1.
Plan way ahead
My Dad always told me it was important to
have something to look forward to. Oftentimes that ‘thing’ is a vacation. By
planning ahead, I don’t mean a couple months, I mean a YEAR…or more. You have
to commit and have a plan. This guide will help you.
First, check with your travel agent (me)
for prices on where you go about a year in the future. This is your goal. It
may change but you’ve started somewhere. For example, about a year from now
estimates for trips to Disneyland and Walt Disney World for a family of 2
adults and 2 children is:
Walt Disney World: Little Mermaid Room at
Art of Animation for 6 nights with 5 day base tickets is $2,245.
Disneyland: Candy Cane Inn for 4 nights
with 3 day Park Hopper tickets is $1,929.
Hurrah, you have a starting point. Now! Put
down your $200 deposit to hold your ideal hotel. You are going! The countdown
begins.
2.
Plan smart
WHEN you go can affect pricing and crowds.
During slow times you can easily get double (or triple) the amount of rides and
experiences you’re able to enjoy at less cost. If at all possible pick these
times, even if (gasp) your child might need to miss a bit of school. As you
noticed in step 1, pricing only includes room and tickets. You still need
transportation and food. You might want to add the price of a dining plan at
Walt Disney World into your goal price. At Disneyland, many Good Neighbor Hotels
provide breakfast so one that does might be a better choice than one that doesn’t.
I suggest you have THREE line items in your vacation plans…the actual vacation,
food and spending money, and transportation. This article deals only with the
first, (a future article will deal with the other 2), but many of the tips can
be used for all three to grow that fund.
Using the examples above, let’s see how
much per month you need to save. Since final payment is due a bit over 30 days
out, we’ll divide by 11.
Walt Disney World: $185.90 a month (you
paid a $200 deposit, remember?)
Disneyland: $157.18 a month
That doesn’t look so bad, now does it?
3.
Trick yourself
You’ve heard of the “Latte Effect”, right?
The idea that if you just take a small daily purchase, like that $5.00 fancy
coffee, and put it away towards something you want, the total saved raises
quickly. In this example, you’d save $100 a month on that item alone. I don’t buy
coffees, but I do have other little money wasters. We all do. Tuck that away
and apply it to your trip., Memories last forever, other things don’t.
Do you allow yourself a certain amount monthly
for food, eating out, entertainment? Cut that amount by a certain percentage
and put the savings in your trip stash. How about saving every single $1.00
bill you get? Or $5.00 bill?
4.
Disney Gift cards
Since you’re going to Disney you can pay
for pretty much everything with Disney Gift Cards. Do you shop at SAM’s? they
often have a 3 pack of $50 gift cards for around $143.00. Target shopper with a
Target charge Card? You can buy those Disney Gift cards at 5% off with your Red
Card. You can also use the prescription bonus to get the cards. One word about
these, be sure and check immediately if they are activated. I had a nightmare
scenario where a bunch of cards I bought online at Target arrived un-activated.
Even if you don’t shop at these places, you
can still buy Disney gift cards online at the Disney Store with free shipping,
or in person if you have a local store. Watch your stash grow! Cards can be
combined online for larger denominations, so can be easily consolidated if
desired.
5.
Enlist Others
There are two ways to build a savings.
Spend less and make more. Now we move on to the ‘make more’ section. Put the
word out that you are planning a Disney trip and Disney gift cards would be
great gifts. Have a yard sale, list items on selling sites, come up with a
craft you can sell on Etsy or at craft fairs. Proceeds go to the trip fund.
Do you take advantage of on-line apps to
make a bit extra? Ebates, Swagbucks, Iobbata, etc. These are small amounts, but
combined over 11 months can be a nice little chunk .
6.
Make payments
Did you know that your travel agent (me)
can make payments for you on your trip? You can make as little as a $20
payment, and I’m happy to call in every day if need be to apply it. You saved
$20 by skipping a fast food meal? Authorize a $20 payment and then send that
$20 off to the credit card company to cover it. It couldn’t be easier, and it’s
so nice to see that total due drop steadily.
7.
Make it Fun
Eleven months can be a long time to stay
motivated. Just ask any New Year’s resolution maker.
Stay motivated by making it FUN. Have a
special bank (Disney themed is a good idea), to stick away those savings.
Better yet, make a Disney themed bank involving the whole family. Make a
countdown calendar and watch those days tick down. As your Travel Agent, I’ll send
you one.
Or make it a family activity and create an old fashioned paper chain
to count down the days. Reward your family at milestones. Paid in $500? Make a
Disney dessert to celebrate. Have a Disney movie night and talk about a ride that
ties in. Play Disney trivia, or another Disney game. Keep motivated and make it
fun at the same time.
Before you know it, you’ve made your final
payment and can go make those memories without a penny of debt. Doesn’t that
feel great?