Some of my money saving tips and advice that's worked for me About This Page:

[Lynne O.]

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Hi Lynne,

How close to the R.I. boarder do you live. <font color="blue"> boBºoº </font>

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I actually live more closer to the NH boarder...it's about a 2 - 2 1/2 drive to RI.

I have a bottle deposit return right around the corner from where I live where they give you 5 cents for each can/bottle that's marked with a 5 cents stamp.

[ilovelilo]

Thanks for all the great tips, Lynne!

I keep my spare change in a piggy bank I got on our last WDW trip--it's Cinderella's Castle with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald in front of it! That way I get a visual reminder of what I'm saving my money for!

[GoofyMom]

Great tips everybody! I do many of these also. I have also saved up AirMiles through a Canadian customer loyalty program, and that is how we "paid" for our airfare and 2 of our 7-day PHPs.

Something else I do is: when I'm out at the mall doing my shopping or even if I'm just driving past a drive-thru and decide I'm thirsty or hungry I'll buy a drink or snack, then when I get home I put the exact same amount into the WDW savings jar. That way I make darned good and sure that I really want what I am buying since I pay double for it, but it's going to our WDW fund so I don't feel like I'm really "wasting" it.

[Shell_of_the_South]

There are some great tips in this thread!

I do the change bucket also. I have also cleaned out my house the last few weeks (a la "Clean Sweep") and I have a pile of stuff to yard sale. I may investigate Ebay also!

But the best way for me to save $$$, I give it to my DH and tell him not to let me have it back . He is like Fort Knox!

[Caldercup]

Lots of great ideas!!

Another great way to make your money make more money for you is to move all the change you have saved in your jar into a savings account on a regular basis. Lately, I've gotten offers from INGDirect that they will add an additional $25 to the account if I open it. It then earns a pretty decent return compared to my local bank. So, after I've saved up the coins for a while, I plan to deposit that money into the savings account.

And, while I like Disney Dollars, I usually don't pick them up until just before my trip - they don't earn any interest sitting in an envelope in my house.

The Disney Visa gets used for everything in my family -- even my mortgage -- and then we pay it off on-line once a week. In a single year, we've earned $275 in rewards just for using the card. Right now we're average between $40 and $50 per month since we've moved all credit-card-payable transactions to the Disney Visa. And since we keep it constantly paid off, we have yet to pay a finance fee. Also, Disney vacations paid with the card often earn double points!!

If you do Character Meals, I recommend getting the vouchers ahead of time to save a little cash. I've used this place to get tickets in the past.

Because we usually go twice a year (husband in the biz, doncha know), we love all the perks of the Annual Passes and save bunches on rooms, dining and shopping. Mousesavers.com has this great annual pass calculator to help you figure out if an AP will save you cash.

Good luck!
Eileen

[Shell_of_the_South]

This is a great thread for money saving ideas. I like to read it from time to time, it inspires me to try to save more money for a future Disney trip!

This thread might make a good sticky topic so everyone could read it and add their own savings ideas!

[Tig&Poo]

Thanks for the awesome tips! Right now we save out money which is direct deposited into a savings account that is specifically used for vacations. We also save pennies and by the time our trip rolls around usually have enough saved for a special breakfast. Sharon

[mama2disneyfan]

But the best way for me to save $$$, I give it to my DH and tell him not to let me have it back . He is like Fort Knox!

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My dh is the same way. I will have to remember that.

I read somewhere to round up when writing a check &amp; then use the money for your trip. Example: if you need to write it for 23.55, write it for 24.00 or even 25.00 in your check register. If you can write it for five dollars more.

[Nick and Ryans Mom]

I do a Christmas savings account. Whatever is left after the holidays I roll over to my vacation money. This way it encourages me not to just spend money on gifts, I really think about what I am spending. DH likes it because Christmas is not as stressful because it is paid for and then when it comes time to plan a trip we have money already saved to get us started. I also buy Disney dollars at the mall as a way of reminding myself not to spend too much needlessly.

