13 Days, Family O' 7 $2642 Budget!

[kileybeth]

KUDOS to the OP !

and kudos for putting up with all the non-believers!

do you remember the commercial years ago with the guy sitting on the lawn drinking a glass of wine and people in the background saying how did he get that rich? then there is a change and you see his wine is coming from a gallon container or something like that? I chuckle each time I think on that commercial!

when I entertain in my very large house filled with some very nice things and all of my kids dressed in very nice clothes (4 at home, 2 grown, all homeschooled) the first question people ask me who do not know us well is "what does your husband do?"

DH and I just laugh about it now but they do not even know how transparent they are being. After 20+ years of living in a similar manner (of your vacations) I can now proudly say, he's a Bank Vice President but that was not always so and we have learned that it's all about the choices you make along the way.

and we still eat of the dollar menus, still drive most places, still buy second hand but others never even think about all we do not do that their familes will do regularly.

all that said, look at my siggie and see what all that penny pinching has come to for the first time ever.

I applaud you for your hard work and good attitude! Our FL trip (with a little Disney thrown in will be in Jan '08) and it will closely resemble this trip for you!

look forward to reading more!

PS one chicken here too

 

[madge]

That is it. I am moving!!!!! Not on our $1 menu either.

no grilled chicken on our McDonald's $1 menu, either! (I almost typed $1 spot... I must have Target on the brain )

I know people that order the $1 double cheeseburger and ask to have it dressed like a Big Mac. much cheaper than a regular Big Mac.

 

[lizziepooh]

A big reason the OP is able to pull this off is apparently her DH is on board with this type of trip and budgeting. Personally, if I told my husband he could order one item from the dollar menu, have a couple fries and no drink, it just wouldn't fly! I don't think I could convince my daughter or grandkids either to eat this way. Luckily the OP kids have been raised eating this way, so this is normal for them.
I give her a lot of credit to be willing to travel in a van for 4 days with 5 kids (including a baby and a 3 year old). She really has the budgeting thing down to a science. I'm sure her kids will have wonderful memories of their trips.

 

[kileybeth]

lizzypooh, my DH wishes he married the OP! (just kiddie folks)

he's been working on me for years and we mostly come to monatary agreement once the money is gone

 

[punkin]

A big reason the OP is able to pull this off is apparently her DH is on board with this type of trip and budgeting. Personally, if I told my husband he could order one item from the dollar menu, have a couple fries and no drink, it just wouldn't fly! I don't think I could convince my daughter or grandkids either to eat this way. Luckily the OP kids have been raised eating this way, so this is normal for them.
I give her a lot of credit to be willing to travel in a van for 4 days with 5 kids (including a baby and a 3 year old). She really has the budgeting thing down to a science. I'm sure her kids will have wonderful memories of their trips.

My DH has been a little better the past couple of years, but for many years in our marriage, I was saving and he was spending. However frugal I am, I would not even ask him to do a vacation like this.

When I told DD8 we were going to Disney, the first thing out of her mouth was "can we stay at AKL?" Yup, I raised them wrong.

 

[grlpwrd]

A big reason the OP is able to pull this off is apparently her DH is on board with this type of trip and budgeting. Personally, if I told my husband he could order one item from the dollar menu, have a couple fries and no drink, it just wouldn't fly! I don't think I could convince my daughter or grandkids either to eat this way. Luckily the OP kids have been raised eating this way, so this is normal for them.
I give her a lot of credit to be willing to travel in a van for 4 days with 5 kids (including a baby and a 3 year old). She really has the budgeting thing down to a science. I'm sure her kids will have wonderful memories of their trips.

Yes, it does make a big difference. It kinda reminds of Amy Dacyczyn who wrote the Tightwad Gazette. Her husband was all for it. Her kids grew up this way, but I read when they became teens it was bit different. (I used to subscribe to her yearly update newsletter for $1 after she retired which she no longer distributes.)

