Okay, I opened one of my mousekeeping envelopes and I put $3 in each envelope. I guess maybe I should have done $4 reading y'alls posts!
As far as food, we bring a LOT. We do not eat out table service everyday. We eat b/fast daily in the room b/f we head out and lunch half the days will be brought. Yeah, I frequent the budget boards!!
But we have done that for each of our last 3 trips with kids and even the 1 without way back in '95-except DL this past March b/c it was a short trip and far and it was just different.
I just feel we can go more often and not lose out an a BIT of magic if we bring some of our own stuff and I don't mind it at all. From what i remember it was going to be about $120 per day for the DDP for us and that doesn't include Rainforest Cafe and it takes 2 credits for CRT and the luau.PLUS in 2008 that doesn't include tips. I KNOW we can eat
and buy souvies on $100-
$120 max per day average. Some days we spend $40 and some we will spend $140. We miss no magic . I takes away nothing from our WDW experience. Plus , most of those $140 days are already paid for. PLUS we will have the DDE which will knock off 20% of table service meals incl. CRT and the luau and anything we get at the food court at the POP.
Having the AP really has paid off for us. I wouldn't do that for a shorter trip. I figured out we will save about $300 over all-possibly more. We saved $20 a night over
AAA Sun -Thurs (saving us $80). DDE is $65 but will be worth it after our first night going to the luau-we are going to save $60 just that night with the DDE. So the rest of the trips table service meals will save us a lot more. I will keep track of it as we go along.
We also bring our snacks so we don't feel tempted to buy them all at thier horrendous prices. We DO get one or a drink here and there-and this time we will be indulging in Dole Whip Floats!! We got hooked on those in DL. But we share b/c by the time you get to the next ride, there is no time to suck it down fast enough. We'd rather share it ,enjoy it and get another to share later!
We freeze drink boxes/capri suns and our waters and we put them in our plug in ice chest. Last time they stayed frozen the whole trip in there. That was a 5 day trip. I have a hot pot that we can heat up water for oatmeal and grits and even make mac n cheese. It boils water in about 60 seconds.It was $10 from Linens and Things. I bring those pre-soaped dish towels to wash it out. We bring paper plates,etc for sandwiches and baggies for packing them. We bring milk and some fruitcups and granola bars. I have a huge long list. If we flew, I'd ship it all.
I have been saving my freebies from the freebie board for this trip but have gotten so much that my DH, who travels a good bit, has been able to use it too. Toothpaste, deodorant,shampoos, conditioners, cereals, razors,etc... toothbrushes too! Plus he brings home lotions and soap from his traveling too,sometimes.
WOW!! I MUST sound frugal!!
It has been fun though b/c for a year now, I have been getting these things in the mail for our trip and it has helped me get through the year of waiting!! I have a couple bags in my room filled with stuff. Also everytime I shop for groceries, i have started getting something for the trip so it doesn't hit all at once!
Lori
However, I don't want to go overboard. I like your idea of having each day's money in an envelope. I'm just not sure how much to put in our envelopes!