[Caldercup]

These aren't specific Disney saving ideas, just great frugal trips -- try reading The Tightwad Gazette books for great ideas (and some really zealous ones too.) These are often available in libraries.

My husband and I are religious about making and taking lunches to work. That easily saves $20 per person each week.

We also have started making sure that we are never without a little cash so we are not tempted into going to an ATM and having to pay bank fees if it's not our bank - that's $1.50-$2 each time around here.

I also eBay alot of my books. I buy paperbacks from my local library for 50 cents apiece and, once I'm done reading them, I eBay them in lots. If they don't sell, I donate them back to the library.

We are lucky enough to have bought a well-insulated house and spend about a 1/3 what our neighbors spend for electricity/gas. We also got a new furnace (old one died!!) and that has increased the efficiency of the house. To add to the savings, we have a computer-controlled thermostat and have it set to lower the heating temps (during the winter) and raise the A/C temps (in the summer) while we are not at home or asleep. That saved a bundle.

Additionally, I hung a long clothes rod in the laundry room and I air dry all towels, jeans, sweatshirts,and other "heavy" items until almost dry. Then I quick tumble them in the dryer so they're not stiff-as-a-board!!

I think this thread is a great idea for a sticky!!
Eileen

[Mom2FourBoys]

Wow, these are great tips!

Because we have so many kids (four boys), we "taught" them early on that Christmas isn't about gifts, it's about being together with family, and the religious nature of the holiday. Each of our kids gets one gift from me, and one gift from their dad, and then one gift from their grandparents. That's it. We usually do a family gift also(it's a lot easier to have them all open up the Xbox). But that's it. It started not as a money-saving thing, but has turned out to be a great savings!

We also shop in bulk (four boys ages 14, 12, 9, and 5, plus DH, you can imagine how much they eat), and I cook once a week, so that I am only burning up the house one day of the week, rather than turning on the oven every single day. Everything that is cooked on Sunday is frozen, and microwaved throughout the week. (It also helps because with so many things going on in this family, we rarely all eat together at the same time.)

I work long hours, and traveling is a good way for me to re-connect with my family, so I like to do it as often as I can. I agree that the kids won't remember if the carpet is a little worn, or if the house needs a fresh coat of paint. But my oldest remembers the first time he rode the monorail, and he remembers touching a stingray on his first cruise, something that some of the kids in the houses with new carpet may not have done.

We also have an ING savings account for each of us and for the kids. Birthday money goes in there, and their interest rate is 2.15% now (I think), so it grows pretty fast!

[DCLFANATiC]

Thanks for all the $$$ saving ideas !

[kathy320]

I can't wait to dump my coffee can filled with change to see how much I've got!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I also had a yard sale and made over $300!!!!!!!!1 What a great feeling not only to have made so much money for our trip but to rid my house of so much stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LindaLu627]

I am now inspired to :

Have a yard sale
Really get the eBay thing going
Take all spare change, and bills, from the end of the wk and dump into the change jar
round up the check book
Convert house change into Disney Dollars and/or open the ING acct.
Move $ every week into savings
Only use my host bank ATM's ( but still move $1.50 every time into the savings)
And..any impulse money (or Latte fund money- from How to Retire like a Millionaire)goes into the savings. If I think about spending it (fast food, coffee) it goes in and if I do spend it, the same amount goes in to the fund!

These are all suck great ideas! You all have inspired me to save more, whether for Disney or just life!!

Thanks to you all for these great ideas!
Linda

[MELLAMOUSE]

ALL GREAT IDEAS!!! MY DH AND I BOTH RECENTLY GOT RAISES SO WE ARE TAKING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OLD AND NEW PAY RATES AND PUTTING THAT MONEY INTO SAVINGS. ALSO HIS TRUCK WILL BE PAID OFF IN JANUARY AND WE WILL PUT THAT MONEY INTO SAVINGS ALSO. SO AT LEAST $500/MO WILL GO INTO SAVINGS FOR VACATIONS/OUR 1ST HOME/OUR 1ST CHILD.