Looking For Some (Saving $$) Advice

[momofboyz3]

I'm looking for some tricks & tips from fellow moms. I would love to go back to WDW maybe next summer, but need to save some serious cash 1st. We went May 2013 & it cost $5500 (used a portion of savings & tax refund)
~ I'm a single mom of 3 boys 13, 13, 10. I have NO credit cards and NO debt. I work Full-time but live week to week. Receive NO child support & No govt. aid. My bills: rent, electric, cable, cell phones & groceries. We also order out or go out twice per month.
~ I don't want to rely on a tax refund check. Would love to get ahead a bit. Does anyone have any tips for saving $ maybe something I haven't thought of, that worked for you???

 

[WDGPCFR]

When planning my families trip 2 years ago I went on the Disney reservation site and did my trip all the way up to the booking step. I saved the trip and continued looking and dreaming. I think it was 11 months before the date I was looking at I received a PIN number which gave me a fantastic deal. Worth a try.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

I'm looking for some tricks & tips from fellow moms. I would love to go back to WDW maybe next summer, but need to save some serious cash 1st. We went May 2013 & it cost $5500 (used a portion of savings & tax refund)
~ I'm a single mom of 3 boys 13, 13, 10. I have NO credit cards and NO debt. I work Full-time but live week to week. Receive NO child support & No govt. aid. My bills: rent, electric, cable, cell phones & groceries. We also order out or go out twice per month.
~ I don't want to rely on a tax refund check. Would love to get ahead a bit. Does anyone have any tips for saving $ maybe something I haven't thought of, that worked for you???

One way to make your actual trip cost less is to stay offsite in a condo for about $100 a night with a kitchen and make some meals in the condo. Breakfast every day for sure. You can get a 3 bedroom condo at Wyndham Bonnet Creek for less than a value sometimes.

To save up money for your trip start buying generics at the grocery store (I can't do this myself because I hate generic stuff) but it seems like a way to save some money.

If you live week to week I don't see how you could save 5k in one year. I think you are really going to have to depend on that tax refund check.

 

[momofboyz3]

When planning my families trip 2 years ago I went on the Disney reservation site and did my trip all the way up to the booking step. I saved the trip and continued looking and dreaming. I think it was 11 months before the date I was looking at I received a PIN number which gave me a fantastic deal. Worth a try.

Great idea!!!! Will try that

 

[momofboyz3]

One way to make your actual trip cost less is to stay offsite in a condo for about $100 a night with a kitchen and make some meals in the condo. Breakfast every day for sure. You can get a 3 bedroom condo at Wyndham Bonnet Creek for less than a value sometimes.

To save up money for your trip start buying generics at the grocery store (I can't do this myself because I hate generic stuff) but it seems like a way to save some money.

If you live week to week I don't see how you could save 5k in one year. I think you are really going to have to depend on that tax refund check.

Other than paper goods & juices it's hard for me to buy generic.... I do like your offsite idea which I might look into.
Thanks for the response

 

[ShayBells]

Cut coupons. Google coupons. Don't eat out if you can do it. Total up the cheapest vacation you can find and pick a month than divide it up. For example if you go in August next year. That is roughly 9 months away. If you need 5,000 than put roughly 150$ a week away if you can find away to budget that. Don't buy anything extra. Try to stretch the little things. Like paper towels and things like that. Buy cheaper hair care products. Take shorter showers. Make sure lights are all off things like that. Make sure you are cutting back things in a way that you can put 150$ away a week. I find if I have a goal like a vacation that I need to save up for I can do it easier. Just look at it like a bill (That 150$ a week)

Good luck!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[kajs22]

In a similar situation here - single Mom - we have a deadbeat Dad I work full time, but, raising children is tough on one income! I started clipping coupons, cut back on the eating out and unnecessary purchases. I started shopping at Old Navy & Kohls for their clothing. Cut out extras like lunches for me. I was able to take them last summer. I have continued a modified version of this to continue on in order to save for our next vacation.

 

[momofboyz3]

Cut coupons. Google coupons. Don't eat out if you can do it. Total up the cheapest vacation you can find and pick a month than divide it up. For example if you go in August next year. That is roughly 9 months away. If you need 5,000 than put roughly 150$ a week away if you can find away to budget that. Don't buy anything extra. Try to stretch the little things. Like paper towels and things like that. Buy cheaper hair care products. Take shorter showers. Make sure lights are all off things like that. Make sure you are cutting back things in a way that you can put 150$ away a week. I find if I have a goal like a vacation that I need to save up for I can do it easier. Just look at it like a bill (That 150$ a week)

Good luck!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Thanks for your response! One thing I never do is cut coupons.... I NEED TO START ASAP!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I used to be in your shoes, albeit with only 1 child. Some things I did for extra money...

