I need to have a "Poor Me" Moment.....

[~Sweetie~]

I have been trying to save up a mere $250 to take my daughter away for 2 nights in July (nowhere too far away, just a town about 3 hrs away).
As a single working mom it took me 4 months to save this up.

Money is beyond tight right now.

Well, my car died today. Repair is going to be $300 (Yes, phoned around, got estimates.....).
I am just wallowing in self pity right now. I just had to cancel our teensy tiny trip - the ONE thing we have had to keep us going and look forward to. And its gone now.

I know there are much bigger problems in the world, but this is just the end of the world to the 2 of us right now and I have been bawling my eyes out for an hour. It has been a year of whatever could go wrong, has, and this just tops it off.

So please, those of you planning your disney trips and you are wondering if the concierge will be up to snuff, or you are torn between deluxe hotels........just remember how damn lucky you are and stop worrying about petty things like that. I can't even take one weekend away, and work full time and really needed this weekend away.
I am insanely jealous of all of you going to disney. I would settle for one night away at a motel 6 right now.

So this is a poor me post, flame me if you want, but I am so jealous of all of you.

 

[Penny12]

No flames here. I'm so sorry you had to cancel your trip I don't think it matters if it was 2 days or 2 weeks - 100 miles away or a 1,000, it was something special you and your daughter were looking forward to - you're entitled to feel down about it!

I hope things pick up for you soon and you can maybe get a little trip in somewhere later in the summer - or atleast start to plan something...and planning is half the fun, right?

 

[ebaynut31]

Hi Sweetie. Just me and my dd also. I am lucky enough to have a good job and can afford my Disney trips and we always stay at one of the All stars but when we feel like we need time together, we go to a hotel with a pool for a night and just act like silly girls on a sleepover. It costs about $90 for the night but it does the trick. Maybe you can find a hotel nearby and try that?

 

[jipsy]

I totally understand how you feel. Hope things pick up for you.

 

[jamsmom]

I am so sorry. If I weren't unemployed, I would help you out. I know what it is like to be a single parent and living almost paycheck to paycheck.

I sure hope you and your daughter can find something nice to do, even if it is just one night at a local hotel.

 

[Adrianna]

I'm sorry to hear that, I feel for you I can't afford to get an airline ticket home to visit my parents. And I'm just horrible with saving money, I have no excuse whatsoever.

 

[~Sweetie~]

Thanks for joining my pity party.

Ebaynut - even $50 is not something I have right now. It took me 4 months to get $250 together, and that was with eating hotdogs and macaroni A LOT. There have been no new clothes, no treats, NOTHING - so we could do this trip, and now all that saving goes into my car. I guess it is good I have the money to pay for my car, but at the expense of our little vacation.
I honestly don't think I can live like we have for the past 4 months for another 4 - it has been brutal. Pb& J for dinner many a night!

 

[4greatboys]

No flame from me either. I can understand how you feel. Im so so sorry about your car and having to cancel your getaway. We all need a getaway every now and then.
Do you have a credit card you can put maybe 1 night hotel stay one and just pay back the monthly minimum? I know its hard to charge things when there is no spare money but sounds like it would do you good.

 

[dizneegirl]

I know how it feels, and I know that sometimes a good cry will put it all in perspective... feel better yet?

Think of it this way... at least you had the money to fix the car. It would have been worse if you hadn't saved any, and had no car, right?

So, you can't go away for a couple of nights... I'll bet if you put your mind to it there are things you could do that don't cost much if anything that will give you the same kind of bonding down-time.

Maybe make a couple of day trips out of it, if you can afford the gas... go somewhere not too far away, play around all day, and go home to sleep. Then, get up & go somewhere else the next day.

When DH and I have planned to go somewhere special, and plans have fallen through for whatever reason, we'll make a mini-vacation at home... we don't answer the phone, we can stay in pjs all day if we want, we rent movies, order pizza, whatever strikes our fancy. Even eat ice cream out of the carton! And crank the a/c, just like if we were in a hotel room! We make it a game, and it's surprising just how well it actually works... almost feels like you did have a little vacation.

By the way - I'm jealous of anyone who goes to Disney, too... even if I've just been there. But I think it's a symptom of my Disneyholic syndrome...

 

[dizneegirl]

On the subject of saving money... I know there have been a lot of good threads through the years about saving up for Disney trips and the like... maybe you could start another one for tips. CindyB always had great ideas for low-cost meals and such... there are cheaper foods than peanut butter & bread that are much better for you! And wouldn't get so tiring to eat...

 

[Helopoh]

I have to agree here.....All my best for saving for a new trip.

I'm so sorry you had to cancel your trip I don't think it matters if it was 2 days or 2 weeks - 100 miles away or a 1,000, it was something special you and your daughter were looking forward to - you're entitled to feel down about it!

OH BTW WELCOME TO THE DIS and What part of our small world are you in??

 

[Kteacher]

sorry you had to cancel your trip I hope things get better for you soon.

 

[wovenwonder]

Would it be possible to take you child camping for a night or weekend? If not, you could even make a tent out of blankets in the yard and have a camping night of fun. Your daughter will not remember the 'missed trip' but she WILL remember how you handle it. Would it be possible to spend a weekend away with some friends or family? Make something fun for her in its place --- it will make both of you feel better.

 

[helenabear]

First of all, welcome to the DIS. I can understand your feelings... it wasn't too long ago that DH and I were in that kind of a situation. Hang in there and I hope things look up for you soon {{hugs}}

 

[Dan Murphy]

I can hear you, ~Sweetie~. Hang in there, it WILL get better. {{Hugs}}

 

[Serena]

{{{{hugs}}}}

 

[Buckalew]

While putting it on a CC sounds tempting, I wouldn't do it. If it took 4 months to save that $, then it'll take you awhile to pay it back to the CC (even if you one night away) and the cost of one night might ebd up costing you 3 nights or more.

I'd look into the possibility of camping too. We've done it for fun and done it when $ was tight. DD (now 9) would rather camp than go to WDW. *gasp*

 

[~Sweetie~]

Thanks again for the kind words.
As for camping -not us. We are 2 very girly girls. We tried the camping once (last summer) and ended up in a cheap motel! One night was all we lasted. Just not our thing. And that was even at a campground with showers and pizza delivery!

Credit card not an option - as I have no credit really, and the only one I do have is maxed and 2 payments behind! eek!

Staying with family or friends.......we all live in the same town. Any others are a 4 hr plane ride away!

Its just one of those curveballs life throws at you and I need to just move on. I really need a break, and this getaway would have been the perfect thing for us, but wasn't meant to be I guess.

I am thinking sometime in 2005 at this rate.....

 

[epcotfan]

Sorry to hear about your cancelled trip. I know how frustrating it is making plans and then something comes up to dissolve them.

 

[Cindy B]

Sorry to hear that you had to cancel.

As for living paycheck to paycheck, been there, done that. and now how it feels.


Don't ever ever put it on a credit card! You will be paying for that forever. The day we became credit card debt free (after 10 years!) was a joyous day.. and we haven't put anything else on!


As for money saving ideas, you can do much better than hot dogs and PB & J. You can do much more nutrious/cheaper meals than that at regular prices.


I read an amazing article called $5 a week groceries, yes $5 a week for one person, so for two it would be $10. There are amazing things you can do with less money, if you are

1) Creative
2) willing to "give up" things
3) willing to try new things
4) ready to change lifestyle.


I have low grocery bills most of the time. You can do better with less money spent.