How do YOU save up for a trip to Disneyland?

[Brady's Mom]

We have money automatically deducted from DH's paycheck and put in a separate savings account, at a totally different bank than we use for our regular household accounts. We decided, with the help of his company's benefits person, to use what we would normally pay to the gov't in the form of taxes as our savings. We always get a refund, but this way we get to build up interest in our own account, not someone else's. We do pay a little bit in State taxes every paycheck, but will come out even at the end of the year and may get a little bit back from Federal. It works for us and then we are in charge of our own money, not at the mercy of some program that might go bankrupt and just send us IOU's.

We build up our savings pretty fast this way, but each person is different, and what works for us may make others uncomfortable. We never touch the savings until our trips since we have to go to the bank to actually access it.

 

[Missi_me]

Since we have paid off most of our credit cards, we use the money we would have paid to the cards and put half in a savings account and use the other half to lower the balances on the 3 cards we have left. We save our change too.

We also have a friend who works for a major chain hotel, and she books our hotel stays under their company's "Friends and Family" rate, so we pay a fraction of the cost to stay in a hotel. When it comes time to buy tickets for the park, we will buy them one at a time (since we aren't going til 2011).

 

[bbangel]

I do surveys and shopping on Sunshine Rewards and cash out for Disney Gift Cards (and Disney Dollars). That usually pays for all my food and extras.

For the other costs I save my spare change and try and go when I can get a seat sale for the plane ride down or use airmiles. I also ask myself each time I want something (like a cinnamon bun at the mall) is this better than a trip to Disney? That stops me from spending on stuff I don't need.

 

[tjl1388]

Craigslist yard sales...

Go through the house/garage and find all kind of stuff I don't need or want and throw it up on craigslist on a mon. or tues. 4 out of 5 times it is gone in less than a week.

 

[aprincess@mail.com]

we have a seperate savings account.
we call it the Disney fund and we dont take $ out until the trip.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I also ask myself each time I want something (like a cinnamon bun at the mall) is this better than a trip to Disney? That stops me from spending on stuff I don't need.

What a great thing to ask yourself! I'm going to remember that!