1) for sure you can decrease the cost of the trip. Look for the best deal you can, and at at a value, no do, bring breakfast and maybe even sandwich stuff. Drive unless you find really cheap flights. Base tickets. Fewer nights if possible.

2) do you have a neighborhood Facebook? You or your even your kids can advertise that they will per sit and house sit. Easy way to pick up some cash. With holidays coming up, lots of people will need you.

3) you are feeding boys, but try cutting back on the grocery budget. I can usually find ways to save on that.

4) sell some stuff from around the house.

5) ask for Disney gift cards for you and kids for Christmas and bday gifts.

6) cut back the Christmas budget.

7) if you don't extreme coupon, start now.

That's a start, at least. Good luck!

 

[momofboyz3]

In a similar situation here - single Mom - we have a deadbeat Dad I work full time, but, raising children is tough on one income! I started clipping coupons, cut back on the eating out and unnecessary purchases. I started shopping at Old Navy & Kohls for their clothing. Cut out extras like lunches for me. I was able to take them last summer. I have continued a modified version of this to continue on in order to save for our next vacation.

Single Moms Rock! It made me feel so good to take my boys last summer as well. It's worth giving up the $12 a day lunches!

 

[mrsklamc]

My suggestion is cancel cable. We haven't missed it. We watch less TV and what we watch is better quality, and we do better things with the time we aren't watching.

Do you have a written budget? If not, try writing down everything you spend in a month- most people are surprised by somewhere that they are spending money.

 

[danygirl]

Check out kristin at Couponing to Disney. She really breaks things down. Some things I did

1. Coupon! Cut my grocery bill by more than 50 percent and I now have a stockpile to get me through when the budget is tight.

2. I cut out some duplicating insurance policies

3. Cook at home and eat out less

4. Market research studies.

5. Can you pick up some odd jobs? My dd and I take turns walking a neighbors dog for 8 per walk. It adds up.

6. Sell some stuff. When I needed to pay for a camp
For one of my kids we had a yard sale it only made 150 but my house got clean and it was 150 more than what I had

7. Can you car pool to work to cut commuting costs?

8. When you go to Disney bring your own breakfast food and start each day eating in the room. You save time and money

 

[tzeitel]

Do you do any survey/point sites? I do Swagbucks and My Points. I click on emails, use their search engines, shop through them and sometimes watch videos or play games on the sites to earn points. They have some great gift cards - Southwest, Landry's (Rainforest Café, Yak & Yeti, TRex) etc - that can be used for your trip.

Your kids are old enough to help save for the trip - change jar, ask for Disney cards as gifts for birthdays and holidays, cut or modify what they spend. Maybe instead of going out twice a month you can order a couple of pizzas and rent a movie at the library (or Redbox).

With the holidays coming maybe you can get the kids to clean out their rooms - their old toys/books/clothes can be sold in the spring at a yard sale. I actually clean DDs room in early Nov (just did it last week) and list her old toys on Ebay - you would be surprised how much that can bring in, especially if you have video games or dvds

 

[momofboyz3]

ThankYou ALL for the responses and feedback. Im going to start checking for coupons, look into the online surveys as well, maybe try out eBay.
I was curious on how everyone else does it and you all gave me some great advice!

 

[sweetdana]

My suggestion is cancel cable. We haven't missed it. We watch less TV and what we watch is better quality, and we do better things with the time we aren't watching. Do you have a written budget? If not, try writing down everything you spend in a month- most people are surprised by somewhere that they are spending money.

Yup, I was thinking same thing. Cable is a waste of $$ there is plenty on for nearly free with Netflix n internet. Also if you have a home phone .... Cut that too. Use ohma or there is another company using internet for phone at 8$ a month.
All that put in a separate account.
Bring lunch every day to work.
Find a craft/hobbies to make a few $$ on. Sewing doll clothes for etsy, or babysitting for kids once a month, or cutting out pop .

Good luck, you can do it if you want it bad enough

 

[LovemesomeDW]

Reward sites are great! There are some really great ones out there that you get cash back for doing online shopping! I order a lot of Christmas gifts online because a lot of stores will have free shipping around the holidays. So I get free shipping, cash back on the rewards site and don't have to deal with the holiday crowds. Win, win, win! I save up the money I earn and then put it towards my disney trips!

