Our "Cheap" Lifestyle Supports Our Disney Habit About This Page:

[toddjodybrent]

Soccer season has started again and we enjoy our son's teammates and their families. We were sitting on the sidelines sharing what was new since we had gathered in the fall. Of course, we had been to Disney and other family is getting ready to go, so there was much to converse about. Another family said it was only a pipe dream for them to go as it would be out of their reach. . . money wise.

Then, I sat back, watched, and listened. Their son needed new soccer shoes and they said they paid more than they should have. Okay--our kid is wearing soccer shoes from Payless that we purchased during a BOGO sale.

They had purchased their child a new soccer jersey ($35) even though we was wearing one. Our kid--was wearing a hand-me-down jersey. . . the same one he had worn since he started soccer 2 years ago.

Their child wanted something to drink. Out came a $20 for the concession stand for drinks for the child playing soccer and their other child. We had packed a cooler with refillable water bottles, a Powerade for our son, and when our child was hungry he got handed a recycled margarine tub with Cheerios and raisins in it. (The tub we brought home, washed, and put it with the others to use again.)

Our son also had a hand-me-down goalie jersey, so there was no additional expense there either.

Okay, I know this is really about priorities and everyone has different ones. I can accept that. At the same time, if something really is a dream, a few lifestyle changes can make the dream a reality! I'm also grateful that our whole family is on board with our choices. The son doesn't even ask for anything at the concession stand--but we have never bought anything there either! Do people realize that their behavior doesn't always match their words? But it does give them away!

[Pax]

Originally Posted by toddjodybrent

Okay, I know this is really about priorities and everyone has different ones. I can except that. At the same time, if something really is a dream, a few lifestyle changes can make the dream a reality! I'm also grateful that our whole family is on board with our choices. The son doesn't even ask for anything at the concession stand--but we have never bought anything there either! Do people realize that their behavior doesn't always match their words? But it does give them away!

I have, in other contexts, tried to drive that home to peole more times than I care to count.

Specifically, on forums for one or another MMOG (in case you've been hiding under an especially large rock, that means: Massively Multiplayer Online Game; think "world of warcraft"). I'll often see people whining about the $15/month subscription fee, claiming they can't afford to pay that much "for just a game".

Then I ask them if they go to the movies, even once every other month? Or if they smoke, at all? Or typically pick up a sixpack of beer for the weekend? Or go out to eat at a semi-nice restaurant once every month or two? Or order pizza/subs once or twice a month?

Or, really, any number of other ways to spend money on non-essentials.

In your example: not taking the time to find a better deal on those shoes. Buying a jersey they didn't really need. Not planning ahead to bring cold drinks of their own. Those were all choices. Not necessarily BAD choices, either.

That family could almost certainly - even with two kids - afford Disney. On the one hand, I bet they don't realise just how far their dollar will go, even staying on-property. On the other hand, there are obviously ways they could cut fat from one area of their lives, in order to build up some "vacation money" fat.

...

Our family, the three of us? We have a budget, and we save money every month, to put towards vacations. IMO it's a pretty hefty amount ($750/month), because we can't share bedrooms (my snore registers on the Richter scale .... and theirs aren't much better!). But it would still allow us to go for a good, LONG stay every 2 years - no cutting corners, either: if we want it, it's part of the trip, period.

We made a choice to do that. We could go out more often; we could buy more expensive groceries. We could - and I'd love this - hire a landscaping service to take care of the godawful huge yard.

But Disney is what we want, so Disney is what we've chosen.

[TeacherKim]

We live in a mobile home. My husband used to sell them, we were living in a high crime area, we needed out, we bought a mobile home at a discounted price. There's a stigma that comes with living in one, but I have a master's degree and have taught for 15 years. My dh makes almost as much as I do. We can afford a nicer home. We just choose not to buy one because we like taking 4 weeks of vacation a year. We look forward to our vacations and enjoy splurging on them. My kids wear designers clothes, I drive a brand new Equinox.

I live in a double wide. That shouldn't define me. When people ask me how I can afford to go to Disney for 2 full weeks this summer, I just say "I live in a mobile home. I can save a lot of money doing that." Probably the minute people hear that, they make a judgement. I just don't care. It's a place to live (or a soccer shirt or whatever). Going to Disney is making memories. It's our priorities.

[Tigger71]

I hear you too!

Same words I hear when we tell people we are going to Disney...

Hang on though - We do not smoke, drink, play lottery (okay maybe a couple of times per year), we do home haircuts, utilise bulk buying for groceries, wash our own cars, no club memberships (except the Lego Club for DS-lol), we pack lunches for school and eat out only for Sunday lunch - our weekly splurge.

We live within the budget but we never go without! Disney is always a budgeted expense. For next year's cruise we are saving $2050 per month and hoping that we can use frequent flyer points to pay for our airfares...that's a huge chunk of money to find but with careful planning we can do it.