It's wonderful to do all we can now when they are much younger, but wait when they become older. lol

I am frugal, too, BTW. We went on a Thanksgiving trip to the Outer Banks (low season is cheaper) and I cooked every day. It was a lot of work and it didn't feel like a real vacation. Vacation means different things to different people so more power to you, TNK!.

 

[hollyb]

Is anyone else shocked at all the replys to food on this thread? Why does anyone care what she spends on food for her family? OK so maybe we can't get that price where we live or whatever but come on people move on. Her post is about a budget trip with her family not her food bill.


I hope the OP has a great trip.

 

[TheBeadPirate]

I am frugal, too, BTW. We went on a Thanksgiving trip to the Outer Banks and I cooked every day. It was a lot of work and it didn't feel like a real vacation. Vacation means different things to different people so more power to you, TNK!.

I agree with this too. We stay DVC at Christmas and I almost always cook. In fact our have to have holiday meal is salmon patties with creamed peas(I know-it's DH's fault!) which I cook in the villa. BUT in our apt(at home) we don't have the full range, the dishwasher, garbage disposal, etc. So since I enjoy cooking this IS a vacation for me! Who woulda thunk it?!? But I like that I can do something I enjoy and it's easier than at home.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

I'm not being negative, not being a naysayer, and not giving the OP a hard time. I don't think anyone is. I think some of us are just curious on how she does all of this. Like someone posted earlier, her hubby is on board with this, so it works for them. It would not work for my all muscle 220 pound husband who goes to the gym everyday. One little sandwich and 6-8 french fries will not cut it. We do not eat at McDonald's everyday, nor do we have any issues with health due to obesity, etc. Gosh, I thought we were supposed to be able to ask questions, etc. on these boards?

 

[bellebuzzandpooh]

Amazing! I'm marking this post to come back later.

~B

 

[TNKBELL]

I'm not being negative, not being a naysayer, and not giving the OP a hard time. I don't think anyone is. I think some of us are just curious on how she does all of this. Like someone posted earlier, her hubby is on board with this, so it works for them. It would not work for my all muscle 220 pound husband who goes to the gym everyday. One little sandwich and 6-8 french fries will not cut it. We do not eat at McDonald's everyday, nor do we have any issues with health due to obesity, etc. Gosh, I thought we were supposed to be able to ask questions, etc. on these boards?

It's alright, I don't mind anyone's questions or comments, it actually helps put things into perspective and gives me the will and determination to see things through!!

I am not trying to say this is the best way to travel...heck I'd like to stay at GF and be totally pampered and eat every meal at a TS or Character meal but unfortunately our budget doesn't allow it, so it's vacation on a budget or no vacation. I'm merely hoping to prove that it can be done even on a budget.


I appreciate ALL the feedback and it certainly makes things interesting with all the variety of opinions!!

 

[mommiepoppins]

I always cook a whole chicken and I get 3 meals out of it. That is for my family of 6 . I just made b-bq chicken with the dark meat from the chicken. My kids loved it. We also had stuffing, Green beans and Squash, Apple slices and a roll. That was tonights dinner. Now my kids are going to church and having a hot dog family night. So they can eat more, but I rather feed them than have them eat the hot dogs.

 

[mommiepoppins]

A big reason the OP is able to pull this off is apparently her DH is on board with this type of trip and budgeting. Personally, if I told my husband he could order one item from the dollar menu, have a couple fries and no drink, it just wouldn't fly! I don't think I could convince my daughter or grandkids either to eat this way. Luckily the OP kids have been raised eating this way, so this is normal for them.
I give her a lot of credit to be willing to travel in a van for 4 days with 5 kids (including a baby and a 3 year old). She really has the budgeting thing down to a science. I'm sure her kids will have wonderful memories of their trips.

I agree her dh must have to be on board,. My dh was NEVER on board until recently. My mil was and is very frugal. Dh I think resented it big time. I must say I learned so much from my mil and my fellow dis . Now my dh has had a big turn around. He has no prob letting all of us order from $ menu and having the kids split meals and ordering water.. It is better for us anyway.
Tnk dose your hubby support the frugal lifestyle ? Dose he bring food to work ect? Also was it something you had to teach him or was he always just on board?

