How much ca$h do you take?

[disneydreamerinny]

DH and I are leaving Sunday and returning on Saturday. We have the free dining plan.
DH is not a big drinker, will have maybe 1 a day, and I will have maybe 3 tops each day.
I have $300.00 set aside, but I am starting to rethink that maybe that wont be enough.
I will want to buy a few souvenears, (coffee mug, antennae topper,mnsshp decorations)
Any suggestions?

 

[VAN]

I'm thinking that you would be cutting it pretty close. Remember that you will need to tip 18-20% on all of those "Free" table service meals. Drinks are typically anywhere from $5.50 (beer) to $12.00 ... most being in the $9 range.

Souveniers expenditures can be anywhere from $20 to $200 typically.

Just sit down and go over what you will be spending and then see what amount you come up with.

 

[Brocktoon]

VAN brings up a good point about the tips on the dining plan. Those tips do start to add up pretty quickly.

Depending on one's drinking habit's I usually figure to budget anywhere from $75-100 a day for various expenditures. If you can swing it, try to budget $500 - 700 for your trip.

 

[nurse.darcy]

Cash? I don't bring cash. . .I bring a credit card. But it is not so large that I can't pay it off with my vacation bank account all at once. I typically budget 100 a day, and don't do dining plan. I do, however, eat at a table service most days while I am there. That 100 is for me to eat and drink on. Some days I use more, some days I use less. It does not include souveniers. . .I consider those extra items. . .

 

[akmlingo]

It is just the two of us when we go so what we do is pull up the resturant menus for the places we have adr's for then figure our tip on the 2 higher priced meals. That is usually anywhere between $15-25. We don't drink at Disney b/c of the cost but you could add in the price of drinks and figure from there. We also plan cab $ to go to church and if we are going to Jellyrolls at the Beach Club. We buy a few souvies but not to many usually abt 100-150 tops. Total we take 300-500 for a week at Disney. We only use cash while there but we take a cc just in case there is an emergency.

Good luck and have fun on your trip.

 

[Amysita]

Cash??? I don't bring much cash with me. I usually bring about $100-$200 (depending on the length of my stay; $100 for a w/e or long w/e; $200 for a week) in smaller bills but don't carry it all with me ~ once I get there, I put most of it in the safe. That money is for tips, vending machines, and any item I purchase that the total bill is under $5. The rest of what I have <budgeted> goes onto a pre-paid CC's. I put $250 on each. That way if one gets lost or stolen...it's not all my money...and it isn't my actual CC that can be run up. I do that rather than Disney gift CC's...because that way if I don't use up all of the money on the pre-paid CC's...I can bring them home and use them at the grocery store, gas station, etc. to use them up.

I do bring my regular CC...just in case of emergency...but I have that kept behind the hotel front desk in a safety deposit style box. Everywhere I have ever stayed has had them so far.

 

[Tony NY]

hum good question it all depend on how much stuff I'm bring back for the famialy. I bring around $ 250 in cash so that I have can have enough cash for tips on my meals and extars.

 

[solar]

Like the poster above, I also budget around $100 a day for vacations. However in Disney - it can go higher fast.

We just balance things. IF we had an expensive meal for lunch, we'll do a more budgeted one for dinner, etc.

If we bought souvenirs that day, we'll maybe limit what we spend on other extras and go for less expensive snack options that day

I rarely use cash for Disney though, just for smaller purchases. I prefer not to carry that much cash with me when I go to places with these kinds of crowds and will either use a debit or credit card.

 

[disneydreamerinny]

OK after reading all of these responses, I have decided to rethink my allowance. I agree, I am going to need more $. I have now pulled $600.00 out of savings.
I will also have my debit/credit card for any freak have to have things.
Thanks for the advice.
I just find it quicker to use cash to buy things then to have to swipe, type in a pin # and sign at the bottom. I can also keep better track of what I am spending.

 

[solar]

I agree it would be easy to lose track of spending. I've found a way around this that helps me....not sure if it would be helpful to others, but I'll share it.

I keep an index card in my wallet, and at the end of each day write down what I spent where to give me an overall picture. It doesn't take up much space, I can fold it in half, shove in my wallet and have a picture of my spending at any time.

 

[Shenanigoat]

I keep track of my spending with a little card too. It's better then adding it up at the end of the week and getting surprised.

 

[GrumpyOne]

I'm not fond of carrying a lot of cash, I'd rather charge stuff to my room than risk losing the money. The room key can be replaced, not so easy to replace several hundred dollars. I'll keep a small amount with me each day for "essentials".

Budgeting tends to be my big problem. Not that I have a problem with doing it, rather that I tend to obsess about "value". This time, I've budgeted enough for the basics each day that I can reasonably do whatever I want without obsessing over the "value" and going during FD keeps that cost down a bit. The only other budget line item I have is for a few nice souvenirs. Being newly single again means I can decorate the way I want.

 

[Terk-1]

I bring $100 cash ($20 of that is in one's for tipping at the airport, dme driver, etc.). I take my Visa Check/ATM card with me, so if I need additional cash, I can withdraw it there.

I also pre-fill my mousekeeping envelopes ahead of time. This way I am not searching for one's to leave out.

As far as dining tips, I either leave cash or put it on my room account (mostly cash).

I use my Visa Check card for my room account, so I know exactly how much I can put on it as it automatically comes out of my checking account. This helps with overspending.

