Disney seems so far away

[Disney2012]

I am planning what would be our first and likely only trip to Disney World for our family. I used to think we could never afford it, but I decided the only way to get there would be to set a goal of two years to save and do it. Problem is, even with two FT incomes, childcare takes every extra dime we have. There are no major changes we can make RIGHT NOW to improve the situation, so we just have to ride it out. We're not able to put away much of anything, and it seems like my dream just gets further away. I know the economy is tight for everyone, and Disney is hardly a necessity. I'm not asking for sympathy - I just wondered if anyone had been in a similar situation and had some advice for me. I'd appreciate some perspective on it because it gets me down!

Thanks!

 

[mrsklamc]

Dave Ramsey and couponingToDisney.com

I'd type more but I'm on my phone. You will get lots of input though.

 

[dizney4us]

When our kids were little and things were tight, we'd use our tax returns for vacations. Hope something works our for you and you'll be able to go!

 

[cheerforchelsea]

I do a lot of on-line surveys, paid to click sites. Just a dollar or 2 here and there but it sure does add up. I cashed out $500 for my last WDW trip and already have quite a bit in my WDW fund again.

 

[figment52]

toss your change in a jar daily, you will be surprised how quickly it adds up.

 

[Carina]

The more specifics you post, the more practical advice you will recieve.

What is your dream budget, what is your minimum budget.
How many kids do you have, are you within driving distance?
I know with our 1st trip to Disneyland, I had our budget squeezed so tight, I knew it was go cheap or don't go.
We live approx a 24 hour drive from Disneyland, but I was able to get all 5 of us there for less than the airfare for one person.
We camped out of our van there and back to save $ and we ate out of our hotel for all but one meal, and that meal was paid for with a GC I got from points.com.

I know that is not everyones ideal trip ( we thought it was GREAT) but as I said above it was go cheap or don't go. The choice was simple.
Our 10 day holiday for 5 people cost just under $2500. That included hotel, gas, camping, meals, 5 day disney tickets, and every single other expence for the 10 days.

Knowing your budget, however high or low it may be, will really help people suggest money earning / saving ideas

Also if you are still paying childcare, would it be better to wait until your kids are older?
Hubby and I always said we would not go until our youngest was big enough for all the rides ( there was 1 he could not go on on our first trip, it had a MUCH higher restriction than all the others) We just knew Disney would not be fun if we had a little one that wanted to go on a bunch of things he was too small for.

I know you want to go so bad you can taste it ( we are 'just' starting to save for our 1st trip to florida, DW will be on the agenda, I cant wait either) but in all honesty it will still be there when the time is 'right' for you!

(Don't tell my hubby I said that)

Also to add into my saving / earning idea - A garage sale. De-cluttering a bunch of the toys and books and knick knacks that you are currently tripping over, will definatly put $$$ in your pocket.

My 2nd Idea - Consigning outgrown kids clothes.

 

[hopemax]

People tend to think about needing money in big chunks. When, in actuality little chunks end up. If you want a trip in 2 years, that is 24 months. So if you can find $100 a month that would give you a $2400 budget. $100 chunk too big?

There are 4 weeks in a month. Can you find a way to save $25 a week?

For the next week, really consider every time you pull out money and ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" If you put it back, write down its cost, and at the end of the week total it up, and see how close you get to $25.

Do you really need that bag of chips, do you really need that soda from the vending machine. Do you really need that brand of whatever. Can you make a meal of leftovers, better meal planning so you aren't throwing away partial loaves of bread, etc.

Or as alternative, can you make $25 extra a week? Are there extra hours at work? Can you babysit one day a week, etc

 

[KELLY]

I know what you mean about childcare. I make more watching 2 kids a week than going to work. Daycare was eating my entire paycheck so I left last year. We alwasy put some money in savings but always seem to take it out. This year like in the past we use our tax return, If it wasn't for that we will proably not be going. Our average trip is around 3500.00 with airfare and spending cash going during free dining.

