many, the motivation comes more from the risk of having to pay out ($5 per missed commitment). I did enjoy watching my money SLOWLY add up through the year ... and now I can buy me something fun!

Back to the routine ... 

I have changed my commitment to five days of food/fitness tracking.

My "earnings" are now back to zero.

$50 Payout with Pact

Time for another Thrifty Thursday post ... what? It's Friday? Oops, I guess I got busy yesterday and didn't get my post up. I'd say I'm a "day late and a dollar short" but I'm actually $1 over ... I had posted about Pact back in January (My Yearlong Pact) and figured I'd do a follow-up this year when I hit the $50 mark. And I did that this past week (payout updated on Tuesday 08/18) ...

I made a total of $113.38 in 2014, so I thought I'd hit the $50 mark around the middle of the year (in July). I was close, but it took me until August. Last year, I committed to six days a week for both exercise and eating ... this year I decided on five days, as there had been some times last year when I did really  have to push it on a Saturday or Sunday to get my 10,000 steps in (and earn my "gym" credit). 

So as of today ... I still have NEVER had to payout anything to Pact. I did actually miss a day logging on MFP (blowing my 700+ day streak) but it was on a Saturday and I'd already fulfilled my Pact for the week. With my Zumba and elliptical on the weekdays, hitting 10k five days a week is a breeze. There was one week several months ago where my Fitbit was on the fritz and I was worried about fulfilling my Pact. You can use a manual tracker, starting the timer in the Pact app and getting a certain number of steps in a 30min session. Luckily I only had to do that a time or two before I got my Fitbit back on track, automatically syncing. I did put my Pact on hold for a week while I worked out those issues.

So should I redeem my Pact Payout now (it's easy, just request it transfer to your Paypal account) or hold out to the end of the year and see where I'm at, and then redeem for the year?

If you are willing to put a little at risk ($5 for a missed workout or logged meal day), Pact can give you a pretty decent payout for eating/exercising that I for one, am doing anyway!

Reward Program CheckUp

Time for Thrifty Thursday ... I'm a fan of fitness programs that PAY me for simply stepping. It isn't a lot, but it doesn't require much on my part either. I'm going to be exercising anyway! I just link up my Fitbit and then pop in every once in a while to see what I've earned. I ended up checking in with all three of my current programs this past week or so ...

**Walgreens - Balance Rewards**

It's that time of year ... in addition to any back to school shopping, incoming 7th graders need updates to their immunizations. Normally I'd go to our pediatrician, but he was unavailable ... what to do? Walgreens to the rescue! We just walked-in, got the couple shots, and were done. They also do a donation to a child in need, and it added 200 points to my balance rewards. I hadn't peeked at my Walgreen's balance rewards for a while, so I did ...

You can link your Fitbit (or some other apps) to Walgreens to earn balance rewards points. There is a cap of $2 per month for activity (walking/running), but it does add up. I glanced at my balance page and saw I was also  getting points for my daily weigh-ins (my Fitbit Alta scale, auto connected to my account). Additionally, I have made some purchases at Walgreens, paying special attention to their points back specials (5000 points if you spend $20, or points back on certain products. Watch emails and ads for offers). It adds up! $60 in rewards. I had fun with a little shopping spree, basically free!

**PACT**

PACT is another program I rarely check in with. When I started, I committed to seven days a week for workouts and meal tracking. But I like having a little cushion. Sometimes I'll have a rest day, where I don't get in a workout (or 10k in steps), or I forget to log food. For quite a while now, I cut my Pact back to four days for both exercise and eating (tracking on MFP) as barring sickness or vacation, I'll get that in no problem.

I'm not sure what prompted me to look at my pact last week. I noticed I had not received my workout credit for Monday or Tuesday (Aug1,2). I checked, and it said everything was synced up. Hmmmm. I submitted a ticket, and received a response that "there have been Fitbit integration issues" this week and that they were working on it. I really wish they had given users a heads up about that! Our options were to use alternate tracking (but I don't want to keep my iphone in my pocket during Zumba!) or to take a break or to submit a ticket for each day exercise didn't log in error. Quite the pain! So instead of my usual four gym workouts, I only got credit for one (even though I hit 10k all seven days that week) and I just put myself on break this week ... then I guess I'll check back in to see if it's been fixed (they mentioned an app update). I usually earn about $1 a week with Pact ... if I hadn't have caught this though, I would have been charged $20! I'm sure Pact would have made it right, but not without a lot of rigamarole. There is that bit of risk with Pact, you can end up paying out!

