Gosh! Seems Like I Spend SOOOO Much Money Pre-Trip

[BethR]

Just got back from another pre-trip shopping spree. You know - had to get sun glasses, socks, underwear, video tapes, batteries, and so on and so forth.
I've been so good about trying to stay on budget for this trip, and I feel like I have blown it all. Perhaps I need to forget about that Chef Mickey Breakfast.
I know that this is just my pre-trip "funk." Some people get ultra excited, I get in a funk. It will disappear when I am at the airport tomorrow afternoon.
But until then...My family knows to LOOK OUT!

Now, I need to get back to laundry, packing and cleaning...

 

[bubba's mom]

look at it this way....you NEED that stuff....and some of that stuff would be 3X more $$ at disney!!

 

[momxx5]

I totally understand. I had to buy new socks for everyone and the boys all needed new t-shirts. Of course the girls got new dresses and I need a few new shirts too. All that before we even started packing. But I look at all the clothes as back-to-school stuff. School starts Monday.

Have a great trip

 

[LisaZoe]

Unless I buy something that will only be used on the trip, I try not to look at pre-trip purchases as part of my vacation spending. Sunglasses, underwear and socks are just replacing basics you have to have whether on vacation or not - you'd probably be buying the undies and socks for school anyway, right? So, of everything you listed specifically, I'd say only the video tapes and batteries fall into a trip-only expense and even then you should think of the money saved buying at home. The video tapes are also a souvenir of your trip and a cheap one at that!.

I know what you mean about a pre-trip funk. The excitement of planning leaves me burnt out and tired plus I start worrying about things not working out as I'd envisioned. Also, while I'm not afraid of flying, I don't like it so that can start bugging me more than usual since I'm already off-kilter.

Don't cancel CM until you get there and are sure it's not just the "funk" talking.

 

[lkohawaii]

This thread seems to be the place to share some of my friends travel advice. She takes all her old underwear and socks on vacation and throws them away after she's used them. She says no sense lugging them back home. That way she has more room in her bag for other stuff. Never thought of this but am thinking about trying it next trip.

 

[Candleshoe]

awww! BethR , I do know what you're feeling. I'm going to wager you're the one most responsible for packing/getting ready etc. It wears you down!!

Every trip, not just Disney, but Christmas, Thanksgiving, and any extended trip that I know is coming up ahead of time. . . I try to tell myself to be all packed and ready to go before hand. So that the day before I can lounge around and just be excited!

I haven't quite done it yet! LOL.

LOVE THE throw away old undies idea! Hah! I do the opposite sometimes. I buy a brand NEW package and pack it to take with.

Last trip to Disney, in an attempt to do the 'pack everything early' idea, I bought new toothbrushes and toothpaste and had them packed already so that I didn't even have to pack toiletries. (Not that it worked. I was frantic up to the moment of getting in the van to drive!)

Have loads of fun, Beth! You know you will

 

[BethR]

Thanks to all of you. You are all the best!
I am still in my "funk," but I haven't cancelled Chef Mick's yet.
Still a bit of packing to do (I can't find my Brita bottles! ). But this time tomorrow, we will be getting ready for the MK!

I will see you all when I get home.

 

[Cinders]

Maybe all that stuff needs to be part of the budget. I know the morning we leave (we drive) we stop at WalMart for everyone to pick out their own snacks and I actually added water/snacks to my daily budget on my Works budget sheet. Another thing I do is buy odds and ends on sale and toss them in my Mickey carpet bag (like the blue one everyone is talking about except it has lots of small Mickey faces). By the time our trip gets here I'll have already packed all of our soap, razors, sunscreen type stuff.

 

[Rhonda922]

Weeks before we leave I start thinking about our trip. I know that we'll need to take soap, toothpaste, film, batteries, etc. with us so I just pick up extra when I'm at the supermarket. When I get home, I just throw everything in a separate bag and put it in my suitcase. That way, I'm not running to the store the day before the trip to pick up anything. Who's got the time?

 

[Carrie Ellis]

HI!

I am a coupon freak! Months ahead I use coupons on stuff that is discounted or on sale. It sometimes makes toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodrant, etc almost free. Also I bought several Target cards when I enrolled w/ hotwiresavings club. These cards make your saving already 20%. Then if you hit the end of the isles where they clearance stuff, plus your coupons! Great savings!!

We are going in Sept so I have hit the Disney store probably 25 times in the last 2 months. If something went down in price I would rebuy it and return the other (I was going in again anyway). I have clothed all 4 my kids for under $100 for 2 weeks. Plus they will wear everything for the next year.

We are taking our travel trailer to FW so I have done snacks the same way.

The target cards are great!

