Saving (hiding) money away for trip

[erinmomof2]

I am a stay at home mom, so I don't have a paycheck coming in either. I get all our weekly grocery money in cash. Any money that does not get spent for the week I put in my vacation jar. My goal is to add $20 a week, sometimes I can do more sometimes less. It does mean more shopping around for sales and better budgeting, but I like that I am able to save up some money for fun extras.

 

[verleniahall]

pay for everything in cash and put the change in a sock in your drawer and cash it in once a month - it will add up fast!

 

[cruisingtwins]

I also wanted to add that not everyone enjoy these kind of suprises you know your husband of course so you know best. Personally I would not like it.

 

[MariMama]

So I am looking to go back to Disney in Oct of 2017...plenty of time. Right now my plan is my husband and 2 kids and his mom. She has never been and she is/has missed out on some major life events. We are military and live across the country from her and its hard for her to travel on a whim. So I thought a fun thing to do is plan a big birthday trip next year for Myself and our kids (we are all oct babies)

My husband wants to stay at the contemporary at some point which is a little out of our budget. While I can only hope that disney will release the military deal again it will still be a little hard to say lets spend this much money.

So I thought I would start now by stashing away little money here and there. So we have a separate cash envelope that we have been working on but I can't touch that one.

I don't work so I can't stash my own money away so how do you stash money away for your trips? And I can't let my husband know since if I can make this happen it would be a big surprise.

You don't have any access to an account with only your name on it? If not, you need to get one. I have a very part time job, but I also have my own credit card and own checking/savings accounts.

 

[scrapquitler]

It won't go in our firebox...it will go somewhere only I know where it is. I don't get to surprise my husband with anything because its hard when he looks at the bank accounts. We pay for disney from my private account anyway...which he doesn't have access to...so I can put things into that account but I can't have anything major coming out of the main banking account. If its 20 here and there that is different cause we have a cash emergency fund anyway...it wouldn't phase him. But I have to be able to fund that cash account along with mine too.

One thing we do is that when we pay cash, we keep any change (coins and singles) as a slush fund for something fun. My husband hands it to me about once a year and calls it my "Christmas Bonus" He just keeps it (the singles at least), in an envelope in his underwear drawer.

Do you use coupons? One thing you can do is shop with your coupons, then if you saved for example $8.45 with the coupons today, take that $8.45 and put it in your secret envelope towards the trip.

 

[margot31]

You don't have any access to an account with only your name on it? If not, you need to get one. I have a very part time job, but I also have my own credit card and own checking/savings accounts.

Yes my CC only my name is on it, My main private account only my name is on it....the savings account is where my mom is on it and as said it was meant so we could transfer money to each other if needed. I don't have a job because I live in a very rural location and it was very hard to find a job so when I became pregnant i am a stay at home mom. My CC is paid off with the main bank account which is my husbands income.

 

[MariMama]

Yes my CC only my name is on it, My main private account only my name is on it....the savings account is where my mom is on it and as said it was meant so we could transfer money to each other if needed. I don't have a job because I live in a very rural location and it was very hard to find a job so when I became pregnant i am a stay at home mom. My CC is paid off with the main bank account which is my husbands income.

Your mother doesn't need to be on the account in order to transfer money to her. You can deposit any extra cash you get in the savings account.

 

[margot31]

Your mother doesn't need to be on the account in order to transfer money to her. You can deposit any extra cash you get in the savings account.

I am fully aware of that but it makes our lives easier on how we have an agreement on that particular account.

 

[Pooh2]

Sounds like you are pretty set on the Contemporary Resort but if it would make the budget less stressful, I would highly recommend Shades of Green Resort. It is in the same area and probably about 1/4 of the cost of CR resort. They often have discounts in the fall and great deals on tickets for active duty (can also purchase tickets at MWR office on base before leaving home). The rooms are large and can accommodate up to 5 people (they have a pull-out couch). This is a beautiful resort with comparable decor as the Wilderness Lodge.With the savings on lodging, you can do more extras like characters meals/tours.
Good luck with planning your trip!

 

[havaneselover]

I'll agree with those who recommended Swagbucks. I started It a year ago and made enough to buy $1,600 in Disney gift cards. And I work outside the home and am gone 12 hours a day so my opportunity to earn is somewhat limited. Swagbucks is the only reason I'm comfortable doing a 7 day Disney cruise in August and I'm hoping for continued success as I really want to take the kids to Alaska in 2018.