**Achievemint **

I joined up with Achievemint when they first started up a few years ago. I have earned several cash rewards from them. I used to recommend them to everyone who had a Fitbit (or other tracker/app they link with). It's easy. Just link and forget about it. Just check in every once in a while. You can sign up for email updates too. Then there were some struggles getting payments (it would take a while, but I got them) and a waiting list to even sign up ... so I stopped recommending the program, because people couldn't sign up even if they wanted to. They initiated a "threshold" and said participants couldn't earn rewards anymore, after a certain amount (that was fair, I figured that was how they would let new members on). Recently though, they opened it up again, both to new enrollments and to existing members ... everyone could start earning again. And I have! Earned and redeemed another reward. Thanks Achievemint! It takes a little longer now for the points to add up, but they do. I even got a bonus 300 points for filling out a PokemonGo survey a week or so ago! So SIGN UP if you haven't already!

... and have a happy Thrifty Thursday! Keep stepping!
And yes, I miss FitStudio!

Thrifty Thursday - Fitness Rewards

I've posted several times about the many fitness rewards programs out there. As I continue on with the programs, I still want to share some of the great deals Ive been getting! You can get them too.

A while ago, I got an email from Acheivemint. This was just a general email to all the members asking if I'd like to participate in a little extra earning program. I went ahead and said yes (on my account only, I didn't bother with the Hubs or the boy's accounts). As a participation prize, I received an Amazon giftcard for a little over $4. The purpose was to purchase a sport wristband, but I supposed the credit could have been used on anything. I did go ahead and get the wristband, as I thought my dad might like it (he wears his Fitbit One in the sleep wristband all day long). My parents (also being signed up for Acheivemint) had also replied to the email, received the credit and ordered the wristband. So now Dad has two ... (of course last time I saw him he still just had the sleep band on! Silly Daddy!) Achievemint also offered some extra points for sending in fitness selfies ... I did it a couple times. Not sure if they were going to actually use them for anything, but I got 200 points for each (limit of one per day for a short period of time).

Generally, I don't think too much about Achievemint. I'm just slowly but steadily earning  points, getting to my next $50 payout (I've already earned a couple!).  I did hear back from my sister that at this point, Achievemint is only accepting applications for the waiting list. But go ahead and apply NOW! This is a great program!

Fitstudio is the fitness reward program associated with Kmart/Sears. Can I express how much I ♥ this program? *** UPDATE: This program has now been discontinued (Farewell Fitstudio). I mean what's not to love, free store credit! I have my account, Hubs has an account, the older boys have an account and my parents do too (they don't get to the store, so my mom tells me to go ahead and use their points ... and I do! Gifts from Grandma!) Seriously, sometimes I feel guilty I've gotten such great deals (walking away with free stuff is a pretty good deal!)

The other day, my son needed (NEEDED) a pink (PINK?) tie. Because said son had $6 credit earned in his Fitstudio account, I figured we could put that toward a tie. Sears is close by, but unfortunately ties are still around $30. Ouch. Except there was a pink tie on clearance. How much? $3. I bought two ties (as I have multiple sons!) What a deal! My younger son NEEDED (the emphasis comes from the kids, not me!) a new  basketball. With our Fitstudio points, and $5 in surprise points off a sporting goods purchase ... free basketball. The boys have picked up more shoes and clothes than I would normally buy them, because I'm not really spending much money.  I  have to laugh a little, as the cashier who checked me out regularly went out and bought a Fitbit and signed up for this program after seeing me in the store each week! Thank you FitStudio!

Now FitStudio does require some pretty active followup. I need to check and see how many points I have, when they expire (and they do expire quickly, use them or lose them), if I have any surprise points ... but the small effort is certainly worth the return!

Walgreens has a Balance Rewards program you can sync up to and forget about ... until it's time to redeem those rewards (My Walgreens Reward Redemption).

PACT is another program that I just do, and don't think about much. I've committed to five workouts and five food logs per week. It's pretty much a no brainer, I always get my exercise in Mon-Fri (often on Sat and Sun too, but I'm not committing just in case). I always record my food (but just give myself that leeway in case). I redeemed my rewards at the end of 2014, so my current earnings total is this year so far.

I've never had to pay out anything to Pact ... but with my dang Fitbit giving me issues yesterday/today, it actually does have me a little stressed. I've worked out today, that little bubble should be filled in! But my Fitbit isn't syncing, so while my device shows my steps, the actual online Fitbit record (which Pact connects to for authorization) does not. I do have a ticket into Fitbit customer service, I'd rather not have to deal with Pact customer service (I did my workout, I really did! It's Fitbit's fault!), so we'll see what happens. I may need to take a little PACT break until a get this resolved.

