Family on TIGHT budget, HELP!

[EMode]

The OP didn't need to share her income. By doing so, she opened it up for discussion. Of course, no one knows her entire circumstance. For all we know, she is living with a relative, not paying rent or utilities, has no car payment or any other expenses other than to feed and clothe her kids on that income.

But if she wants to take them to Disney, then she needs to figure out how she is going to pay for it first, before she makes grand plans of flying, staying onsite and getting the dining plan.

I'm not sure what your point is
She shared her income and asked for help planning a trip, I don't think she needs everyone here to tell her she can't afford one. I'm sure she knows she can't right now, that is why she is here asking for help on how she can. If you want to mention that you don't think she can afford it, go ahead, does that mean I have to too?

And FYI, figuring out how you are are going to afford something goes hand in hand with figuring out where the best savings are

 

[natfrac]

I raised two kids alone, w/o child support, and frequently took my kids on Disney vacations. When money was super tight, I would pick up odd jobs to support our Disney habit. It also helped to have another family member go (mom or sister) and split the room cost. We'd pack breakfast and some lunch foods in our suitcases and mostly ate dinner at quick service locations. Plus I gave the kids a bit of spending money so they could always buy something they really wanted.

 

[Kellydelly]

The OP said that she has been wanting to do this since her daughter was 1 and her son was 5. She went on to say that she would like to do it before the boy turns 9. That would make the girl somewhere around 5. So it looks like the PP's estimate is not too far off. In fact, I would guess that airfare, hotel, tickets and food for 3 would actually run higher than that. Yes, it can be done for less, but not if the OP wants to fly and stay onsite.

Regardless of whether or not the youngest is going to cost a plane ticket and park tickets, I still say that telling this person a Disney vacation is going to cost $3,000 or higher is ridiculous. You could definitely spend that much, but certainly can do it for much less depending on where you choose to stay and how many days you buy park tickets for.

 

[Happyjen27]

Anything is possible, especially for a determined mom!

I am fiscally pretty conservative, and I always like to save up for a trip before it happens. So, I would start to squirrel away every penny you can, and once you get to about $2000, start looking at your options.

I would say absolutely no to the dining plan. I did it once, and it was such a waste. The second visit we didn't do the dining plan, still enjoyed many sit down meals and character meals, and still saved money rather than paying for the dining plan. Free dining at a value might be worthwhile, but I wouldn't pay for the dining plan.

Also, pack breakfast and lunch in your suitcase. We ate cold cereal for breakfast every morning. I simply packed 2 boxes of cereal in my suitcase and bought a 1/2 gallon of milk at the resort store. We also enjoyed homemade cookies and pretzels and cheese and crackers for snacks. I packed my own box of wine, and DH packed his rum and bought 2L sodas at the resort store. Although when I travel alone with my kids, I never drink, so that might be a useless detail for you. I would also suggest, since you're on a budget, to pack lunch food as well. PBJ sandwiches in the parks, or nutella crepes for a treat (am I the only person who thinks crepes are a travel food? LOL). There is a microwave in most food courts. I would def. pack some meatballs and sausage for dinner one night on rolls, add that to a bag of salad that you put in your suitcase and yum!

I agree that driving would be horrible. But, what about taking a train to a cheaper airport? If you live anywhere that flies direct to Orlando, watch the flights, I've been reliably able to pay about $180pp round trip when I buy tickets from Jetblue when they first open a new "window" of dates.

Or, drive, but go camping along the way. That is how my parents got our family of 9 to across the country for my Nana and Grampy's 50th wedding anniversary celebration. There was no way we could have afforded flights, but, we made a huge family trip of it. Tent camped overnights and grocery shopped along the way. Even if you don't have a tent, many campgrounds have cabins for rent that are cheaper than hotels.

But, most importantly, don't cause yourself stress or hardship by taking a trip you can't afford. Living in fear of not paying your bills is awful, and makes for a stressed out mommy. I'm certain that, while your kids wish to go to Disney World, they also wish for their mom to have the peace of mind that comes with financial security. I never took a week's vacation staying at a hotel with a pool at an amusement park while I was growing up, and you know what, I had a great childhood. And I also learned the importance of living within my means.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Pick up a second job 1 day or night a week. Put everything from that job in a separate account. In a year or two, you're set.

