13 Days, Family O' 7 $2642 Budget!

[grlpwrd]

I was wondering the same thing about your car. You are spending almost 1/4 of your budget on the rental alone.

As far as the rest of your budget - you are amazing! You're family will have a great time and experience some fantastic things!

I was also wondering. Plus, doesn't it cost $$$ in the long run when loading our vehicle with extra weight on the way over (with the extra food) because it will add on to the amount of gas consumed?

I don't want to be "penny wise yet pound foolish," kwim?

 

[HayGan]

I was also wondering. Plus, doesn't it cost $$$ in the long run when loading our vehicle with extra weight on the way over (with the extra food) because it will add on to the amount of gas consumed?

I don't want to be "penny wise yet pound foolish," kwim?

The impact of less than 30lbs of food wouldn't even be noticable on your fuel consumption.

 

[madge]

It costs less per day if you buy the longer tickets. Maybe buying a 10 day non expiry and using it for 3 trips would work for you. I know it's a big lay out of money (and I personally cannot do that right now) but it is something to consider.

that's my dilemna right now... spending $546 for MNSSHP and Epcot vs. $967 for 4-day MYW passes. I don't want to/can't spend the $$ on the 10-day non-expiring pass this trip. Tickets are one thing I don't have to decide on right away. I'll see how the rest of the summer goes.. and how well I do selling in my local consignment sale in August.

 

[grlpwrd]

The impact of less than 30lbs of food wouldn't even be noticable on your fuel consumption.

Well, I read that "for every 100 pounds of extra weight in your car, fuel economy decreases by 1-2 percent." There are 7 people in the family plus 30+ pounds of food. This is from where they are starting out to Florida, not from their home down to the corner market.

With gas being about $3 a gallon I would think that would be a substantial cost....

 

[meandtheguys2]

Well, I read that "for every 100 pounds of extra weight in your car, fuel economy decreases by 1-2 percent." There are 7 people in the family plus 30+ pounds of food. This is from where they are starting out to Florida, not from their home down to the corner market.

With gas being about $3 a gallon I would think that would be a substantial cost....

Now, this may be the migraine meds speaking, but wouldn't the cost of 100 pounds be about $5 (1% of $500)? Or half of that, because they wouldn't have it on the way home.

 

[HayGan]

Well, I read that "for every 100 pounds of extra weight in your car, fuel economy decreases by 1-2 percent." There are 7 people in the family plus 30+ pounds of food. This is from where they are starting out to Florida, not from their home down to the corner market.

With gas being about $3 a gallon I would think that would be a substantial cost....

According to your own statistics, 30lbs would reduce fuel efficiency by .3 - .6%. So if your vehicle gets 25mpg on the highway (even my 1999 Ford Explorer gets close to this on the highway with 700lbs+ of people and stuff in it) at a .6% reduction in fuel efficiency it would be getting 24.85 mpg. So a 2000 mile trip @ 3.00/gallon would cost you $241.46 instead of $240.00. I think that the savings on food would equate to more than $1.46

 

[cinamin27]

This time we purchased 6 and they include, 2 for the Cosmopolitan Grill in Cookeville, MugShots in St. Cloud, JT's Sports Bar in Kissimmee, Kool's Open Pit Grill in Kissimmee, and American Pie Pizza in Clemont. I'll let you know how they are. I've only used the GCs a few times, so I'm by no means an expert!

be cautioned with using your 2 GC's to Cosmopolitan Grill unless you purchased them using 2 separate restaurant.com accounts. every restaurant.com certificate I've purchased states 1 per party per month & when I called I was advised that a month was defined as 30 days in between uses. you can not use one the last day of the month & use another the first week of the next month at least that is according to the CSR I spoke to at restaurant.com. (& we all know you can get different answers from different CSR's for most companies you call & yes I work in a call center too ) I could not find the cosmopolitan grill listed on restaurant.com to confirm the 1 per month rule though, so check before going so you wont be in for a surprise. Also, you might want to check to see if all the restaurants are still participating if you have purchased those GC's in advance. I purchased one for a restaurant on 192 & got there & they told me they are no longer participating & would not accept unless I ordered 6 or more entrees, well I'm a single mom of 1 & had no use for 4 additional entrees!

