Where else can I cut cost?

kymom99 · Apr 1, 2015

tarheel618 said:
One thing OP that may help with budget is to give each girl a gift card with a predetermined amount for snacks for the week. This will give you an exact amount to budget for snacks. If they know in advance how much they can spend then they won't have to feel shy about asking you for a snack and it is a good budgeting lesson for the girls as well. Just a thought.

If you were worried about them losing it. You could write their name on it in permanent marker and you hang on to them or get different designs for each girl. The girls could ask for their card when they wanted a snack.

I know my own children make wiser buying decisions when they are spending "their own" money.

I was going to suggest this very thing. Give each girl a gift card so that she can make some decisions on her own. This would be a great learning experience and, as said above, allow the girls to get what they want without having to ask or waiting for you to offer.

KingofJapan · Apr 1, 2015

Jajone said:
Not a sucker and I take offense to that. I offered a year ago so the parents had plenty of time to consider the costs. I am covering everything except flights and tickets in. I do not expect the girls to path for anything else except souvenirs. This is a birthday celebration and would not expect kids to pay their own way into a birthday party.

So you had a year to plan this and you only came up with $469 for food? Looks like you will be eating a lot of ramen noodles with spam. If someone was taking my daughter to Disney, I wouldgive her a few hundred dollars for spending money and food..but that's just me. Also gas around Disney is expensive.

dminnie · Apr 1, 2015

I think this will be a very memorable trip for your DD and her friends. It's wonderful that you're doing this for her.

I think the idea of a gift card for each kid to pay for snacks is a good idea. I'd also encourage them to only drink water in the parks...both to save $ and stay better hydrated. If they like soda, get some to have at the condo during dinner...or they could bring it along to the parks. We brought water bottles and then just refilled them at the QS places. I think it could be doable with what you have planned for a food budget, but it would be very tight. It seems to me that you may want to try to get at least $100 more to give you a little more flexibility on it. If you can manage $200 more, perhaps you could fit in one nice sit down meal...Tusker House or Cape May for breakfast/character meal. With Tusker house, make an adr at 10:45 and have breakfast and lunch items at the breakfast price. The Plaza Restaurant is pretty inexpensive, although mostly sandwiches and ice cream sundaes. BOG for lunch would be a lovely choice for a meal without breaking the bank(need reservations for this QS meal).

Inexpensive and quick to prepare meals in the condo: spaghetti/meatballs...Rachel Rae has a quick tasty meatball recipe. Homemade mac & cheese. Tacos. "breakfast for dinner"...eggs, fruit, toast, premade cinnamon rolls for dessert. Sandwich fixings.

kymom99 · Apr 1, 2015

dminnie said:
I think this will be a very memorable trip for your DD and her friends. It's wonderful that you're doing this for her.

I think the idea of a gift card for each kid to pay for snacks is a good idea. I'd also encourage them to only drink water in the parks...both to save $ and stay better hydrated. If they like soda, get some to have at the condo during dinner...or they could bring it along to the parks. We brought water bottles and then just refilled them at the QS places. I think it could be doable with what you have planned for a food budget, but it would be very tight. It seems to me that you may want to try to get at least $100 more to give you a little more flexibility on it. If you can manage $200 more, perhaps you could fit in one nice sit down meal...Tusker House or Cape May for breakfast/character meal. With Tusker house, make an adr at 10:45 and have breakfast and lunch items at the breakfast price. The Plaza Restaurant is pretty inexpensive, although mostly sandwiches and ice cream sundaes. BOG for lunch would be a lovely choice for a meal without breaking the bank(need reservations for this QS meal).

Inexpensive and quick to prepare meals in the condo: spaghetti/meatballs...Rachel Rae has a quick tasty meatball recipe. Homemade mac & cheese. Tacos. "breakfast for dinner"...eggs, fruit, toast, premade cinnamon rolls for dessert. Sandwich fixings.

