Thing you wish you put into your budget

[WDW2002]

Okay I started out with a general budget and now I am refining it and putting in more details. What are things you didn't put into your budget that you wish you had??

 

[HALLOWEENTOWN]

The small expenses can add up quickly. I included toll money. (We drove down from MA) Also, I saved quarters for laundry, and put aside money for houskeeping. I made sure to add the $40.00 it cost for the refillable mugs.
I also made sure that I brought laundrey detergent in a plastic bag, etc so I didn't get charged high prices for it.

 

[WDW2002]

Thank you, I forgot about laundry and refillable mugs.

 

[tink2dw]

Enough money to rent a ECV as I had messed up my knee and it still hurt!! Enough money to pay for the 2 hospitals and two perscription!! Dd had to go to for the horrible pain in Dd's ear,she had acute swimmers ear.

So, add emergency money! You never know!!

 

[Slink]

Some things that we didn't budget for, but weren't budget busters.

Ponchos - Our cheap ponchos from home lasted about two days and started ripping, so we needed to buy the some disney ponchos. I believe they were about $5.00 - $6.00 ea. We found out that the Disney ponchos rip after a few days too, but are easily replaced. We just took our ripped poncho to a stand selling ponchos and they replaced it for free.

Marina rentals - We didn't think we would do the little speed boats at CBR, but they just looked to fun. I'm glad we did, because the kids had a blast. Figure around $22 per boat for 30 minute rental.

E-Night tickets - I think these were $12 per adult. $10 per child

Some other items....
Tipping
Taxi/Shuttle/Towncar transfers
Pet Kennel/boarding

 

[jmminarik]

I don't forget to do this, but it is easily overlooked: Film and processing costs. For me, that's probably significant. Our last WDW trip I had something near 25 rolls of film.

We also didn't forget to budget for the 'terror' photos they take while on rides like splash mountain, complete with frame. While the photos are a little blotch (high speed digital) and I've no hope they'll last more than 10 years before they begin to fade (computer print-outs, don't know they underlying technology other than it's not silver-halide), its ultimately a souvenir that we'll appreciate more over the years than the T-Shirt that will eventually be used to change the oil in the car.

Hope this helps,
Joe

 

[Chance's Mom]

Stoller rental--$6 a day can add up, however worth every penny!!
Much easier to rent than to lug your own if you have older kids who can walk to/frombuses. etc.



My son begging to go to Chef Mickey's again on the same trip!
(Went in Jan PS was not a problem)

 

[RobinMarie]

Things I didn't include in some trips but I did it right last time!

- Pressed Penny money (shiny pennies with quarters for DD)

- Laundry

- Parking/Transportation TO the airport (heck, I forgot how much park,ride,fly could be)

- Mouskeeping envelopes pre-packed, Valet Tips, Sky Caps

- Tolls

- Gas for rental car


We don't rent strollers, car seats or buy coffee/soda - we bring our own, buy the refillable mug and bring coffee.

 

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by jmminarik

We also didn't forget to budget for the 'terror' photos they take while on rides like splash mountain, complete with frame.

How much are these photos? How many places offer them?? I don't generelly buy these photos when we go to DLR but I want to be prepared for everything.

 

[jmminarik]

Unfortunately, i don't recall what their photos cost....$10.00 seems right, with a slight discount for multiples...it may be more. We got the matching frames each time we got the photos, and I seem to recall the package being around $30.

maybe someone else knows for sure.

-Joe

 

[janette]

The photos are about $15 each on average. They are available at Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror & Rock-in-Rollercoaster and maybe Dinasaur.

If you have smaller kids and want to get a picture are Splash or TOT make sure they are in the front.

We get special pictures. Like first ride or my 8yo DD put her hands up on our June trip on Splash for the first time. That is a picture we wanted. The other pictures all show her ducking and I do have one of those too.

 

[msr709]

Don't forget the Sunscreen! I forgot mine and boy did I pay for it! One little tube cost about $11, the bottle was like $18-20! I can't be in the sun without it! Also bring an extra pair of sunglasses, they are also very expensive when you can get them a lot cheaper at home, its also a must for me! And if you're going in the summer, don't forget your Mister Fan! They're $5.99 at Walmart as opposed to $17 or $18 in the parks!

 

[bobcat]

If you don't bring you own assortment of OTC medicines with you plan on spending a bundle. I usually travel with a small kit of asprin and cold remedies for myself and the kids. I always add $10-20 in for those things I may forget to pack. I forgot my razor one trip and it was easier (but more expensive) to buy one at the hotel than to make a store trip for just that.

 

[ellyn2000]

This may seem like overkill, but I make an envelope for every expense I can think of and then put the appropriate amount of money in it for my trip. I do one for gas (we drive), housekeeping tips and hotel for the trip down. Then I label one with each PS restaurant on it and put what I expect that meal to cost. I do one for each day for meals I don't have PS for. We buy all souveniers at the outlets except for one or two things at the parks. I buy all of my film in advance @Walmart and label an envelope with the funds for developing when we get home. When I get out my envelope labeled "Le Cellier PS", etc...I'm always surprised to have a few dollars left over and that goes into the "general fund" envelope for the next day. I do all of this before I leave and it really seems that I don't have a problem with my budget and have never had to charge up the credit cards for things we needed on our trip.

 

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by ellyn2000
This may seem like overkill, but I make an envelope for every expense I can think of and then put the appropriate amount of money in it for my trip.

I plan to do this too...I even plan on breaking down my "general food" budget into days, with any extra being carried forward to the next day.

 

[cindyfan]

We didn't remember the cost of putting our dog in the kennel for the week.
$179!!! $14/night, plus $4/day for "extra" play time, plus the $30 for grooming the day we picked her up!!

We usually have DD and SIL "dog-sit" but this time they came with us.

 

[ellyn2000]

WDW2002, I hope it works as well for you as it does for me. I sit down and label my envelopes well in advance so I don't forget anything (no matter how trivial it seems) and then divide my cash after I go to the bank before my trip. It's great to come home with a little cash in my purse after a trip because I'm a little generous with the amount I budget for each day. With myself and 2 kids I would budget $100. for the day and sometimes only spend $50. because we wanted kids meals, food court or snacks all day. That extra $50. carried over to the next day. PS were budgeted separately.

 

[jgates]

I have WalMart gift cards I am saving for film-developing too. That way it won't end up on my credit card. Hopefully this trip will be only the 16 nites motel and a few meals. Have some $ on my webcertificate for the rest of the meals & gas.

 

[Cinders]

Staying off-site or on? If off-site add in the cost of parking each day. Add in a lil for Mickey Ice Cream treats or Dole Whips or something from one of the bakeries.......sometimes its quite nice to have a small treat and people watch or to have something while waiting for parades and shows.

Test Track also has a photo available.

Something we did last time was go in early December and Christmas shopped for our families. And bought 2 Bday presents too. Made the budget a lil tighter but we had all our holiday shopping done by the time we went home.

 

[tazdeb]

Budgets at Disney? Isn't that an oxymoron? We just bring $200 a day for meals and incedentals. If it runs out at 11:00am then its time to stop spending or go back and swim. How can you be so strict and only dole out money from envelopes? If you have only $25 a day in there and at the end of the day it's gone but a great picture of your family on TOT is availiable, you dont buy it? We would buy it then eat at Mc Donalds or borrow from the next days alotment. If the money looks tight or we have borrowed near a whole days worth, we take a pool day and just eat light. All the members of the family understand this and usually look forward to the "rest" day for both body and wallet............this system works well for us...TAZ