Organizational Tip

[Dismom55]

OK, I admit I am a bit OCD when it comes to getting things organized for my Disney trips. So today I was telling my daughter how I was going to figure out a way to cover decorated envelopes for all my different spending needs, so I could get more than one trip out of them.

I.E. One for gas driving to Disney, then another for on the way home. One for meals while traveling to Disney and again another for on the way home and so on amounting to quite a few envelopes.

She says to me, "Why don't you just get a coupon organizer, put the info on the tabs and keep all your designated money in that."


Wow what a great idea, and of course she told me we have so many Disney Stickers, use them to decorate the coupon holder.

OK, perhaps I have passed on some of my OCD, but I am impressed that she came up with the idea and I just had to pass it along.

Hope someone else like the idea. Why didn't I think of that??

 

[Carina]

I use a big one - looks like a coupon holder but fits full sized pieces of paper for our holidays.
I have section for
confirmations,
discounts and coupons, (Usually printable off the computer and any US valid gift cards I have earned) I also keep my main US money stash in an old billfold in that section
BCAA and travel medical insurance,
ID ( passports go in that one, then I know where they are at all times)
Misc.
Maps ( the last section)

I think there are 1-2 more but you get the drift.

The whole thing is only about 2 inches front to back, but it holds all the most important things, and its nice to have it all together so with once glance I know all the things i cannot loose are together.

It is so handy I have had several friends borrow it on their trip.... In fact it leaves for California and Nevada without me next week...lol

 

[tinkrebell]

I'm so out of the loop! What is a coupon holder? Like a binder or a plastic case for index cards - in which case I have one and may have been seriously underutilizing it?

 

[Dismom55]

The one I have is slightly larger than a dollar bill. It is like an expandable folder with tabs for identifying each section. Holds quite a bit. The one I have is completly made of plastic material and has a loop & button type closure.

Hope that helps.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Ahhh, a girl after my heart. Genius!

 

[Dismom55]

Went to walmart, not only got the coupon organizer in a pretty light blue, but they had matching folders of other sizes. Now I have one to hang in my file cabinet, keeping all the mousekeeping and ADR tip envelop disigns that I print off Disboards until needed. Then I got another expandable folder to keep all my other Disney Documents and papers for reference. Then lastly I got one that is pocket dividers for storage of maps and other things needed quickly during the drive to WDW. They had several colors, but I just could not pass up the light blue and the cost was very nice.

 

[noahdove]

Like that coupon holder idea...mine right now is a plain envelope I guess I should look for a new one

 

[pjennings]

Using a coupon organizer is a great idea. I will have to "file" that idea and use it when we go back.

 

[mrspopeye]

<------ Oooh another OCD vacation planner! I think it is so much fun!

I have an envelope system, with different envelopes for each day, sometimes 2 or 3 for each day. I also like color-coordinating stuff- like I used a different color marker to label each day's envelopes with the date and contents. We will be driving, so I put all the envelopes in my glove compartment, which is lockable- so each day's envelopes should be on top. Then I don't have to worry about losing or keeping up with another day's papers.

1st envelope- a map from our condo to where we are going and then the exact change for parking. 2nd/3rd envelopes- tickets, vouchers, coupons. I also have a card for each day that is 1/3 of the size of a standard piece of cardstock paper, so it fits perfectly in the park map brochure. It has all of our ADRs on it, the parade times, which attractions have fastpasses available and all of the show times. On the park maps, each area or land has a different color, so I colored the shows/times, restaurants, etc on my card to match what is on the map. It is so easy do do those things on MS Word.

I also have a few other OCD planning tools:

1) I have a budget sheet, that is basically my budget broken down into a bunch of columns, and then each line highlighted as to how I'm going to pay- green for cash like snacks, blue for Disney reward dollars, and i'll have an idea of when I think they will run out, gray for debit card, yellow for gas cards I earned through work, and place to write what I actually spent.

2) I also made a 5 word documents entitled: WDW, MK, Epcot, DHS, and AK. Everytime I ran across an interesting tip or secret about this, I copyed and pasted it to that document. It is amazing how much info I came across in the months of planning.

3) I have a menu book, where I copyed and pasted several menus into one document- only the ones for places we like, not all Disney menus.

4) And last but not least, the My Ultimate Packing List.


I would be happy to share these with anyone, just sent me your email in private message. They are word documents so you can edit it.

 

[ZoZo]

I'm so out of the loop! What is a coupon holder? Like a binder or a plastic case for index cards - in which case I have one and may have been seriously underutilizing it?

A coupon organizer is a small accordian-file that's used to organize grocery coupons. They usually have around 8 or 10 different sections, for different categories of grocery coupons. They could be easily modified for other uses by using file-folder labels to make different tabs.

Target had sturdy plastic coupon-type organizers in their dollar section about a month ago; I've been using the medium-sized one to organize shopping receipts from different stores. They provide their own labels so you can customize any way you want.

 

[Dismom55]

MRSPOPEYE: I love that you are so organized too! I have a binder that I keep all my information in. I have it organized by info and when I would need it. first section is for reservations, I print out for rental car, hotel to, Disney Restort and hotel home. . Then I have my section of driving directions, broken down by hotels both to and from Disney.

I also have a section for planned activities, how to get there (like mini golf), menus for ADR's, the DDP list,daily itinerary, tips, and my packing list (I check for packing to go home too) and my miscellanious section for anything else I want to keep handy. I place everything in sheet protectors, updating as needed before our trip.

I take this binder with me, and review things every night after getting ready for bed. It also helps as a reminder for the next trip and a reminder when doing my trip scrapbooking.

I do this for all family outings that require a overnight stay. I do a folder for those that do not require an overnight stay. I enjoy my planning for Disney as I see my binder taking shape.