Anyone go with NO BUDGET!!

[tavettava]

We did this on our last trip and we really didn't spend that much. If I wanted it I bought it.

 

[disneypolybride2008]

we spent a ton on our disney vacation before we even left, lol. we didnt make budget and i just bought what i wanted. i got some great souveniers. we ened up having a bill of $700 by the end of the trip, but that included the tip cost for a week also.

 

[Dobie]

Budget? I don't need no stinking budget!!!!


Seriously, I have a neuromathematical calculator hardwired in my brain. I know exactly when I've spent too much. All of my vactions come within +/- 5% of what I thought I would spend.

 

[melvin1970]

We don't budget either. We didn't even get the DDP this year.

 

[califred]

I go with a general idea of what we'll probalby spend and we usually spend about 10% over that.. I don't really budget, but I also wouldn't plan 3 meals a day at fancy restaurants

 

[Skylarr29]

Nope, not alone. We have no budget when we go to Disney. Heck for our Disney wedding and honeymoon trip in Oct we stayed in a suite that cost almost $2,700.00 a night lol. We eat wherever we want and normally spend $200 each dinner. We buy art work, souvenirs, and all kinds of things. We make vacationing a priority. We also love spa time and the Grand One.

 

[jrt1176]

This thread has got me thinking to keep all my receipts and keep track of tips, etc. to make add it all up after the trip down to the last dime.

I'm not going to look at it until I get home though, so it wont effect me...

I'm just curious where it all goes. I know dinner will go over any estimates!

 

[crisi]

No budget, and we do spend a lot on food and liquor. But we spend little now on souvieniers - we have most of what we want (and I make my husband pack TWO ballcaps - every *#&$! trip he buys a new ballcap because he forgets or looses his). We also aren't spending much on snacks or counter service generally....we've figured out things like "we don't all need a super huge Coke at lunch - we can share." We don't dining plan, we have DDE'd (TiW)

 

[melanieewr]

Since our first trip to Disney with our 4 children back in '92, things have really changed for us. That trip was all about budgeting. I even originally had booked at the Days Inn in Winter Park...trying to save money. But after getting guide books, I managed to part with the money to stay at POR. I was soooo happy for that decision.

Now...kids are grown. I have 2 dgd...boy how things have changed! We worked extremely hard through the years building a business. Things have been really good. We have several DVC contracts...love that. In the last three years, health issues brought a different perspective of budgeting. I now go completely overboard and do something very special each visit. I even had my birthday in the Great Movie Ride after the park closed! We will be there next week and our special meal will be a private breakfast with Minnie at AK before the park opens...because the girls love her of course!

I gave a few details because I have been on both sides of the budget fence. And honestly, even though that first trip was budgeted...it is still such a wonderful memory of the first "real" vacation that we took as a family.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I start out with a budget but usually lose track part way through the trip since I'm having fun and then I don't worry about it.

Most times we end up pretty close to what the budget was anyway.

 

[tinker&belle]

I guess I'm of the keeping the budget in mind on vacation BUT...

I WAY overbudget what I think things will cost on vacation. This works out very well, because on the last two trips we have had so much money left in the 'vacation budget' that my DH has said to use the leftover to buy myself designer bags! So I'm all for keeping track of the vacation $ to use the leftover!!! (I would never just go buy a designer bag on a whim at home!)

 

[kimysbug]

We do not either. It is just DH & myself

We do when we pick a resort- If money is tight Value - if not Delux after that when we go down no buget

 

[CarolynU]

When my kids were small we could only afford a WDW vacation every 4 years because I didn't work, so it was DH as sole wage earner. We had to stay off property, and lunch was CS and dinner was a turkey leg each. OMG I cannot even stand the smell of them now. Budget you bet we did!
Did it make a difference? Heck no. We had the most fantastic times ever, and my kids would cry their eyes out when it was time to go home.

Later on when they grew up a bit I went back to work, and we began having 2 WDW vacations per year on property. Meals were CS lunch and buffet or family style dinners. Did we still have fantastic times...yep you bet!

Then my kids became adults and left home, but still came on Disney vacations. We could eat wherever we wanted from CS to fine dining. Then sadly my DH died, and I now have enough money to go whenever I want, to do whatever I want, absolutely no need for a budget. Would I swap for those budget vacations years back with only a turkey leg for dinner?............. In a heartbeat!

A vacation with the mouse is what you make it. Budget if you have to, don't budget if you don't have to, but make memories. That's what's important.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

A vacation with the mouse is what you make it. Budget if you have to, don't budget if you don't have to, but make memories. That's what's important.

WORDS OF TRUTH

 

[DisneyTigers]

I understand the throwing caution to the wind for a weeks vacation, it's just how does one plan on paying it off. If you budget than you have a plan. No budget, no plan. I never go on vacation unless it is paid for in advance. No money, no vacation. A budget is simply telling you where your money is going instead of not budgeting and trying to figure out where in the world did my money go.