I too have used other GC's for the Kissimmee area from restaurant.com. the best one I got was a coupla years back & was for a steakhouse restaurant that was located in one of the resorts, one of the BEST steaks I ever had & I really dont care for steak too much but was doing atkins at the time so it all worked out. they are not listed any more with restaurant.com though.

 

[Local_Girl]

Kudos to the OP for great research and planning! An inspiration to us all!

We also try to budget carefully for our trips...and if we're going to manage our upcoming Dec. trip, I'm going to have to pull out all the stops in the frugality department, lol. We stay offsite and plan several meals in the condo, or picnic lunches out using mostly food brought from home. We do shop for perishable food in FL though. We drive down (and enjoy it), spend one night along the way, hopefully this year on hotel reward points. As usual, our tickets will be the biggest expense, but I'll be sure to research the best price, whether it's through the Mousesavers newsletter link or Shades of Green...

Good luck to us all in finding the best ways to do WDW for less!

 

[disneymom3]

Maybe it is my reading comprehension that is lacking here. If you feed a family of 7 on $50 per day, that means you are spending $2.38 per person per meal (assuming 3 meals and no snacks). I can understand that for breakfast, but dinner and lunch? And what about those snacks? Maybe I could do that for a day or two, but ALL THE TIME? I am impressed. My family would revolt.

One thing you have to keep in mind with the totals are that one of her little guys is 3 and the baby is less than 1. Do you order your kids their own meals at that age? I sure never did. Plus, do you realize how cheap it is to make pancakes? We are talking practically free here. So, take out $3 for breakfast to get bananas and a portion of a gallon of milk as well as the cost of two eggs out of the carton and assume she brought pancake mix she already had at home. Then, I know I can buy a rotiserie chicken for less than $5 a loaf of french bread for $1 and a bag of salad for less than $2. (Plus there will be salad and chicken leftover for adding to another meal.) We are now at $11 for the day leaving her $39 left for a lunch out. Sounds doable to me especially taking into account the ages of the kids. Another day, she takes the leftover chicken chops it up and adds it to pasta (89c) with some salad dressing (cheap kind 99c for the whole bottle.) Cook up some frozen brocolli to throw it for a buck or two and add some apples. Voila, another dinner for maybe $5.

Has anyone else been trying to mentally prep themselves not to freak out over paying $9 for children to eat mac n cheese in the World restaurants ($9X4=$36 for my kids to eat $2 worth of mac and cheese!!!)? I know there are other kids options but mine will always pick the mac n cheese if given the choice...ugh!

I have to admit I am a mean mommy and I refuse to let my kids order mac and cheese in a sit down restaurant. I also almost always have them split a meal. I too cringe at the food left behind. On any vacation, I often wonder what the point of even ordering them any food was as it seems like all of it is still sitting there when they claim they are done. The one place they get to order Mac and cheese is in the Land foodcourt. They love it there and it seems much more homemade than most restaurants. Although I must also say that the $7.49 meals at Disney I don't think are too bad a deal. It does include a drink and often a dessert. So, for your money you can get a cup of soup or salad as well as ice cream sundae.

Tnkbell--as I remember, you came in under budget last time around. Good job. We did a bargain trip our last one too that only included one day of MK. We had a great time and relaxed much more than on any FL vacation of the past. I think sometimes people get stuck on your budget with the idea that a DISNEY vacation cannot be done for so little, but you are really doing a FL vacation with Disney included. Have a great time!!

