How do you save for your trip?

[todzwife]

Do you put it all on a CC and pay it off as you can? Do you put cash away every month?

I really want to take a family trip NEXT november (2010) but we are trying to get out of debt at the same time. I figured I need to put away about $130-$150/month away to have the trip completely paid for by next October (we'll be doing DisneyLAND and driving etc.)

I'm trying to crunch numbers to see where that money can come from. I need ideas! I don't want to take it out of our regular budget (yes, can can afford to do this, but I'd rather not)
Got a garage sale planned soon...hoping to bring in $150 or so. Got some stuff to sell on craigslist etc.

What else?

 

[Disneyliscious]

When planning this far in advance, I use my uPromise account. You can easily get $250 in there in that amount of time and then you can cash it out (unless they've changed it since the last time I used it). I register every single card I have with them. It adds up.

 

[Shanan]

When I use coupons, I transfer the money to my WDW savings account.

 

[monorailsilver]

I have a giant crayon & we put all the spare change in there plus if I find extra bills in my pocket book I throw it in there too.

I started about a month ago on a serious saving plan for Disney.

I want to go for 2 weeks but we aren't going back until 2012 so I have 3 years to save (summer of 2012).

Every week I take $20 out of my checking account & drop it in there. When I have about $500 I will throw it in a separate account, maybe a CD, not sure yet so it can earn a little interest. Most likely not a CD as I want to keep adding to it.

I have sold some things on Craigslist so I threw that money in there. I just sold something for $100 & my kids were excited.

I do Sunshine Rewards, Quick Rewards, My points (My dh wants to eat at the RFC again & since it will be free I guess I will give in), Inbox dollars & Mysurvey.

So they all add up. I am hoping between all of them to have at least $500. I just cashed out on QR about 2 weeks ago for $25 & I have enough to cash out on SR for $25 but I am holding off. My points I could get $50 but I am holding off too. And My survey I have $10 but again I am holding off. Inbox I am up to just under $18 so I can't cash out on there yet.

My dh told me I have to have the trip fully paid for before we go. I know I will have at least $3100 plus what odds & ends I throw in there.

I do have just about one night paid for, 12-13 more to go.

 

[todzwife]

Isn't upromise just for college money? Or am I missing something? That sounds like a GREAT idea!


thank you for the suggestions!

Anyone else?

 

[4 DZNY NUTZ]

Direct deposit into my ING account....thats the only way I would be able to save the money!!!

 

[dismom2]

Do you get a tax return that you could use? We always save some of that for trips. We have it set up to where we get a pretty good return each year. I used to also have a few bucks extra taken out of my paychecks. We always pay cash, and don't use the credit card except to reserve the car and room, then pay in cash at the end of our stay. If pre-payment is required, we debit it (comes out of our checking account).

 

[Handbag Lady]

I have a secret side saving account that gets $X deposited every payday without me seeing it.

I don't even have an ATM card for this account. I have to walk to the credit union to withdrawl money from it.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I didnt have as much time as you for planning but what we did was pay the $ 200 deposit and pay on the trip as money came in. You can make a payment as little as $20 if need be It was all paid off. No credit card (except I didnt get points) and I wasnt tempted to spend it on other things.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Direct deposit into my ING account....thats the only way I would be able to save the money!!!

This!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Do you get a tax return that you could use? We always save some of that for trips. We have it set up to where we get a pretty good return each year. I used to also have a few bucks extra taken out of my paychecks. We always pay cash, and don't use the credit card except to reserve the car and room, then pay in cash at the end of our stay. If pre-payment is required, we debit it (comes out of our checking account).

Also this when we overpay! (All those charitable contributions and other deductions add up. . .)

 

[Kion10]

Here's how I save: (Taken from my blog)

I decided to challenge myself to see if I can save approximately $2200 in 51 weeks for our vacation. This blog chronicles my efforts as well as teaches you how I am doing it. You can chose to save your money for Disney, other vacations, other pleasures or anything in the world. The resources are out there. You just have got to know how to apply them to your life.

Here are the main ways I am saving the money:

* Rebates

* Surveys

* Saving My Coins

* Selling Items Around The House

* Money Left From The Grocery Budget

* Found Money

Since I started saving for Disney, I have saved approximately $239. (As this amount increases, I add it to the right side of my blog.) I have lots of pending money (rebates coming in the mail, surevey money that hasn't reached it cash out minimum yet, Paypal that I haven't cashed out, etc) that I will be adding to the funds in the next few weeks as it starts to arrive.

I opened up a separate savings account at the bank just for the Disney fund. The banker was so excited to learn about my efforts. My kids can't wait to return to Disney. They are helping me save too.

My husband gets paid every other Thursday. I allow us $150 every week. This money is for groceries, out to eat, entertainment, every item that we might need, every outing we might go on, etc. etc. comes out of this money. I get cash from the bank and I only break dollar bills. All coins go towards our trip.

Every Thursday, before we go to the bank to get the weeks allowance out and deposit whatever Disney funds we have accumulated over the week, my kids help me count out our coins and deposit them into their piggy banks.

Whenever I add to the Disney fund, I post about it on the blog and I tell you where the money came from so you can take advantage of it as well. So keep an eye out for those posts! I have so much to teach everyone and I am thrilled to answer any and every question you have so don't be afraid to email me or comment on my blog.

 

[nena]

Here's how we save for our Disney Fund...

Mickey Mouse Bank (Spare Change)
$ from Garage Sales
$ from recycling
$ found in the dryer
$150 auto deposit from checking to Savings
Disney Rewards (In a year we got $260)

For us, saving is a family thing. The kids already know it goes in the Disney Fund!!

 

[MissNurse]

Wow! I got some great ideas from you guys! I had started collecting "leftover" money in a coffee can in the kitchen. We rarely carry cash, but when we do we put whatever we don't wind up spending into the can. Over a few months, we have saved $50 in money we didn't even miss. It's not much, but maybe by the time we go to WDW next summer it will cover gas or tips or something. I'm feeling inspired to save! Thanks y'all!

 

[eyor44]

Change saved
Recycle $$
Rebates
Any Dollar bills in my wallet on pay day
Any gift cards I get for birthday and Christmas
I use coupons

also:
MyPoints
Inbox Dollars
My Coke Rewards
Sunshine Rewards
My Survey
Global Test Market
Lightspeed
Global Opinion Panel
and a few others
Some pay out better than others. You just have to find the ones that work best for you.

Good Luck on you quest. It's worth it.

 

[Disneyliscious]

Isn't upromise just for college money? Or am I missing something? That sounds like a GREAT idea!


thank you for the suggestions!

Anyone else?

uPromise is for college savings, but once you get $250 in there you can request to withdraw it. We haven't been to Disney since 2004 so unless something has changed since then - thats how we get some extra $$.

Here is the withdrawel form from their website. As you can see, you can withdraw by mailing or faxing the form in (depending on amount). Again, this is assuming nothing has changed since 2004.

http://www.upromise.com/pdfs/071409-Withdrawal-Form.pdf

I know that Sallie Mae bought them out in 2006 but I don't think it affected the withdrawels, and from the looks of the form, you can withdraw any amount now....not just once you reach $250. I'll do some more research and get back to you. Im planning to draw mine out for our May 2010 trip.

 

[badblackpug]

I book through Dreams Unlimited travel. I make the $200 down payment and then pay as much as I can as often as I can. Dreams Unlimited watches for discounts and automatically applies them to your already booked trip. I just got an e-mail that applied $890 to my trip. As for how I get the extra money, I am a nurse and can pick up extra shifts pretty much whenever I want.

 

[todzwife]

Thank you for all your ideas