There have to be some Dave Ramsey fans on here!

[weHEARTmickey]

Congrats to you!!!!
HUGE DR fans here too! We've gone 5 yrs in a row & paid cash (well, debit!) for each trip. We are completely debt free except we still have 1/2 of our house to go & it will be paid off.

About souveniers: We always book AAA so we can get the discount card for World of Disney. We try not to buy ANYthing on the first couple of days, so we can see if WoD carries it (they usually do.) Then, we can put all of our purchases together & save $$.

We pay our kids "commission" like DR suggests. $5 per wk for each kid ($2 for savings, $2 for spending, and $1 for tithes.) Sooooo, the kids usually try to save up ALOT of their $2 spending each wk for their Disney trips. DD10 had $350+ to spend b/c she saved ALL of her spending $$, plus b-day, Christmas $$, and we give them each $100. (By the way, DD didn't spend all of that at WDW. She spent about $100 on others' Christmas gifts + wants to give $50 towards missions.)

We do NOT buy them ANYthing at WDW. They get to use snack credits for snacks, and DDP pays for meals. But, if they want a pin, THEY buy it w/their $$. If they want a toy, THEY buy it. If they want ANY souvenier, THEY have to buy it. (I did buy some of their Christmas presents at WDW & the WDW Outlet, but they didn't know it until Christmas morning.)

About drinks in the parks...we usually ONLY drink water at home & out. Many of the QS restaurants & some of the snack stands will give you a cup of (filtered) water for FREE!!! So, you don't have to waste snack credits on drinks, and you certainly don't have to pay for them. I'm a water snob & I've never run across WDW water that I couldn't drink (NOT counting the resort rooms.)

I saw someone else mention this: we NEVER buy park hoppers.

 

[Marionnette]

DH and I are taking our girls (ages 8 & 10) on a trip to Disney to celebrate 1 year of being completely debt free using Dave Ramsey's baby steps. We are trying to get the most for our money (isn't everyone?) while still staying within our budget.
I would like to hear from anyone who has "done Disney" this way. What are your best tips? What did you spend money on that you didn't expect? How much did you budget for your souvenirs? What did you splurge on? Every response is going to be helpful, so I hope I get lots!
Thanks!!

Dave tells us to live like no one else so that later on, we can live like no one else. In other words, all your sacrifice to get debt free is done so that later you can enjoy all the good things that money can buy. That includes vacationing in a manner that you enjoy. It's no vacation if you spend all of your time and energy focusing on every dime you spend.

My advice is to set a budget for your trip. Then make the trip fit within that budget. If it means driving instead of flying because airfare is too much for your family of 4, then that's what you do. Or if you stay offsite at a reduced price condo in exchange for sitting thru a timeshare presentation instead of concierge service at the Grand Floridian, you do that.

I'll drop hopping, shorten my stay and even do a couple of non-park days in order to make the trip more affordable. What I refuse to do is to scrimp on food. The thought of chowing down on pb&j from my backpack when I really want a pulled pork sandwich at Flame Tree is so unappealing to me. I'd be asking myself why did I do bean & rice, rice & beans a la Dave?

 

[2goofycampers]

Huge DR fans here, debt free since 2000. Also check these sites for savings at WDW.

http://www.mousesavers.com/

http://www.wdwinfo.com/

Have a great time.

 

[nunzia]

Yea Dave!! And he's a master at taking pure common sense and making a million (or 10) on it.
I follow a modified DR plan and have for about 5 years..
My church is teaching FPU right now and am so glad! It's such a benefit for so many.

 

[mrsklamc]

Dave tells us to live like no one else so that later on, we can live like no one else. In other words, all your sacrifice to get debt free is done so that later you can enjoy all the good things that money can buy. That includes vacationing in a manner that you enjoy. It's no vacation if you spend all of your time and energy focusing on every dime you spend.

It's different for everyone. I personally LOVE the geekiness tracking every dime. I love finding the cheapest way to still have a great vacation. And the PB&J I brought was WAY yummier than the horrible burger I had from Electric Umbrella.

