How far would you go

[andiraye]

We did cereal and juice in the room for breakfast and brought bottles of water and healthy snacks to the park. All of the above we got from Garden Grocer. We also ordered bread and deli meat and cheese and made sandwiches for the plane ride home. Everyone was allowed one Disney snack a day. Not only did the above save us money but it made our lives healthier (which kept us feeling good) and easier (because we didn't have to hike to breakfast or take time away from having fun in the park because someone was having a low blood sugar moment ).

We also pre bought some souvenirs at the disney outlet and the dollar store. My kids each got to choose one thing to buy in the parks the whole time we were there. DH and I bought nothing.

 

[manning]

The squirrels are glad to see go home. We fight over the nuts

 

[tasha99]

I cook a big breakfast every morning in the room--bacon, eggs, hash browns, or bagels, cream cheese, and lox, etc. We never eat breakfast out. We have garden grocer (in FL) or Vons (in CA) deliver groceries, and we eat a meal in the room about every other day--really easy stuff, like chef's salad and french bread. We have water and wine delivered, too. It saves money and keeps eating out more fun when we can get a break from it.

I've done the eating from the pantry thing, not so much for Disney, but to clean out what we have. You don't need to shop that frequently, even for fresh fruits/vegies.

I've also bought glow lights etc at the dollar store and packed them for the trip. We don't buy a lot of souvenirs--mostly because I don't need or want any more stuff.

 

[DawnM]

Any measures to get to Disney are necessary, they are not extreme! Ever!

It is DISNEY!

 

[pittsburghmom]

I am frugal and was raised to be frugal. These are some of the things that I do so we can afford to go on vacation, for me to be a stay-at-home-mom, afford to let the kids participate in activities, pay cash for our vehicles, not have credit card debt, and so on:

1. Buy used. Pretty much all of our family's wardrobe consists of yard sale or thrift store finds. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I filled a huge garbage bag of size boys 14 clothes for .25 cents an item at a yard sale in an upscale community-wide yard sale. All the clothes were like new and name brand!

2. Save eating out as a rare treat. While dining out is a "must have" for many, we try to limit dining out to 2x a year. We might splurge and order a pizza every 2-3 months. Otherwise, we eat at home. This is how I was brought up. Going out to eat was a pretty big deal for me as a kid (and I am 38 btw).

3. Drive our cars for a long time. I am on year 10 of driving my minivan....and we bought it used at the time. We try to pay cash for our vehicles and avoid that big monthly car payment.

4. Limit going to the movies, arcades, fairs, etc. Around here, during the summer, there are lots of county fairs going on. Many of them cost $8-10 for admission alone plus $15-20 for a ride band. It is not uncommon for families to plunk down $200 for a night to eat and ride at the fair.

5. Coupon and stockpile grocery deals. I follow a blog that does coupon match-ups for our local grocery store. Such and easy way to save. Just in the last 6 months alone, I have used over $1500 in coupons!

6. Limit driving. Consolidate errands.

7. Don't shop as a "hobby" or past-time. If I think I need something, I try and give myself a "waiting period". This will help curb those impulse buys.

 

[mondragon]

I am frugal and was raised to be frugal. These are some of the things that I do so we can afford to go on vacation, for me to be a stay-at-home-mom, afford to let the kids participate in activities, pay cash for our vehicles, not have credit card debt, and so on:

1. Buy used. Pretty much all of our family's wardrobe consists of yard sale or thrift store finds. For example, a couple of weeks ago, I filled a huge garbage bag of size boys 14 clothes for .25 cents an item at a yard sale in an upscale community-wide yard sale. All the clothes were like new and name brand!

2. Save eating out as a rare treat. While dining out is a "must have" for many, we try to limit dining out to 2x a year. We might splurge and order a pizza every 2-3 months. Otherwise, we eat at home. This is how I was brought up. Going out to eat was a pretty big deal for me as a kid (and I am 38 btw).

3. Drive our cars for a long time. I am on year 10 of driving my minivan....and we bought it used at the time. We try to pay cash for our vehicles and avoid that big monthly car payment.

