How much in gift cards?

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I just want a general idea, if someone would like to chime in. I'm buying Disney Gift Cards for my trip in December. I'm going with a friend and she is doing the same. Tickets, hotel and airfare have been paid for. We are staying a total of 5 nights. We plan to skip breakfast (well eat pop tarts and maybe eat breakfast once at Pop), one character meal, probably Chef Mickey, O'hana and 50's Primetime. Everything else will be CS. I will want to buy a few souvenirs (less than $100).
So please just give me a guess on how much you think would be enough without going way overboard.

ETA: It's 4 nights and I would probably only buy a shirt for my DDs. They aren't into DW like I am .

 

[puffkin]

I had about $450 in giftcards and $300 in Cash on our May trip. We are a family of 3 (DS is 5). We were there 7 days. I used the room charge for our Table Service meals (we ate 5 of them during the week). Used cash for airport, tips, a few snacks at the carts, etc. Used the gift cards for souvies and CS meals. We ate most of our breakfasts in the room. We came home with $14 left on the gift card and $125/cash.

For one person, you should be fine with $300 or even less. Figure $15 for each counter service (which is a very generous allowance). $50 for your table service/tip and $100 for Souvenirs puts you at about $250.

Will you use the giftcards in the future? If not, I would say take about $200 and the rest in cash that way you won't have a lot left over.

 

[tnd]

I think a budget of $100/day is reasonable (probably generous but covers incidentals). But why would you do gift cards instead of cash? If you just saved the money you were using to buy the gift cards, and you spent less, then you have cash to use on other things after the trip. If you overbuy gift cards, you're left with something not as useful after the trip.

 

[neatokimmo]

If you are unsure how much you will spend, why bother with a giftcard?

(I've never really understood the buying of giftcards for a trip?)

 

[katrina1122]

I agree with the pp about putting it on gift cards if you don't know what you will be spending, unless it's a visa gift card. Once on a disney gift card you can't get it back.

If you do use disney gift cards you can just add to the card you already have so you don't have to carry tons of them around.

I'd just bring the cash and have them put it on your KTTW card. Once it's spent it's gone and you aren't stuck with unused balances.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I'm not disciplined enough to put back the $25 each week, it always goes to something else. And before I know it, no extra $25. And I like buying the cards.

I like the idea of close to $100 a day. Oh, and we are doing MCVMCP, so I forgot to account for that. So I tack on an extra $70 for that. I do not want leftover gift cards, so thanks to whomever brought that up. I can buy the majority in gift cards and take $100 cash for incidentals. Thanks!

 

[puffkin]

If you are unsure how much you will spend, why bother with a giftcard?

(I've never really understood the buying of giftcards for a trip?)

I know in my case, cash tends to evaporate from my wallet. I budget $100/wk for groceries and my incentive for using coupons and sales shopping is to get a Disney gift card at the store when I am under budget. It is a great way to save up for our next trip....it really adds up.

In our case though we go at least 2X a year so if we have any leftover, we just have a head start saving for our next trip

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I know in my case, cash tends to evaporate from my wallet. I budget $100/wk for groceries and my incentive for using coupons and sales shopping is to get a Disney gift card at the store when I am under budget. It is a great way to save up for our next trip....it really adds up.

In our case though we go at least 2X a year so if we have any leftover, we just have a head start saving for our next trip

Thank you SO much. I was afraid I was going to get flamed for not being fiscally responsible. It's just gift cards!

And I LOVE your idea of using the leftovers towards the next trip. Perfect! You made my day!

 

[Swimalie]

Thank you SO much. I was afraid I was going to get flamed for not being fiscally responsible. It's just gift cards!

And I LOVE your idea of using the leftovers towards the next trip. Perfect! You made my day!

One thing you could do is set up an ING Direct account. Have $25 a week taken from your checking account and put in here while earning interest (okay, so not much but it's slightly better than nothing). Then about a week before the trip, transfer the money back to your local bank and get the money out. We did this for our car over the last few years and were able to pay cash for a brand new car.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

If you are unsure how much you will spend, why bother with a giftcard?

(I've never really understood the buying of giftcards for a trip?)

Neither do I. Seems very odd.

 

[scrapquitler]

I would bring cash rather than gift cards, or figure WAy low on the gift cards and add cash to the pile. I say this only because if you buy $500 in gift cards and then only spend $250, you are stuck with $250 in gift cards that you can't do anything else with. On the other hand if you have cash, you can use cash anywhere, not just at Disney.

I am budgeting $100 per day for food for DH and I for our October trip (we won't eat more than one sit down meal the entire trip, QS the rest of the time, breakfast foods in the room). I'm planning $400 for food and another $250 for spending on whatever stuff. But I"m not bringing gift cards, I'll just bring probably $200 in cash and put the rest on my credit card during the trip, then pay it off as soon as the bill comes.

