over thinking money

[JadeDarkstar]

I know money sucks every where right now. I know i could be smart an make things a lot cheaper this trip but i really don't want too, I want to make this a good last trip to disney land for almost 4 years. I want to do everything we want to do an haven't done yet + all our fav things to do.

I know we could save a lot of money but if this is the last trip for at least 3 years shouldn't we just have a good time? an ignore all the second guessing?

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I know the feeling. We are heading to WDW this fall for our first and possibly only trip (at least for 5 years before we'd have a chance to go again).

Make a list of those things you want to do (maybe prioritize them), then come up with a game plan to get the extra money between now and the trip. You are going in December right? That's lots of time to find some extra cash.

Have a garage sale, sell some things on craigslist, recycle cans, etc.

What I'm doing:
1) my mom is on our phone plan and her bill is about $11/month. She pays it in cash and I put it directly into my WDW savings jar. It's easier to put that $ aside than to pull it out of our account every month.
2) The kids are recycling cans, and adding any "found change" into the jar.
3) I'll have a garage sale in the spring to sell all the clothes and baby stuff the kids have outgrown.

Get the kids involved (it helped with getting rid of the gimmes at the store). Ours don't know we are going to WDW yet, but they are always willing to save up to see Mickey. They think the funds they are saving will take us to DLR....

 

[Belle Ella]

Aw, I really like Shannon's ideas that she just posted. I've been doing similar stuff with a piggy bank that I had specifically designated for Disney related trips. Any spare change I find, any extra cash that comes in, money from recycling cans, etc. all goes into the piggy bank. It's really helped me pay my way lately. For one trip it covered my entire PH and half of my hotel and for another it covered half the cost of my AP. Now I'm hoping to save up money to put in towards staying at the GCH,e ven if for only one night.

 

[skiingfast]

I would write down a total amount you are willing to spend. Figure out a budget for each category. Travel, snack, tickets, character meals....

Then you can visually see where the money is being spent.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

we are as of now doing the 4day meal plan it pays for almost all of the charcter meals.

we may pay for the 5day meal plan if we stay the friday- it would pay for all our food the character meals.

on top those (1225 for 5day hopper an 4day meal plan or 1325 6day hopper an 5day mela plan)
we have 579-hojos or 699hojo extra day,
then we must do F an holiday tour.- bout 350 all together
woc picnics.-60.

 

[tzeitel]

I have a piggy bank - actually it is a Tiki Mickey bank - where I put any cash we can get our hands on.

I sell DD's outgrown stuff and anything else I find around the house on Ebay - they have lots of listing promos, right now it is free listings for the next couple of weeks. I also got a part time job at a coffee shop and put my tips in the Mickey bank.

My other way to save if I keep looking for coupons. The Entertainment book has Wetzel's Pretzels coupons, Restaurant.com has House of Blues certificates (you can get them for a couple of dollars by looking for rest.com coupons online). I found a couple of websites that sell gift cards and they have Jamba Juice. All of those places are in DTD.

I got a HoB cert. from restaurant.com and got an extra $10 cert (which I used for a local place) and a $10 off at shoebuy (which I used to get DD a pair of really cute Croc Mary Janes super cheap).

From past WDW trips I know to go to the dollar store to get Hawaiian Punch and Crystal Light single serving packs (save on drinks at the park), they also have the glow bracelets and even small Disney toys (depends on how old the kids are they have no clue what is from the dollar store and what is from the park).

You can do all the things you want and still be conscious of how much it costs - just make a list of what you want to splurge on and budget for it.

 

[MrsPinup]

Try looking into the Blog, Couponing To Disney. She has great ideas how to save extra money for the park. I would suggest packing and bringing in your own snacks and water, making your own autograpgh books - Staples can bind them for around $1, getting Disney shirts from the Disney Store or the outlet, and try negotiating your hotel cost on Priceline. The more you save on some things, the more you can spend in the areas that really matter to you.

 

[bumbershoot]

Save every last cent that you can.

When you take the trip, spend what you want from that amount. If there's leftover, use that for the next trip, or anything else you might need the money for.

Nothing bad about OVERbudgeting!

 

[CrazyDuck]

Jade,

Just curious why after this trip you are not planning to be back til 2015?

 

[JadeDarkstar]

im looking for a way to make money online. not like 1k+ or anything maybe an extra 200 a month or something

I have been doing my points an will be getting 25visa for my hubbys bdy gift
i might have enought by time we go to have few more those.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

crazy duck because we want to go to wdw. Next year or year after i know my dad plans on going so we may try to go with him.

an we have decied not to go to disney every year till things get better. If things get alot better then we will be back but if my real dads death beniffites are all thats gona pay for our disney trips well we want to be more careful. One year not do disney an do other thigns one year do disney.

an if we do wdw it will cost nearly 3000 all together an then need fly in less my steap dad goes then we can all go together

 

[CrazyDuck]

Doing WDW is a good reason to skip DL. But I tell you... As soon as you get back from WDW, Carsland will be calling!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

lol well we also know carsland an all the updates will be done next time we want to go to dl an waiting at least an extra year will let the crowds die down from that lol

 

[dalepool]

Yep Jade Money is issue for most people now days. ( My Ira went to half. I held on and with low reinvestment of dividens costs I am finally back ). I don't save --I know I know. But since I charge all expenses each month then husband pays off each month, I use my disney CC to get extra gifts cards. My husband was offered a gift of $150.00 for signing up and using the Disney CC even though I already had a Disney CC from way back at the beginning. I made him get that card no cost, no fee. $150.00 would have hurt to pass up.