I agree about sodas in the parks. The ice melts so fast and all you have is a cup of ick. Drink soda at the condo and water in the parks.

kymom99 · Apr 1, 2015

Not that it is a huge amount, but if you plan to get 5 day tickets, why did you budget for parking for 7 days?

mrsabbott · Apr 2, 2015

I would make a grocery list beforehand to get an idea of cost. Not sure where you are from, but I found grocery costs to be similar here at home.

Also, I can't say that I had a lot of energy to cook after a big day at the parks. Usually came home exhausted. So, I would plan easy meals. Frozen pizzas, bagged salads, maybe burgers one night, sub sandwiches.. Bagels, cereal, fruit for breakfast. Pick up a few granola bars to throw in purses to take to the parks. Talk to the girls and get their input and come up with a list. Clip coupons. See where you can cut costs and it will also give you an idea of how much will be left over to eat out.

Another thing to consider.. The condo we stayed at had no cleaning supplies at all. You may have to buy that sort of thing.

froggibabey · Apr 2, 2015

Teenage girls are definitely going to have bags or backpacks with them, so I'd go with reusable, filterable water bottles, and grab some ice at the stands. That'll save them some money right there already.

I'd also go with super easy meals, frozen pizza, spaghetti is super easy, we eat a lot of salads in the summertime. Really, all of those take less than 10 minutes to prep (if you're not making the sauce from scratch), and won't take up too much of your day.

ALSO. I second the gift cards, it makes it a LOT easier to send them on their way, and be "OK, this is what you've got for the week.. if you spend it all, sorry. I've got nothing else".

They're 16, not 6. It'll be fine

And good luck!

chartle · Apr 2, 2015

One other thought for a cheap dinner you don't have to cook or clean up is CiCis pizza.

Not sure what the current cost is but its has to be the cheapest place to eat off site. Not much more than buying frozen pizza and bagged salad. One issue with bagged salad is that you will also need dressings, dressings that I doubt you will use up completely in a week.

jsmla · Apr 2, 2015

We've made many trips where we had most of our meals "in". My favorite tip is, if time allows, do as much pre-prep as you can on arrival day. If we flew I would hit the grocery and then do things like cook a huge pot of pasta and brown some ground turkey/beef. We used the pasta for both dinner at the camper and the pasta salads that we sometimes carried into the park. The ground meat went into pasta sauce and tacos. Throw some b/s chicken breast in the oven to use for salads or other quick meals. I was big on entree salads-they're easy to pull together, customizable and nice after a hot day in the parks. By doing most of the dirty work right away it was fairly simple to throw dinner together in the evening. I also highly recommend lining baking sheets with foil and using paper plates to help with the cleanup.

If you have the luggage space you can pull a lot of your non-perishables from your pantry. I've brought pasta, rice, crackers, bread, trail mix etc. I would also bring things like homemade muffins and snacks in my carry on. Seasonings are my #1 staple to bring from home since it can get pricey buying whole packages of each thing you'll need. I bring salt, pepper, taco seasoning, Cajun seasoning, garlic ect. transferred from the bulk containers in my freezer into smaller containers. I'm a pretty frugal shopper at home and utilizing stuff (bought on sale, often with a coupon) from the pantry stock frees up funds that can then be used for the fun stuff.

We took our kids' friends to WDW several times and I almost always asked them to bring along a few of their favorite pre-packaged snacks to fill the gaps between meals. We still had the occasional Mickey ice cream but the snacks REALLY came in handy when the teen-aged hunger pangs kicked in. By bringing their own each kid had something I knew they liked.

We were usually camping at Ft Wilderness which made going back for lunch or dinner easy but we also sometimes took picnics in. I know it's not for everyone but I would pack wraps, pasta salad, veggie sticks/hummus, etc to eat while we waited for Fantasmic, Illuminations or a parade.

I would also wait to add the hopper and WPF&M. It's been a while but I believe a single admission to one of the water parks is less expensive than the add-on and you may not have time to go more than once, or it could monsoon or you may find that you just don't feel like it.

Happy Planning!

