How do you save for your Disney Vacation?

[jenny2]

DH and I are going to PO-FQ for our honeymoon in September and I am determined to have the entire trip payed for by then... including spending money!

I'm having money taken out of my savings acct every payperiod and putting it into a vacation account. I'm paying off the hotel, airline and park tickets beforehand... and I'm relying on a bonus I'm getting the month before we go!

I was wondering what tricks & techniques you have used to save for vacations to WDW?

April '91 - Poly
Sept '01 - PO French Quarter (long awaited honeymoon!)

<img src=http://members.aol.com/DisnyMom1/lad-tra03.gif>

 

[tinaluis]

We don't save "per se" but we use Priceline alot for hotel reservations. We're able to get great accommodations at a very low cost. For an upcoming road trip in November, we have 11 nts. of lodging (9 in Orlando and 2 on the road during the trip) for under $200 including all taxes and fees.

We've also used them for a rental car when we've flown to WDW and they've saved us about $50-$75 over directly booking the reservation.

I know that you're staying onsite, so Priceline isn't really an option with on-site hotel reservations but keep them in mind in the future.

 

[tarzanman]

We save all of our change for the year in 2 Absolut Vodka bottle (empty of course). Silver in 1 and copper in the other. All change goes in and does not come out. If something costs $1.01 we take the $.99 and put it in the bottle. Besides that we put $400 a month in a vacation account as well as all overtime. We love our Disney.

Happy saving!!!

some trips as a child
DxL 4/00
DVC member 4/00
BWV 9/00
VB 9/00
DCL 1/01
OKW 1/01
BWV 12/01

 

[jenny2]

April '91 - Poly
Sept '01 - PO French Quarter (long awaited honeymoon!)

<img src=http://members.aol.com/DisnyMom1/lad-tra03.gif>

 

[Disneydenise]

I make my plans and then adjust accordingly by what we get back from the IRS. I know its a loan to the gov't but I just stink at saving and I hate to save and love to spend sooo... This is how we do it.

 

[Trekker]

We have a lar jar - I mean large - about 3 - 4 gallon, that I decorated with Disney Stickers. All change goes in here every day. And sometimes $1.
We have a Disney Store at our local mall. Mr DW, DS, DD are addicted to going to the mall. They are only allowed in the mall if they promise to bring home Disney $s. My wife has to bring home $5 and each kid has to bring home $1.
This can be as much as $30 - $40 in a weekend - cause each seperate trip counts - if you go 2 times in one day you pay 2 times.

I have in my budget a set amount $$ I can spend monthly. I usually spend less $$. All left-over is converted to Disney $s.

Here was another good thread on this subject.....

Link to an old thread on the tips board

<img width="180" height="200" src=http://homestead.juno.com/rpeot/files/View1.jpg>
<FONT color=darkblue size=2>Feb 1995 - Caribbean Beach</FONT>
<FONT color=cadetblue size=2>Feb 1997 - Port Orleans</FONT>
<FONT color=darkred size=2>Nov 1997 - Offsite</FONT>
<FONT color=darkgoldenrod size=2>Feb 2000 - Dixie Landings</FONT>
<FONT color=darkmaroon size=2>Nov 2001 - All Star Movie</FONT>

 

[jsmla]

We buy annual passes and use them for 2 vacations.
We took a 14 day vacation August 1999 and another two week vacation in June of 2000 on the same passes. We camp and rarely eat away from the camper. The kids earned free meals at Rainforest in an online reading club. To help fund our trip we have a "fine" system for getting chores done around here. If someone leaves junk around or doesn't do a chore they owe a $1 to the "Disney fund". Adults are included too and at our house the money mounts steadily, drat those pesky kids! We also add any unexpected windfalls to the pot. We live on a fairly tight budget and still are able to take a long WDW vacation each year.
Jennifer

Jennifer

 

[aimeesmom2]

I buy $50 worth of disney dollars each paycheck... That gives me $100 per month.. I have tried saving change,etc but that just doesnt work for me.. I know how important Disneyworld is,but something always comes up and it gets spent.. I figure I wont spend the disney dollars.. Once I have enough dd saved up, I will just start mailing a check to go towards paying for the room...

I do as many reward programs on the internet that I can for various gc to RFC, Cheesecake Factory, Disney dollars and am now working on webcerts to help pay for part of park tickets..

Also, another tip that I picked up on this board is using my money I get back thru Healthcare spending... I have $xx.xx amt taken from my check each payday and whenever I have medical expenses, copays, etc I turn my receipts in and I get that money back.. This year they are taking a total of $800 out of my paychecks thruout the year, but if I have my receipt I can get all of it back at once.. My daughter is having surgery next month and I am paying over $800 for it.. Once they do the surgery I will be able to send in my receipt and they will mail me back $800... That is going toward our trip..

Luckily in January 2002, I will get a $2500 bonus from work.. If you are in the same position for 18 months they give you a bonus of $2500.. I should actually get about $1600 after taxes deducted and this will come in handy as we are going to wdw in mid February...

WHATZ UP!!??

