How do you guys afford....

[jel0511]

After reading these posts, I've decided I'm very lucky. We usually take 2 - 3 trips a year, and really don't save specifically for them, since we're alwas saving. I just make ressies and pay the bills off as they come in. My DH has a VERY good job and I'm a stay at home mom. We also bought into DVC, which helps make our Disney vacations more affordable, and then allows us to take another "big" vacation, since our Disney ones are basically passes and food, we also drive to cut down costs on our Disney vacations. I wish the rest of you luck in trying to get down to Disney, and I'll sprinkle a little pixie dust for you, hopefully it will help!!

 

[perdidobay]

DH and I first went to WDW when we were 28 and 27. We never went before then because we couldn't afford it. In fact, before then the only vacations we had were camping trips, and we cooked our own food, etc, on a bare bones budget. We go to WDW several times a year now, because we live below our means and save money for vacations.
We spend alot more than most people do on vacations, but then we spend WAY less than most people do on cars and clothes and eating out, etc. It's all about choices you make

 

[momof3disneyholics]

We go twice a year. We live in South Georgia so the drive isn't that long. We can get there on one tank of gas. I read a post a last month kinda like this one and a couple of people suggested saving all your change. So, we have done that for a month, putting away some ones, and all of our pocket change and in a month it has added up to 100.00! I also budget the trips out as bills. I take the money that I am saving for it every two weeks and put it in our safe at our house. I am also very frugal and will cut costs anywhere. Example, last night I was going to order Pizza Hut which would have been probably 20.00 or higher for 2 pizzas. Instead, I went to the grocery store and got 2 Digorno's and both of them were 5.00 each. I saved 10.00 that way. I decided to take the 10.00 and put it in the jar I am saving money in. I have just had to learn to think before I spend. I am only 27, and we have 3 kids. My husband is in the army and I work full time. We are no where being well off, we have just really had to learn to save money. We decided a few years ago that vacations are going to be in our list of priorities because our whole family enjoys them so much. We are going to be moving to the Orlando area in a year and a half when he gets out of the army, because we love that area so much. We are hoping that being so close we will be able to go even more often.
Seriously though, try the saving money in a jar. It really does work!

 

[MAC3]

I Agree with dianeschlicht.

Dvc & saving the change always works for us as well as out tax return! But I do consider us lucky, but to be honest I have dented the plastic.

 

[AirForceRocks]

We don't make it every year, but we save change, I do points programs, etc.

In the end, I figure that God will provide.

 

[Mishetta]

The last time we went was in 2000. We went for Easter & then again for Christmas. It was so much fun! Then we just planned on the following Christmas, but I had a surprise baby in "01" so we decided to postpone till the following year. Well, in "02" just the day before we were going to leave for our WDW trip, my Mom ended up in the hospital with Meningitis, so we cancelled (Mom was supposed to go with us.) Now, again we have ressies for this December. I am preparing already! Shopping for toys for the kids to play with in the van & putting stuff aside that I want to take, which we aren't using now. Shopping for summer clothes in the clearance racks, etc..

We always plan on using Income Tax Refund $$ for our trips. We split that $$ 3 ways. First portion goes to pay our property taxes, the 2nd portion goes to pay our DS's school tuition & the last portion is for DISNEY!!

I sure do know how you feel though, I'd like to go more often too!

 

[ducklite]

We manage an average of three trips a year to WDW.

DH and I both work in the I/T field, and make a decent living. I also have a p/t job and my check from that is direct deposited into a savings account, so I never see it. But then it is there when I want to take a vacation DH also picks up freelance work here and there from two companies he used to work for, and that money gets put away as well.

We pay all of our credit cards immediately, so no wasted money in interest. I also refuse to carry any card with an annual fee. I got the new Disney Visa and we've been using that exclusively in order to rack up points for Disney Reward DOllars.

We're "almost" empty nesters. We chose to have only one child, and he is 17, and will graduate high school in June '04. He has learned a trade, and won't be going to college, so we don't have that to worry about.

We also bought DVC in 1998 and then added on again this year, so many of our trips require much less out of pocket expense, and we've been able to treat some family members to stay with us who might not have been able to go otherwise .

