How do you all plan your budget?

[Melika77]

HI! We are planning to head to WDW during October of 2003. We will be staying at either CSR or WL. There will be 3 adults and no children. We all will be attending MNSSHP and the Food and WIne festivel. We have planned dinners at: Crystal Palace, Boma, Mama Melroses, Liberty Tree Tavern, and Rose and Crown.

I'd like to know how everyone plans their budget and how well they adhere to it.

Thanks,
Melissa

 

[Disney Fool]

I usually plan for $50.00 per person per day for food; schedule only one or two character meals, or buffet meals, as they get very expensive, set a limit on spending for souveniers: so much for children, and so much for adults, and then I keep a reserve amount, for those unknowns. I buy Disney dollars for the children, so that they can't spend the money ahead of time(Disney dollars for adults wouldn't be a bad idea, either.) I ususally use my tax return check to pay for hotel bills, although I put the down payment on my credit card, I'll pay up front when I check-in, that way when I return home, there's no nasty surprise waiting for me on my credit card bill. I'll purchase Disney tee shirts, and other clothing items only on sale at the Disney store (off season) or at Wal-mart. For example: we bought adult women's sneakers with mickey on them for $10.00 at Walmart. They were denim and very comfortable. Hope this helps.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I budget $150 per day for food and "whatever." On my first few trips I spent that and sometimes more, because I felt the need to buy many many souvenirs. Now I still budget $150, but we rarely spend it. We usually do one sit down per day, and the rest of the day is counter service. Generally food runs us about $100 per day (we are a family of 3, 2 adults and a 7 year old).

Our hotel and tickets (we have APs) are always paid for before the trip, and we use the room charge for everything else. It's an easy way to keep track of what you are spending.

 

[Melika77]

Thanks for the advice. It's helful. Now, do you folks generally leave $1 per person per day for mousekeeping?

Melissa

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

Melika - that's exactly what we do. $3.00 per day for the 3 of us.

 

[kendeann]

The amount you determine depends on your eating tastes... just check out websites for the newest prices per meal and then add a couple dollars.... , passes, airlines, towncar/transportion, etc.... I make a chart on how many pay checks are available till departure and put that much amount budgeted away each paycheck...
We do all cash.. and have everytrip we have made. When you have the amount you need for a certain item. --- transportation, eating for that day - go get disney dollars or travel checks so you will not spend it. ( if you are more discipline then us you can put it in a savings account but we find this works alot better.)
Then i use envelopes for each day to put thos dollars in and when we get there we pull the envelope out of the safe and that is our limit for the day.

As regards to housekeeping we put all our change from the day at the parks in a jar and leave that for them.

Have a great trip - it will be here before you know it...

 

[SandraC]

I calculated all our menus from the menus on Deb Wills site and figured out our grocery list and cost. It can to about $500.00 for 4 people ( 2 adults, 8 yo dd and 2 yo ds ~ eats free most of the time).

Char meals: Cindys, Breakfastosaurus, Poly, Crystal Palace.
The rest are at counter service, food court and groceries.

I planned one day of hitting all the counter services I missed at Epcot. The family is really looking forward to that. It was great fun pouring over all the menus!

Even if we don't stick to the meal plan, I think the budget will stay around the same.