Getting into the Disney saving mentality (and a question)

[d-man's mom]

I bought some spring clothes for myself over the weekend. The one outfit I just don't love- at least I don't love it as much as our trip to WDW!

I've decided to return it and take the money and put it in our disney account.

My question-

How do you justify purchases throughout the year while you are saving for your trip? Do you buy things that you only need, with the occasional thing that you "love and must have"? Or do you spend as you normally do but put money aside out of each check (or tax refund or whatever)?

Just curious as to how others justify their spending. Thanks!

~Kathy

WDW 1981 offsite, 1997 Disney Institute, 12/2005 ASMo for d-man's 5th bdy!

 

[JDarling]

I cut myself down to the necessities until the trip savings account reaches the goal. Then I free up some funds to do clothes shopping and things like that. For example, I have 3 work outfits: A skirt, 1 pair of brown pants (which have gotten too big, and the hem is coming out on one leg), and a pair of black pants (which suffer from the same hemming issues) that are missing a clasp at the waist. I fix what I can and carry on and don't worry about fashion too much. As long as it's clean, relatively neat (and I say "relatively" because it has to endure my 1 1/2 mile hike to work in my back pack daily), and doesn't break my company's dress code, then it'll do for now. Making due is something we're very good at in our household!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

If I see anything I feel I must have I wait 24hrs. I'm famous for having buyers guilt and then returning stuff. If I still feel I absolutely need it then I'll get it the next time I'm near that store. As for my kids I always ask them would they rather have a toy now that will be broken or forgotten in a year or would they want to ride BTMR. Disney wins 99% of the time.

 

[JDarling]

If I see anything I feel I must have I wait 24hrs. I'm famous for having buyers guilt and then returning stuff. If I still feel I absolutely need it then I'll get it the next time I'm near that store. As for my kids I always ask them would they rather have a toy now that will be broken or forgotten in a year or would they want to ride BTMR. Disney wins 99% of the time.

This strategy works on me and my hubby too. We'll be sitting around thinking "Man, I'd LOVE to go out to dinner tonight." But then we say "well, would you rather have (fill in the blank food) here tonight, or in Disneyworld?" Disneyworld always wins and we scrounge up something in.

 

[crazymomof4]

I shop the end of season clearance racks. I usually find stuff I "love" for very very cheap. Then I often put it away (bc. it's the end of the season). When I pull it out the begining of the next season, I am always pleasantly surprised. Right now I'm getting out my spring and summer clothes and "oohing and aaahing" over the neat things I bought last fall that still have the tags on. So it's like getting new things each season but only paying about 25% of the orignal price. ( I shop mostly the 75% off clearance racks)

 

[dixipixi]

I agree with the post about waiting 24 hours, but I do a slightly different version. I have $200.00 cash stashed in a "safe place". It is mine to do with as I please, but I NEVER have it in my wallet. If I see something I want that is not on my list of "necessities", I have to go all the way home to get the money. 99% of the time, I forget about whatever it was before I even get home!

I do buy clothes when I need them, but I have 2 teenage boys (growing fast) and they always need something. That's where most of my "disposable income" goes.

So I do have to have a savings plan in place throughout the year in order to afford our vacations. Of course, we are also very lucky because my parents and my in-laws give us money and/or tickets for our trips every year instead of buying us all useless junk for birthdays, Christmas, etc. So we are very grateful!!!

 

[EthansMom]

As far as spending, well it's all a matter of priorities. We Live Below Our Means (LBOM) which means that we make it a priority to spend less than we make and to put away a decent amount towards our future (vacations/retirement/college/etc.).

I run a monthly budget so the money is pretty much spent (at least allocated) before it comes in. In addition to regular expenses, I also have categories for Savings for Kids' College (they're 3 and 1), Saving to Pay Cash for Next Car, Savings for Vacation, and Savings for Retirement. I run the monthly budget off two paychecks per month even though DH gets paid bi-weekly, so the extra two paychecks per year are also designated to Vacation Savings.

I put our Vacation Savings and Car Savings into a regular CU savings account and keep my own accounting of how much of that account is for a new car and how much is for vacation. DH has a 401k at work. But I also have a Traditional IRA so I send off a check for my Retirement Savings each month. Also, we have a College Savings Account (formerly called Coverdell IRA) for each of the kids, so I send out checks to each of the College Savings Accounts each month.

So we're saving more than the Joneses, but there is a "Living" part to LBOM and we're not above making frivolous purchases that make us happy! (There is a difference between "frugal" and "cheap".)

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

2 words OVER TIME. I paid for a lot our trip ($3000.00) with take home OT since January. I work third, so no real family time lost. I go to work after the kids are in bed, and sleep while they are in school. Luckily I have a very understanding DH, who helps out a lot at home. I rarely do laundry, or dishes. He just doesn't do windows, or the bathroom.

I won't continue doing that all year round. Now that Spring has FINALLY hit Ohio, I will hopefully cut back a day at work every pay period. But in the winter months, we don't do much anyway, I can pick up extra shifts, and not really notice it.

We also try not to eat out as much. We only go to movies once they hit the cheap theater, and then only with coupons. My kids also know to expect Disney Dollars for allowance, and holidays, birthdays, tooth fairy, etc.

I've noticed that spending on myself as decreased tremendously since the kids came along. I can't go much lower that I already have. I realized last week that I only have 2 pairs of jeans.

 

[JDarling]

2 words OVER TIME. I paid for a lot our trip ($3000.00) with take home OT since January. I work third, so no real family time lost. I go to work after the kids are in bed, and sleep while they are in school. Luckily I have a very understanding DH, who helps out a lot at home. I rarely do laundry, or dishes. He just doesn't do windows, or the bathroom.

I won't continue doing that all year round. Now that Spring has FINALLY hit Ohio, I will hopefully cut back a day at work every pay period. But in the winter months, we don't do much anyway, I can pick up extra shifts, and not really notice it.

We also try not to eat out as much. We only go to movies once they hit the cheap theater, and then only with coupons. My kids also know to expect Disney Dollars for allowance, and holidays, birthdays, tooth fairy, etc.

I've noticed that spending on myself as decreased tremendously since the kids came along. I can't go much lower that I already have. I realized last week that I only have 2 pairs of jeans.

Whew! you've got tons of energy! Then again, people say the same thing about me when I get an acting gig on the side. It's amazing how little sleep you really need!

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

Whew! you've got tons of energy! Then again, people say the same thing about me when I get an acting gig on the side. It's amazing how little sleep you really need!

It was alot of hours. About 110 per 2 weeks. I lucked out though- We were really short at work, so they were offering majors bonuses to pick up shifts. I'm a nurse, so I'm lucky in the fact, that there is usually always shifts to pick up, if we need extra, or need a Disney fix.

Sleep is Overrated. I just keep telling myself that.

 

[JDarling]

It was alot of hours. About 110 per 2 weeks. I lucked out though- We were really short at work, so they were offering majors bonuses to pick up shifts. I'm a nurse, so I'm lucky in the fact, that there is usually always shifts to pick up, if we need extra, or need a Disney fix.

Sleep is Overrated. I just keep telling myself that.

My dad used to tell me "Wear out, don't rust out." Though I'd rather have rusted some days!