Edit: upgrading your current job would be better still.

 

[chigirl]

I think if she is a single mom, it would be difficult for her to get a second job and have the babysitting work out....unless she did babysitting herself. Or she could be an ebay seller. You can buy books at Goodwill and resell them. Get a barcode app for your phone and check out what books are hot on ebay and amazon...my neighbor bought books for $1.79 at Goodwill and sold them online and made $3500 in 5 months! You need to look for textbooks, manuals, etc...special interest books.

Or you can look into a niche market: my brother makes $12k a year selling Matchbox cars on Ebay! But you just need to know what is rare and what people want. Pursuing thrift stores and garage sales would also be a fun, free activity for the kids!

Good luck...I know the longing of wanting to take your kids. It took me until my DD was 12 and my DS was 8 before we could go. Now we've been 5 times...life gets easier, I swear to you. You just have to be fiscally sound and work hard. best wishes!!!

 

[Marionnette]

Regardless of whether or not the youngest is going to cost a plane ticket and park tickets, I still say that telling this person a Disney vacation is going to cost $3,000 or higher is ridiculous. You could definitely spend that much, but certainly can do it for much less depending on where you choose to stay and how many days you buy park tickets for.

The OP stated that she wants to fly and that above all else, she wants to stay onsite. I don't care how you slice and dice it, those two factors alone are going to drive her costs way up and put it well within the $3K range once you add tickets and food. Those Disney resorts are not cheap and flying is expensive.

 

[Marionnette]

I'm not sure what your point is
She shared her income and asked for help planning a trip, I don't think she needs everyone here to tell her she can't afford one. I'm sure she knows she can't right now, that is why she is here asking for help on how she can. If you want to mention that you don't think she can afford it, go ahead, does that mean I have to too?

And FYI, figuring out how you are are going to afford something goes hand in hand with figuring out where the best savings are

My point is that no one knows how she allots her $350/week income. To tell her that she cannot afford it without knowing that information means that you're assuming a lot. But there's no sense in planning a vacation when you have no idea what you can even afford to spend on it.

I can dream about going to Europe and staying in 5-star hotels in all of the capital cites, but if I don't have a plan for paying for it, then all of the advice on how to do it for the least amount of money does me no good.

 

[susabari]

If you are bound and determined to go, you can get a small second job working evenings from home and save that money for your trip. If you must stay on site, watch for the specials on value resorts, book well in advance and send in payments when you have the extra cash. I used to work for Disney resort reservations and people did that all the time. Do your research, you may find that the AAA discount for a resort stay and tickets offsets the cost of joining for one year. Get a room with a refrigerator and have yogurt and granola bars for breakfast and take sandwiches into the parks to eat for lunch. The quick service meals in the parks or at the resort are plenty for dinner. Don't buy park tickets for each and every day of your stay - there are lots and lots of things to do on property that don't require park admission.

As for getting your son there before he is 9...We live locally and have been taking our kids (including weekend stays on site) since they were tiny and, honestly, they really get so much more out of it now that they are 9 and 11 and tall enough to enjoy all of the rides, plus it is SO much easier to stay with them in a hotel.

 

[kymom99]

My point is that no one knows how she allots her $350/week income. To tell her that she cannot afford it without knowing that information means that you're assuming a lot. But there's no sense in planning a vacation when you have no idea what you can even afford to spend on it.

I can dream about going to Europe and staying in 5-star hotels in all of the capital cites, but if I don't have a plan for paying for it, then all of the advice on how to do it for the least amount of money does me no good.

But the thing is, how would anyone know if they can afford it or not if they don't ask questions? People on here are all the time criticizing folks for not researching and planning, and then someone comes here to do just that and people want to tell her to forget it.

