What's your favorite way to stash/save $ for your trip?

[05ChristmasSurprise]

We have had to change our travel dates to MAY (instead of November) and we need some handy little "money saving" tips to save up as much as we can in the next two months.

Any ideas?

What's your favorite?
Thanks!

 

[christinadei]

I made a Disney Piggy bank and put it by the front door. I don't spend any change and all the change or loose $ bills go in there. I also try to work a little overtime and take it out and save it for disney.

 

[debster812]

There are a lot more expert folks than me, but here's what we do:

I have $90 every 2 weeks deposited into a savings account at my credit union. I have NO ATM/Debit card for this account, and it is about a 35 minute drive away, so getting that money is VERY inconvenient. This is the 'vacation fund'

If I'm at the mall, I take whatever singles (up to $10) or a $5 and buy Disney Dollars. They get stashed at home.

We have a change jar that we will not roll until about 3 weeks before the trip.

I make the resort reservation as far out as possible (room only, we have APs) and pay on it when we have the money to do so. Our room is generally paid in full at rack rate before AP rates come out, and then if AP rates are available, we will either upgrade our resort OR use the extra money for charging back to the room.

Hope this helps.

 

[thelittlemermaid]

I like my ING account. I can put money away in there and ONLY I can get to it. DH DOES NOT have access to it or "his" account. LOL!!!

It's better that way cause he would always need something for his saltwater tank and take money out.

We have a change jar, but I have noticed instead of it getting fuller, it keeps going down. Guess I am going to have to hide that now.

 

[christinadei]

We also try to save in our ING account (but that's not happening this trip, we keep needing it for bill money!) and we try to have our room paid for in advance as well as some meal vouchers (too bad this will be the last trip for those). That way we don't need as much money when we are there.

 

[DznyDreams]

I hide my change jar in different places every month. Otherwise, DH robs it for car wash money (quarters). I also like to roll coins and then deposit to savings once a month. This way, the quarters and extra bills that get stashed actually have a chance to grow. If I left them in the jar until just before our trip, I seriously doubt I'd save as much because it's "more convenient than driving to the ATM." (DHs favorite line.)

With the monthly emptying and moving of the jar, I am usually able to save quite a large amount.

 

[beattyfamily]

Of course we save all our extra change.

We opened an ING savings account for our vacation and any extra money goes in there and $20 a month.

I also earn Webcertificates at www.mypoints.com but only about $25 a year.

That's all I can think of!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

What works best for me is throwing loose change and odd dollars into my change jar that I have. I very rarely if at all, give exact change anywhere that I go, so I let the change build up in my wallet and every 4 days or so, I empty it out. You would be amazed at how fast that adds up! I'm also able to put $20 a week into my savings jar from waiting tables. Between my savings jar and two ING accounts, DH and I almost have $1000 saved!! So excited about that, as we have NEVER had that much in savings and I can't believe how easy it was to do.

 

[crisrn2003]

I've been reading alot about that and much like everyone else, I spend only larger bills $5's and above. Then any $1's I get, I put back. Once I accumulated $50 (about 2 weeks!!) I converted those into Disney Dollars. It amazed me how quickly it added up. I've also been doing a little something like that for Christmas too--every couple of weeks, I purchase a gift card to somewhere. When the season comes, I will either have a gift card to give them, or I can take the gift card to the store and purchase something for them. I've also been using a few survey websites. In about 2 weeks (less I think), I've managed to save $80. There are several "free trial" offers. The website pays you a certain amount of money to sign up for them--they have a free 30 day, no money charge. I sign up, then cancel them the next day. Kinda cheesy, but I figure if I'm sitting at home watching tv, it's easily made money.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

Could you stand two months of

• not eating out?
• Brown-bagging your lunches?
• Not buying any new clothes?
• Cutting back on snack foods, convenience foods and desserts?
• Walking or taking public transportation instead of driving the car?
• Dropping the thermostat to 62º (or raising it to 75º if you're using air-conditioning)?
• Forgoing any entertainment expenses like going to the movies, theater, roller rink or concerts?
• Avoiding all impulse purchases?

Do you think you could find a few things around the house to sell on eBay? or at a garage sale? or a children's turnabout sale?

Those are just a few possible hidden sources of vacation money that I use if I want to raise some cash in a short period of time.

 

[cruisnfamily]

've also been using a few survey websites. In about 2 weeks (less I think), I've managed to save $80. There are several "free trial" offers. The website pays you a certain amount of money to sign up for them--they have a free 30 day, no money charge. I sign up, then cancel them the next day. Kinda cheesy, but I figure if I'm sitting at home watching tv, it's easily made money.

Which websites are you using? I do tons of surveys but it takes FOREVER to earn anything.

 

[crisrn2003]

I use www.inboxdollars.com and when I see the trial offers on a variety of sites, I always go thru the same one so that I get the most credit on one site versus being spread out on a variety of sites. There are also referrals which I have been using for my family and friends, though they have to make some money too before I get credit. It certainly opens you up to getting a lot of junk mail but as long as you don't mind, what the heck.