We aren't afraid to splurge on special things, but we also bargain shop--I pretty much won't buy clothes and housewares that aren't on sale. I like to shop at Kohl's and Saks Off 5th, brand and designer names at major discounts!

I'm not afraid to ask for things. This year we've scored free tickets to three concerts (Rush, 3 Doors Down, and Nickelback) and a Broadway show (The Graduate) by listening to the radio and showing up where the "Prize Patrol" is handing stuff out, and simply asking nicely "what else they have" when they try to hand us a free t-shirt or sports bottle. Cuts back on the entertainment budget when you get freebies! (We've also gotten a bunch of free CD's and things like that )

I love getting a facial, but don't want to spend the money for one every month. The spa that I go to for them offered a free "learn to give yourself a facial" class. I signed up myself and a friend. I knew they were doing it hoping to sell a bunch of stuff, but I already use their line and my friend is into holistic stuff and makes most of her own. So we went and learned how to give ourselves facials. We didn't ahve to buy anything (she didn't, I bought somehting I was running low on anyhow) plus we both left with a bag of samples

Somehow DH and I are always getting calls to be on "advisory panels" and things like that. We have to go to a place near our house and watch a movie, view carpet and upholstery samples for a car line, or something those lines, and then give our oprinion. For between one and three hours time, we get between $50 and $200! Wee can usually do this four times a year!

I have extra taken out of my paycheck for federal taxes every pay period, and then know I'm going to have a large check every year right about the time the bill for our February WDW trip hits

We've also been creative in leveraging our assets, borrowing at very low interest rates to obtain cash to purchase assets with a very high return on investment, and then liquidating those at the "right time". Then we paid back the loan, and pocketed a nice chunk of change, we've done this several times now. That money all went into a special account, and we recently used it to buy a house about twenty minutes from WDW--and we'll be able to watch the nightly fireworks from our home everynight It will be a vacation home for now, but will eventually be our retirement home.

Anne

 

[Kteacher]

There's a lot of great tips here. I am also a "change saver", and use this money towards our food budget when we're in WDW. I'm another person who works a p/t job as well as a full time job. My paychecks from my p/t job go into a separate vacation account. I've found a lot of great tips on the rewards and budget boards as well. Good luck to you!!

 

[Pig Pen]

Not really.

I usually use my tax refund. I know accountants frown on this... but we have the MAX taken out of our checks so we know we will get a big refund.

We also bought DVC so we don't really worry about the hotel bill anymore. It's like prepaying.

If we are really short of cash, we drive, bring a cooler full of sandwiches and drinks and see if we can get down there on gas money only. DVC rooms have fridges, microwaves, coffeemakers (some have full kitchens so you can save on meals) and free laundry facilities.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Thanks everyone! I have some news, but you'll have to look for my new thread to find out what it is!!

 

[GailT]

CH then get yourself in a whole, easy as pie.ARDGE CHARGE CHARGE

 

[CamColt]

Sometimes we go the cheap way, like last week. We drove down and stayed at the ASMO witha DC discount. We have only started going more than once every few years because of all the discounts Ive found out about. Also, we just started up APs which is making a few trips this year affordable.
We usually charge everything and yes we do go into debt. However between DH's bonuses at work and our tax refund each year, we do end up getting most everything paid off.

 

[Grog]

I'm fortunate enough that I get enough vacation time that I can cash in a bunch of it at the beginning of the year. Plus I work four ten hour days, so I can juggle my schedule so that instead of having to use five days to take a week off, I can get away with using only two or three if I plan just right. This year I cashed in 160 hours and it payed for air fare, six nights at the hotel (Paradise Pier at DLR), park tickets, and a day at Universal Hollywood for my SO and I, and all our transportation on the ground. The only thing we had to save seperately for was food and whatever we wanted to buy while at the resort. We're going to do the same next year, and luckily I should have enough hours to cash in and be able to stay concierge. I will admit though that if it wasn't for this the trips would be less than the once a year we've been able to manage recently, and we would probably be staying offsite or, if at WDW, at a value or moderate resort.