We're giving in.

[Britt]

My husband and I are admitting our addiction to WDW. We're not bothering trying to suppress it any longer. lol

We're not going this year, as we're having friends come in from Idaho and we need to save the vacation time, but next year.....watch out Tinkerbell, Im comin for you. haha.

I need to know...how do you guys save for your trips? How MUCH do you generally save a month for your trips and how long in advance do you start saving?

 

[Alexis]

I don't pay, my parents do. But I do save to buy items that I want. If i were you I'd save christmas, birthday money and put away some extra money to the side (as long as you can afford to pay your bills). Then check which hotels cheapest for you along with the park tickets and food!

 

[ShookieJones]

LOL Right? I put $20 (every 2 weeks) in for the start of our new vacation savings account and was all proud of myself. And then realized that that will net us about $480 in a year!

Haha..I know exactly what you mean. We were putting 20 bucks a paycheck away for a christmas fund and the whole time I had this misconception it would be a LOT more money and then the time comes and your like..."wait what..? no there must be some mistake..." and then you do the math and you're like "sh*t that don't add up to a cup coffee at starbucks..."

 

[Epcot-Rules]

I'm still trying to figure out what a tax return is? I have not had one in 18 years. We fly by the seat of our pants. We will be checking in to Fort Wilderness Camp Ground with our new trailer on the 16th. It's cheap that way.

 

[luv]

Lol! Welcome to the club.

How much saving you need to do depends so much on what kind of trip you're taking. There are cheaper and more expensive ways to go. And how much you have to give up to do that depends on how much money you have.

I didn't take any trips until everything else was in place...and eventually moved to Orlando when I realized I was coming 80% for the weather, 10% just to get away and 10% because I like the parks. Moving and visiting my former home was much cheaper and more pleasurable than the other way around. Don't need a hotel to go back there!

Giving up expensive clothes, purses, shoes, snack foods (just junk, anyway), pop (also junk) and meals out is always a good place to start. Shopping online for what you want will prevent those, "Oh, it's so cute! I must buy it!" moments...if you have those. I dunno. Libraries for magazines and books. If you really want to economies, there is always a cheaper way to do things.

Good luck!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I just put aside whatever I can each month into my savings. Some months it might only be $100 while others it might be more like $500. I also rely on a couple of bonuses at work each year...so when those pay out, they go straight into my savings. The interest accruals aren't much, but come trip time- it's usually enough to add up to several snacks or a couple of QS meals. I also keep a side record of how much everything is going to cost so I know where I need to be in the end. i.e. if you see $6k as your goal figure, you're more tempted to put aside a little more vs. making a few impulse buys with that $ while shopping.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

I put aside $200 a month. But then again it is just me, paying for myself, not a whole family. If I had a family to take, it would be quite a bit more. We take 2-3 trips per year so there is never a time where I am not taking at least $100 out of my paycheck each payday for an upcoming trip.

 

[meklein]

I have a separate savings account, divert money directly from my paycheck, so I never miss it. Also, when I go grocery shopping, when I think I am done, I pick $25 worth of stuff and put it back on the shelf - stuff I don't REALLY need - dessert, snacks, etc. and I buy a $25 Disney card. If I am at a retail store and the kids want something and I know I have the money, I offer them the choice between the random toy/tshirt/junk they want and a Disney gift card. For airfare, I have a cash back credit card. I put all my purchases FOR EVERYTHING that I can on that (I swear, I would pay my mortgage with that card if the lender permitted - LOL!), pay the balance in full every month. Deposit the cash back check in your Disney fund - nets me about $400 a year - for doing nothing - free money! But remember to pay off that balance in full every month! If you are paying interest on a balance, you just negated your free money!

 

[aristo_cat]

Simple: Move to Florida and get in on the Florida resident goodness.

 

[kasey1988]

We have the change jar as well, all change and bills found I'm pants/coats go in here (just counted about $400 since November). I also save my gst checks (in Canada depending on your income you may or may not receive a check every 4 months, roughly $160 for me.. I'll receive 3 before our next trip), we return all recyclables for a refund, I will be using my tax return this year, put aside $100 out of each pay into a separate back account, and also save any cash back rewards from my visa. I also price out the trip well In advance to anticipate how much I will need to save. And I am just be really much more cautious when making a decision about buying things I may not need. Really any extra money from gifts go in to the savings as well

We also just purchased a house and are planning a wedding so I have become much more thrifty with our money

Anyone know where I could buy disney gift cards in Canada?? I've never seen them!

 

[Britt]

Simple: Move to Florida and get in on the Florida resident goodness.

Right??? ALL my family is in CO (except a grandma who lives in Iowa..haha). I so wish we could move to FL. It would be very conducive to our vacations.

 

[meklein]

Anyone know where I could buy disney gift cards in Canada?? I've never seen them!

I will ask my Canadian relatives if they are available there. Here, they are everywhere - pharmacies, grocery stores, retail stores (such as WalMart, Target, etc.) and obviously, the Disney retail store. They are usually mixed in with all the other gift cards.

 

[jlsHouston]

My husband and I are admitting our addiction to WDW. We're not bothering trying to suppress it any longer. lol

We're not going this year, as we're having friends come in from Idaho and we need to save the vacation time, but next year.....watch out Tinkerbell, Im comin for you. haha.

I need to know...how do you guys save for your trips? How MUCH do you generally save a month for your trips and how long in advance do you start saving?

I haven't figured out how to save for anything yet...I just decide when I want to go and make a guess about finances and then book and start paying it out...I did learn a valuable lesson about charging vacations recently and won't do that EVER again !