Budget Binder and Vacation Binder- What do you include?

[saraschoening]

For every vacation I make a budget binder and then a vacation binder. In my budget binder I include a break down for each day and then a page for food, tips, spending money, misc etc...

In my vacation binder so far I have my Disney Docs, my hotel confirmations, my invoice from my TA, ferry reservation comf, airline comf.

What do you put in your vacation binders?

 

[Eighty8Keys]

I used to make a binder similar to yours. I would also include touring plans, and a couple of sheet protectors that I would use to gather receipts, park maps, etc. The last couple of trips I switched to saving PDF's of everything in a DropBox folder that I've shared with my travel companions. Any of us can open up any of the documents on our iPhones or iPads. I create our day to day touring plans using TouringPlans.com and then access them through their Lines app. I also bring a couple of 9x12 envelopes that I use to collect receipts and park maps.

 

[bearzabout]

I use separate 5x7 or 9x12 envelopes to hold coupons as well as receipts and maps/park guides, etc so small items don't get lost. I don't always carry the rest of my docs around but always seem to need to access these items. I use manilla folders for the other docs that I carry so I don't have to waste space with a stiff binder. The folders and envelopes can bend and will fit into any piece of luggage.

 

[tasha99]

I usually have a folder that has things like:
Flight information and boarding passes
Hired car phone number/info
Printouts of hotel reservation/confirmation numbers
ADRs
Tickets, though I think this time we'll get magic bands for WDW (Also make a copy of the ticket if it's a card or paper ticket it gets lost)
Touring plans and/or Ridemax printouts
Coupons we plan on using

Some printouts are redundant nowadays, but you never know when your smartphone suddenly will get finicky. I make a printout, but usually use my phone in actuality.

 

[MikeNames]

For every vacation I make a budget binder and then a vacation binder. In my budget binder I include a break down for each day and then a page for food, tips, spending money, misc etc...

In my vacation binder so far I have my Disney Docs, my hotel confirmations, my invoice from my TA, ferry reservation comf, airline comf.

What do you put in your vacation binders?

How do you plan on knowing what your going to spend for food/tips on a daily basis if your not there yet? Is it a loose estimate or is it a final number that you have. I'm just curious as I wouldn't even no where to being preparing a budget.

 

[bababear_50]

I print a hard copy of my FP+ and daily ADR's and keep it with me when in the parks.

Everything else goes into my Binder which ends up being a collection of memories to be scrapped at a later date.

Things in my binder are:

Emergency numbers
Medical info
Park-N-fly info (discount coupon)
Flight info
Magical Express info package
Resort info (Address)
(daily scheduled events)

Park Info
Extra Magic Hours
Show's and Rides--Must Do's!

ADR's
New foods to try
pricing for restaurants can be found at all ears menu
http://allears.net/dining/menu
OR
http://www.themouseforless.com/tripplanning/menus/wdw/menus.shtml

Coupons
I now collect airmiles for starbucks so I usually will have coupons.

I use a black duotang-plastic with a half pocket at the front and back,it fits easily in the front of my carryon suitcase. I also use plastic page protectors to seperate sections.

Like this

I add extra page protectors for souvenir maps ,Epcot's flower and garden booklet and other bits and bobs.
I can't wear the Magic Bands (Skin allergy) so I save the Disney plastic cards they issue instead.
Hugs Mel

 

[saraschoening]

I just do a estimate based off my previous years costs. For example.. Last year I budgeted $125 CND per day for food, there are 3 of us.. myself, DH and DD (9) Most days we came in under budget but there were a couple when we came in over.. like the day we ate at Ariels Grotto (DL). That $125 was also based on the fact that every hotel we stay at when we go to DL has a breakfast included. For tips at WDW I just looked at the menus of the restaurants we were eating at and took the most expensive item and multiplied that by two (me and DH) and then added the most expensive child's item.. I then took that figure and multiplied that by our tipping percentage and ta da! I like to use the most expensive item because I would rather over budget than under budget. On our DL trips the tip money was included in our daily budget. We normally come in around $1000 under budget every year.

 

[saraschoening]

I print a hard copy of my FP+ and daily ADR's and keep it with me when in the parks.

Everything else goes into my Binder which ends up being a collection of memories to be scrapped at a later date.

Things in my binder are:

Emergency numbers
Medical info
Park-N-fly info (discount coupon)
Flight info
Magical Express info package
Resort info (Address)
(daily scheduled events)

Park Info
Extra Magic Hours
Show's and Rides--Must Do's!

ADR's
New foods to try
pricing for restaurants can be found at all ears menu
http://allears.net/dining/menu
OR
http://www.themouseforless.com/tripplanning/menus/wdw/menus.shtml

Coupons
I now collect airmiles for starbucks so I usually will have coupons.

I use a black duotang-plastic with a half pocket at the front and back,it fits easily in the front of my carryon suitcase. I also use plastic page protectors to seperate sections.

Like this

I add extra page protectors for souvenir maps ,Epcot's flower and garden booklet and other bits and bobs.
Hugs Mel

What about credit cards? I have heard of some people taking copies of there cards in case they are lost of stolen. I think that last year I just recorded our numbers down, do you do anything regarding that?