Oh! Also I bought 2 $25 GC for the person who will feed our dog for trip. It is $50 for her but I will only pay $40. So that is paid for.

Also the meal vouchers...so a lot of our meals are paid for.

Hope this helps next time.

 

[CheapMom]

Beth- I know what you mean- before our trip in June I kept running to the dollar store and TDS (because of all the sale alerts on this board) to buy little trip trinkets for the kids like fans, pjs, little toys, t-shirts...
I was thinking "I shouldn't be spending all this $$$ right before vacation." But when I got to WDW and saw the water bottle fans for $18 which I got for $1 at the dollar tree I knew I had done good.
We really did spend less on our trip because of this pre-planned spending.

Have a great time- We will try to be good while you are away and unable to moderate us!!!

 

[Doodlebug939]

Since others are sharing their tips I will share one of mine. I order free samples of shampoo and detergent when ever I see them posted online. So when they come in they go right into my Disney bag for the trip.

And as for the extra expense that you spent BethR I know how you feel. A lot of us do the same thing. Now with all the school deals out I am buying our family each a 6 pack of socks and undies for the trip while they are one sale.

Also where in Pittsburgh are you? My husbands family is in Carrick which is the southside I think. And we plan on moving back there when he retires from the military.

 

[mrskay9]

Originally posted by Carrie Ellis

Oh! Also I bought 2 $25 GC for the person who will feed our dog for trip. It is $50 for her but I will only pay $40. So that is paid for.

I'm in VA! I'll walk your dog!

BTW, the counters in this thread are KILLING ME!

 

[2Disneybuggs]

I know the feeling. I like to bring most of our snacks and breakfast foods from home. Im also newly pregnant so I have to buy some summer maternity clothes just for Disney.I just wait for the sales an stock up.

 

[ceecee]

We go in Sept, so we can get a lot of good deals on summer clothes. DD can also wear them to school for a few months and probably next year as well. I have a shelf in the closet that I put my Disney stuff on....Brita bottles, water/fan bought on sale, disp. camera for DD, etc.....I pick up things on sale throughout the year so there is no major outlay of $.

 

[HenDuck]

I put shopping for toiletries on my "to do" list. I usually buy some about 6 weeks out, then more every two weeks until the trip. I am often still running around the day before the trip looking for this or that, but at least I spread out the expense of the pre-trip spending. And I feel like my vacation is almost here because I am "packing" already.

I have thought about the "old undies" idea too and may do that in December. I do buy a few special things for myself before going on vacation - Origins "Soap Suds" body wash, Aveda products for my hair, etc. These are little splurges that I give to myself for a job well done on planning the trip!

Like the OP said, all pre-trip "funk" disappears as soon as you leave for DISNEY!!!

 

[hulabird]

I just spent 62.00 on pet stuff online! My rabbit is staying at my mom's so I got her some treats and food to take with and then I saw this little "playpen" type thing for $11.99, and I figured my mom and her would love that (my rabbit lives out at home because she is litter trained). My mom has white carpet and usually doesn't let my rabbit stay out all day, so now I can put a blanket down and put up this little playpen and my rabbit can stay out at least in a confined area. Next, my dog is going away to a "bed, bath and breakfast" dog place, so I got him new bowls for food and water and of course treats.

I do alot of surveys online that pay in amazon gift certificates and I had over $200 in my amazon account so I bought alot of things we need for the trip through them, sunscreen, digital camera memory cards and batteries, bug spray etc....at least THOSE expenses were paid for out of something other than my savings!

I think I am ready though, oh I also bought a new digital camera for our trip and really that was an impulse thing because I had a perfectly good one....ok I am cutting myself off!

 

[bubba's mom]

Originally posted by hulabird
........I also bought a new digital camera for our trip and really that was an impulse thing because I had a perfectly good one....

please be sure to experiment with your new one and make sure everything is in working order. i've heard of people having problems taking a new camera. whether THEY misused it, or the CAMERA had a problem?? .....also, take plenty of memory!! IMHO, i would take the old camera too! can you really have toooo many pictures? that way, you'd have a spare and someone else to help capture TWICE as many memories!!
have a really fun trip!!

 

[hulabird]

I agree, I am bringing both. That way my DH or nieces can use one as well. (of course they get the old one! lol)

You have fun too Bubba's mom-I see this is your first trip....it is so exciting when it is your first.

 

[bubba's mom]

yes, i'm sure we will. dh and i have been to epcot, mgm, pleasure island and universal, but not MK together...and ds is 5 1/2 now...his first time anywhere in disney. so, we are all pretty excited doing this together and we look forward to another disney adventure each year!!
thanks and have a grand trip yourself!!