 

[Marionnette]

It's different for everyone. I personally LOVE the geekiness tracking every dime. I love finding the cheapest way to still have a great vacation. And the PB&J I brought was WAY yummier than the horrible burger I had from Electric Umbrella.

I'm just saying that Dave gives us permission to spend our money. We don't need to lead a miserly existence for life. Money means nothing if all we do is save it up.

I'm all for finding the best bargain on the vacation that you like to take. But I would rather go knowing that I got the best possible rate on my Poly concierge room than to stay offsite in a Best Western on I Drive thru Priceline because it's cheaper.

If eating pb&j makes you happy and tracking every dime is your passion then go for it. But if it is not something that you get a kick out of (and I happen to fall on that side of the line), Dave gives you permission to spend in that manner once you have made all of the other baby steps.

 

[mhsjax]

Yea Dave!! And he's a master at taking pure common sense and making a million (or 10) on it.
I follow a modified DR plan and have for about 5 years..
My church is teaching FPU right now and am so glad! It's such a benefit for so many.

Deleted. changed my mind. This thread isn't about how I feel about Dave Ramsey

 

[Star Wars mom]

We like DR too! I'm making it my personal mission to make my next Disney trip the cheapest I've ever planned for my family, without sacrificing the things we've grown to love about Disney. That said, let me share a few budget tips we've used over the years.

1) As was said before, you probably don't want Park Hopper. My sons are the same age as the OP's kids and there is no way they would have the stamina to take on two parks (and the transportation needed to get between them) in one day.

2) You are smart to get a room with a small kitchen. Here is what I do for food on our trip -- sounds a little crazy but it works like a charm. Before our trip I make out a menu for each meal we'll be eating in our room. From that I produce a shopping list of non-parishable dry items, and items that must be purchased fresh. A few days before our trip I go to the cheapest grocery store in town and buy all the dry items (cereal, granola bars for snacks, etc). I fill a suitcase with just food and check the bag at the airport. This empties during our trip and becomes the sovenier suitcase for the trip home. Also a few days before the trip I go to www.gardengrocer.com and fill out a grocery order for all the chilled/frozen/fresh foods we'll need (milk, frozen pizza, ice cream for a treat, etc). Garden grocer will deliver to any disney area resort for a $12 fee. I request the food be delivered around the time our flight is scheduled to land in Orlando. By the time we get to the hotel, bell services has our groceries waiting for us in their freezer and fridge. Then we can stock our kitchen without making a separate trip to the grocery store while on vacation.

3) Like others on here, we also make our kids buy their own soveneirs with their own money. Even though they are young, they now have very good budgeting skills and self-discipline thanks to this system. And because they know this is how things work, we don't have to hear "But, Mom, please can I have it?" at every soveneir stand and shop we pass. In fact on our last trip then never asked for a single thing.

I've still got a lot to learn, and the Budget Board on here is really helpful. Hope you have a great trip, and have fun doing your pre-trip homework, too.

 

[DawnM]

When are you going? We use SkyAuction.com for condos (last ones were $149 per week for a 2 bedroom including tax.) They are only for off-season though.

We get tickets either with APs and go multiple times or through the Disney Youth Education Services (YES) program. We homeschool though so we can get homeschool tickets.

We also have an Igloo backpack cooler that holds lunch and snacks for a family of 5 for the entire day. Eat b-fast in the condo, take lunch into the parks and either eat off-site, in the condo, or counter service for dinner.

We are debt free except the house too.

Dawn

 

[Reese]

Okay we've been doing FPU for 6 weeks now. We are on baby step 2 and will be for awhile. We just recieved and inheritance and I want to take half and go to WDW one last time until we are debt free. It will be a lot cheaper now as we have AP's that expire in May and would drive. Part of me says use it all for debt as it will free us up 10 months sooner but the other part wants to take the kids now since our oldest dd is entering highschool (we homeschool) so we will not have the freedom to just pick up and go anymore. ( I once planned an entire trip and was out the door in 6 hours) - so I'm a little spontaneous and am finding this FPU course very restriciting. I'm afraid that if I give in to this impulse I'm setting myself up for failure but finiacially this would be a very cheap trip with the AP's and I'm on mat leave so I wouldn't loose any of my income. Any thougts from all you that have been through the course.

