How do you save for a trip?

[winthropf]

When I go to the grocery store, I buy $100 in Disney Gift cards. And the bonus is, I always get double and sometimes quadruple gas points for gift cards. And then pay for them with a Disney Visa to get Disney points.

 

[Dreamport]

The last big family trip, I used my Christmas Club Account (which has some interest) and put in $5-10 per pay, then re-deposited the check back into the account while continuing the following year. We also saved our change in a family piggy bank, and I set aside $20-ish dollars a paycheck. $10 from any birthday or Christmas money went in. We also kept track of how many times we wanted to eat out (Applebee's, McDonald's drive thru) and put that money aside if we decided to raid the fridge instead. Now that really adds up! We also bought $50 in Disney gift cards from Giant Eagle now and then to pay for the vacation which gave us enough fuel perks to pay for the gas on the way to and from the airport. At the time of the trip, Disney was running a special on their Visa Card which gave me a $200 gift card (used it for the downpayment) and 6 months to pay off the vacation! I think the gift card is less now but it still helps having those extra months after the trip to pay everything off.

 

[wdwobsessed!]

Awesome ideas , everyone!! Thanks so much!

 

[DanInMN]

We save for our WDW vacations by minimizing their cost...

1. We use the US Bank Flexperks card for everything and pay the balance in full each month, which provides us with free airline tickets. We only use the free tickets when the airfare is high. If the tickets are cheap, we just buy them.
2. We usually stay off site and save a bundle. For example, we had a 3 bedroom condo at Wyndham Bonnet Creek for a week in September for $499 total!
3. We eat many of our meals off site or in the condo, so the cost isn't much more than eating at home.
4. Shop for the lowest priced rental car - often less than $150/week.
5. We have annual passes, reducing our cost per day at WDW. The free parking benefit helps when we stay off site.
6. Travel at low season, which reduces lodging prices.

Our house is paid for and we have no other debt, which allows us to do fun things!

 

[cgattis]

We also kept track of how many times we wanted to eat out (Applebee's, McDonald's drive thru) and put that money aside if we decided to raid the fridge instead.

This is such a great idea!! I may have to try this one! Will also help teach the kids to think before they spend. Thanks for sharing!!

Like another poster, I always break a bill instead of using change. My change jar always nets about $400. I wanted to set up a separate vacation account but just never have.

 

[wdwlovingmomma]

I usually use our tax refund for the year and then also my rewards from our Disney visa card. We also only go during the fall so its already less expensive and the last 3 times plus our up coming trip we take advantage of the the free dining.

 

[Ametista]

Paying more taxes during the year than we have to...when we get that tax return in the spring, it goes to travel (this year, Disney).

Us too. Our tax return plus DH's bonus is usually our yearly vacation money. We try to spread it out over 3 smaller trips so when the winter blahs set in we have the $$$ to go somewhere, which is usually Disney but not always.

 

[Lorajo]

What about a seasonal job?

In addition to our regular jobs, I prepare about 200 income tax returns a year. This is usually all vacation money.

We also don't smoke, drink heavily or gamble.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[highwayg]

PP-are you an accountant? I am not, but was looking to do tax prep and didn't know where to start

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Saving change - selling on ebay and craigs list (helping to clean out this crowded house too) and couponing (although I don't save as much anymore as I used to).

I also use my Disney Visa for most things that I buy so I can get the rewards points for Disney. On our family trip, it paid for all of our breakfasts and about half of our other counter service meals.

Those things can really add up for me.

 

[LoKiHB]

$100 a week goes automatically from checking to savings. We've been doing it so long now, we're used to not having it. Don't even notice it anymore.

The trick is getting past the first month or so. $100 a week doesn't sound like a lot, but there have been times when we missed it, and even a few when we had to borrow from it.

 

[pmaurer74]

The first dew times our tax returns paid for the trips. We then got a Disney Visa so we have six more months to pay for the trips. I use my "extra" paychecks to help pay for the trips. I get paid every other week so a few times a year I get extra paychecks. It is getting harder and harder to pay off the trip in time though. I think it is because I have gone at Christmas the past few times and my Disney rewards are not going as far. Oh ya and we have about $750 in Disney rewards that go towards the trip every year.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

We also use the Disney Visa for pretty much all of our routine purchases (gas, groceries, food) as well as link it for our auto payments for the cable, internet, phone bill. The only caveat we have is that the card must be paid in full each month and that other expenditures are via cash. If we know that there is going to be a big payment on something in the future, we sometimes put it on the card and then pay it off online a day or two afterward. This usually gives us around $500 to use for all our meals/snacks during the trip.