 

[mhopset]

My 4 year old has a Disney Fund Jar that we decorated. He puts his allowance ($1 per week in the jar)and any $$$ he gets from aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

I on the other hand "hide money" ex: I something costs $25 and I write a check a will subtract $30 from the check register. I also try to put back $50 per month. By "hiding money" I was able to save $400 without my wife knowing anything about it. On our way to WDW she was worrying if we would have enough cash for our vacation. As soon as we hit the Florida state line I told her about the extra $400. BOY, was she happy!!!!!The only thing is I think she is on to me now

 

[n2mm]

I have an "allotment" taken out of my pay every payday and sent to a special Vacation Savings Account. Been doing this for years now. Similar to a Christmas Account. We went 5 times last year, but only plan to go 3 times this year--but we've been subject to change when the airfare is good.

<font color=3300ff>PO/Riverside 5/01
Dixie Landing 11/00, 9/00, 8/00, 1/00, 10/99, 10/98, 6/94
All Star Sport 10/01,5/00, 12/99
All Star Music 7/01, 4/01, 4/00, 5/99, 5/97, 5/96, 4/95
All Star Movie 11/00, 4/99
Caribbean Beach 5/96, 11/90, 5/89
Coronado Spring 5/98
Wilderness Lodge 7/99, 11/95
WDW Hotel Village 10/87
Disneyland 5/86</font>

 

[Geubux]

WE saved enough for a down payment and bought a share of the DVC. Now, I deduct the interest and save on my taxes without the government using my money for FREE. i also save a little each pay period for when we go.

 

[tonilea]

We often choose to cook, rather than eat out. We take the money we would have used to eat out and put it in our WDW savings account.

Since we started this practice, I find we are eating out less, and saving more!!

Other ways I save $$ on WDW trips:

1. Priceline
2. Shopping for months for the best airline and rental car prices
3. buying small items, i know we will need, as part of my regular grocery budget. ie film, trial sized toiletries, sun screen ect.
4. eating a late lunch or an early dinner
5. reading the DIS Budget board!!!!

Dreaming of Disney
Toni

 

[classicpooh]

We also do take our IRS refund... and about $100 a month and bueget very carefully

 

[goofy33]

Saving money for disney. Save all change in a sealed gallon jar all silver goes in the sealed gallon jar plus all money i get from gifts babysitting and rebate money. Penneys go in the other gallon jar. last time it was full it was allmost a thousand dollars.
garage sales are good to got eight hundred on the last one.

 

[Mish]

We put all of our change in a jar. Every once in a while i roll it so it isnt to much when we leave. Sicne August we have saved $350.00. Also DH and i put $20 a week in an envelope. I also put $1 a week in an envelope for housekeeping. If we work extra or there is an extra pay period in a month that goes away also. I forgot we paid for out trip tax check that helped also. Good luck. Michelle

 

[signingoff]

I have a ceramic piggy bank that says "Summer Vacation". That is where we drop all of our spare change at the end of the day. I keep all of this in a safe place and DH knows it is off limits for spending. You would really be surprised how much adds up after a period of time. I also have a couple of yard sales to clean out my closets each year and this money goes with it, as well as money I get back from product rebates, unexpected bonuses, etc. Although this isn't enough money to pay for the whole trip (DH does that with vacation bonus) I use this money for spending--buying gifts, snacks, etc.

 

[DisneyKitty]

I gave up pop--I was a serious caffeine addict. But each time I went to buy my then-daily pop, I thought, "I should just put this money toward a Disney vacation." By the end of the first month, I had kicked my bad habit (a nice plus). Then I went for my weekly fast food binge. Of course, it doesn't work every time, but it *does* make a difference. Also, whenever I go to the mall, if I have a few bucks left over from my purchase (and it's the only time I go to the mall), I invest in Disney Dollars--they're not good anywhere else, so it makes sense. I also do the change thing and think "okay, now I have enough for a character breakfast, just a little bit more and I have a car rental day. Then I say, if I can get a car rental day, I can get a hotel night." I know it's all psychological, but it works.

Oh--I priceline my car rental if I'm staying over one week because then I don't get charged a huge per day fee for every day over a week. It works really well in Orlando

Always Stalking the Mouse!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

I was VERY lucky this year, I didn't have to save for this trip! I came into quite a bit of money in October and my trip was paid for long before DH and I discussed going. I still haven't purchased my USF tickets, but only because I'm waiting til the week we go. Just a great feeling knowing that I can purchase the tickets "at the last minute".
Before, however, I would save about $30 of my tip money over 5 or 6 shifts a week and all my paychecks to go on Disney trips. That would normally take me about a year to do if I pulled the money out everytime!!

IT'S ALL ABOUT DISNEY!!

REMEMBER THE MAGIC!!!
TTFN...TA TA FOR NOW

OFFSITE-MARCH 87
SoG-MAY 98
SoG-JUNE 00
ASMu-MAY 01

 

[Countrymom]

I have an envelope stuffed with "laundry money" for our next trip. LOL DH is terrible about leaving money in his pants and shirt pockets...and oddly enough, doesn't seem to miss it.


May 2001 Wilderness Lodge