I think in your case you need to look at the menus for the meals you are planning and then you can budget for those. Don't forget to add in 18-20% for tips. Then add in for snacks/drinks/counter service. I always try to over budget for food, then I won't feel guilty about it.

 

[Princess Glenda]

We bought GCs to use on our June trip. We weren't on the dining plan and we enjoyed using the GCs to buy meals and snacks. We bought the kids their own for snacks so they could know EXACTLY how much they could spend on the trip for snacks. It worked out GREAT! They budgeted the money and even had a bit left over at the end of the trip.

We have been buying our GCs at Kroger. DH is an employee and they earn double fuel points for buying GCs. They have a promotion running now that lets you stack your fuel rewards for up to $1.00 off each gallon of gas. DH filled up his truck and saved almost $30 for a fill up with the gas rewards. We were going to spend the money on food anyway so we figured it was nice to get the gas rewards for buying the GCs.

Back to your original question...I think it is wise to budget $100 a day on average. I also love buying the GCs because it is a count down to my trip. Each Sunday we would buy a GC and it made us happy to think that we were getting a bit closer to our trip each week.

Have fun planning and saving for your trip.

Glenda

 

[MsLeFever]

At my grocery store there is a good cents off gas program for gift cards - well worth it! I think it is 20 cents off a gallon for every 50 or 100 in GCs.

 

[jen541]

I try to budget and coupon as much as possible so I can buy 1-2 Gift cards every week. I too have a hard time saving cash. When I see a pretty sweater that I really don't need and our trip is a whole year away, it's hard to choose to save the cash... and yes, every time I bring a gift card home and add it to the pile, I feel like I am that much closer to Mickey heaven. It is such a happy feeling. Yeah for you for finding a way to save up! Whatever it takes.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I try to budget and coupon as much as possible so I can buy 1-2 Gift cards every week. I too have a hard time saving cash. When I see a pretty sweater that I really don't need and our trip is a whole year away, it's hard to choose to save the cash... and yes, every time I bring a gift card home and add it to the pile, I feel like I am that much closer to Mickey heaven. It is such a happy feeling. Yeah for you for finding a way to save up! Whatever it takes.

Thank you, as well. This is just like I feel. I have been able to resist the temptation of buying things that I don't need, because now I think of the CG as a bill, albeit a fun one! Makes it a lot more fun everyweek. Like you said, closer to Mickey Heaven!

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Neither do I. Seems very odd.

Please refer to post 8. Thanks.

 

[sk!mom]

Please refer to post 8. Thanks.

Still don't really get it. It seems that it would be easy to save for something that you really want or maybe if the money is needed elsewhere- you can't really afford the trip.

BUT...if it really is just a problem with financial discipline, then I would recommend buying Visa gift cards. That way if you have money left you can use it once you're home. On our last trip, my mom had asked for only gifts to help her afford the Disney trip. For Mother's Day that year my siblings went in on a Visa card and she had a really easy time using it at all restaurants and stores.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Still don't really get it. It seems that it would be easy to save for something that you really want or maybe if the money is needed elsewhere- you can't really afford the trip.

BUT...if it really is just a problem with financial discipline, then I would recommend buying Visa gift cards. That way if you have money left you can use it once you're home. On our last trip, my mom had asked for only gifts to help her afford the Disney trip. For Mother's Day that year my siblings went in on a Visa card and she had a really easy time using it at all restaurants and stores.

I can afford the trip or I wouldn't be going. Airfare, tickets and onsite hotel have been paid for. I like buying the gift cards. And like a PP suggested, if there is money left, that will go towards the next trip. I don't need Visa cards to use the leftover money for other things, but thank you for the suggestion.

I think maybe you should be asking people who finance their trip by using credit cards why they do that. That is one I don't understand. I have never paid one penny of interest for any Disney, or any other trip.

 

[PrincessHeather'sMom]

I too am using gift cards for spending money. I do get an idea of how much I need and get that much in gift cards, then I bring extra cash to cover what I didn't think of or didn't bring enough gift cards for. I over prepare. I personally think it is easier to save spending money in gift cards, for me anyway. Before I know it, I'm giving cash out to teenagers for this thing or another and anything extra I have is gone. And too, I think, if I actually do have any extra left ever on a Disney Gift Card, I can spend on the DisneyStore.com site for gifts (or something for me!).

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I too am using gift cards for spending money. I do get an idea of how much I need and get that much in gift cards, then I bring extra cash to cover what I didn't think of or didn't bring enough gift cards for. I over prepare. I personally think it is easier to save spending money in gift cards, for me anyway. Before I know it, I'm giving cash out to teenagers for this thing or another and anything extra I have is gone. And too, I think, if I actually do have any extra left ever on a Disney Gift Card, I can spend on the DisneyStore.com site for gifts (or something for me!).

Ha! I didn't think of that! I almost always have my eye on something on Disneystore.com. (Like one of the Dooney and Burke purses!) Thanks