4. Limit going to the movies, arcades, fairs, etc. Around here, during the summer, there are lots of county fairs going on. Many of them cost $8-10 for admission alone plus $15-20 for a ride band. It is not uncommon for families to plunk down $200 for a night to eat and ride at the fair.

5. Coupon and stockpile grocery deals. I follow a blog that does coupon match-ups for our local grocery store. Such and easy way to save. Just in the last 6 months alone, I have used over $1500 in coupons!

6. Limit driving. Consolidate errands.

7. Don't shop as a "hobby" or past-time. If I think I need something, I try and give myself a "waiting period". This will help curb those impulse buys.

Boy do I feel like I waste a lot of money. We don't go out often (maybe every other week). My wife trades in her car every 3 years and my job pays for my car including gas and ins so we save a lot there. When we recently renovated our home, we decided to go all green which saves us a lot of money each month in water and electric plus we got a ton of rebates from the govt. by going green. We don't coupon since our local grocer does not accept coupons.

I have read some stories on here where visitors to disney will not spend a dime I the parks on food/drink/souvenirs/etc and just pack coolers full of food and drinks. I just don't see that being fun while on vacation. On vacation you need to let go and splurge a little. Does not mean you need to drain your acct.

Also read a few post earlier about how someone packs sandwiches and eats them on the plane. Please don't do that. Those deli meats stink. Recently had to fly to California and sat across from someone who packed an Italian sandwich. The whole plane stunk like salami.

 

[crisi]

Everyone has their own idea of fun. For some people, they will get ONE opportunity to go to Disney which they will need to do on a shoestring budget to pull off. And that picture of your daughter hugging Cinderella is worth packing in a sandwich for.

I'd prefer people shower and then NOT douse themselves in scent before they get on a plane, salami isn't a bad smell compared to many on an airplane.

Rather than being so judgemental, think about this.....

What if I came in and said "I hear people fly coach, I'd never fly coach, its so uncomfortable. And I hear people actually stay in MODERATES or even VALUES. We always book the Yacht Club concierge, it really isn't Disney without the concierge lounge. We always get hoppers, its the only way to really have the flexibility. We always order a nice bottle of wine with dinner, I can't see not relaxing over dinner with at least a DECENT bottle." I'd sound like a snob, and I'd make people feel bad - particularly in a thread I started about how much I wanted to laugh at you for cutting corners.

(Me, we don't go on a budget...and we don't cut corners to travel....but we've been very fortunate in our careers. I admire people who manage to get what they want responsibility out of a small income rather than showing them some form of pity and derision.)

 

[mondragon]

Everyone has their own idea of fun. For some people, they will get ONE opportunity to go to Disney which they will need to do on a shoestring budget to pull off. And that picture of your daughter hugging Cinderella is worth packing in a sandwich for.

I'd prefer people shower and then NOT douse themselves in scent before they get on a plane, salami isn't a bad smell compared to many on an airplane.

Rather than being so judgemental, think about this.....

What if I came in and said "I hear people fly coach, I'd never fly coach, its so uncomfortable. And I hear people actually stay in MODERATES or even VALUES. We always book the Yacht Club concierge, it really isn't Disney without the concierge lounge. We always get hoppers, its the only way to really have the flexibility. We always order a nice bottle of wine with dinner, I can't see not relaxing over dinner with at least a DECENT bottle." I'd sound like a snob, and I'd make people feel bad - particularly in a thread I started about how much I wanted to laugh at you for cutting corners.

(Me, we don't go on a budget...and we don't cut corners to travel....but we've been very fortunate in our careers. I admire people who manage to get what they want responsibility out of a small income rather than showing them some form of pity and derision.)

I just look at it this way for everything, not just disney. If I don't have the money for something then we don't buy it. It's that simple. We have no credit card debt. Very low mortgage and I am very thankful that we make a decent living. Does not mean we fly around the world sipping champagne. We are just smart with our money and don't waste. When we go to Disney, we don't always stay on property. We like staying at the Gaylord since it's very close to the parks and the same price as a budget room in disney but a lot nicer.