 

[EMHDad]

big dave ramsey fan here. We do disney vacation but pay in cash and do it budget wise. We are going in January and staying in condo offsite, get YES tickets and cooking our own food. Whole disney trip, including travel, will cost about $1800.

 

[Disneysnel]

I am just starting Dave Ramsey but I have a question. I see that many people on the budget board, stay off-site - eat cereal and take sandwiches into the park, etc to save money (and many are debt free which I would LOVE to be).

Now, I have bought sandwich fixings and made them in our room to supplement a meal or two and that is kind of fun but I wouldn't want to do it everyday.

I always pay cash for my WDW vacations - saving frugally (well, mostly) throughout the year for them, but I think I would just be sad if I didn't get to stay on site and have a character breakfast or two.

Am I going to have to change my thinking in order for DR to work for me?

Thanks

 

[bettymae1121]

I am just starting Dave Ramsey but I have a question. I see that many people on the budget board, stay off-site - eat cereal and take sandwiches into the park, etc to save money (and many are debt free which I would LOVE to be).

Now, I have bought sandwich fixings and made them in our room to supplement a meal or two and that is kind of fun but I wouldn't want to do it everyday.

I always pay cash for my WDW vacations - saving frugally (well, mostly) throughout the year for them, but I think I would just be sad if I didn't get to stay on site and have a character breakfast or two.

Am I going to have to change my thinking in order for DR to work for me?

Thanks

I'm not DR expert, but my understanding is that once you're debt free and you're on track for your savings goals (emergency fund, retirement, college for the kids) you're free to spend your money the way you wish. If that means GF concreirge for two weeks, have at it! By all means if one still enjoys being frugal after being debt free, nothing wrong with that either, but you're free to make your own spending choices. "Beans and rice" is only a "requirement" when your in debt paydown mode.

ETA: I mean debt free other than the house payment, if you have one. DR advises to pay off the house too but I think he eases up on the "beans and rice" mentality once the consumer and car debts are gone, and you've got some money in the bank.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Okay we've been doing FPU for 6 weeks now. We are on baby step 2 and will be for awhile. We just recieved and inheritance and I want to take half and go to WDW one last time until we are debt free. It will be a lot cheaper now as we have AP's that expire in May and would drive. Part of me says use it all for debt as it will free us up 10 months sooner but the other part wants to take the kids now since our oldest dd is entering highschool (we homeschool) so we will not have the freedom to just pick up and go anymore. ( I once planned an entire trip and was out the door in 6 hours) - so I'm a little spontaneous and am finding this FPU course very restriciting. I'm afraid that if I give in to this impulse I'm setting myself up for failure but finiacially this would be a very cheap trip with the AP's and I'm on mat leave so I wouldn't loose any of my income. Any thougts from all you that have been through the course.

I'd go and get one last use out of your APs. We follow some of what DR preaches but not all. For instance, we still take a yearly vacation even though we have 11 more months to pay on our mortgage.

 

[DawnM]

Well, some diehards will say that you are not truly debt free until the house is paid off, your kids' college fund is fully funded, and you have sinking funds laid aside for every possible scenario (car fund, etc....fully funded.)

However, we are debt free other than the house and aren't as cautious as we were before when we were trying to pay off the student loans and cars.

I personally don't care for much of the Disney foods, so eating our own foods is fine for us, although we do eat one sit down min. per visit usually. Last time we were there I bought a few of the items I had read were "so wonderful" on these boards. I went to Animal Kingdom and got the zebra domes and I went to The Brown Derby and had the grapefruit cake. To say that I was less than impressed would be an understatement. That $8 slice of cake was somewhat dry and not that great at all. The zebra domes were just ok, definitely not something I would go out of my way to get. The burgers at Disney are just downright gross IMHO, so if we do counter service I go for the chicken.

I didn't mean for the above to be a rant, but we have done Disney so often that we have indeed tried most of it. I used to eat at Disneyland all the time in CA as we didn't have to pay for a hotel or travel so I would often eat there too. But that was back in the day when I worked and we had more funds AND we were NOT debt free and didn't care!