 

[CarolA]

I followed your first budget trip. For any doubters out there, TNKBELL has vacationing on a budget down to a science! Have a great trip.

It is just me or did this happen last time? No matter how many times you say it people say the food budget is too low b/c they don't read the part about including your regular food budget.

That was the first thing I thought when folks started with the "you are going to starve posts" LOL! I thought that she was crazy last time, but she did it. So the proof is in the results.

(I sometimes think folks want to push budget poster to spend more to help them justify THEIR costs, not because they don't believe it can't be done. You know "Honey EVERYONE spends $10,000 on a Disney vacation )

 

[momto2inKC]

I remember you from your last budget trip! I was so amazed at how well you all budget it out! I could never do it, but good for you!!!! I look forward to reading all about it again

 

[ptmmg]

wow I am loving this thread!! I give OP so much credit for being able to do this.
I just know my dh would not go for it. He grew up with a very frugal mom and resents it now. He hates it when we go on vaction and have to account for every penny. He says "I work hard all year long (and he does) I am going to enjoy my vacation without worrying about every cent"
He was a little mad that I down graded to POP this year But we just went last year and stayed at the CR so I figure I would do a budget trip this year.

I to am still wondering how a rotisserie chicken lasts more than 1 meal. I have 4 kids 2 are teenagers, 1 is a boy I think he could eat a whole chicken himself and he is not 1 bit overweight LOL! I looked at my grocery bill this week alone and I have spent close to $300.

I need some lessons from the OP!!!!
good luck planing your trip I can't wait to hear all about it!!!!

 

[TNKBELL]

About Dh, well first of all, I always say he's better than I deserve, he is the frugal one, he makes his own fertilizer for the yard out of epsom salt and winterizer out ashes from the fireplace, and he planted most of our yard from volunteers from friends and families' yards,he cuts his own hair(I have to trim the back), he recycles old furniture(often abandoned by the curb waiting for the trash truck) and fixes it up for us to use(although sometimes I turn my nose up at his "finds" and make him return them.) Last year someone installed a new pond in thier yard so Dh picked up thier old one which still worked and came with a waterfall and installed it next to our front porch(one of my faves), his summer wardrobe came from the goodwill(even had a discount card) and once a week he makes us pizza from scratch!! And he's cute to boot!!

 

[mommiepoppins]

About Dh, well first of all, I always say he's better than I deserve, he is the frugal one, he makes his own fertilizer for the yard out of epsom salt and winterizer out ashes from the fireplace, and he planted most of our yard from volunteers from friends and families' yards, he recycles old furniture(often abandoned by the curb waiting for the trash truck) and fixes it up for us to use(although sometimes I turn my nose up at his "finds" and make him return them.) Last year someone installed a new pond in thier yard so Dh picked up thier old one which still worked and came with a waterfall and installed it next to our front porch(one of my faves), his summer wardrobe came from the goodwill(even had a discount card) and once a week he makes us pizza from scratch!! And he's cute to boot!!

lol. I think I am like your dh. Next week a town close to me has garbage weekend. Well I call it Christmas. It is the day after the village garage sale. People throw so much stuff out. I do not even do the garage sale. I just pick. . My dd teacher comes with me

 

[TNKBELL]

lol. I think I am like your dh. Next week a town close to me has garbage weekend. Well I call it Christmas. It is the day after the village garage sale. People throw so much stuff out. I do not even do the garage sale. I just pick. . My dd teacher comes with me

 

[pweyl36]

Is anyone else shocked at all the replys to food on this thread? Why does anyone care what she spends on food for her family? OK so maybe we can't get that price where we live or whatever but come on people move on. Her post is about a budget trip with her family not her food bill.


I hope the OP has a great trip.

I was just going to say the same thing. This happened the last time she wrote her budget report.