KingofJapan · Apr 2, 2015

jsmla said:
We've made many trips where we had most of our meals "in". My favorite tip is, if time allows, do as much pre-prep as you can on arrival day. If we flew I would hit the grocery and then do things like cook a huge pot of pasta and brown some ground turkey/beef. We used the pasta for both dinner at the camper and the pasta salads that we sometimes carried into the park. The ground meat went into pasta sauce and tacos. Throw some b/s chicken breast in the oven to use for salads or other quick meals. I was big on entree salads-they're easy to pull together, customizable and nice after a hot day in the parks. By doing most of the dirty work right away it was fairly simple to throw dinner together in the evening. I also highly recommend lining baking sheets with foil and using paper plates to help with the cleanup.

If you have the luggage space you can pull a lot of your non-perishables from your pantry. I've brought pasta, rice, crackers, bread, trail mix etc. I would also bring things like homemade muffins and snacks in my carry on. Seasonings are my #1 staple to bring from home since it can get pricey buying whole packages of each thing you'll need. I bring salt, pepper, taco seasoning, Cajun seasoning, garlic ect. transferred from the bulk containers in my freezer into smaller containers. I'm a pretty frugal shopper at home and utilizing stuff (bought on sale, often with a coupon) from the pantry stock frees up funds that can then be used for the fun stuff.

We took our kids' friends to WDW several times and I almost always asked them to bring along a few of their favorite pre-packaged snacks to fill the gaps between meals. We still had the occasional Mickey ice cream but the snacks REALLY came in handy when the teen-aged hunger pangs kicked in. By bringing their own each kid had something I knew they liked.

We were usually camping at Ft Wilderness which made going back for lunch or dinner easy but we also sometimes took picnics in. I know it's not for everyone but I would pack wraps, pasta salad, veggie sticks/hummus, etc to eat while we waited for Fantasmic, Illuminations or a parade.

I would also wait to add the hopper and WPF&M. It's been a while but I believe a single admission to one of the water parks is less expensive than the add-on and you may not have time to go more than once, or it could monsoon or you may find that you just don't feel like it.

Happy Planning!

So you would not buy one meal in the parks? I can't see lugging around a cooler to save a little bit of money.

sharona · Apr 2, 2015

KingofJapan said:
So you would not buy one meal in the parks? I can't see lugging around a cooler to save a little bit of money.

The OP is looking for ways to cut expenses or quick/easy meal ideas. You've stated your opinion, and what you'd do - but this thread is not about you. It's unproductive to continually pick at other people's suggestions.

Pinkos · Apr 2, 2015

King of japan, why don't you stop following this thread? The OP is looking for ways she may have missed to cut her budget. All you seem to be adding here is a whole lot of negativity and no helpful ideas.

Op I think this sounds like a lovely trip/bday idea. You have done great ideas here to consider, gift cards, easy cheap meals. Will it be tight? Yes I think so. Is it manageable? Def. and the memories will be amazing I bet. Have a great trip!

Becks&garry · Apr 2, 2015

I'm a thrifty traveller as we save for 5 years each time to go to Florida (UK based) so some tips I have are..

Ice and water is free in most of the disney parks. I also put some bottles in the freezer so that by the time you get to the park your iced water is ready to go. Reusable water bottles will be very cost effective.

Also in the UK you can now get fruit juice in condensed squirt bottles that fit in the palm of your hand (mix with water we call it dilute pop in the UK) so you could add this to the free water or home brought frozen water if the travellers think h20 is boring.

Most food in disney you will pay a hefty price (as expected) but maybe eat outside the park, on the way home some days? may just save you some $$$. And don't forget to just enjoy the trip

lillygator · Apr 2, 2015

KingofJapan said:
So you had a year to plan this and you only came up with $469 for food? Looks like you will be eating a lot of ramen noodles with spam. If someone was taking my daughter to Disney, I wouldgive her a few hundred dollars for spending money and food..but that's just me. Also gas around Disney is expensive.

gas is not expensive around disney.....there is a large Hess station across from MGM and I paid $2.31 a week ago, which is less or close to what it is around the rest of FL.

