HOW TO SAVE MONEY FOR DISNEY

(Or For Other Travel)

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I do earn from qualifying purchases.

Today I overheard a conversation while I was out. A man was talking about his adult daughter who had spent $12,000 on their Walt Disney World vacation for their family of 4. While many people spend that kind of money when you are 1) trying to go to Disney more than once every few years, or 2) have more than 2 children, dropping that kind of money on one trip is not doable. Our family has traveled to Disney multiple times in one year, and we have not spent that kind of money on any trips.

But before I tell you how to save on a Disney vacation, I want to explain how Disney vacations are a mindset. First, you will spend exactly what you budget, so if a friend says they spent $12,000 and you only have $10,000, you will work your budget so you will not spend more than $10,000. Second, if you want to travel to Disney every year, you will find ways to make it work within your budget. Almost every year, we decide when we will go, and work to find the best possible prices during that time period. 

Additionally, I find ways to cut costs at home to “afford” Disney. Here are the everyday things that I do. However, frugal living tips shouldn’t seem like torture. If there is an item on the list that you can’t live with or without, just move on to the next item.

WAYS TO CUT EXPENSES AT HOME TO SAVE FOR DISNEY:

CUTTING UTILITY EXPENSES:

• We do not have cable. I know people that spend upwards of $100 a month on watching Television. Now I do have Amazon Prime and Disney+. I also have a library card and a Hoopla account. We have not had cable for most of the last 15-20 years. Savings per year – approximately $1000.

• Save on your electric bill/heating bill. Unplug devices when you are not using them or use a power strip to turn off multiple items at once. Use timers to turn off lights. Turn down your heat 3-4 degrees. This alone can save you $10-20 dollars a month.
• Wash a full load of clothing, and use cold water for the rinse cycle.
• Set a timer when you take a shower. Or if you are taking a bath, don’t fill the tub up all the way. 
• Wash dishes in a sink of water and don’t let the water run continuously.

SAVING MONEY BY CUTTING AUTOMOBILE EXPENSES:

• We have had one car several times during our marriage. The savings in a second car payment, car insurance, and maintenance are huge! There is the added inconvenience of driving my husband to work and picking him up the days I need a car, but the savings are huge. Plus it encourages me to batch trips. No running to the store one day, and then piano lessons the next. This ultimately saves gas. Savings per year – Thousands of dollars a year.
• Wash and clean your car at home or pay your children to do it for you.
• Watch for specials on oil changes and vehicle maintenance.
• Buy cars used. If you want the luxury feel of a new car, see if your car dealer has loaners that they have used that have low mileage. We purchased our last vehicle this way at great savings.

SAVING MONEY ON BOOKS:

• As a homeschooling mom, much of my curriculum cost each year was the purchase of books. However, I now use the library instead of buying books. If I want to read a book, I check our public library online. However, if they don’t have it, I can do a search of Ohio’s libraries through the online service offered by my public library. If I still can’t find it, I will put it in my Amazon cart, before buying it I will ask online if any of my homeschooling friends have the book they are willing to part with for less than I can purchase it. Finally, I will purchase the book if I need to off Amazon. (One of the last books I purchased from Amazon was A Whole New World: A Twisted Tale – of course, it was a Disney book!) Savings per year – Over $1000

SAVING MONEY ON GROCERIES:

• We meal plan. This helps to save on groceries and eating out. When you know in advance what you will be eating and what groceries you need, you are prepared. Meal planning has also helped me turn over the actual cooking to my son on some nights. If I know what we are eating, I can find a recipe that he can easily follow to help out with meal preparation. Imagine the savings when you don’t look at your husband at 6:30 PM and say, “What do you want to eat?” And then eventually going out to dinner or ordering pizza. Savings per year – $300-$1000 (or more)
• I create a grocery list and send my husband to the store. He sticks to the list, and I am not tempted to buy an item because “I might use it sometime.” How much of your food costs are items that are, “Wow, that looks interesting?”
• Stop buying coffee or drinks out. I make a pot of coffee every other day. On day 2, I reheat what’s left in the pot. This saves us a lot of money. I do purchase coffee that is a little more expensive, but it tastes great, is organic, and saves me money in the long run. 
• When we go out to dinner, we have stopped buying pop and drinks at restaurants. For a family of 4 buying soda, this can run you $10-15 additional dollars each time you go out. We drink water. Even at home we have stopped buying soda and opt to drink water instead.