 

[erincon23]

Look for alternatives. Instead of staying on property, look at renting timeshare points (not DVC). People are dying to get SOMETHING for those timeshares, and you may be able to find enough points to rent to get a 2-br condo for REALLY cheap. Try redweek.com -- people have their timeshare points for rent listed there. Look on rci.com for info on timeshare resorts in the Orlando area and how many points it would take to get a condo for the number of nights you would need at the time you want to go.

There are lots of suggestions all over these boards for eating cheap.

You don't need to go to the parks every day of your trip. If you go for a week, maybe you can only afford tickets for three days (although undercovertourist.com offers a buy three day, get one day free ticket). Sometimes even the few dollars it takes to go from 4 to 6 days can push you over the edge. Skip the non-expiration and park hopping. Spend a day at the pool, take a day and drive to Daytona Beach (if you already have a car). See if you can look at all the suggestions you've received for how to make your trip cheaper, and see if you can set your bar lower.

Good luck!

 

[DawnM]

There isn't a lot of info to go on in your post.

Can you drive, do you live within driving distance?

Do you have any disposable income or are you budgeting to the penny already?

Maybe a better start is, do you budget? Maybe that is a good place to start. Dave Ramsey type extreme budgeting may be in order.

Dawn

 

[blanq]

I am planning what would be our first and likely only trip to Disney World for our family. I used to think we could never afford it, but I decided the only way to get there would be to set a goal of two years to save and do it. Problem is, even with two FT incomes, childcare takes every extra dime we have. There are no major changes we can make RIGHT NOW to improve the situation, so we just have to ride it out. We're not able to put away much of anything, and it seems like my dream just gets further away. I know the economy is tight for everyone, and Disney is hardly a necessity. I'm not asking for sympathy - I just wondered if anyone had been in a similar situation and had some advice for me. I'd appreciate some perspective on it because it gets me down!

Thanks!

Yup...as others have said, we need more info to help you. It appears your kids are still quite young if you are paying out so much in daycare. One thing you might want to do is wait to go to WDW until your kids are in school FT, and your daycare costs have dropped. That would help with the saving part. Plus, although you will receive many varying views on this subject, my opinion is that if you only plan on going once, do it when your kids are a bit older and can get as much as possible out the experience.

 

[Chuck65]

toss your change in a jar daily, you will be surprised how quickly it adds up.

Figment, you are so right in this. I do this daily and its absolutely amazing how quick it adds up.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

My parents saved for a "once in a lifetime" trip to WDW when I was 11 for 3 years. Both of them worked full time jobs and put away as much as they could. We never went out to eat or got fast food, movies and entertainment were treats, and only received things/clothes on Birthdays or Christmas. Before that trip to WDW all of our vacations were camping places (but they were SO much fun!). My Mom spent those three years talking about restaurants we were going to eat at, reservations that needed to be made, etc. We were all so excited to go! Of course, it seemed like everything broke that year but my parents were determined to go.

We had the most amazing trip and our "once in a lifetime" trip has turned into 14 trips . I don't have any tips for you that other's haven't already mentioned just wanted to tell you it really will be here before you know it! As you and your kids get older you'll hopefully be in a better financial position (less the daycare) and be able to go more often. I know many people want the memories there with their kids while they're young but I promise you will have many amazing family memories no matter what age your kids are .

 

[mialovesariel]

I too have little ones in daycare. It definetly eats up my budget. We only go to disney when they are offering a deal such as 40% off or free dining. We have a special bank savings account called the disney fund that we put any extra money in. Our hobby is travel so we try to save our money for that. But I do understand your frustration and wish we could be that family that goes to disney a couple times a year. Its more like everyother year for us. Paying for childcare makes me feel like all my money is flying out the door

 

[Marionnette]

toss your change in a jar daily, you will be surprised how quickly it adds up.