So there's just a little peek at the programs I've been using lately that have been making feel a bit thrifty! Check them out ... and check back for more Thrifty Thursdays!

Fitness Reward Updates

I've posted several times on my blog about reward programs that I have been participating in. I don't know that any of them actually motivate me to move more ... I'm going to be doing that anyway. But if I can get a little something back, besides better health, burned calories and feeling good, then hey, I'm all for it. I love it when companies recognize and reward people for their fitness. I've spotlighted all these programs before, and expounded on my experiences. I thought I'd offer an update on each of them, as I continue on with the various programs.

• Achievemint: You can see my original review of the program here (Achievemint Update). Since that update, I had earned another $50 reward. My father earned his $50  around the same time, and I check on my oldest son's account (he had managed to earn enough points for a $25 reward prior to losing his Fitbit). All three were redeemed and requested in April. They say it can take 30-60 days to process the reward. It did take that long. I wrote an email inquiring about my reward and received a reply that it was coming, they were having some struggles with the company funding them. But I did receive mine, my dad got his and my son got his. I did have to contact customer service again recently, as my Facebook and Instagram activities weren't registering. It really doesn't make that much difference, as I believe there is a daily cap (250 points) and I usually hit that with my Fitbit and MFP.  In my original review, I had only connected with my Fitbit, but now I have multiple apps hooked up. I DID roll over one time (changing from the original $25 reward to a $50 one) and it appears once you do that, you do NOT have the option to go back to $25, but automatically start going for $50 again (I was offered a tiny incentive to roll over to $100, but it wasn't enough to entice me).
• FitStudio (ShopYourWayRewards/Kmart&Sears):I did a pretty thorough blog post about this program (Fitstudio Fitness Rewards) and have really been liking and using these rewards! There have been some frustrations here and there (the fine print in using the reward points and other surprise points or coupons ... sometimes they can be combined, other times they can't). I'll spend a little time logging on to sign up for challenges or goals, approving friend requests, etc. Little things like that will earn you more points.  I've shopped online and then just picked up my order in the store (everything works quite well online, easy and simple to see your points being used).  I've generally just been making a weekly trip into the store to spend my points. ** Update - This program was discontinued 02/2016 (Farewell Fitstudio).
• Everymove:  When I originally posted about Everymove and did my  Everymove Update, I mentioned some nice rewards I'd received, and the donation to Make-a-Wish when there wasn't anything that interested me. Well ... lately the rewards have gone downhill in my opinion. Just discounts in disguise. The Make-a-Wish is sometimes still there, but has dropped to $1. It's been more of  a hassle than it's worth keeping up here. Sometimes after I earn my reward, it signs me up for some random one that I end up "earning" before I change it. I don't even bother to redeem when that happens. I earn "active days" where I can share 5 points with friends ... but I rarely get around to doing it. ** Update ... this program still exists, but doesn't offer rewards.
• Earndit: I totally forget about Earndit most of the time. I reviewed it pretty recently (My Earndit Experience) and nothing has really changed since then. I suppose I should log in and see if there are some charitable donations I can contribute to ... ** Update - this program has ended.
• PACT: I started Pact in January, and did a review a bit ago (Pact and Paydays). I have debated joining the Veggie Pact portion, but have decided against it. I think I'm really only comfortable with Fitbit and MFP and their automatic sync. I really don't do anything other than what I would usually do (getting in 10k a day in steps, and eating at least 1200 calories spread over three meals, recorded in My Fitness Pal). I haven't had any problems with things not getting recorded. I've never had to pay anything, and although the payout isn't big, it adds up week to week (I've earned about $60 total since I started). I had no trouble transferring my funds out when I wanted to.
• Walgreens: When I first started with my Walgreens Rewards, I would check in pretty often. I ended up shopping at the store more and trying to augment my walking points with some purchase points. Lately ... I haven't checked into it much lately. I just peeked, and I have $10 in credit waiting for me there. It adds up pretty slowing, especially compared to the Fitstudio program (but at least it doesn't expire quickly, and you can let it sit and build up). You can check out my original blog post about the program here (Walking with Walgreens).

As I said ... these programs don't really motivate me to move, but they do reward me for it! I have a Fitbit. I simply link it to these programs and then all my information is transferred automatically, with no further work on my part. I like to say my Fitbit has more than paid for itself! If you don't have a Fifbit, many of these programs accept other trackers, and some ever accept manual entries (if that is worth the work for the reward). Give these programs a peek and see if you can earn a little kickback for your fitness! 

What programs have you been working with lately? 

What motivates you? 

Link up below with Motivation Monday!

