Just how cheap are you?

[BeckWhy]

Well, I love getting the refillable mugs. I get them everytime I go. Of course, if you were allowed to use them forever, I don't think I would buy new ones. But I would have to anyways. My first mug from ASMo and my second mug from POP both ended up MIA. I don't know what happened to them. All I know is a week after I returned from my trip they were gone.

 

[robinb]

I am usually neither cheap nor frugal at home, but many trips to WDW have taught me a few things.

• I have a "Disney Box" which holds all the Disney specific things that I will take with me on my trips. These include pin lanyards, light-up toys, rain ponchos, my half-yard from Rose and Crown, Misty Mates, mister fans, etc. Bubbles, glow necklaces, etc bought beforehand for the trip go in there too.
• I bought boxes and boxes of powdered detergent in pressed cubes before they stopped being sold. I back a few cube packets and fabric sheets in a big zip-lock for laundry day.
• I grocery shop on my first day and buy breakfast items, snacks, beer and wine. If I'm at a Value resort I will purchase a styrofoam cooler or bring a collapsible cooler with me. The collapible ones tend to leak and they don't keep the food as cold as the styrofoam ones, though.
• I have been known to use the toaster at the All Stars for my own bagels and the microwave for a bowl of cheesy-mac.
• I bring or buy Ziplock or Glad single serving 2-3 Cup sealable "disposable" bowls/containers to use for cereal in the room and for the microwave.
• I have used a mug for more than one trip.
• I take PB&J sandwiches into the parks for my DD in a Ziplock/Glad container.
• I carry a large mouth Nalgene with a splash guard and refill from the water fountains. In the summer, I ask for a cup of ice to cool the water down.
• I have used the little one-bottle packages of Crystal Light to make the water taste better.
• I have been known to fill a mug with beer from my room and bring it with my to the pool rather than pay the pool-bar prices.
• I bring scads of Ziplock bags with me of all sizes. I will buy a large box/bag of snacks and divide it up into smaller bags for snacks in the park.
• I shop at the Disney outlet stores. I get Christmas themed snow globes in August at a fraction of their original price.
• I buy "trading pins" online for $2 each and let my DD have fun with them.
• I bring my own stroller.
• I have an Annual Pass and the DDE card.
• My DD uses an autoghaph book for more than one trip.

 

[CathrynRose]

...bring your own detergent for the laundry from home. I pour mine in an empty 20 oz. Coke bottle and bring it with me.

.

Nice idea - thanks!

 

[Jockaroo]

We typically bring an electric cooler for our room if we are staying where there is not a refrigerator. We can keep sodas, water and milk cool. We eat breakfast most days in our room because we find it saves us time--and we consider our time at Disney as valuable as our money! My mom always bakes homemade cookies for the drive down, so we eat the leftovers for snacks in the room. I bring my own mints and Lifesavers because they cost too much in the parks. Our best investment was the Brita Fill-N-Go filtered water bottles, but they have been discontinued. We have hoarded these bottles and filters the same way another poster has the laundry cubes!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

The difference between frugal and cheap is that frugal is watching what you spend and cheap is doing without something you REALLY want AND can afford. I am frugal and since I am retired I sometimes go over the line to cheap but not often.

I do many of the things already listed but the really big things that I do that make it possible for us to go to DW, often and long are = =

I mow my own lawn.
I wash my own car.
I change my own oil.
I renovated the upstairs of our house myself.
I fix many things myself rather than hire it done.
I shop yardsales, auctions and always look for bargains.

If "I" am the one doing all these things why should I have to bring dh who does NONE of these things. OK, he allows me to wash his car and do the maintainence.

Slightly Goofy

 

[slk537]

We aren't typically frugal on our vacations, although I wish we would be.

DVC helps - we factor the monthly payment into our monthly budget, so it feels like another bill. It helps me justify and pretend our deluxe lodging is "free" (someday....someday.....). That helps.

We have AP's, the DDE, and our DVC discounts.

We buy gifts for people at the outlets - and indulge DS as well.

We give DS a certain amount of his own Disney dollars before the trip and he can spend them on his last day. We also let him pick out one big toy. He spends the trips "shopping" for what he'll buy on the last day and we don't have to hear the "I wants".

My favorite? We hit the Lenox/Waterford/Mikasa outlets whenever we're down there for wedding presents. It seems like there is always a wedding coming up and we have been able to buy fantastic presents for next to nothing for each. We bought my cousin a lenox bride and groom china ornament and a Lenox wedding photo album for $15. We bought a friend some Mikasa crystal wine coasters and a crystal wine bottle coaster for $20...we bought another friend a gorgeous lenox vase for $10...and it is a great place for Christmas presents. It's not WDW, but it is a fabulous place to be frugal when on a WDW trip. It's my game. I refuse to pay more than $25 for a wedding present and the lower the cost and higher the original price, the better.

Our next trip planned after May is my frugal trip. We have DVC points, nwa miles, AP's, and the DVC DP. The whole 10 day trip for three of us will cost about $1000, including spending money. I'm pretty tickled about that.

 

[KarenCPA]

Another food tip. Have a "snack" about 11:00 - fruit, dry cereal, whatever. Then eat ONE nice, fun sit-down meal in a day, not two. Schedule it at about 3:00. Restaurants are not so crowded then, you will beat the heat, and have a nice dining experience. Later, about 7:00 hwen your tummy starts growling again, have a light dinner like a small sandwich. This won't work for big eaters, but it may be a good strategy for some.