 

[crazymomof4]

In addition to what's already been posted (change jar, ING account, eBay) I put aside any cash or checks I get that aren't a paycheck. For example, my DH gets small travel re-imbursement checks when he uses his vehicle to go to a business meeting or job site. These are only about $14-16 but they are seperate from his paycheck, so they get put into the "Disney Fund". I do the same with any rebate checks I get in the mail. These can be $1 for small grocery items or up to $10-20 for computer software, etc. Also, if I pick up something for my mom at the grocery store, I put it on the credit card when I buy it. When I drop off the items to her she gives me cash and I put it in the Disney Fund!

 

[Forevryoung]

I have been using inboxdollars too- I am putting this money towards my KTTK tour and a pin collection. At the end of this month I will ask for a check. I set up a seperate Yahoo account for all that added junkmail.

 

[Chrisypoo]

I've also been doing a little something like that for Christmas too--every couple of weeks, I purchase a gift card to somewhere. When the season comes, I will either have a gift card to give them, or I can take the gift card to the store and purchase something for them.

Hi there...

Make sure when you do this you read the fine print on the card...most stores charge a monthly "maintenance" fee on gift cards that are over 6 months old.

Christine

 

[FigmentGuy]

I can join in on the bandwagon for the "change jar" and the "ING". I also return return our bottles for thier deposit (dime a bottle in MI). As long as I agree to return the bottles and then exit. I can make a quick $25 to add to the change bank. haha. Yes I know. Quite a few bottles. Another thing im considering is I live in a neighborhood full of elderly peopleand I was thinking of offering to mow thier lawns for a few bucks and put that money in the change jar. This will work out as a double bonus as it'll be good exercise for me.

Also another thing you could try is to see if you can reduce any bills. Any "movie channels" u dont watch on your cable, Phone extras on your cell/land line.etc Cancel them, and put that monthly difference into your savings account/change jar!

For those of us in warmer climates or a couple tricks for this summer could be... Wash your own car at home instead of driving it through an automatic wash. Then throw that $ you would of spent into the change jar. Same w/us folks who use public laundry mats... take your clothes home to air dry! Save a few bucks there too?

Another trick I've learned is to save on expensive house cleaners! I love to clean, but all those cleaners can be costly. Ive found that cheap items like vinegar, bleach and rubbing alcohal with a lil bit of elbow grease can do a great if not better job! These are a few of the things I do to be able to put a few bucks extra towards the trip!

 

[HenDuck]

I just made up envelopes for MYW tickets, food, and rental car.

I'm bringing home lunch 4 out of 5 days per week, savings to the "MYW" envelope.

I'm cutting back on junk food at the grocery store, all savings under my weekly grocery budget go to the "food" envelope.

I am also allowing myself to "steal" from the grocery budget for the 1 to 1 1/2 weeks that we'll be in Disney. That's another $100-$150.

Getting a whopping $.05 on cans and bottles . I don't think that will even be enough to treat everyone to ice cream, but we're doing it for Disney.

We do the coin jar. My DH doesn't realize it, but 90% of the coins in there are from him. I usually tally it up before we travel and then announce, this ____, is on DH!" It also gives me evil pleasure to "steal" his money right out from under his nose!

I also have a set amount directly deposited to my savings at the credit union. That's for everything, not just Disney. I figure the vacation rental home will come from that savings.

My most important tip is to keep reading the budget boards for inspiration. It sure helps me.

Good luck!

 

[kccmommy]

Something I started doing at the first of the year was my husband has the pretaxed medical expenses taken out of his paycheck and we plan to file the reimbursement right before we go. Now I don't hate to pay at the pharmacy or the dentist knowing it will come back to me as Disney money.

 

[eeyoreforever]

We do the coin jar. My DH doesn't realize it, but 90% of the coins in there are from him. I usually tally it up before we travel and then announce, this ____, is on DH!" It also gives me evil pleasure to "steal" his money right out from under his nose!


:

I do this to my dh too. In the mornings he will be looking for his little pile of change to put back in his pocket. I tell him its in my Disney jar. He doesn't think its fair for me to take all of his change when he isn't even going with us, but I told him if money is laying on the counter-that makes it fair game.

 

[pumpkinfish]

Ooooo...I LOVE going through DH's pockets for change. I do this at night after he changes out of his work clothes He will hear the jingle of change and "know" I am adding it to our Disney Vaca jar. My mother bought it for us from Hallmark last year! I love it!

Also, I ALWAYS add any spare dollars I have left, after every couple of days. When I got b-day money (usually $10 here and there) I add that in too. Sometimes I purposely take out $40 from the ATM instead of $20 just so I can add it to the jar. It may not sound right, but I do what works. Also, I "bury" the dollars under the change so that I am not tempted.

DH also has it worked out that $75 goes into our vaca fund every paycheck (every week). You'd be surprised how fast this adds up