I just cashed in a years worth of coins. Darn thing weighed a ton! I had $380!

People tend to think about needing money in big chunks. When, in actuality little chunks end up. If you want a trip in 2 years, that is 24 months. So if you can find $100 a month that would give you a $2400 budget. $100 chunk too big?

There are 4 weeks in a month. Can you find a way to save $25 a week?

For the next week, really consider every time you pull out money and ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" If you put it back, write down its cost, and at the end of the week total it up, and see how close you get to $25.

Do you really need that bag of chips, do you really need that soda from the vending machine. Do you really need that brand of whatever. Can you make a meal of leftovers, better meal planning so you aren't throwing away partial loaves of bread, etc.

Or as alternative, can you make $25 extra a week? Are there extra hours at work? Can you babysit one day a week, etc

^This! Most people dont realize how quickly the gimmees add up. $25 per week translates to $1300 in a year. Do this for two years and youll have a nice vacation fund.

Look for alternatives. Instead of staying on property, look at renting timeshare points (not DVC). People are dying to get SOMETHING for those timeshares, and you may be able to find enough points to rent to get a 2-br condo for REALLY cheap. Try redweek.com -- people have their timeshare points for rent listed there. Look on rci.com for info on timeshare resorts in the Orlando area and how many points it would take to get a condo for the number of nights you would need at the time you want to go.

There are lots of suggestions all over these boards for eating cheap.

You don't need to go to the parks every day of your trip. If you go for a week, maybe you can only afford tickets for three days (although undercovertourist.com offers a buy three day, get one day free ticket). Sometimes even the few dollars it takes to go from 4 to 6 days can push you over the edge. Skip the non-expiration and park hopping. Spend a day at the pool, take a day and drive to Daytona Beach (if you already have a car). See if you can look at all the suggestions you've received for how to make your trip cheaper, and see if you can set your bar lower.

Good luck!

All good suggestions. Disney isnt the only thing to see in central florida. And sometimes you really need down time in the middle of all the theme park chaos. Try skyauction.com for cheap airfare and resorts in the disney area. Use priceline or hotwire to name your price if your not picky. Keep the souvies to a minimum. And bring snacks into the park to cut the food bill. Also get a disney visa card to earn rewrd dollars that you can spend in disney. They have both credit cards and debit cards. The cards have no annual fee and the points can add up quickly.

 

[JB2K]

I am planning what would be our first and likely only trip to Disney World for our family. I used to think we could never afford it, but I decided the only way to get there would be to set a goal of two years to save and do it. Problem is, even with two FT incomes, childcare takes every extra dime we have. There are no major changes we can make RIGHT NOW to improve the situation, so we just have to ride it out. We're not able to put away much of anything, and it seems like my dream just gets further away. I know the economy is tight for everyone, and Disney is hardly a necessity. I'm not asking for sympathy - I just wondered if anyone had been in a similar situation and had some advice for me. I'd appreciate some perspective on it because it gets me down!

Thanks!

Wait until they are "school age" (read: reduced/no child care) -- not only will it be better on your wallet, but they'll have something to remember!

 

[eliza61]

toss your change in a jar daily, you will be surprised how quickly it adds up.

surprised is right, I started doing this and I usually have 20-25 bucks every month. To piggyback off of that, I only use bills. for example if something is 6.29 cents, instead of giving the 0.29c in change, I give 7.00 bucks and toss the 0.71c in my change jar.
Definitely helps with the grocery bill.


Also going to reiterate what a previous poster mentioned. While I love on site, there are some really, really nice hotels & vacation rentals outside of the disney parks. I've had some great vacations off site just visiting the parks 2 or 3 days and then doing other things.

 

[Disney2012]

I really appreciated all your posts and you gave me a lot to think about. I feel a little more encouraged and will try to use some of the ideas. Not giving up on the dream! Thanks for the boost, in the meantime!

disney2012