 

[nurse.darcy]

OK after reading all of these responses, I have decided to rethink my allowance. I agree, I am going to need more $. I have now pulled $600.00 out of savings.
I will also have my debit/credit card for any freak have to have things.
Thanks for the advice.
I just find it quicker to use cash to buy things then to have to swipe, type in a pin # and sign at the bottom. I can also keep better track of what I am spending.

Since my ATM has a visa logo I just swipe and sign. ..I save all receipts and throw them in one of the dresser drawers. . .at the end of the day or first thing in the morning I reconcile them (i.e.; total them up) and see what I spent for the day. Unless its a meal and drink heavy day it is usually less than my budget amount. In July/August, this summer, I had two teens and myself. I budgeted 150 per day instead of 100. We stayed within that budget even though I had a number of party days with my friends. AND we did not do any dining plan yet ate at a TS restaurant nearly every day.

I was actually surprised when I got home and found out what we had spent. I would have thought it would be much more.

 

[wdw1972]

Cash?? Why would anyone use cash? I use my resort id, which is then charged to my credit card & paid off when the bill comes. It's not uncommon for me to leave for a WDW trip with $11 or less in my wallet - I just don't need cash for anything unless I'll be hitting some tolls along the way.

 

[Brocktoon]

If you're down during F&W, carrying a little bit of cash is always a good idea. I use my KTTW card for most purchases, but the card readers at the F&W kiosks have been known to go down from time to time.

 

[sueandkent]

Cash?? Why would anyone use cash? I use my resort id, which is then charged to my credit card & paid off when the bill comes. It's not uncommon for me to leave for a WDW trip with $11 or less in my wallet - I just don't need cash for anything unless I'll be hitting some tolls along the way.

In regards to using the resort id, can you register your CC but still pay your final folio with a travellers cheque? The resort knows they'll get paid because you have registered a card but when it comes time to check out it would be nice to pay by travellers cheque rather than on the credit card. This is only for charges to the room, our room itself has already been paid with our package.

 

[Dismom55]

I do not use credit cards, we carry cash or travelers cheques for everything. I do not have to pay for TC at my bank. When planning my Disney trip, I make an envelope for everything that will be OOP. We do the DDP, so that means an envelope for Mousekeeping, tips at TS restaurants and any restaurants that will be OOP, like CRT and other activities like mini golf. As I save for the trip I insert the cash into the envelopes, now one week out I have ALL my envelopes filled (guesstimating on the tip for TS), lPLUS almost $600 in cash and $200 in travelers checks left over from our last trip as well as $100 in Disney Dollars received from my Travel Agent. I even have figured out our travel expenses and have an envelope for our gas and food while on the road.

I have a separate Disney Checking acct, in that I have the money for the hotel cost for the entire trip, this way I can pay with my ATM/debit card. I will carry my household ATM/debit card just in case of an emergency. Any money left over will go back into my Disney checking acct with the exception of the travelers checks, they go back into a lock box for the next trip.

I know it seems like a lot of work, but I enjoy the planning and I am secure in the knowledge that I have planned enough money for the entire trip.

I do not have to worry about paying a bill upon our return, I only carry a little cash each day and put the envelopes and extra cash into the room safe. This suits our lifestyle.

 

[Elevationist]

When planning my Disney trip, I make an envelope for everything that will be OOP. We do the DDP, so that means an envelope for Mousekeeping, tips at TS restaurants and any restaurants that will be OOP, like CRT and other activities like mini golf. As I save for the trip I insert the cash into the envelopes, now one week out I have ALL my envelopes filled (guesstimating on the tip for TS), lPLUS almost $600 in cash and $200 in travelers checks left over from our last trip as well as $100 in Disney Dollars received from my Travel Agent. I even have figured out our travel expenses and have an envelope for our gas and food while on the road.

I love this envelopes idea! I'm going to look into setting up some sort of similar system for our upcoming trip!

 

[pooch]

I do not use credit cards, we carry cash or travelers cheques for everything. I do not have to pay for TC at my bank. When planning my Disney trip, I make an envelope for everything that will be OOP. We do the DDP, so that means an envelope for Mousekeeping, tips at TS restaurants and any restaurants that will be OOP, like CRT and other activities like mini golf. As I save for the trip I insert the cash into the envelopes, now one week out I have ALL my envelopes filled (guesstimating on the tip for TS), lPLUS almost $600 in cash and $200 in travelers checks left over from our last trip as well as $100 in Disney Dollars received from my Travel Agent. I even have figured out our travel expenses and have an envelope for our gas and food while on the road.

I have a separate Disney Checking acct, in that I have the money for the hotel cost for the entire trip, this way I can pay with my ATM/debit card. I will carry my household ATM/debit card just in case of an emergency. Any money left over will go back into my Disney checking acct with the exception of the travelers checks, they go back into a lock box for the next trip.

I know it seems like a lot of work, but I enjoy the planning and I am secure in the knowledge that I have planned enough money for the entire trip.

I do not have to worry about paying a bill upon our return, I only carry a little cash each day and put the envelopes and extra cash into the room safe. This suits our lifestyle.

who still used travelers checks!! I could never travel with no cash - what if those little machines go down? I typically budget $100 per day between cash and our Disney Rewards points. I'll used the rewards card first but always have $50 or so on me just in case. I'll replenish the cash from the room safe each day as needed. This year, we have a lot of points plus my birthday fun card so I don't really expect to use the cash but I'll have it with me anyway!!