By not saving I mean I do not set so much aside each month for trip. I do not spend so much though. I make meals at home, freezing any left overs for meals last min. This saves lots of money for me. I don't buy clothes just to buy. That includes grandkids-- and how I love to buy them stuff that is what grandmas are for----right ").

I look at what I can give up for a year. Coffee at home saves bunches. No more junk food buys. Make my own cup cakes, and other treats.

If you sit down pen and paper and list where money goes there is always a way to save and not miss out on any thing.

Remember to that we all need vacations . Do not feel bad about spending the money to make great family memories. Kids are only little so long. Really it is for the kids-- right LOL ya right I know it is for me


Patty

 

[JadeDarkstar]

ty.
yes we havent gone for the last two years because money was just so tight. I have the money i get from dad death benifits thats what i use for vacations an if it costs more then that well we dont go.

I know wddw is gona be real close to that budget when we go. I know doing dl for less then 2grand is quiet good +maybe 100 each
Just hoping for jobs to work out fast food even its a job ited give extra money.

I cut verizon off after getting screwwed two months in a row an got cricket for 50 a month instead of 110
that saved a bunch tho the savings is paying bills now
but if i can come up with 200
i can put it down on disney tickets an the meal plan (yes we still liek the meal plan an my hubby says theres no reason not to get them)
we dont use cc we have NONE tho i want the dinsey one.
If i can get the 200 together well we can then pay 40 a month off. its only gona be 600 all together by time we go but thats 600 that i wouldnt need to pay from my dad death benifits so more for other things right?

Ive been sick the last few days an when im sick i go in to over thinking parnoia moods an we have all been sick so much this year. I just hope next year we arent

 

[PinkBudgie]

Here is what we have done to save money:

We have no tv and that save us at least $50 a month. We have a tv but with out a dish or cable, we cannot pick up anything where we live. We get Netflix at a fraction of the cost. Between that and the internet we have plenty to watch.

We do not have cell phone contract. To pay $50 or $60 a month at least is crazy. We all have pay as you go plans for a $100 a year each. We are careful not to blab on them for pointless conversations.

We canceled our newspaper subscription.

We use only CCs that give you money back for using them and then we pay them off each month so no interest.

DH has been selling some of his CDs and PC games that he no longer wants on Amazon.

We pack lunches everyday for work and school.

We want to go to WDW in 2014 and I know what you mean about wanting to do everything. I feel like this maybe our only trip because it is so far so I want to stay somewhere very nice. Still don't know if we will be able to. Just have to see.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

been thinking about selling some things jsut not sure what.
been looking for some more things like my points where you can earn gift cards an stuff.

Im not sure how this would work but thinking might ask my dad to get disney visa an Id pay the moeny for it (i have my bankl card on his acount im thinkign we could do same with disney visa not sure.)

 

[JadeDarkstar]

well after talking to my hubby hes told me check the park vul inn since it has breakfast. if we need to save money we can cancle meal plan an eat there.. but not to sure at all. I loved hojos before an i like our meal plan but guess we will have to see.

 

[dalepool]

Jade, you might be able to get the CC in your name. I think our limit is high like 10k -- maybe it is 15k for that card. I would suggest not going that high ever---- I would ask for one in the 750.00 to 1k range would be fine . The one thing -now- with credit cards are the fees for missed payments they even charge if you go over the limit of card. To many fees in my opinion. We NEVER pay interest. They do make money on us as I charge so much -- businesses are charged a fee and points for all charges made. Like Visa is 35 cent transaction fee ( might be more-- but that was old rate). Then there is a charge of 1.75-3.75% charged additional. so say I charge $100, the business would have to pay a $1.75 - $3.75 fee to the credit card company. They are not allowed to recoup this fee from the customer either. If you buy and take back item the business has to pay the same fee as a charge back fee.

There are discounts using the Disney CC. Some meals are 10% discounted, the tours are discounted at 20%. Mickey time for pictures and invites to special events.

Remember the monetary reward is only $1.00 Per $100.00 put on card. So for $10.00 gift card you would need to charge 1k. My suggestion is not get CC if only for the rewards. (Unless offered the $150.00 after first use-like we got).


Sorry I rattled on

Patty

 

[JadeDarkstar]

thank you for the info tho