Back to the OP. You have gotten some good advice here on ways to stay on a budget. As others have said, food is probably the biggest variable you have. You may be able to find some deals on the other aspects, but the food thing can vary greatly. That is where you can really save money, or blow the budget. Do you eat out much normally? We do not, so a couple nice meals is a real treat for us. Our first trip we went to Crystal Palace for a character dinner and Le Cellier (before it was so wildly popular) for another dinner. That was it and we were happy with that. Don't make the trip about the food and you can save a bundle. My kid usually has to be told to eat when he is excited and busy anyway. Keep it simple.

Hope you are able to make this trip and that you have a great time. Don't rush it. Planning is half the fun!

 

[Marionnette]

But the thing is, how would anyone know if they can afford it or not if they don't ask questions? People on here are all the time criticizing folks for not researching and planning, and then someone comes here to do just that and people want to tell her to forget it.

Back to the OP. You have gotten some good advice here on ways to stay on a budget. As others have said, food is probably the biggest variable you have. You may be able to find some deals on the other aspects, but the food thing can vary greatly. That is where you can really save money, or blow the budget. Do you eat out much normally? We do not, so a couple nice meals is a real treat for us. Our first trip we went to Crystal Palace for a character dinner and Le Cellier (before it was so wildly popular) for another dinner. That was it and we were happy with that. Don't make the trip about the food and you can save a bundle. My kid usually has to be told to eat when he is excited and busy anyway. Keep it simple.

Hope you are able to make this trip and that you have a great time. Don't rush it. Planning is half the fun!

Aside from the PP who stated that it will run about $3K to get the kind of vacation the OP wants, I'm not seeing too many actual numbers being thrown out there.

Fact: 1 adult 5-day base ticket is $323.76 (with tax). The children's tickets are $302.46.

Suggestion: Buy from someone other than Disney to save a few dollars on each ticket.
Suggestion: 3-day base tickets would be $291.81 and $271.58, respectively. Save a few dollars and plan "down" days in between.
​

Fact: Even during the slowest period, a Disney Value Resort is $96/night (plus the 12% hotel tax). This is the rack rate during the week, during "value" season in January.

Suggestion: Look for a discount rate, which will get you between 5%-15% off of the rack rate of a Value Resort.
Suggestion: Go during *free* dining so that even though you are paying the rack rate, your will get 2 meals per person per day included in that price.​

Fact: Airfare is expensive. No two ways about it. Expect to pay around $200+ per person.

Suggestion: Check the prices from more than one departing airport.
Suggestion: Use a price-tracking website like Kayak.com to determine if the price you are seeing is likely to go down.
Suggestion: Get a rewards credit card that gives you bonus miles for signing up so that you can get free flights. Not a good suggestion (IMO), given that the OP's income is so low that she is not likely to be able to meet the spending requirement to get those bonus miles, even if she were to qualify for the card.​

Fact: There are no discounts on Disney food unless you are a privileged member such as a DVC owner, FL resident who purchases a TiW card or an AP holder. Expect to spend about $10-$15 per adult CS meal and about $6 per child's meal.

Suggestion: Check the menu prices on allears.net to see what you can expect to pay for food.
Suggestion:Share meals. Ask for ice water at CS locations.
Suggestion: Pack non-perishable breakfast items in your luggage so that you can eat in your room.
Suggestion: Get a Target debit card and use it to buy Disney gift cards at a 5% discount so that all of your OOP cost for food is 5% less than the posted prices.
Suggestion: Go during *free* dining.
​

 

[Beezle2]

Aside from the PP who stated that it will run about $3K to get the kind of vacation the OP wants, I'm not seeing too many actual numbers being thrown out there.

1 year of donating plasma twice a week, about 2 1/2 hours per week time investment. A bit over $3000. Vacation budget managed

OP you should check it out!

 

[RyMacJ]

Aside from the PP who stated that it will run about $3K to get the kind of vacation the OP wants, I'm not seeing too many actual numbers being thrown out there.

1 year of donating plasma twice a week, about 2 1/2 hours per week time investment. A bit over $3000. Vacation budget managed

OP you should check it out!

How painful is that, just out of curiousity?