Just a quick weekend recap for MIMM ... it was NOT a good weekend for eating. After my good weigh-in on Friday, I'm UP this Monday morning. Not really surprising. A family party and dastardly donuts contributed to that. Here's a glimpse into some of the weekend happenings.

A big boy dogpile with cousins and an uncle

(I was a moment late with my camera and it came tumbling down)

I was surprised I caught this shot, #1 taking #2 down.  I knew it was going to happen at some point, so I had #2 take off his Fitbit to show his uncle, and #1 took that as tacit permission to throw his brother in the pool. Poor #2 wasn't happy with #1 OR me!

I do try to walk to church, weather permitting. It was a little warm, and my sandals were less than comfortable. But it made me happy when I saw a mama duck and her babies swimming in the canal (we see ducks there often, but this was the first time this year I'd caught a glimpse of the babies). The boys in the car with Daddy missed out!

Thrifty Thursday :)

I love fitness ... my elliptical, my Zumba. I'm not sure where I'd be without them. I'm also cheap ... even as active as I am, I know I wouldn't get my monies worth from paying gym fees.  Luckily, ou really don't need expensive equipment to workout at home. I admit, I'm super spoiled with our home gym  which did require investments (added to  over years)... but it's been worth it.  No excuses when it's right downstairs. I've also discovered a ton of free Zumba classes here in my area (♥Utah). I NEVER thought I'd try Zumba (much less love it) but seeing that first class advertised for free ... the frugal part of me said "you HAVE to try it, it's FREE". 

I will admit ... I did get a little spendy with my gadgets. I started with a cheap-o pedometer ... and went through several of those. Then I invested in one that was a little more expensive (an Omron, not this one, but close, mine was about $25 and I still use it!) When the Fitbit came out ... I stressed over the cost a little. $100. But I bit the bullet and bought it. And I LOVE it.

My little Fitbit has more than paid for itself though. In actual money. There are many reward programs out there. And as my parents and hubby&kids jumped on the Fitbit bandwagon, I've gotten them on board with many of these programs too. In addition to setting up their Fitbits, I've also signed them up for Achievemint, Fitstudio and Walgreens Balance Rewards. I'll check in on things occasionally, letting my mom know that Dad earned his $50 award from Achievemint, and to watch for the email with the information. I looked up the balance on their Walgreens before they made a trip in ... and I'll admit, when they have some Fitstudio points and aren't going to get into a Kmart or Sears themselves before they expire, I'll sometimes stop in, buy something with their points and tell the boys it was a gift from Grandma and Grandpa. 

My mom just happily received her first $50 Achievemint award this past week, and encouraged me to share the programs with my siblings (as many of them have become Fitbit fans as well). I've copied a bit from my email to them ...

• Achievemint: http://www.achievemint.com/login  It's quick and easy to sign up and link your Fitbit account. Then you can just forget about it, and check in occasionally (website or app). After a while, you earn enough points to claim a reward. It takes a little time to earn, and then another wait to receive ... but I've earned it several times ($50), Callahan, Landon, Dad and now Mom.
• FitStudio: www.fitstudio.com *** Update 02/2016 ... Fitstudio had shut down ;( (Farewell Fitstudio). This program works with the Kmart/Sears ShopYourWayPoints ... you get store credit (up to about $8 a week). The credit does expire quickly (within a week, you can't let it roll over and add up. Use it or lose it) ... but while I rarely ever shopped at either store before, I sure do now! You DO have to be a little proactive (tell them you want to use your points, they don't always ask). The program has had a few kinks here and there, but hey, it's free credit so I'm really not going to complain.
• Walgreens : https://www.walgreens.com/balancerewards/balance-rewards.jsp You can earn points (store credit) by linking your Fitbit. Walgreens does have a monthly limit to what you can earn through activity (just $2, or 2000 points) but unlike Fitstudio, the points do not expire and can roll over and add up. I'd signed up Mom a while back and forgot about it, then Mom was making a trip in and wala ... had $20 in credit to use.

These are the top three reward programs I like and recommend. Mainly because there is no risk, only reward. Link up your Fitbit ... or if you don't have a Fitbit (why don't you have a Fitbit?), Fitstudio and Walgreens will work with manual logins or with some other brands of trackers. 

Another program I do like, and just did another review of recently is Pact (My Yearlong Pact). The reason I didn't recommend this one to my parents or siblings is that there IS a risk. You make a commitment, and if you do NOT meet your pact, you will end up paying (they do require a credit card #). But as I mentioned in my review, I've never paid a dime, I've only collected.

