How do you save for your Disney trips?

[DisneyMomx7]

First of all after I make our reservations (as soon as we come home) I make payments every month until it's paid in full. I also buy $50 Disney dollars every week and have relatives give them to us for CHristmas. We also save about $100 worth of change each month. I buy annual passes so we are able to get two trips in one year with the same passes. We use AMEX points for plane tickets. My children are in parochial school and since there is no bus transportation we get a check from our township for $750 per child each year. That goes directly to Disney. It's really down to a science and by doing it in pieces I don't think DH actually knows how much the trip cost!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by bigbabyblues
We charge our vacation so we don't have to use cash, but we charge only what we have saved and write the check the day we get home.

I should clarify that I will do this too. It's more secure than using my visa check card that is attached to my checking account. I've had Disney triple charge me huge amounts of cash on my check card twice, thus locking up my checking account so now I use the cc to pay things like hotel etc.

But we only charge what we have saved.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Also wanted to add, I paid for more than 1/2 of my Feb trip with money earned by selling stuff on Ebay.

 

[Alice28]

I don't...I charge the whole thing!

Well, not entirely. We usually book the room and the airlines tix so far in advance they are paid for by the time we go. Those are two MAJOR items. We stay onsite, but the 2 of the 3 times with Shades of Green, so it's not too $$.

The last BIG trip we did, we charged the tickets and most of our food (I had saved $300 in Disney dollars for souveniers, but we probably charged another $200). We probably charged about $2000 I would guess?? We paid off $1000 of it when we got home, and slowly paid the rest off. I didn't care- it was a great trip!

 

[Kimickey]

How do we save for our Disney trips?

We save a certain portion coming out of our pay checks. But the bulk of it comes from our tax refunds, that's how we pay our trip off.

 

[crazelion]

Right now I am saving change from my paychecks. When Baseball season starts I will save my tip from pouring beer thats where bulk of the money is coming from.

I am going on a bus trip to WDW for a whole week in June is paying for me and mom way.

I get make deposit on the trip so thats good for me.

 

[grlpwrd]

Hmmmm, for those using tax refunds... you do know that you're probably not withholding enough and most often it's better if you could get your money taken out throughout the year versus at the end whereas Uncle Sam is earning the interest, right? Check with your localities and tax pros to make sure because getting a huge tax return doesn't always equate to coming out ahead in the long run. It may actually be costing you money.

For us, I'm a very big cheapskate throughout the year. That's how we are able to afford luxuries like trips. I've also been an ebayer since 1998 and that's how I make my money, too, though, I have started my own business outside of ebay because ebay and PayPal are nickle and diming us to death.

 

[Lezah]

We buy annual passes 1 every few months or so before we go so it isn't as much of a hit (we need 3 adult passes as DS is now 10). We have a US account and any extra money we have (overtime, rebates, etc) goes into it plus we put money into it every month as well. That account pays for our spending money and souveniers etc and most meals when we are there. We also have a saving account that our tax return goes into that normally pays for our passes and hotel. We drive down so that saves us money. That is how we do it. We are starting to save now for August 2005!

 

[powellrj]

I use my flexable spending plan. I save my recipts all year and then turn them in at one time and get it in a lump sum. I also save my expense checks and use that money so my trips are paid for without really missing the money.

 

[lx jessie xl]

ive been saving change in a jar along with a little from each of my paychecks.. doesnt sound like much but it adds up fast

 

[Taylor]

We use a portion of my yearly company bonus money.