 

[hsmamato2]

hmmmm... I don't think it's extreme to do the pantry challenge, I do it a few times a year just to be sure I'm not wasting money and food.... but I keep plenty of quality frozen fruits and veggies on hand all the time, so we never lose out that way....(pantry/freezer challenge) But when we travel (to more than just Disney) we ALWAYS pack breakfast items and a means to eat them in our bags....maybe it's just laziness but we like to relax in the mornings.... and it saves money! ..... I save $ weekly from our regular budget for trips, and of course, I make and keep track of a household budget weekly....We also buy 2ndhand so much.... it's literally not even a thought to look at new clothes first.....(just last week we bought ds a like new Fuji 21 speed bike at Goodwill for 50 bucks) and we dress well! that's just par for the course though,not just 'for Disney trips'- I have no problems with people cost cutting to get there,as long as it doesn't make them unable to buy necessities when they come home.....

 

[eliza61]

People go grocery shopping every week?

Yep. I go shopping once a week. first, I catch weekly sales, next stuff like milk, eggs and fruit go back easily. I can taste the difference between fresh grapes and 2 week old ones. yuch. I hate soft fruit.

Anyhoo,
Vacation is my one time that I don't scrimp and save so I'm not bringing food into the park, mainly because i'm not hauling the stuff around and once again, I want to eat out on vacation. I budget vacation money into my spending just like I do utilities, mortgage etc etc. I'm thrifty throughout the year and I catch travel bargains where I can.

 

[eliza61]

Boy do I feel like I waste a lot of money. We don't go out often (maybe every other week). My wife trades in her car every 3 years and my job pays for my car including gas and ins so we save a lot there. When we recently renovated our home, we decided to go all green which saves us a lot of money each month in water and electric plus we got a ton of rebates from the govt. by going green. We don't coupon since our local grocer does not accept coupons.

I have read some stories on here where visitors to disney will not spend a dime I the parks on food/drink/souvenirs/etc and just pack coolers full of food and drinks. I just don't see that being fun while on vacation. On vacation you need to let go and splurge a little. Does not mean you need to drain your acct.
i.

Did you get value out of what you spend money on? If you did it's not a waste.
We have pizza night at least once every 10 nights. for some the thought of eating out is a waste. for me, it is a chance to not cook, not reheat, not wash dishes all of the above. it keeps me sane. alos when the kids were younger and schedules were all over the place, pizza night was a chance to reconnect with each other, laugh, talk etc.

So it really is a matter of choices.

Folks here get great value out of target giftcards and cnverting them to disney cards. for me, I've been in target once since christmas. it's inconvenient to drive to from my house so it's not worth my time or effort.

Every one is different. find your comfort zone and run with it.

 

[Ngwira]

I read a lot of stories on here on how people save money to go to Disney and ways to save money while at Disney. I read that people will not go food shopping for a week and eat whatever they had in the fridge/pantry (no fresh veggies or fruit) and how some will pack frozen spaghetti with sauce into their luggage and use the coffee maker in the room to make hot dogs and ramen (gross). What is the furthest you have gone to save money for Disney. For example, someone at my worked dipped into their retirement to go to Disney for a week which I think is insane.

LOL At this thread!

 

[dpswift]

I was actually going to do the pantry thing for no reason other than I have a ton of food and I just keep buying more every time I go to the store. I think that's always a fun challenge to do every once and a while!

and if it saves a little money for a fun trip....bonus!

Very true. Often I will try to cut back on purchasing food just for that reason. Also it is easy to forget what is in your pantry and so much ends up going to waste. Overall a good portion of Americans have so much food and stuff they really do not need to shop.

 

[mondragon]

LOL At this thread!

I just started it because I have a co-worker mentioned that he dipped into his retirement to go to Disney which I think is insane. Made me think of all the stories I read on here on how people sacrifice to go to Disney.

 

[Ngwira]

I just started it because I have a co-worker mentioned that he dipped into his retirement to go to Disney which I think is insane. Made me think of all the stories I read on here on how people sacrifice to go to Disney.