Here's a little "snag" from my Paypal account ... $50 from Achievemint (they pay with a GiftRocket E-card), then some of the money earned in 2014 from Pact, which I had let pile up after my first couple smaller withdrawals (just to make sure I did actually get the money!)  The outgoing $$ were some new batteries for my PolarHRM :)

When I see people pondering getting a Fitbit ... I like them to know in addition to all the wonderful feedback, graphs, competition with family and friends for motivation ... it may not be the investment they think it is, as it can actually pay you back!

So that's my Thrifty Thursday report ... I'll probably post more about certain programs as I continue to have additional experiences with them. I hope to post other little money saving tips too. Sometimes fitness related, sometimes not.

Friday Five Look Back and WWI#53

Yesterday I talked about the number 22 ... today it's five, Friday Five. The DC Bloggers are looking back at their goals. I didn't set any "New Years Resolutions" and my goals have stayed pretty much the same ... but I thought I'd look back on five things I'd mentioned a while back and let you know where things are standing now.

• Revising My Records: Back in January I posted how I was switching from my small recording notebook to a bigger one. It didn't QUITE work out that way. I did revert back to the small one for downstairs. I do still write my stats on it each day and tear off the sheet and bring it upstairs. I so still have the bigger notebook, which I keep upstairs by the computer. I'm pretty good about transferring the stats from my single sheet to the notebook and then tossing the small sheet so they don't pile up (like in the picture). I do like having the bigger notebook with everything in it, nice and organized for me to keep (although I do still transfer the info to the computer as well). 
• A Farewell To French Tips: Back in March I said goodbye to my pretty, acrylic nails. I loved the look. I didn't love the upkeep or the cost (in time and money). It took a good two months to finally grow out the damage. I really don't know that I'll ever be able to grow them to anything I'll be happy with. I did just invest in some Pink Armor Nail Gel that had some good reviews ... but as far as I can tell it's no different than any other nail strengthener I've tried. I was doing ok ... until yesterday! One of my nails got a snag and I couldn't leave it alone. I'd nibble at it and soon it was gone. Once I've attacked one, I often attack the others. Not down to the quick, but I lost the tiny progress I had. Starting over ...
• My Treadmill 5K: In April, I was excited to finally "jog" a 5k (no walking!). In that post I pondered "will I do this once a month" .... ummm, no, I haven't even attempted it again.
• Check Engine: Also in April, I posted about our car troubles. The dang "check engine" light on in my son's truck and in my suburban. Happily, the light magically went off in my car Someone had commented that once it was just their gas cap not on tight enough ... I HAD had that warning, and I guess it just took a little time for things to regulate after I had fixed that tiny issue.  My son's car did not have such a happy ending ... we couldn't pass emmissions inspection, thus couldn't register the car and be legal. No easy fix either ... a "cylinder misfire" which can't really even be repaired. You have to replace the engine! We did manage to get a waiver to just buy us some time (got registered for this year) while we figure out what to do. I'm actually driving the truck this coming week. Hope it holds up for me!
• Committing to Fruits/Veggies: I've posted about Pact a few times, and every time I wonder aloud if in addition to the "gym" and "food logging" pacts I've committed to, if I should try the "veggie" pact. I really considered it ... but have decided NOT to do it. Having to take a picture, post it and wait for people to vote and approve it just seemed more stress than it would be worth (especially as I'm on a Facebook group where people post some of their vote downs and showcase people cheating). I just decided to stick with my food and fitness pacts, which are easy peasy for me. I will TRY to eat more fruits and veggies still ... just not commit to them on Pact.

I just KNOW you've been wondering about these topics with baited breath, so there you go. The updates! I also know you are anxiously awaiting my weigh-in results, so without any further adieu ...

I'm the S.A.M.E. Again! Down to the ounce. I'm consistent at least, right? That's three weeks in a row at 152.6. I did finally go in and update my WEEKLY WEIGH-IN page... easier to see the week to week trend. I haven't yet crunched my weekly numbers, I will. I'm happy I'm not gaining ... I AM still trying to lose, not maintain. Just taunting me with these few pounds, that elusive 150. Gotta get below and THEN stay steady. I know it's just a few pounds, and I know it's just a number ... but it's the number I have in my head! 

So, linking up with the Friday Five blog hops ... the DC Bloggers ((Courtney, Mar and Cynthia) Friday Five.  Other Friday linkups ... Friday Favorites at Running4Cupcakes, Friday Favorites at Housewife Glamour, High Five Friday at LaurenElizabeth and Five Things Friday at Fitting It All In and with my weekly check-in link-ups: Fitness Friday with Jill and Aubrey  and a late Weigh-In Wednesday.