I'm on low-income

[tdickensheets]

I live in SHA. I on SSI. I work 3 or 4 days a week. I like togo to Walt Disney World. Cost too much togo there. I live in Seattle, WA. Can anyone help me with my financial cost.

 

[bambii]

my husband and oldest son is on SSI. and I just started working a part time job.. we are saving every pennie we can, so hope fully we can go next summer. some people sell stuff on Ebay to make a little extra.. I would like to have a yard sell to help but our managers say NO . we try to save 5.00 a check.. we are going to fly out of an air port that is 450 miles away and fly on allegient air.. you can save a lot. using them..

 

[Evil Queen]

Right now I am unemployed. I was laid off after 9 years with this one company.

But am only $295.00 from finishing paying off my trip (minus gas, tolls, souvie money). I was able to get the Free Dining plan.

I've been pinching pennies since our trip last Sept.

As of right now, the only benefit I receive from the state is unemployment. I have applied for Medicaid for my DS10, until I get a new job and insurance. I look daily for jobs, but so far nothing has come from it, but I keep trying.

If you try, it can be done, it's just hard. We eat cheaper (but not worse), we don't go out as often. We will go see a movie today, but that's because it's a present to my son's best friend for his birthday.

I haven't touched my savings for any of this. Hopefully, I won't have to. If the due date of the trip gets here before it's paid off, I may borrow from it, just means no souvies for me in WDW, that's not a problem. Because I would have to "pay back" my savings account.

Garage sales, ebay, if able do odd jobs for neighbors and friends for money.

I made $150. from my school teacher sister for helping her prep her classroom for summer, over the course of 3 days-about 4-5 hours a day. Normally I would help without the money, but she knows I'm trying to go to Disney.

If you bank with Bank of AMerica, they have the keep the change program. If you don't bank with them see if your bank offers anything special along those lines.

Save and roll coins. I think I'm at about $75.00 in about 2-3 months.

See about getting credit cards with reward programs.

Hate to say it, but get rid of your internet service and save your money from that. Cable if you have it, live without it for a few months.

We haven't had to give up anything yet, except the going out to eat and shopping like we are use to. But if need to, we'll give up the cable and interent for the summer.

All my bills are current and up to date. Anything left over from my checks, I put towards Disney.

Good luck-I hope you get to go.

 

[ceecee]

Be thankful you have gotten to go to Disneyland three times, some people never get to go at all. Since it looks like you went in 2004 from a previous post, why not take a few years to save. Every time you want to buy something you don't really need...stop and put that $ into your "Disney Fund". Use coupons and save that $ as well. Good Luck!

 

[patsal]

It is all based on priorities and a few extra $$'s add up over time. Think about what you do that may not be a necessity and make the decision to save that money rather than use it now. Over time it will add up and you will have the money to go. Living on a fixed income is never easy, the way you chose to spend your $$ may make a difference in how soon you go--see if there is someone else to go with as well, sometimes keeping one another motivated to save and excited about how close you are to getting to go can be fun as well. In addition the two of you could split the cost of: a hotel room--at the budget resorts that could be only $50.00 rather than $100 each. For food you could share at CS and other TS meals.

 

[dvcgirl]

I'm not so sure the OP was looking for advice. Sounds more like the OP was looking for actual contributions to his or her "like to go to Walt Disney World Fund". I could be wrong, but that's how I read it initially....

 

[mrsboz]

bambii: Where is the statue of Ariel? My girls would love to see it? by the way your children are adorable!

 

[lindakmonty]

I'm not so sure the OP was looking for advice. Sounds more like the OP was looking for actual contributions to his or her "like to go to Walt Disney World Fund". I could be wrong, but that's how I read it initially....

I agree, I read it that way as well... but we all do the same thing here... we SAVE for it!

 

[Chicago526]

It's a shame you live in WA, otherwise I'd suggest you camp at Ft. Wilderness, that can be the cheapest way of all to go to WDW! But WA is to far to drive all the way to FL, the drive down would cost you more in the long run.

Certain WDW costs are fixed. Value resort rooms generaly don't go below $99 a night, the only way to stay cheaper is to stay off-site, so consider looking at non-Disney hotels to save money. But if you stay off-site, be aware that you'll either have to rent a car to get the parks or rely on the hotel's shuttle, so take that into consideration in your trip planning and budgeting. Also, park tickets are another fixed cost, so you should plan your park days ahead of time so there are no wasted days or plus features on your passes.

