How do you save for a trip?

[wdwobsessed!]

Really hoping to take our trip to the world October 2015! So my question is: how do you/or your family save up for a trip?! I'm looking for extra ways to save up in hopes for a trip.

We always save our change. Literally every penny, dime, nickel, quarter gets put into a big jug.

 

[wdw&sonny]

I drive used cars...no car payment. Whatever used to be a car payment when I was younger, is now my WDW payment...

 

[lilkimmyk]

My DH saved every $5 bill he got and I saved 5's and 1's. It really adds up and we didn't miss it too much.

 

[MPB82]

Always spare change, a dollar here or there, when I take money out of ATM I will always put $20 in savings, any gift check o cash I get I will put towards disney, any work bonus or tax refund also goes in

 

[maxiesmom]

I have $50 a week that goes straight into a vacation savings account.

Before I have done the weekly challenge where week one you put $1 in savings, week 2 your put in $2, and so on. I stunk at it this year but I may try it again next year. I know some people do it in reverse, so you save the largest amount first, then go down by a dollar every week.

 

[darkwing818]

Always spare change, a dollar here or there, when I take money out of ATM I will always put $20 in savings, any gift check o cash I get I will put towards disney, any work bonus or tax refund also goes in

We did this as well. We also did 2 separate payroll deductions; the 1st went to a retirement (401-K) account & a 2nd went into our emergency/vacation account.

 

[alisigns]

I have $50 a week that goes straight into a vacation savings account.

Before I have done the weekly challenge where week one you put $1 in savings, week 2 your put in $2, and so on. I stunk at it this year but I may try it again next year. I know some people do it in reverse, so you save the largest amount first, then go down by a dollar every week.

I like the reverse idea. That way at the end of the year you have more money for Christmas!

 

[DrBanner]

For me I figure out how many days we will be at WDW and decide how much I want to spend each day Then I will take out enough each Friday to match that goal.. Now this is just for the spending part of the vacation this does not include the hotel and tickets..

 

[nessz79]

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).

 

[jwlnroe]

we no longer get any taxes back . . have to pay in :-( I donated plasma to help pay for our trip (park tickets mainly)

 

[OasterP]

We do $100.00/month to a Disney fund. We also collect random change and put it in a jar. I did the 52 week thing before, but I'm going to try the reverse one this time - I like that idea!

 

[Mousemommy1]

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.

 

[larryz]

I donated plasma to help pay for our trip (park tickets mainly)

There's a T-shirt in there somewhere...


As for me, I'm a bit more conventional -- I take lunch instead of buying it, stick to tea bags instead of Starbuck$, wait for (non-Disney) movies to come out on DVD, and strip my Chrysler van down to the "2-seater sports van" configuration to save money on gas...

 

[Kirby]

I have a weekly grocery budget and pay for groceries with cash. Whatever is left over goes towards a vacation, this year's is for Disney. I saved $1000 one year just this way.

I also pay cash when we eat out, buy stuff, etc. and sock away the change towards a trip.

 

[btk2333]

We buy Disney gift cards throughout the year and save them to use at WDW

For Christmas and birthdays we ask for/buy each other giftcards.

We put all of our spending on several travel rewards credit cards (NOT DISNEY because I want the flexibility of other travel cards)- this includes business expenses (on a business card of course). We've used these miles for airlines tickets before (not always depends on the time of year)

I have our budgets set about 5 years in advance, that way when things change or things come up- it's really easy to see the long term consequences of expenses and plan accordingly.

 

[Nancyg56]

WE stop the extras. When we decide on a trip, I price it out and tell my DH what the cost is. He is our saver, so he sets money aside each week, WE do not have a car payment, and I color my own hair. I keep a style that does not require monthly upkeep, so there is a huge savings. WE eat at home most of the time, and because I like good wine, I make my own. We basically decide that teh trip is our priority, and put our discretionary spending towards that trip.

 

[Networth]

This is topic just made me realize I have no idea. Just in my nature to have money saved up I suppose no specific method. Certainly not tax refund I probably fund my counties education program /sigh

Work hard, play hard?

 

[Kirby]

We buy Disney gift cards throughout the year and save them to use at WDW

Do you ever have a problem with having a little left on one card and not being able to use it? I've been places where they would not left you use the small balance on a gift card in conjunction with another card/cash.

 

[Kimi313]

One of the lines in our budget is also for our disney trip. We also each have a monthly allowance for gas and any extras we want which we are also responsible for our own ticket. We take our lunch to work each day, rarely go out to eat, movie is going to super budget time on stimulus Tuesday's, and charge everything on our disney visa so we have a nice reward at the end of the year. But we also treat our card like a debit so the money goes out when we charge. And the most important thing we stay when there is a discount on the hotel.

 

[btk2333]

Do you ever have a problem with having a little left on one card and not being able to use it? I've been places where they would not left you use the small balance on a gift card in conjunction with another card/cash.

We generally room charge everything and then pay off our room balance with the gift cards (just stop at the front desk at the end of the day towards the end of the trip) they've always let us use any sized gift card for this.