 

[usnuzuloose]

When I go out to garage sales, I take the rest of the money I took out for it and throw it in a piggy bank. I throw all the change from my purse in it as well.

You could always have a garage sale and put that money away. In the sense I don't work a regular job. But we do sales for collectables and earn money that way for extra.

Maybe you could earn some extra money for doing things for people around the neighbor hood for people who work.

 

[margot31]

I'll agree with those who recommended Swagbucks. I started It a year ago and made enough to buy $1,600 in Disney gift cards. And I work outside the home and am gone 12 hours a day so my opportunity to earn is somewhat limited. Swagbucks is the only reason I'm comfortable doing a 7 day Disney cruise in August and I'm hoping for continued success as I really want to take the kids to Alaska in 2018.

We have stayed at SOG and while it works we like staying on actual Disney property. We can afford it but it's still a bit of a pill to swallow.

 

[Marionnette]

We have stayed at SOG and while it works we like staying on actual Disney property. We can afford it but it's still a bit of a pill to swallow.

If your heart is set on the Contemporary, I have a couple of suggestions.

The first would be to look into renting DVC points and staying at Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary Resort. BLT is the Disney Vacation Club building on the Contemporary's property. The drawback would be that you often have to make your reservation as early as 11 months in advance and you have to pay in full at the time that the reservation is made.

The second would be to stay in one of the Garden Wing rooms at the Contemporary. It's probably one of the best-kept secrets that GW rooms at CR are the most affordable rooms on the monorail.

 

[havaneselover]

We have stayed at SOG and while it works we like staying on actual Disney property. We can afford it but it's still a bit of a pill to swallow.

I think you quoted the wrong person

 

[margot31]

When I go out to garage sales, I take the rest of the money I took out for it and throw it in a piggy bank. I throw all the change from my purse in it as well.

You could always have a garage sale and put that money away. In the sense I don't work a regular job. But we do sales for collectables and earn money that way for extra.

Maybe you could earn some extra money for doing things for people around the neighbor hood for people who work.

We are already doing that since we move in January back to Florida. As far as helping neighbors it's harder for me to do with not always able to get child care and being 24 weeks pregnant.

The biggest thing is I need to come up with the difference to staying at WL. Which is my favorite reaort.

 

[edk35]

I put money into my Capital One 360 acct. Used to be called Direct Ing. I have an automatic withdrawal every 2 weeks from our checking into that online acct. I also buy Target gift cards on Raise.com and then in turn by Disney gift cards online at Target using my Red Target debit card (it is attached to our checking acct.) and we get an additional 5% off those Disney gift cards. SO I get discounted Target cards from Raise and then use those online at Target. If not I just use my Target red card in the Target store to get 5% off Disney gift cards. We also have a change jar and we put all change in that. We never ever use change. You will be surprised as to how fast that grows. I just started putting 1 dollar bills away too from when I break a 20.

 

[usnuzuloose]

We are already doing that since we move in January back to Florida. As far as helping neighbors it's harder for me to do with not always able to get child care and being 24 weeks pregnant.

The biggest thing is I need to come up with the difference to staying at WL. Which is my favorite reaort.

Well congrats on your newly coming little one!! If I can think of anything or hear of something I will let you know. I was thinking of maybe you did some sewing for people just simple things nothing for you to get child care though.

 

[MinnieSweetheart]

We are already doing that since we move in January back to Florida. As far as helping neighbors it's harder for me to do with not always able to get child care and being 24 weeks pregnant.

The biggest thing is I need to come up with the difference to staying at WL. Which is my favorite reaort.

What's the difference that you are trying to make up? It's about $100 per night "ish" right?

Also, don't forget that you can't always get the cheaper room type to use the military discount. I know that at Port Orleans the discount was only available for Royal Rooms and once when we priced out the Contemporary they only had two of the more expensive rooms in the tower available. So if you are dead set on the Contemporary, be prepared to pay rack rates. Also keep your ears open, they usually release the military discounts in August.

 

[MariMama]

We are already doing that since we move in January back to Florida. As far as helping neighbors it's harder for me to do with not always able to get child care and being 24 weeks pregnant.

The biggest thing is I need to come up with the difference to staying at WL. Which is my favorite reaort.

If you are going to be FL residents, you may be able to get good FL resident deals on both tickets and lodging.

 

[margot31]

I think you quoted the wrong person

Sorry it was to answer who ever suggested SOG. I was on my phone and my husband was right near me.