 

[saraschoening]

I print a hard copy of my FP+ and daily ADR's and keep it with me when in the parks.

Everything else goes into my Binder which ends up being a collection of memories to be scrapped at a later date.

Things in my binder are:

Emergency numbers
Medical info
Park-N-fly info (discount coupon)
Flight info
Magical Express info package
Resort info (Address)
(daily scheduled events)

Park Info
Extra Magic Hours
Show's and Rides--Must Do's!

ADR's
New foods to try
pricing for restaurants can be found at all ears menu
http://allears.net/dining/menu
OR
http://www.themouseforless.com/tripplanning/menus/wdw/menus.shtml

Coupons
I now collect airmiles for starbucks so I usually will have coupons.

I use a black duotang-plastic with a half pocket at the front and back,it fits easily in the front of my carryon suitcase. I also use plastic page protectors to seperate sections.

Like this

I add extra page protectors for souvenir maps ,Epcot's flower and garden booklet and other bits and bobs.
I can't wear the Magic Bands (Skin allergy) so I save the Disney plastic cards they issue instead.
Hugs Mel

Also.. Do you just print your ADR's and fastpasses straight from Disney's site or do you make your own spreadsheet?

 

[bababear_50]

What about credit cards? I have heard of some people taking copies of there cards in case they are lost of stolen. I think that last year I just recorded our numbers down, do you do anything regarding that?

I do add my credit card company's number under emergency numbers however I don't copy the actual number down.
I could do that. I usually just call the company and report it lost or stolen.
I don't use alot of credit when on Holidays --most of my purchases are cash.
I did see alot of people (this past trip) regreting their spending when they asked the front desk for an update of their Magic Band totals for the day.

Hugs Mel

 

[MikeNames]

I just do a estimate based off my previous years costs. For example.. Last year I budgeted $125 CND per day for food, there are 3 of us.. myself, DH and DD (9) Most days we came in under budget but there were a couple when we came in over.. like the day we ate at Ariels Grotto (DL). That $125 was also based on the fact that every hotel we stay at when we go to DL has a breakfast included. For tips at WDW I just looked at the menus of the restaurants we were eating at and took the most expensive item and multiplied that by two (me and DH) and then added the most expensive child's item.. I then took that figure and multiplied that by our tipping percentage and ta da! I like to use the most expensive item because I would rather over budget than under budget. On our DL trips the tip money was included in our daily budget. We normally come in around $1000 under budget every year.

Ok, that makes sense when you explain it.... i couldn't wrap my mind around it at first but makes sense now. I never really been into budgeting just go with it haha. The tough part for us is we are horrible at keeping plans so making ADR's and sticking to them probably wouldn't happen. Cool, thanks for the info though!

 

[MikeNames]

I print a hard copy of my FP+ and daily ADR's and keep it with me when in the parks.

Everything else goes into my Binder which ends up being a collection of memories to be scrapped at a later date.

Things in my binder are:

Emergency numbers
Medical info
Park-N-fly info (discount coupon)
Flight info
Magical Express info package
Resort info (Address)
(daily scheduled events)

Park Info
Extra Magic Hours
Show's and Rides--Must Do's!

ADR's
New foods to try
pricing for restaurants can be found at all ears menu
http://allears.net/dining/menu
OR
http://www.themouseforless.com/tripplanning/menus/wdw/menus.shtml

Coupons
I now collect airmiles for starbucks so I usually will have coupons.

I use a black duotang-plastic with a half pocket at the front and back,it fits easily in the front of my carryon suitcase. I also use plastic page protectors to seperate sections.

Like this

I add extra page protectors for souvenir maps ,Epcot's flower and garden booklet and other bits and bobs.
I can't wear the Magic Bands (Skin allergy) so I save the Disney plastic cards they issue instead.
Hugs Mel

How come you don't keep all of this on your phone?

 

[bababear_50]

Also.. Do you just print your ADR's and fastpasses straight from Disney's site or do you make your own spreadsheet?

I do both as I have created special Disney Itinerary pages for myself.
Hugs Mel

 

[bababear_50]

How come you don't keep all of this on your phone?

I don't take a phone with me on holidays and also the plans for Canadian phone use in the USA are very expensive.
I just know I would be one of those people walking right into someones path as I stare at my phone.

 

[saraschoening]

I don't take a phone with me on holidays and also the plans for Canadian phone use in the USA are very expensive.
I just know I would be one of those people walking right into someones path as I stare at my phone.

I have also heard that the wifi can be spotty at times at WDW? Not sure if that is true or not. I personally like having a hard copy of everything and the ability to flip through the pages.. paper just works better for myself.. personally but everyone is different thats the beauty of the world.

 

[MikeNames]

I have also heard that the wifi can be spotty at times at WDW? Not sure if that is true or not. I personally like having a hard copy of everything and the ability to flip through the pages.. paper just works better for myself.. personally but everyone is different thats the beauty of the world.

I Agree, to each there own!