 

[TNKBELL]

One thing you have to keep in mind with the totals are that one of her little guys is 3 and the baby is less than 1. Do you order your kids their own meals at that age? I sure never did. Plus, do you realize how cheap it is to make pancakes? We are talking practically free here. So, take out $3 for breakfast to get bananas and a portion of a gallon of milk as well as the cost of two eggs out of the carton and assume she brought pancake mix she already had at home. Then, I know I can buy a rotiserie chicken for less than $5 a loaf of french bread for $1 and a bag of salad for less than $2. (Plus there will be salad and chicken leftover for adding to another meal.) We are now at $11 for the day leaving her $39 left for a lunch out. Sounds doable to me especially taking into account the ages of the kids. Another day, she takes the leftover chicken chops it up and adds it to pasta (89c) with some salad dressing (cheap kind 99c for the whole bottle.) Cook up some frozen brocolli to throw it for a buck or two and add some apples. Voila, another dinner for maybe $5.


I have to admit I am a mean mommy and I refuse to let my kids order mac and cheese in a sit down restaurant. I also almost always have them split a meal. I too cringe at the food left behind. On any vacation, I often wonder what the point of even ordering them any food was as it seems like all of it is still sitting there when they claim they are done. The one place they get to order Mac and cheese is in the Land foodcourt. They love it there and it seems much more homemade than most restaurants. Although I must also say that the $7.49 meals at Disney I don't think are too bad a deal. It does include a drink and often a dessert. So, for your money you can get a cup of soup or salad as well as ice cream sundae.

Tnkbell--as I remember, you came in under budget last time around. Good job. We did a bargain trip our last one too that only included one day of MK. We had a great time and relaxed much more than on any FL vacation of the past. I think sometimes people get stuck on your budget with the idea that a DISNEY vacation cannot be done for so little, but you are really doing a FL vacation with Disney included. Have a great time!!

Julie, the last few lines sums it up!! Yes this will be a vacation with Disney, but a vacation first!!! Thanks, nice to see you again!!

 

[TNKBELL]

We are not taking our van because it has a very small trunk space(Nissan Quest) it is also older and I feel safer driving a rental going that far...we have precious cargo!

I think if I was more organized I could buy 10 day non-expiring tix and use them for 3 vacations, that is a great idea, just not this year...we lack the funds.

Thanks for the heads up on the Restaurant.com GC, I will have to see about that!!

As far as taking groceries adding to the gas expense, it didn't seem to make a significant difference on any other trip we have taken... and I am now 30lbs lighter than I was for our last trip....YAY! So maybe we will actually save on gas!!

Great meal ideas, posting this thread helps me so much and really makes me think things through that I wouldn't have...pros and cons.

 

[Jill in Chicago]

This has been so motivating! Thanks for the ideas and the can do attitude!

 

[Kat77]

I have to admit I am a mean mommy and I refuse to let my kids order mac and cheese in a sit down restaurant. I also almost always have them split a meal. I too cringe at the food left behind. On any vacation, I often wonder what the point of even ordering them any food was as it seems like all of it is still sitting there when they claim they are done. The one place they get to order Mac and cheese is in the Land foodcourt. They love it there and it seems much more homemade than most restaurants. Although I must also say that the $7.49 meals at Disney I don't think are too bad a deal. It does include a drink and often a dessert. So, for your money you can get a cup of soup or salad as well as ice cream sundae.

I also think $7.49 kids meals are actually great deal so long as they are not mac n cheese The childrens grilled chicken or maui maui (sp?) meals at Coral Reef are my biggest draw to that restaurant. Can you actually allow kids to split meals at a TS? Are extra plates available? I'd love to do this at Sci-fi because their options are not great but we'd like to experience the atmosphere. Unless Orlando is an exception, Rainforest Cafe has HUGE childrens portions- FYI for anyone interested in kids splitting meals. (sorry about going OT)

 

[MiniGirl]

It's called Futch Park, it has free parking, a playground, and a covered picinic area as well as showers and a restroom. It was pretty hard hit by a hurricane in 04(not sure) so it was brand new and clean as a whistle when we went in 05.

