Well the weeks are ticking along and we are getting closer and closer to paying for our flights! We were originally going to book at the end of Feb, but due to work and other engagements are are unable to make it into our Travel Agents until the 2nd week of March. I will have saved up enough money well and truly by then to pay for my flights, but Alicia has informed me that she will struggle a little but to make it by then (She didn't know that flights have to be payed in full 14 days after booking) So we are planning for a re-evaluate in mid Feb to see where we both are on the savings front and if we have to delay booking then were won't be much we can do about it
We had a quick chat about cutting down on spending money and things like that, and Alicia has been doing some research and realized that she isn't going to need as much spending money as she thought! Hopefully this helps her reach her savings goal by early March
Which brings me to my question! How does everyone pay for there theme park tickets and tours? We are going to SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo,
Disneyland, Universal and Knotts at this stage. I'm trying to figure out if it's going to be easier to pay for each ticket bit by bit as we both have the money, set a date to buy each ticket (e.g, we will be paying for our Annual Passes on the 12th of August ) Or if we set a date a few weeks out from our trip where we sit down and pay for them all at once. I know Alicia will most likely struggle to save throughout this trip and I will need to be her personal cheer squad to keep her motivated
so I don't know if setting her target dates will be good motivation to save, or just stress her out. I feel like if we leave it till the last minute to pay for everything, the day to pay will have snuck up on her and she won't have enough saved.
What would you guys do? I know that she is trying really hard, but keeps getting hit with financial burden after financial burden. And I still haven't managed to talk sense into her when it comes to the fact that she needs to skimp a bit now to have an amazing holiday in 9ish months. I am a good saver, I've had it drummed into me since I had pocket money as a kid. So naturally it's frustrating me to be looking from the sidelines and see her wasting her money on things that she doesn't actually need when she's struggling to save as it is.
I've tried talking her into having a "cash allowance" every week for her spending money, and living by the mottot 'once it's gone it's gone!' Then putting any change that she has from that weeks spending money, or any cash that she get's from Birthdays ect into a change jar and cashing it in when the US dollar is high. That's how I saved just under $500 spending money for my last trip (I do a lot of house and baby sitting) But she just doesn't seem to take to the idea. I'm going to make her a shadow box piggy bank for her birthday with some New Zealand change and also some US dollars to get her started on the idea. Once you get used to it the cash adds up really fast!!!
What would you guys do in my situation? It's a sensitive topic to talk about with her (money) so I don't want to lay down the law too much and scare her off. But on the other hand deadlines could be beneficial to her, so long as she realizes that the day is the day and she needs to have the money by then.
GGGGGAAAAAHHHHH! What would you do in this situation?
p.s...Sorry for the longish post.But you guys are the only people I can vent to that will realize my frustration and heartache in the possibility of loosing this trip