Well, in our particular situation, our lodging and tickets are already paid for, and we've way OVERPLANNED how much we can spend in CASH for everything else. (We love to eat and drink, but we don't shop much.) That way we're not nickle and diming our vacation to death, we can say YES to spontaneous spending, and still have nothing to pay off when we get home! So, I guess we do have a budget, but I'm not going to worry about every penny when we're there... we've already done that!

Do we live this way at home? No way!! We are careful spenders in "real life" so we can enjoy our vacation w/o worrying about the $$$ of it!

 

[marlower]

When my kids were small we could only afford a WDW vacation every 4 years because I didn't work, so it was DH as sole wage earner. We had to stay off property, and lunch was CS and dinner was a turkey leg each. OMG I cannot even stand the smell of them now. Budget you bet we did!
Did it make a difference? Heck no. We had the most fantastic times ever, and my kids would cry their eyes out when it was time to go home.

Later on when they grew up a bit I went back to work, and we began having 2 WDW vacations per year on property. Meals were CS lunch and buffet or family style dinners. Did we still have fantastic times...yep you bet!

Then my kids became adults and left home, but still came on Disney vacations. We could eat wherever we wanted from CS to fine dining. Then sadly my DH died, and I now have enough money to go whenever I want, to do whatever I want, absolutely no need for a budget. Would I swap for those budget vacations years back with only a turkey leg for dinner?............. In a heartbeat!

A vacation with the mouse is what you make it. Budget if you have to, don't budget if you don't have to, but make memories. That's what's important.

Loved your post!! Thanks for sharing

 

[tinker&belle]

When my kids were small we could only afford a WDW vacation every 4 years because I didn't work, so it was DH as sole wage earner. We had to stay off property, and lunch was CS and dinner was a turkey leg each. OMG I cannot even stand the smell of them now. Budget you bet we did!
Did it make a difference? Heck no. We had the most fantastic times ever, and my kids would cry their eyes out when it was time to go home.

Later on when they grew up a bit I went back to work, and we began having 2 WDW vacations per year on property. Meals were CS lunch and buffet or family style dinners. Did we still have fantastic times...yep you bet!

Then my kids became adults and left home, but still came on Disney vacations. We could eat wherever we wanted from CS to fine dining. Then sadly my DH died, and I now have enough money to go whenever I want, to do whatever I want, absolutely no need for a budget. Would I swap for those budget vacations years back with only a turkey leg for dinner?............. In a heartbeat!

A vacation with the mouse is what you make it. Budget if you have to, don't budget if you don't have to, but make memories. That's what's important.

Thank you for this post. My DH and I do budget for trips now, and this is a really nice perspective to enjoy the little weekend trips and budget trips we take now. Sometimes we get so caught up with 'after a few raises or when we save more' that we look five, ten, fifteen years in the future. This is such a lovely sentiment to enjoy each other and DD now, even if it is a weekend at the themepark two hours away and not a huge trip to Disney.

 

[Tikitoi]

And I can pay for it. I pay the credit card bill off when I get home and I bring a lot of cash too. And then, I go back to real life....I cut coupons, I buy generic at the grocery store, carry our lunch to work, we don't eat out alot because it is too expensive!!

So, please tell me I am not alone and that I am not crazy!!

Nope you're not the only crazy one. At least we are for this trip, too. It will just be me and DD11. And that's why I'm thinking the DP is not worth it for the two of us. Especially with DD having to pay as an adult. So we just plan to revisit our favorites, and a couple new places and order whatever we please. And yes, I too pay my CC bill off every month, as I've just paid for the trip in full for us.

 

[Brian Noble]

When we get there, we eat what and where we want, without any fixed budget. Usually, that amounts to 1-2 TS meals every 3-4 days or so, with the rest CS. Often those TS tend to be less expensive ones, becauase that's what we like. We always spend less on food than DDP costs. When we get home, the card that the "on vacation" charges went to gets paid in full.

 

[Tiger926]

We used to. 2-3 TS meals per day was the norm for us - we just did 14 days of Deluxe Dining in May, but not anymore. We just can't justify the high prices any longer, subpar food and service has been slacking on each trip.

For our regular 2 week summer trip in July, we are going with a budget and a much different mind-set than usual:

- we are going to eat breakfast on our balcony and actually enjoy the animals outside of our room and we are going to eat Hurricane Hanna's by the pool at Storm Along Bay in a leisurely manner, instead of rushing up to our villa to shower, get changed and go to a TS meal

- we are going to eat at more CS places such as Tangierine Cafe, Earl of Sandwich and Cosmic Ray's as we actually enjoy the food at these places and it's cheaper and will save us time

- we are going to not get the Dining Plan, but instead TIW card (have used it 2x before), as well as AP & DVC discounts

We have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on Disney Dining as this is a great part of our vacations, but we no longer can justify this expense and have realized that it is not essential to do this in order to enjoy our WDW vacations! We eat healthy - no pop, hardly any snacks and no fast food, so we don't have to worry about those budget busters. We are looking forward though to less money spent on meals and tips and still having a fab vacation!

Happy eating to all, Tiger