Pre-Trip 12 days on $150 budget (no DDP)

I booked and paid for my solo trip in January when a good promotion came along for UK residents. The offer was 30% discount and a $150 giftcard. I will fly out on 3 November and fly back home on the 14th. Staying at a value resort, no DDP but with PH tickets.
This will be my 4th visit but first solo one. When I booked it my life was pretty simple but in March I got thrown a financial curveball which resulted in me not only spending my life savings but also going in to debt for the first time ever. I HATE being in debt but it was a life or death situation. So for the last six months I have been living of £40 a month after all the bills are paid and debt repayment.
I have sold everything I don't really need (including my tv) but come December I should be debt free and life can go back to normal. I have debated with myself wether I should cancel this trip but it was a package so I would lose money if I cancelled flights etc. I also REALLY want to go. So I just decided to keep my reservation and go on my holiday. When I booked it I had all these great plans of going to MVMCP and eating at the bar at CG but all that's out the window now.
I did feel sorry for myself for half a minute thinking about all the things I won't be able to do this trip
and then I realized I am still going to my favorite place on earth!
I have thought long and hard about it but I think I can do 12 days for $150.
Here is my plan:

No Mousekeeping, (I can tidy up my own room, grab clean towels from a cart and switch beds halfway during my stay) this will save tip money.

I will pack my kettle, bowl, mug, tea, coffee, porridge and an assortments of snacks to eat for breakfast and lunch or dinner. I feel quilty about it but I have been taking snacks, tea and instant coffee from work (they are offered in the cantine) I will have enough saved to last me my trip.

I will only buy 1 kids meal from CS and one snack a day.

I will only drink free (yukkie) water.

Absolutely no souvenirs.

Since I have no dining reservations I can be super flexible with my plans. I have made a few fastpass selections but that was more for fun.

 

[TheMouseFan]

Three weeks to go! I travelled for work all last week and time just flew by. Now I am just 21 days away. For fun I have been reading lots of trip reports and also hotel reviews. I am staying at AS Sport this trip. I have stayed at other Value resort so know what to expect and look forward to. I like the Value resorts as they offer everthing I look for in a hotel. It is safe, clean and comfortable and most importantly in the Disney Bubble. In the past I have looked at staying at more expensive resorts but for me it just doesn't make sense. I am not a sports fan at all but Sports was the cheapest when I was booking and the rooms at all the Value resorts are the same.

I hope you have an awesome trip! I totally agree about the resort rooms. My husband and I just returned from a 5 night cruise and we stayed one night at the Contemporary before flying home. It was nice, but totally not worth the amount of money we spent for it. We both said that we will be going back to the values next trip!

 

[CheersBigEars]

Thanks TheMouseFan, I stay at posh hotels for work all the time so know the difference but I am happy with a Value. Even when I could afford a deluxe I still stayed at a Value and I enjoyed myself immensely.

 

[disneypearl]

Three weeks will fly by! Time to get even more excited & start packing!

 

[Nubs70]

Be sure to save receipts, make a spreadsheet, and send a report to Iger and Rasulo

 

[Weather_Lady]

$150? Heck, I think you could do it for even less -- don't buy any food in the parks at all. Bring it all with you (or plan to purchase some perishables after you arrive in Florida, if you have to.)

My parents took my sister and me to WDW four times growing up -- we stayed in Fort Wilderness Campground, ate nothing but hot and cold cereals, Pop Tarts, grilled cheese sandwiches, apples, bananas, canned (ahem, "tinned") soup and Spaghetti-Os and other such foods brought from home and eaten in the campground (or packed in Mom's purse for in-park lunches). We generally didn't spend a penny in any park on food, souvenirs or "costs extra" experiences -- we did only what our ticket costs covered -- and had an absolutely amazing time, every time!

In fact, I was 26 years old the first time I purchased an in-park meal or snack, and I never felt that I had "missed" anything in the meantime, or that my WDW experience had been diminished in any way.

P.S. Is your kettle electric (self-heating)? The value resorts don't have in-room coffee makers or microwaves, only a mini-fridge, so you'll want an electric kettle, crockpot or "Hot Pot" for heating food and brewing hot beverages...

P.P.S. Some ideas for hotel room cooking methods (using a coffeemaker or electric kettle and clothing iron) here... http://www.hotel.info/en/blog/the-ultimate-hotel-guide-to-cooking-in-your-hotel-room/

P.P.P.S. Non-perishable foods and menu ideas here... http://www.livestrong.com/article/181125-non-perishable-food-for-camping/

 

[CheersBigEars]

Thanks Weather_Lady. Never thought about using an iron for cooking. I will have a lovely time within my budget. I just spent a great day off in London at the V&A museum and spend a total of £0. Packed a lunch, water and a snack and walked there and back. I don't need money to have a nice time.

 

[PhilharMagician]

All I can say is good luck and have fun. I would like to see a spreadsheet of what you spend when after you return home.

With my family of three we budget $150.00 per day and that is probably below average guest spending.

 

[CheersBigEars]

I'll try and do a daily update including my spending while there.