 

[littleelf]

Have a no spend week. Eat only what's already in the house, pay bills before or after but don't spend anything that week, fill up your gas tank ahead of time, etc. Whenever I do that I'm really surprised that our credit card bills for the month are less--you'd think you would just spend the same amount only a week later, but you really don't.

 

[Lisa71]

I have a friend who sells thirty- one bags and one sells scentsy..lots of Facebook posts contests and specials and they make enough extra for fun things like vacation. They use almost entirely free social media and local craft fairs and so very few traditional parties.

 

[justAglance]

Although I am not a single mom with kids, I am a single guy. I was just poking around and I came across your post. I hope my three ideas will help or at least give you a new perspective. This ended up a lot longer than I thought it was going to be.

1) The first trick I used (and don't recall where I got it from), was that every $5 I got I tucked away into a separate part of my wallet. Each day, when I got home, I put the $5 in a container. It sounds easy at first, then once you start, it becomes VERY VERY HARD. The crazy part is, once you get used to it, your going to find you end up saving a crazy amount you never thought you could... and end up asking for change in specific bills, LOL (^_^). Once, I walked around with $16 and change in dollar bills and coins in my work bag. Never did it again tho, it ended up that I would rather tuck that $5 away, than clink like a coin purse, and the weight was annoying.

2) Even before the $5 experiment, I never like carrying around change. Jeans only have so many pockets. Most of my change ends up in a huge coke bottle money jar. That gets heavy, and needs to be sorted, and takes forever. So I took a washed 32oz Powerade bottle and started sorting my change. Its been a few years since I've done it (using my CC since it gives me points nowdays), but iirc, the bottle of quarters came out to near $256. Just be very very careful when you take it into your bank. Their sorting machine ended up saying $249, I think. The numbers came out so obscure I haven't been back. I do recall when I asked for proof, they said that it had previous coins, so they could't account for it. Painful lesson learned, and hence why I use my CC also.

3) You mentioned its hard for you to use generic store products. I used to be the same, but I read a Consumer Reports article on Brand vs Generic/Store Brand recently. I was hesitant and skeptical at first. But every time I go to the store now, I try to pick up a Generic/Store brand also. Before buying, I make sure the ingredients on each are exactly the same, and I try to avoid the stuff I can't pronounce or don't want, ie. Aspartame for example. So far:

Skippy Natural Creamy vs Great Value (Walmart) Natural Creamy. Peanut Butter. Surprisingly (trust me, HUGE surprise), the Great Value actually tasted better. This was an easy one, I just opened both and took a small spoonful. I made sure to rinse with water between.

Market Pantry vs Campbell's. Cream of Mushroom. Out of the can, the Campbell's one was better. It had a more creamy flavor. I used both for my swiss steak, but will go back to using Campbell's. And the reason is because my nephew and niece's can use the Labels for Education.

Market Pantry vs Dole. Cut Green Beans and Yellow Corn. I couldn't tell the difference. It's corn and beans in water, and butter makes everything taste better.

Did some searching and here is the online version of the article. Hope this helps everyone who has trouble with Generics. It's strange at first, but savings is savings in my account balance.

Ref: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2013/10/best-store-brands/index.htm

 

[Marionnette]

You've gotten some great tips on how to cut corners in order to save for your trip . Here's my advice:

1.) Adjust your withholding so that your refund is smaller. A smaller refund means more money in your paycheck.

2.) Establish a routine savings plan. Have the money withdrawn from your checking account and placed in a hard-to-reach savings account. Then forget about it. I like Capital One 360 (formerly ING) because there are no branches near me. I have to move the money electronically and it takes about 3 days to go from savings into my checking account.

3.) Create an emergency fund and add to it as a regular part of your budget . It really sucks to have to raid the vacation fund because the car needs a new exhaust system (or for any other unplanned but necessary expense). Make sure that you have enough set aside to cover your deductible and maximum OOP expenses for medical bills.

Of course, none of this means a hill of beans if you live paycheck to paycheck. It's very easy for someone with wiggle room in their budget to suggest these moves. It's harder for someone on a tight budget to put them in practice.

Someone already pointed out that to amass $5K by next August, you would need to sock away $150/week. There's no getting around that number. However, you could delay the trip another year so that you would have 85 weeks to save, instead of 33. Just eliminating $12/day lunches would save you $60/week. Over 85 weeks , you would have your $5000. Easy solution and relatively painless.