So, we take our lunches and snacks and often sit in areas where they serve counter service meals and eat and then buy a drink/coffee/fries/dessert and enjoy. We go off-season so we are never taking tables away from those who do buy a full meal there. We also do often buy something. Our favorite location is The Land. We get fast passes to Soarin', sit and eat while we wait, go see the Lion King or ride the Living with the Land ride, and then use our FP for Soarin'. If that isn't enough time we go over to Nemo and look at the fish.

Dawn

I'm not DR expert, but my understanding is that once you're debt free and you're on track for your savings goals (emergency fund, retirement, college for the kids) you're free to spend your money the way you wish. If that means GF concreirge for two weeks, have at it! By all means if one still enjoys being frugal after being debt free, nothing wrong with that either, but you're free to make your own spending choices. "Beans and rice" is only a "requirement" when your in debt paydown mode.

 

[brymolmom]

This might not save you money if you have to rent a car and pay to park at the the parks. All of Disney's on-site transportation is free and you can get Disney's Magical Express bus service to take you for free to and from the airport to your onsite resort. Just something to think about when you plan out your costs for offsite vs. onsite...

Totally agree to compare costs...But staying offsite (unless there is a very good deal onsite), IMO, can ALWAYS beat out onsite in terms of costs.

We stayed offsite for 5 nights in December - 2 bedroom/2 bath/kitchen unit - for $75 per night. Rented a car. Huge HOT breakfast was included. There were 6 of us...Even considering parking costs/car rental plus gas ($120 for both) it was WAY CHEAPER to stay offsite.

We saved likely at least $50 per day for that hot breakfast - and only had very small lunches most days because of it. Significantly lowered our food cost. Plus -the hotel had free dinners some nights too - could have saved even more but opted against that. Plus got to use a slight discount on tickets (that probably paid for the parking 2 of the days). All in all - I would say that trip over staying in a value (and only getting one room which we wouldn't have been able to do with 6) - I would still have saved at least $300 on this trip due to savings on breakfasts, lunch food due to big breakfast, ease of bringing in food/snacks due to having a car and grocery stop, having meals in our room a couple times (frozen pizza from grocery store one of the times) takeout another. If we paid for 2 rooms at a value or the family suite - I'm guessing we saved at least $600 - $800.

 

[zigzagzerr]

There was an interesting article in this week's Sunday paper about what the various frugal gurus would never buy and conversely what they would splurge on.

Dave Ramsey said his big splurge is always vacation.

 

[Padstack]

We are currently using the DR snowball plan, in a modified way. We are on our last cc and have a very small medical bill left. In the meantime, we are still planning a WDW vacation this summer and have been saving so it will be paid for in cash. It will delay finishing off the snowball by a few months, but it is worth it to us to have a nice family vacation.

We will be ordering a few things from Gardengrocer.com for breakfast and snacks, but all of our lunch and dinner meals will be purchased there. The last thing I (and my wife) want to do is fix meals while we are on vacation. We have put this into our budget and are not worried in the least about spending that kind of money before being debt fee.

It really depends on what you want out of your vacation. This is the way we like to do things, while others are just fine with the "PBJ out of the backpack". Truth be told, that is what we do when we take our day trips to Disneyland. We just don't want to do it on this vacation.

 

[Disneysnel]

Thanks so much! I can see how being really frugal now will save me so much later on.

Well, it's back to learning for me and thanks again for the great responses!

 

[nellyru]

Yippee for Dave Ramsey!!!

We are on BS2 right now and we have all three kiddos on board.

They are always asking when we can go back to Disney...

So today I was thinking it would be so great to tell the kids, once we are debt free (except for the house), that we are going to go on a road trip to Financial Peace Plaza to tell Dave in "person" that we are Debt Free on one of the Debt Free Fridays
But than right after we do that surprise them by telling them we are going to reward them for their hard work and drive the rest of the way to Disney!!??

Right now it's just an idea.... but it is just one more reason for my husband and I to get in Gazelle intense mode!!

God bless Dave Ramsey!!