Well, I agree it's insane, but just keep in mind that everyone is not as fortunate. We are very frugal in everyday life. But on vacation, we are staying at the Grand Floridan and eating at several signatures including, Narcoosee's and California Grille. To me, a vacation is worth a splurge, but everyone is not so lucky.

 

[mondragon]

Well, I agree it's insane, but just keep in mind that everyone is not as fortunate. We are very frugal in everyday life. But on vacation, we are staying at the Grand Floridan and eating at several signatures including, Narcoosee's and California Grille. To me, a vacation is worth a splurge, but everyone is not so lucky.

That's the way I look at it. I don't want to deal with cleaning, cooking, hauling food, drinking tap water while on vacation. We don't go crazy and spend wild amounts of money but we like leaving the resort area and going to celebration to eat (some nice restaurants there) or eating at one of the resorts.

We are fortunate to live in an area where people come to vacation. We take advantage of that by going to the beach a lot and to the great parks near our home. Does not cost anything to do that.

 

[pittsburghmom]

That's the way I look at it. I don't want to deal with cleaning, cooking, hauling food, drinking repeater while on vacation. We don't go crazy and spend wild amounts of money but we like leaving the resort area and going to celebration to eat (some nice restaurants there) or eating at one of the resorts.

We are fortunate to live in an area where people come to vacation. We take advantage of that by going to the beach a lot and to the great parks near our home. Does not cost anything to do that.

Funny thing is, when we go to Disney I love to get the dining plan (quick service) and stay on-site. The first time we went, we used the Stay-Play & Dine discount (we go in January in "value" season and stay value) and the second trip, we got a Free Dining pin code. As frugal as I am, even though I know it may be somewhat cheaper to pay out of pocket for food and stay off site, I love having everything pre-paid so I am not nickle and diming every time we need to eat and stressing out over meal costs...because that is my nature. Even if we charged everything to the room and paid it off with Disney gift cards, I would still be trying to scrimp. Plus, since we eat out so infrequently, it is REALLY nice to have a vacation where I am not meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning. It really feels like I am getting a break!!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

To afford vacations (and college tuition for 2 kids and retirement) in general I:
got a better job that pays more
drive a 13 year old car
cook meals most nights
clean my own house
shop for travel bargains so my travel budget buys more
use my timeshare for vacation whenever possible
fix my own appliances when I can (thank you youtube) vs calling a repair man
only replace things when they wear out vs replacing them just because
don't shop much (easy because I HATE shopping)
watch movies on demand or on dvd or at the $1.99 movie theater
don't have a smart phone

For Disney in particular:
stay in my timeshare or onsite with a great discount
pack/buy breakfast foods and water to eat/drink in room
buy Disney gift cards at 4x fuel points at Kroger
invested in 10 day no expire WPF&M hoppers for 4 trips

 

[once]

I cook a big breakfast every morning in the room--bacon, eggs, hash browns, or bagels, cream cheese, and lox, etc. We never eat breakfast out. We have garden grocer (in FL) or Vons (in CA) deliver groceries, and we eat a meal in the room about every other day--really easy stuff, like chef's salad and french bread. We have water and wine delivered, too. It saves money and keeps eating out more fun when we can get a break from it.

I've done the eating from the pantry thing, not so much for Disney, but to clean out what we have. You don't need to shop that frequently, even for fresh fruits/vegies.

I've also bought glow lights etc at the dollar store and packed them for the trip. We don't buy a lot of souvenirs--mostly because I don't need or want any more stuff.

Sorry for going off topic but I love your avatar!

I ordered frozen cooked sausages from Garden Grocers and those were my breakfast for the whole time I was there. Nothing extreme

 

[Ngwira]

That's the way I look at it. I don't want to deal with cleaning, cooking, hauling food, drinking tap water while on vacation. We don't go crazy and spend wild amounts of money but we like leaving the resort area and going to celebration to eat (some nice restaurants there) or eating at one of the resorts.

We are fortunate to live in an area where people come to vacation. We take advantage of that by going to the beach a lot and to the great parks near our home. Does not cost anything to do that.

Neither do I, but some people HAVE to do so to afford Disney. I say to each his own. Doesn't affect me one bit.