This isn't necessarily frugal, but it is handy. Check discount store for lanyards that are specifically made to fit around the neck of a water bottle. Carrying the bottles around is a pain, but hanging them around your neck is easy! (again, maybe not too safe for small kids, but a good strategy for some. use good judgement).

karen

 

[Lizzybee]

Can't think of any prime examples but I do know that a good friend of ours claims that copper wire was invented when DH and his father both found a penny at the same time!

I may have to use that saying in the future I hope you don't mind.

The only things we do is get free water from the soda stands (gosh I must admit I LOVE free), split CS meals, sometimes at a CS I'll get a kids meal if I'm not that hungry (grilled cheese at ASMo was pretty darn good), we also bring our Mickey pens for the autograph books with us. OOH I also got my new swimsuit to use at WDW this summer (hey I've had the old one for 3-4 yrs all black I look like I'm in mourning). There was a sale at Fashion Bug store...buy one item get the second for $1, I got a swimsuit at regular price AND an Easter dress for $1 Sales make me so happy!!!
I also have Payless Shoe Airwalks clogs. I had no idea they were cheap imitations of crocs til someone complimented me on my crocs. It makes me so happy I got em buy one get one free.
Maybe I'm cheap or just a sale lovin, kids meal eatin', free water drinking Mom.
(There is a family member who reuses greeting cards, cuts the bottom off and writes the card to someone else...some of those cards just have a strip of paper left to write Love...so and so)

 

[dyna]

At disney we drive to disney take our own cooler from home that is already iced down and full of drinks and milk for breakfast. Also got a box with our cereal and loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter. We've never fell for those silly glo necklaces or light up toys DD was never interested in them and we didn't push it. Counted our blessings and went on. We almost always eat either dinner or supper in the room usually our peanut butter sandwich. The other meal comes from CS even then DD and I usually share a meal. Never buy the mugs having our own drinks in room in our cooler all of which we bought on sale is much easier. We stay value not because we have to but because we prefer those resorts. We shop for bargains in the disney shops at disney sometimes stumble onto a deal other times we don't. We have more disney shirts than I can count a few music boxes and such we have picked up over the years.

At home I yard sale I too mow my own grass do all the gardening work trim trees, wash the car etc. DH is good with fixin stuff and does most of the work on mowers and vehicles. Add the pool maintance and repairs. DD 15 has been saving her change for spending money at disney for a few months and has more than enough for disney.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

I'm so cheap, I drink the water fountain water

$2 a bottle of water? Yeah, ok, ONCE. On the first day. And then I'll refill it from the water fountains every day for the rest of the week. I'm damned if I'm paying Zephyr Hills for something which I can get for free from a water fountain!

I have a question - why do people carry water around with them ( other than possibly not likeing the taste of disney water ) ? Ever since someone mentioned the tip about asking for a cup/glass of ice water for free at any location that serves drinks in cups we've not felt the need to carry anything to drink. Why carry the weight around when you can get it cold anytime you want ?

 

[robinb]

Why carry the weight around when you can get it cold anytime you want ?

I carry my water for the same reason I carry it when I go out at home. I want to be able to have a drink when I want a drink. Walking around, in line, in the Little Mermaid show (shhhhhh!), after exiting a ride or attraction. Otherwise, I'd just drink from the bubblers.

 

[band_geek]

ya my family... we never ate at the park, maybe a snack here or there... we would rented a home like 15 minutes away, and were able to go there when the parks opened, and be done by 1 or 2, then come home, and maybe go back later on in the day

my brothers couldn't handle being cooped up in a hotel room.... ha ha

 

[eeyoregirl]

I bought a travel-sized bottle of Tide at Target for .99, and a box of fabric softener for .99, too. There's enough for 4 loads.

 

[Albertan mom]

Just subscribing!!

I agree with the water bottle thing. When I am in line, or wherever I want to, I want to be able to have a drink and not have to go look for a snack cart to get my free water. I have a waterbottle holder on my belly bag (yes, I wear one!! But only at Disney!! ) and we fill it up a few times a day at fountains.

As for buying Disney stuff ahead of time, that I just can't do. I WANT it to say Disneyland or Disneyworld on it. That is what makes it special! Anyone can buy a t-shirt with Mickey Mouse on it at Walmart, but not everyone can get a t-shirt with him on it that says Disneyworld 2006!! I love to buy souveneirs, and I refuse to cheap out on that!!
We stay at Value, so we can buy good stuff!

 

[aubriee]

I usually buy liquid, but for traveling I buy a small powder box of tide and measure it out in individual sandwich size ziplocks.. Then, I put the sandwich size ziplocks in a gallon size with a few dryer sheets. When I do the laundry I just empty the whole baggie of detergent in the washer...

This is what I do also.

 

[DebIreland]

The funniest 'frugal' experience I read was about sightseeing bus tours. I can't rememer if it was here on the DIS, it could have been at Tripadvisor.

Basically, a woman was telling how she and her husband saved a ton of money on their honeymoon because instead of doing the official bus tours around New York they just got in their car and followed the bus everywhere and left the sunroof and windows open and could sometimes even hear the commentary from the tourguide on the bus. I think she also said (or else it was another poster responding with a similar experience) that they brought their own packed lunch and ate it outside the restaurant that the bus passengers ate in.

I thought that was priceless. I'd be afraid though that the bus driver would think I was stalking him!