Saving $ w/Disney Gift Cards

[Rekenna]

Hi!

Okay, I stink at saving money. I have tried and tried, I read the tips here on the board, I have read about Dave Ramsey, etc. I get all geared up-set a budget, make a plan-but I just can't save! Then when I do spend money I spend the rest of the day berating myself-it's truly a vicious cycle. I try to have $0 spend days, no eating out, pack my lunch, etc. I am able to do this for a short period of time and then I just crack (I also have this issue in trying to eat healthy and work out-apparently I just can't hack it)!

So, we are going to Disney 11/27-12/4 and I should have spending money saved, and of course I don't. I have read here that many people get Disney Gift Cards to take with them. I like this idea, once a week I could buy a $25 GC at our local Kroger store.

I have 2 boys that are celebrating their B-Days on our next trip and we are going to T-Rex for their B-Day lunch and they are getting spending money as their gift. So the gift cards would be nice here.

1. What do you think of using Disney Gift Cards as a savings plan for spending money?
2. Where can we use the Disney Gift Cards? Just at the World of Disney, at all Disney Dining, in the parks or resorts? I don't want to invest in the Gift Cards and then not be able to use them easily.

BTW-we have FD, are staying at POP and driving down. I have gas money (from my KY state unclaimed funds check-an unexpected surprise), I am paying off our trip with my child care fund account (which I use as a savings in a way-it comes out of my check tax free), I have many supplies ready from last trips, the only other "big" thing I would like to buy for vaca is our own mini-fridge at $60, I also have a Disney Visa and have enough points to put on our room and charge our T-Rex lunch back to the resort-so essentially paying for T-Rex with my points. **See how I am justifying things to myself-I am SICK!

Your advice and assistance is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[sdzimm]

I am not the greatest with saving money either. But when it comes to a Disney trip I become a little more determined. I have started purchasing $50 dollar gift cards from my local stores. So far I have 3. I am not going back until 2012, but it is never too early to start.

It seems like you have most of your expenses covered, so you did something right.

Some stores allow you to select the denomination of the card between 15 and 500. So no amount is really to little to buy a card.

Good luck and have a fun trip.

 

[MommyBryn]

I'm saving in a variety of ways, but purchasing Disney Gift cards is one of the ways I'm adding to our fund. For me it's a double bonus, as I buy them at Walgreens, and we get double points on our drugstore purchases on one of our CC's (we don't use our Disney Visa there, we use a different card), so I use that card there to purchase the GC's and get extra back PLUS the money towards DIsney.

 

[texascop2]

Do Disney gift cards ever expire or have any fees accosiated with them if they are unused for a period of time?

 

[sdzimm]

To my knowledge, there aren't any associated fees. And the money does not expire. If I recall correctly, you are even able to get a refund of an unused card, with the receipt.

 

[cglaura]

No expiration and no fees.

The only downfall I could see for using them for savings is if you had some sort of financial emergency, and no other emergency fund, then you'd be stuck with cards instead of being able to use that money for living. But if all that other stuff is set

You can use them most anywhere, except stores or restaurants that are not Disney owned, for example Rainforest Cafe. Some kiosks or snack carts that take cash only might not be able to use them. But I think the majority of them are set up with card readers now.

Just make sure you get a Disney gift card, not a Disneyshopping gift card. The disneyshopping is for shopping the website.

You can also use the gift cards to pay off your KTTWC charging if you don't want to carrry around a bunch of cards.

You can also get different designs here online:
http://www.disneygiftcard.com

Here are the FAQ:
http://www.disneygiftcard.com/faq/

ETA: I didn't realize that you could get a refund w/ receipt. If so, then my emergency thought is null and void

 

[Rekenna]

You can use them most anywhere, except stores or restaurants that are not Disney owned, for example Rainforest Cafe. Some kiosks or snack carts that take cash only might not be able to use them. But I think the majority of them are set up with card readers now.

Just make sure you get a Disney gift card, not a Disneyshopping gift card. The disneyshopping is for shopping the website.

You can also use the gift cards to pay off your KTTWC charging if you don't want to carrry around a bunch of cards.

Good to know!

 

[greengeen]

What ever happened to using bank accounts for saving? You get interest.

 

[Rekenna]

What ever happened to using bank accounts for saving? You get interest.

Yes, but there is this whole discipline issue I have. This is just to save money for vacation, not for "real life" and is short term savings.

 

[Marionnette]

I agree with the others who say its better to keep your cash as cash. But I dont see this as any different than the people who wont change there withholding b/c they like to get a big fat tax return. If the op is sure that she will be taking her trip in november then I see no harm in using gift cards as a way to force saving. The amount of interest she would earn by putting it in a savings account between now and then would be negligible. Just remember to hold onto your receipts. Disney can replace lost or stolen gift cards if you have the receipts to proven there purchase.

 

[emh1129]

I think saving gift cards can be a good way to save. You know your habits best, and if this would be an easy way for you to save, go for it!
The gift cards can be used almost anywhere.. at the resorts, restaurants, counter service, stores.. the only place I can think of where they are *not* accepted would be at some of the carts, but those carts also can't take the KTTW cards. They are cash only. I'm thinking of the funnel cake cart in Epcot, and a few others, but they are few and far between.