mjkacmom · Apr 2, 2015

KingofJapan said:
I just don't understant how you can spend thousands of $$ on a trip and cut corners when it comes to dining. If you goto Disney for a week and spend all of this money then ending up eating Bologna sandwiches in the park then you did not save enough money. That's like paying all this money to see a movie and sneaking in food and drinks

When our family goes to the movies, I bring in water bottles and dollar store candy. I purchase a large refillable popcorn, and we share. When you have a large family, $80+ for just tickets, you cut costs elsewhere.

sharona · Apr 2, 2015

KingofJapan said:
I just don't understant how you can spend thousands of $$ on a trip and cut corners when it comes to dining. If you goto Disney for a week and spend all of this money then ending up eating Bologna sandwiches in the park then you did not save enough money. That's like paying all this money to see a movie and sneaking in food and drinks

Enough. It's not about you.

ETA - further responses to me will be futile. I've put you on ignore. Congrats.

KingofJapan · Apr 2, 2015

mjkacmom said:
When our family goes to the movies, I bring in water bottles and dollar store candy. I purchase a large refillable popcorn, and we share. When you have a large family, $80+ for just tickets, you cut costs elsewhere.

And you wonder why movie theatre prices go up every year. If a theatre employee catches you sneaking in that food, how would you explain that to your kids when it is not allowed.

jsmla · Apr 2, 2015

KingofJapan said:
So you would not buy one meal in the parks? I can't see lugging around a cooler to save a little bit of money.

Most does not equal all. We just spent our dining money on special meals-character buffets when the kids were young and things like the Hoop de Doo, tea at the GF or dinner in one of the "countries" in the World Showcase when they got older. We don't carry drinks. A picnic of wraps, veggie sticks and fruit is fairly light and easily fits into a backpack that we all took turns carrying. When we were a party of ten I got a locker.

Call me a bad Mousketeer, Disser or whatever but I'm less than blown away by the food at WDW. It's not that it's awful, just kind of bland to a Louisiana native. It's a, "Wow, Moroccan food in a theme park!" followed by, "The Lebanese deli at the gas station near home has better hummus, gyros and schwarma at a third the price." kind of thing.

In our socio-economic demographic anyway, six adult counter service meals (our family of four plus a friend each for the kiddos) every day over the course of nine days is NOT a little bit of money! I also feel like we eat healthier when we BYO.

amylevan · Apr 2, 2015

Unless you can somehow increase that food budget, I think in addition to eating breakfasts & dinners in the condo, you are going to need to pack lunch at least half those days. Counter service meals are typically at least $12/person = that's $336 in lunches for 4 people over 7 days, leaving next to nothing to buy groceries for breakfast and lunch.

And teens EAT. There are ways to cut down CS costs (sharing meals, not getting fries...) but teens are not necessarily going to be up for that and it would stink to force them and have hungry, whiny girls.

piccolopat · Apr 2, 2015

If it were me, I would plan on eating a large breakfast and pack lunch and snacks. You can rent a locker and store these in a small cooler with ice packs. I would not leave the park to eat supper at the townhouse most nights but that's largely because we would rather stay in the parks. Instead I would plan on eating CS dinner and picking places where I could order for three and share among the four of you or where the offerings were lower priced. I would minimize the money spent on beverages and instead bring water bottles (with a filter if desired) and fill these during the day or ask for water at CS. When you go to Epcot, bring your own fruit and cheese and buy a baguette or two to share from the bakery in France. You can use a site like allears.net to review menus and prices ahead of time to help with planning. With several months remaining until your trip, I would tell the girls what the plan is for food and tell them if they want to do something different they can look for money to earn money to add to the budget. You might find they are willing to do this to have one great TS meal. Have a great time!

Where else can I cut cost?

DIS Veteran

Registered

DIS Veteran

DIS Veteran

DIS Veteran

DIS Veteran

Mouseketeer

DIS Veteran

DIS Veteran

Registered

DIS Veteran

Mouseketeer

Earning My Ears

DIS Veteran

DIS Veteran

DIS Veteran

Registered

DIS Veteran

DIS Veteran

DIS Veteran

Share this page