Because my work requires quite a bit of travel, I always use the same airline and rack up as many miles as possible. In the past this has allowed us to get free flights on at least one leg of our trip to WDW. One I got companion status and the flights ended up being free!

Between that and the saving of birthday money/yearly gift cards, we often are only out the cost of the hotel room. This allows us to give the kids a sizeable allowance for souvenirs (usually $100 each) plus whatever they've saved up.

 

[gofordrew]

I saved for our trip (coming up in December) in a very simple way. Each paycheck (every two weeks) I set aside $50. It is amazing how much it has added up. A really great way if you are planning the trip several months in advance.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

My tax return pays for a bulk of the package or all of it. (Hotel and tickets)

My SO's bonus will pay for all 4 airline tickets. He is coming.

I set aside $100 per pay (every other week) into a separate savings account at work. $21.xx gets taken out for my life insurance. So really about $78. That is our spending/food money for the trip.

Every month either myself or SO buys $100 Disney gift card. The months we get "an extra pay check" we are buying a $500 gift card. This will be our spending/food money.

Since we have no DDP and there are 4 of us I want to take $3000-3500 with us so it's important I have this budget set up.

 

[dkrauss]

We go annually and always have a trip booked a year in advance. We actually have a Disney line item in our monthly budget and make a payment on our reservation every month. We always have our trips paid off at least a month in advance.

This is exactly how we do it. Book as early as possible.......we've already booked a Disney Cruise for March 2016........then make the payments a budget item. You'd be surprised how easy that makes it.

Doug

 

[GoofyKidd]

We sell stuff on Craigslist. We started a few years ago cleaning out our basement & attic and had so many things we didn't use anymore but also didn't want to throw away. I started listing everything on Craigslist and have paid for 2 Disney trips this way. It helps clean out the house & I put the money aside and only use it for Disney trips. I've sold old couches, kids clothes, filing cabinets, jewelry, purses-you name it! Look around your house & I bet I'm not the only one who hangs onto lots of stuff we don't use anymore. The money adds up quickly!

 

[abyrd86]

We used our tax money for our trip in March this year. For our upcoming trip, we booked on our Disney Visa and have already paid off in just a few months! Credit cards can come in handy sometimes, although we rarely use that one unless we are going to Disney.

 

[wdw&sonny]

Paying more taxes during the year than we have to...when we get that tax return in the spring, it goes to travel (this year, Disney).

I usually use our tax refund for the year and then also my rewards from our Disney visa card. We also only go during the fall so its already less expensive and the last 3 times plus our up coming trip we take advantage of the the free dining.

Us too. Our tax return plus DH's bonus is usually our yearly vacation money. We try to spread it out over 3 smaller trips so when the winter blahs set in we have the $$$ to go somewhere, which is usually Disney but not always.

My tax return pays for a bulk of the package or all of it. (Hotel and tickets)

My SO's bonus will pay for all 4 airline tickets. He is coming.

I set aside $100 per pay (every other week) into a separate savings account at work. $21.xx gets taken out for my life insurance. So really about $78. That is our spending/food money for the trip.

Every month either myself or SO buys $100 Disney gift card. The months we get "an extra pay check" we are buying a $500 gift card. This will be our spending/food money.

Since we have no DDP and there are 4 of us I want to take $3000-3500 with us so it's important I have this budget set up.

We used our tax money for our trip in March this year. For our upcoming trip, we booked on our Disney Visa and have already paid off in just a few months! Credit cards can come in handy sometimes, although we rarely use that one unless we are going to Disney.

Seriously?
Are there really this many of you that naïve to financial planning 101?
If you are getting a tax refund large enough to pay for a vacation, you need to adjust your withholding immediately. Why are you giving your money to the Federal Government to hold on to all year long? Save that same amount of cash in an investment of your choosing.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Seriously?
Are there really this many of you that naïve to financial planning 101?
If you are getting a tax refund large enough to pay for a vacation, you need to adjust your withholding immediately. Why are you giving your money to the Federal Government to hold on to all year long? Save that same amount of cash in an investment of your choosing.

If you must know......I'm a single mother with two kids. When I was married and dual income my tax return wasn't much at all except for the year or two after we bought our home.

Now that I'm single, head of household, two kids (that I cover health insurance, etc) and I receive no alimony (I do get child support that doesn't get claimed) I get a tax refund back even with adjusting my withholding.