 

[cheerforchelsea]

I used Disney Gift Cards for our last WDW trip. Everytime I went to the store I purchased one gift card and it really worked out well for me. (When I but money in a savings account it is way to easy for me to go get a little of it when I have an extra expense of some kind.) The cards were accepted everywhere that I used them - any Disney owned property.

And on the fridge - purchase an electric cooler before your trip. Mine runs off the power/lighter plug in the car and then has a converter to plug into a power outlet once you are in the room. Seems like mine was about $75 but we use it all the time and it has taken many WDW trips......put in on lay-a-way at Walmart..Have a great trip!!

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I do this and it works great for me! You can add money to a Disney GC by calling DelivEARS ~800-362-4533 *you give the CM your credit/debit card info and they mail you the receipt. Last time I did this *a couple months ago* the $$ was on the GC the next day.

 

[VeganCupcake]

We save all of our change and then Coinstar it before we go, $75 worth in the last 3 months(I hijack all the change from DH cupholder once a week to see if he's holding out on me hehe!). When I do that I use it to buy a DGC right away, since you can use them for meals as well, but you have FD so It could go towards other things, really the FD If you just packed water bottles/drinks and used the snack credits for breakfast you wouldn't really need a fridge, just use a cooler with ice maybe? Take that $60 and get a gift card. Also a month before the trip we cut down on fast food to once a week and use the extra money to buy a $50 GC instead of a $25 one.

 

[bumbershoot]

We save all of our change and then Coinstar it before we go, $75 worth in the last 3 months(I hijack all the change from DH cupholder once a week to see if he's holding out on me hehe!). When I do that I use it to buy a DGC right away, since you can use them for meals as well, but you have FD so It could go towards other things, really the FD If you just packed water bottles/drinks and used the snack credits for breakfast you wouldn't really need a fridge, just use a cooler with ice maybe? Take that $60 and get a gift card. Also a month before the trip we cut down on fast food to once a week and use the extra money to buy a $50 GC instead of a $25 one.

But aren't you paying a fee when you change your coins to bills with Coinstar?

I know I would be with our Coinstar machines (something like 9 cents on the dollar). When I was using Coinstar I would buy an amazon gift certificate (for no fee) and then just buy what I needed for the trip from amazon.

They have the disneyshopping e-certificate through Coinstar, but you're not able to buy proper Disney GCs with those.



OP, with Ramsey, the only savings you're doing at first is for the baby emergency fund. It's very true that trying to save for *vacation* while doing Ramsey's first steps is VERY hard...because we aren't supposed to be doing both at the same time. Trust me, we're saving for vacation and paying debt at the same time as well, and it's a difficult thing to do.

If you have tracked your spending and you KNOW that your "whoops I spent the savings" moments were NOT on emergencies, then I suppose you could put your savings into Disney giftcards and be OK.

But don't stop working with a budget...no matter what you use the "extra" for, it's always better to "tell your money where to go, rather than wonder where it went".

 

[VeganCupcake]

But aren't you paying a fee when you change your coins to bills with Coinstar?

I know I would be with our Coinstar machines (something like 9 cents on the dollar). When I was using Coinstar I would buy an amazon gift certificate (for no fee) and then just buy what I needed for the trip from amazon.

They have the disneyshopping e-certificate through Coinstar, but you're not able to buy proper Disney GCs with those.

They do but we are bad, we never give cashiers change, etc. It just piles up in different areas of the house,car,washer,dryer,computer desk etc etc etc. I suppose it would be better to roll it and bring it to the bank.

 

[Rekenna]

Thanks everyone for your help.

I am going to go ahead with the gift cards, I like that I can call the 800# and add more on the same card.

Also, I will keep trying to budget-it's a work in process!

Thanks again, happy planning and saving!

 

[kckmom]

This is a very helpful thread, I was going to do the same thing and each month purchase a $50 gift card for the extras. My dd's school gets a percentage back from each vendor in their 'scrip' program and Disney GC are one of the vendors! So the school benefits and I can budget for our next trip! Woohoo!

 

[dreamin_disney]

if you have trouble saving cash without dipping into it, then giftcard would be best.
When we went in 2008 I bought disney dollars here and there.I wanted to save $100 in disney $$ for the parks and the rest in cash for whatever else we wanted on the trip that was non disney. I got a lil jar and saved all my coins. When the lil jar was full, i'd roll it , cash it in and go buy disney $$. My lil jar fills up once i have $10-$20 depending on the coins. It helped me stay on track.

Now i do the same thing with lil change jar but I roll it, then deposit it into a special acct. at the credit union. Theres no fees and I was able to open it with $10. In order to keep acct open i always have to have $10 in it or pull it out and close it. This helps because i have to go in and withdrawl $$ from this acct. But i can transfer $$ from checking act to special but not vice versa. I hate going into the bank so this works for me. I just go in to deposit change


Disney gift card would be a good start for you. Have fun!

 

[JaymeC]

It sounds like a great idea to me

I know this is off the topic of the original thread, but have you tried using the cash/envelope method and freezing all your credit cards and making your savings account hard to access (like maybe open one through ING which requires that you wait a couple days for it to transfer over). It may help you with savings in general. Just a thought I know it can be hard!