SAVING MONEY FOR DISNEY THROUGH SMART PURCHASES:

• I stay out of the stores and malls. This helps reduce costs tremendously. By staying away from the mall and shopping centers, I do not impulse buying and spending money on things I don’t need or want. How many items did you purchase in the last 12 months that you had buyer’s remorse over?
• If I see something I would like to buy, I wait at least 24 hours. If it is meant to be, it will still be there for me to purchase it. Sometimes I don’t even think about it until days later, and obviously, it wasn’t meant to be.
• This one seems strange, but it saves a lot of money. I buy the “best” possible that I can afford at the time. If I am looking at a refrigerator, I purchase top of the line. We are not talking about bells and whistles. I am talking about durability. Before I buy, I research and know what the experts have said are the best value for your money. I have done this with things that should last a long time such as appliances, furniture, coats, bedding, towels. While I spent a little more on the front end, this has saved me time in looking for replacement items. Furthermore, the per-year cost of my refrigerator is much lower than if I had bought a less expensive refrigerator.
• The above savings also apply to clothing. I am not talking about buying designer clothing. I mean quality clothing. Most often, the clothing you buy at big-box discount stores is not quality and does not wash well or hold up over the years. We purchase quality brand names that will last for those who are done growing.
• Consider reupholstering your furniture instead of buying new ones. If you bought quality sofas and chairs, and the frames are still in good condition, going to a reupholstering company can save you hundreds of dollars. We had 2 Captain chairs recovered which saved me about $100 versus buying cheaply made new ones.

THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR:

• Shop at Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other thrift stores. Many times you can find items with the tags still on them. Examples of savings: I have purchased a brand new name-brand dress for $3 and a designer sweater for $2.50.
• Buy the extended warranty on the big-ticket items. My ice machine was replaced during the extended warranty period. This saved hundreds of dollars. We also had the front touch panel replaced and a few other minor items.
• Teach your children the value of a dollar. Explain to them how long you and your husband have to work to take a vacation or pay for a pair of their shoes. Once children really begin to understand that the pair of shoes they want will cost XX hours to pay for, they begin to understand that buying something just because someone’s name is on it isn’t always worth it.

MAKING MONEY & SPENDING LESS:

• Sell your treasures. I have sold books and trinkets on eBay for the last 20 years. I also have bought items off of eBay. You can also use a local Buy, Sell, Trade. Just make sure if you are delivering items, to take precautions. Meet in a public place that has heavy traffic and is well lit such as your local Police Station.
• Have a low-spend month. I do this yearly in February. We do not have any birthdays during February. I determine that I will spend the least amount of money at the grocery store by eating what is in the pantry. This helps clear out some of the food that we forget was in there. Additionally, I do not buy anything new during February. There is a lot of repurposing, recycling, and figuring out how to make due, but it does save money.
• Cancel your subscriptions. Many times we subscribe to something, especially online, and then we forget to cancel them. Keep a master calendar of renewal dates, and before the subscription comes due, cancel it.

SAVING MONEY ON KID’S EXPENSES:

• Our family has cut out things like organized children’s sports. We do 4-H. While there is some cost involved, the entire family can attend almost all events. Furthermore, each child can take projects that interest them. Additionally, as children get older, there are plenty of scholarship opportunities for youth that have been involved in 4-H.
• If you want your children to play sports, look for church sports leagues or sports at the YMCA. These usually have lower costs and are not as competitive.
• Check out the local free or low-cost events your area has to offer. Many people don’t visit local parks, free festivals, and child-friendly entertainment options because they are not as publicized as the “for-profit” entertainment.

OTHER WAYS TO SAVE MONEY FOR DISNEY

• Salon, nails, beauty care products all add up. If you normally have your hair done every 6 weeks stretch it to every 9 weeks. This will save you 2 1/2 visits a year. I have switched from salon nails which not only cost me big bucks but also time. I now use Color Street nails which can cost a little as $10-20/month. Or consider painting your nails. With a good quality nail polish, your names can look amazing for the entire week. Tip: Wear gloves while cleaning to keep your nails looking great.
• Eliminate harsh chemicals for cleaning. I clean with non-toxic cleaners. Harsh chemicals found in most cleaning products actually harm your surfaces and break them down making your countertops, walls, and woodwork look is worn and needing painting, resurfacing, and replacing well before they should have worn out.
• Can you downsize your house because your family has changed or eliminate the monthly storage facility by letting go of stuff?

Thanks for following along on our adventure. Next week, I will bring you more about saving for a Disney vacation (or just because you need to save money).