Airline tickets are a sort-of fixed cost. While prices DO fluctuate, they won't go below a certain price, so you'd need to budget at least the minimum you think you can get the tickets for. What can help is the time of year and days of the week you travel. Skip the high season times (this will help with hotel costs, too) and try to go during the slowest periods. Also, if possible, avoid flying on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as these are the most popular days to fly. It's not that the airlines charge more, it that those are the fist tickets to sell out, which drives the fares up. Also, morning flights to FL and mid-afternoon flights leaving FL are also the most popular, be flexible on your times, if the times you want are expensive, look at alternitives.

Your biggest area to cut corners is food. It's possible to stay at Disney and eat cheaply with some proper planning. Do a seach of these forums, they are several threads that list great ways to save money, from eating in your room, to spliting meals to the cheapest places to get alot of food for the money.

As for saving for the trip itself, just keep watching these boards. There are always tons of ideas on how to save money, budget your income properly, and earn extra money towards your trip. Don't be affraid to ask questions if you want to know something you don't see in any of the threads. We are all very nice and will be happy to answer your questions.

 

[zalansky]

I'm not so sure the OP was looking for advice. Sounds more like the OP was looking for actual contributions to his or her "like to go to Walt Disney World Fund". I could be wrong, but that's how I read it initially....

Agreed.

 

[patsal]

Agreed.

Well I kinda thought the same thing, but I figured "teach to fish versus give a fish"!

 

[pweyl36]

O.K. FLAME AWAY. let me get this straight,your on welfare(not that there is any thing wrong getting help when needed.) and now you want to
save for disney? Isn't there other important things to save for than disney?

 

[musclecar_72]

O.K. FLAME AWAY. let me get this straight,your on welfare(not that there is any thing wrong getting help when needed.) and now you want to
save for disney? Isn't there other important things to save for than disney?

I was thinking the same thing! No offense, but I don't like financing other peoples trips!

 

[barkley]

just a reminder to anyone on ssi-if you have more in a bank account than the max allowed (used to be $2000) for even one minute of one day-you are entirely ineligible for that month's payment, and since ssi is paid out after the fact (as in may is paid in june) once "ievs" (the income and eligibility verifications systems) triggers the notice to your worker your check will get stopped or you'll end up with an overpayment that will reduce your checks for many months to follow.

also, all income (be it earnings or gifts of cash, "items of need" or the like) must be reported to the social security administration for consideration in budgeting an ssi grant (failure to do so is deemed fraud and prosecution is activly pursued).

 

[mickeyfan2]

I'm not so sure the OP was looking for advice. Sounds more like the OP was looking for actual contributions to his or her "like to go to Walt Disney World Fund". I could be wrong, but that's how I read it initially....

I read it that way too. Hope we are both wrong.

 

[DiznEeyore]

I read it that way too. Hope we are both wrong.

Wow ... I didn't read it that way at all. Guess I don't have a suspicious mind, LOL!! It never occurred to me that someone would actually think strangers would pay for their trip?!

 

[Disneydreaming6]

I read it as they were hoping someone would contribute to their disney fund. silly me picking up extra hours at work to pay for my disney trip, should of just posted here hoping someone would help pay for me to go.

 

[MyGoofy26]

I'm not so sure the OP was looking for advice. Sounds more like the OP was looking for actual contributions to his or her "like to go to Walt Disney World Fund". I could be wrong, but that's how I read it initially....

That's exactly how I read it, so if you're wrong you're not alone!

 

[BethR]

Hi tdickensheets! And to the DIS! You have come to the right place. You will find lots of great information here to help you plan and save for a Disney vacation. If you are entitled to have a savings being on SSI (and I don't know the rules regarding this), then this is the place to learn the right way to make extra money, save what you make, and then to visit Disney in the most economical fashion.

Good Luck!

 

[Chicago526]

I live in SHA. I on SSI. I work 3 or 4 days a week. I like togo to Walt Disney World. Cost too much togo there. I live in Seattle, WA. Can anyone help me with my financial cost.

I guess you could read it either way, the grammar through out the post isn't very good. I chose in my previous post to mean that she want's help to get her costs for the trip as low as possible.

tdickensheets, if you are still here, can you clarify?