Here's a link to the website:
http://www.brevardparks.com/parks/prksa2.htm#FutchMemorial

This park is practically in my backyard. It does have a new covered pavillion with grills and a new playground as well as some volleyball courts on the other side of the park. It can get quite crowded on the weekends but weekdays are very nice. It is usually refered to as Paradise Park though since it is at the end of Paradise Blvd. If you ask for directions to Futch Park, many people around here wouldn't be able to tell you where it is.

ETA: There are lots of submerged rocks right at the water's edge, so I strongly recommend water shoes at this beach.

 

[punkin]

I know I can buy a rotiserie chicken for less than $5 a loaf of french bread for $1 and a bag of salad for less than $2. (Plus there will be salad and chicken leftover for adding to another meal.)

You expect one roticerie chicken to feed 7 people? Yes, I know one is a baby, so let's say 6 people. And you expect leftovers for another meal for 6?
That's amazing. That one chicken will definately feed my family of 4 with no leftovers.

I also have no idea where you can get a bag of salad for less than $2. They are $2.50 on sale here.

 

[myladyisatramp]

wow 75.00 per week for a family of seven enjoy it now for in a few years when they grow up won';t be anywhere near that...you must be real good. But honestly I don't see how that will make it in disney. Unless you pack a sandwich every day. good luck I hope it works I should take lessons.

 

[allison443]

You expect one roticerie chicken to feed 7 people? Yes, I know one is a baby, so let's say 6 people. And you expect leftovers for another meal for 6?
That's amazing. That one chicken will definately feed my family of 4 with no leftovers.

I also have no idea where you can get a bag of salad for less than $2. They are $2.50 on sale here.

I was thinking the same thing!!! I could never stretch a rotisserie chicken to more than one meal for my family.

Edited to add: I'm not doubting the OP can do it-you sound like you have everything planned well! I just couldn't do it myself. Have a great trip!!!!

 

[grlpwrd]

According to your own statistics, 30lbs would reduce fuel efficiency by .3 - .6%. So if your vehicle gets 25mpg on the highway (even my 1999 Ford Explorer gets close to this on the highway with 700lbs+ of people and stuff in it) at a .6% reduction in fuel efficiency it would be getting 24.85 mpg. So a 2000 mile trip @ 3.00/gallon would cost you $241.46 instead of $240.00. I think that the savings on food would equate to more than $1.46

Thank you for the computation. Actually, I found the statistic online so I don't know if it is absolute.

I was expecting it to be more, though, especially with the extra food and luggage for 7 which includes 5 kids. They are driving about 1500 miles down and stopping in TN, driving around and sightseeing while in FL for about 2 weeks, and then back home which is 1500 miles.

I looked up the highway mileage for minivans and they range from a low of 21 to a high of 26 with the Odyssey. City mileage looks like it ranges from 12 to 17 mpg depending on the model.

I didn't compute it simplistically as a 2000 mile trip at around $3 a gallon. I also looked at the 'in between,' too, especially in stop and go traffic, sightseeing, etc. for 2 weeks hauling 7 people.

This might all be a moot point, though, because they are travelling after Labor Day which is usually when gas prices drop. I just thought I would add it to the discussion because it is part of being realistic and planning a trip.

Oh, and here is the link to the www.fuelcostcalculator.com .

 

[grlpwrd]

I was thinking the same thing!!! I could never stretch a rotisserie chicken to more than one meal for my family.

Actually, many people do this. They call it the "rubber chicken" because you stretch it to make several meals, from chicken tacos, chicken casseroles, soup, etc.

It can be easily done at home, but realistically it doesn't work for us, especially on vacation.

More power to you if you can, though! Well, you could start with a rotisserie chicken and stretch meals from there, but I wouldn't be theone to be cooking for hours for the other meals. lol

 

[punkin]

I was thinking the same thing!!! I could never stretch a rotisserie chicken to more than one meal for my family.

Edited to add: I'm not doubting the OP can do it-you sound like you have everything planned well! I just couldn't do it myself. Have a great trip!!!!

Oh yes, I believe the OP CAN do it and in fact, probably does. I just can't see how I personally can do it. Nor do I understand why I would want to do it on vacation.