 

[dancingtodisney]

You must be getting excited now! We're staying in All Star Sports until the 4th so we might catch you there!

 

[CheersBigEars]

I am super excited and pretty much ready to go Dancingtodisney. You must be as well.

 

[CloudLover]

I am new here and having a great time reading all the posts! I, too, am budget conscious and just completed a challenge to feed our family of three on $13 per day for 30 days (at home, not at the parks.) It took a ton of planning and discipline, but we ate really healthy foods during that time - it was an amazing experience (and we averaged just $12.86 for all of us each day.)

Pack more food than what you think you'll need just in case - I am in the "rather to have it and not need it" camp.

You can do it! I am excited for you to have this journey and adventure ahead. Enjoy yourself!

I'll be rooting for you from afar and wishing you success.

 

[CheersBigEars]

Thanks CloudLover, you did really well on your challenge to feed your family. I have found that with some planning and batch cooking I can eat healthy within my budget. Luckily I love lentils and beans etc. as they are a cheap source of healthy protein and easy to cook in a batch and freeze. I do plan to eat a bit less healthy at WDW as I am on holiday and I can't pack lentil stew anyway. I am trying to bring everything I might need and these forums have been a great help getting ready. I have a little first aid kit with cold medicine, pain relief and plasters etc. I don't want to pay Disney prices for those sort of things. About 80% of my suitcase is food, I am like you so rather pack it and not need it. I just need to keep an eye on the weight as airlines are strict on that. I have removed all unnecessary packing and organised things in easy ziploc bags(taken from the office as well)
My only real concern is coffee. I LOVE coffee. I get a free latte every morning on my way to work and we have a Nespresso machine at work with a milk foamer so I use that during the day. I have been experimenting with instant coffee but it just isn't the same. But in perspective not having good coffee is a small price to pay for 11 days at my happy place.
Do you have any plans to visit WDW CloudLover?

 

[CheersBigEars]

Two weeks to go! I have been making a list of things I want to do at WDW I haven't done before.
1. Go to the campfire sing a long at the campground.
2. Watch a movie under the stars at a Deluxe hotel.
3. Draw with an imagineer at HS
4. Watch the kiss goodnight at MK

That's all I have so far.

 

[4disneylovers]

Have you ever seen the opening at MK? I saw it for the first time in August and it brought tears to my eyes. Don't know why but it did.

 

[CheersBigEars]

Haven't been to RD at MK but did do it at HS when they still had the old fastpass system. I might try it for MK this trip.

 

[CloudLover]

Thanks CloudLover, you did really well on your challenge to feed your family. I have found that with some planning and batch cooking I can eat healthy within my budget. Luckily I love lentils and beans etc. as they are a cheap source of healthy protein and easy to cook in a batch and freeze. I do plan to eat a bit less healthy at WDW as I am on holiday and I can't pack lentil stew anyway. I am trying to bring everything I might need and these forums have been a great help getting ready. I have a little first aid kit with cold medicine, pain relief and plasters etc. I don't want to pay Disney prices for those sort of things. About 80% of my suitcase is food, I am like you so rather pack it and not need it. I just need to keep an eye on the weight as airlines are strict on that. I have removed all unnecessary packing and organised things in easy ziploc bags(taken from the office as well)
My only real concern is coffee. I LOVE coffee. I get a free latte every morning on my way to work and we have a Nespresso machine at work with a milk foamer so I use that during the day. I have been experimenting with instant coffee but it just isn't the same. But in perspective not having good coffee is a small price to pay for 11 days at my happy place.
Do you have any plans to visit WDW CloudLover?

We ate many beans, too! In fact, we only ate meat two days per week, and I think we'll definitely stick with less meat moving forward. It was a really cool exercise for us, and I learned so much. We had a dance party in the kitchen every night and there were some unexpected bonuses to not eating out at all.

You sound really prepared! I LOVE coffee, too! Wow, you get yummy coffee at work - I just use an old fashioned percolator every day. I suppose packing a French press and a couple bags of java is out of the question? I gave up all beverages except water last year for Lent - the only thing I ever really missed was coffee.

I don't have plans to visit WDW in the next couple of years. I have a little one, and we saved for 18 months to pay off our Disney cruise and we FINALLY sail next month! So I am really looking forward to our first cruise - and our goal is to have a $0 balance. We are pre-paying our gratuities and bringing cash for extra tips and the one excursion we have planned (not booked through the ship.) We're going to experience everything we can that's included in our basic cruise cost (and the fact that we can drive to the port and bring an extra bag or two is a huge help, too.)

Have an awesome time. Having a strict budget has taught our family that the experiences matter much more than the "stuff." It's been humbling and very educational. So many people live on so much less. Besides, we'd like to save as much as we can for fun trips!

 

[CheersBigEars]

This time next week I will be on the plane heading to Orlando. So excited about being at the World and having time to myself. I know it is not for everyone but I love to travel solo.
I have been checking the weather every day and it is still really hot, I was hoping for slightly cooler weather but I am sure I will have fun even if it is still stinking hot.
I have also been checking wait times for rides and the park maps on the app. Just for fun really as I have nothing better to do than dream of Disney.