 

[Nayan]

Aside from the PP who stated that it will run about $3K to get the kind of vacation the OP wants, I'm not seeing too many actual numbers being thrown out there.

1 year of donating plasma twice a week, about 2 1/2 hours per week time investment. A bit over $3000. Vacation budget managed

OP you should check it out!

Selling your plasma because you need money for a dire emergency...maybe.

Selling your plasma to afford a Disney trip?

 

[NancyIL]

I love going to Disney World, and I usually visit once or more times per year. However, when my kids were young, a trip to WDW meant a one-day visit to the Magic Kingdom every few years while we visited (and stayed with) my mom - who lived an hour away. Our first multi-day trip was for 3 days in 1996 when my kids were 5, 8, and 11, and we stayed at the Quality Inn Lake Cecile @ $27.95/night!

It would be hard to live on $350/week, let alone save extra for a vacation to WDW. Focus on getting your finances in order now, and save what you can for a future rainy day and/or vacation fund. What your children will remember are the fun times they spend with you now - whether it's at a park in your town, a weekend getaway, or something much more elaborate. Your kids won't be deprived if they don't go to Disney World.

 

[Beezle2]

Selling your plasma because you need money for a dire emergency...maybe.

Selling your plasma to afford a Disney trip?

Really? How about getting the plasma you need when it's a dire emergency? Where do you think it comes from? I started donating plasma last year because I had a clinical rotation that was over an hour away from my house and gas was killing me. So I did start because I needed to, but I choose to continue because it is easy, good for society, and I like money. If you wait til you have a dire emergency it wouldn't really help because you can only make about $60 a week. It's the planning ahead that helps. If someone donates plasma and then just saves the money, then they would have it no matter what they wanted it for, be it dire emergencies or travel.

And I will point out society needs donors! That plasma is used for life saving efforts. It is good to think outside the box.

 

[Beezle2]

How painful is that, just out of curiousity?

Not painful beyond a needle stick. I was a bit hesitant but I do it now because I choose to. $3000 a year is a nice side job. Last year with my DH and I both doing it we made twice that. He got a job truck driving and it doesn't work for him any more. If you have a local place check them out. We have 2 but I wouldn't go to one of them. They looked skeevy when we were scoping them out.

 

[NancyIL]

Really? I started donating plasma last year because I had a clinical rotation that was over an hour away from my house and gas was killing me. So I did start because I needed to, but I choose to continue because it is easy, good for society, and I like money. If you wait til you have a dire emergency it wouldn't really help because you can only make about $60 a week. It's the planning ahead that helps. If someone donates plasma and then just saves the money, then they would have it no matter what they wanted it for, be it dire emergencies or travel.

And I will point out society needs donors! That plasma is used for life saving efforts. It is good to think outside the box.

Off topic but - I grew up in Kalamazoo! I'll be back in July for my 40th HS reunion.

 

[Tinkerbell100]

We too are on a tight budget and so far this is what I've done- I would love to stay on site but it costs way too much. Basically, even if you do pick a value resort, you still cannot cook in your room. So we booked through vacation strategy and it came out to $75 per person for a whole wk. This way you can cook a all of your meals and save tons of money. We also drive. Yes I know it's a pain. But even with gas prices and staying in a hotel it still is cheaper!!! Then we have transportation while down there and are not paying for a car rental or transportation fees. I opened the Disney Chase premier card for the rewards and $200 gift card. And we just can not go to Disney every day. So we look at what we can afford and pick other things to do/see in FL the other days of our week. I break down week by week what I should save and put it in a separate vacation account. Hope this helps you!!!

 

[eliza61]

First, it's very hard to determine a budget because Op is evident talking 3 or 4 years from now and who knows what prices will be by then.

My suggestions.
1. Off-site. Sorry but with the budget you are talking about you should focus on the most bang for the buck. Please don't get hung up of adjectives like "magical", yada yada yada. You will have a magical time no matter what.

2) down time. I would get a 4 day ticket, one day for each park, the rest of the time do pool and DTD.

Good luck. I will say this, Disney is not the be all to end all. Many families managed to raise happy, healthy children with hundreds of special memories with out Disney.