[chezp]

I hear you and it's about what matters to you. We've got less money coming in now than we did before and one thing I was clear about was that the savings pot for vacations was the one thing, outside of the essentials, that I would protect, because I love my vacations. We also decided not to have kids, which saves us another huge amount of money, allowing us to vacation a lot more than a lot of people. I'm sure a lot of people look at our choices and think we're insane, going to Disney all the time, but heck it makes us happy.

[apqsmom]

Originally Posted by TeacherKim

We live in a mobile home. My husband used to sell them, we were living in a high crime area, we needed out, we bought a mobile home at a discounted price. There's a stigma that comes with living in one, but I have a master's degree and have taught for 15 years. My dh makes almost as much as I do. We can afford a nicer home. We just choose not to buy one because we like taking 4 weeks of vacation a year. We look forward to our vacations and enjoy splurging on them. My kids wear designers clothes, I drive a brand new Equinox.

I live in a double wide. That shouldn't define me. When people ask me how I can afford to go to Disney for 2 full weeks this summer, I just say "I live in a mobile home. I can save a lot of money doing that." Probably the minute people hear that, they make a judgement. I just don't care. It's a place to live (or a soccer shirt or whatever). Going to Disney is making memories. It's our priorities.

I felt the same way as you did because we lived in a very uppity neighborhood but bought a townhouse. People would actually look down on me because we have 4 kids and they HAD to share rooms! To me, sharing rooms is a great life lesson! I was asked several times if we were "looking" for a house. Come on people, It's not the building you live in but the home you make out of it!

Seems so silly to me. Some people will live high in debt to keep up appearances! I was soooooooooo happy when we moved out of that neighborhood last year! Now, we live in a very comfortable (accepting) neighborhood

[Disneydiana]

I think it’s also about living within your means. I see so many people who want the biggest this and the best of that and they’re ready to go into massive debt just to keep up appearances. I have no problem with buying second hand items or waiting for items to go on sale. Because of that we have money to spend on Disney or other things we want.

[bluejn]

it's about what makes you happy, we don't compete with the neighbors, we are just happy in our life i make my own dog food, detergent and have learned to cut back on a lot of things and we are happier for it. i have even started watching the waltons and i have to say things were happier back then without all the electronic devices.( don't get me wrong i have a cell, and like the computer) just sometimes i look at people and they have the latest, greatest things but aren't happy.

[mfirst]

First of all a HUGE THANK YOU! I did not know that payless sells cleats...I will definitely be scouting that out as I replace my oldest's cleats and look for a pair for the middle son. I was looking at Target/Walmart...have a hard time justifying spending a ton when they most likely won't wear them for more than one season (or only 1/2 like last fall).

My boys wear hand-me-downs...nothing wrong with that. In fact, because their cousins live in Florida and California, it makes the clothes completely brand new to them.

We also exist on one teacher's salary after I was laid off...I pay for preschool by babysitting a couple of kids...the extra goes into our Disney fund.

When my DH told his parents about our upcoming July trip and how it was really important to help our oldest make his dream come true since he'd saved quite a bit of money on his own...my FIL told him that family vacations were a waste (that's probably why DH only had one family vacation while growing up) and that we were "cheating" our kids by not buying them things.

Our kids are happy - may not have the latest, most expensive toys and gadgets, but family vacations give us an excuse to focus on just our family. Hopefully, my children won't be as spoiled as some of their friends and will have a greater appreciation not only for family, but also for the value of money.

[scrappyjae]

Boy....do I hear you. As a single Mom, adjustments, changes and decisions have to made for everything. We rent....in one of the most expensive County's in the state. We don't have all the latest and greatest. I shop sales.....a lot. 50 inch Plasma...on sale with tax money. X-box for DS....did not get the year it came out but a few years later. Computer....not the latest but it works for us. Got an android phone last year....and only because DD is a Type 1 Diabetic and it comes in handy looking up carbs for food when we are out. It is also good for on-line coupons. We have cable now, so I don't buy as many DVD's as I used to. If we go to the movies I try to go before noon on the weekends....it is $4.50 pp and not $7 something. I buy used cars....had to replace the last one I bought last year due to an accident. It's on 05 PT Cruiser (purple no less) but has less than 35000 miles, so it will last me a while and I love it! Kids have cells but the oldest is 19 and pays for his. Youngest will pay once she gets a job, she graduates next month. I cook a lot at home...try and take lunch to work as much as possible. We don't eat out that often anymore...or at least I try not to as much as we used to.

I have been able to take my kids on vacation. We have done WDW 3 times and 1 Disney Cruise. We have done Myrtle Beach several times. They played sports when younger, but as neither of them are really great in them, they stopped. They did JROTC in High School. My DS does "nerdy" X-box parties for his friends at our house.....always a packed house on those dates. Point is...those are the things that kids remember and talk about. Trips....adventures....family/friends. I tried my hardest to make sure they didn't miss out on those important things and believe me......they appreciate it.

[Pax]

Originally Posted by mfirst

When my DH told his parents about our upcoming July trip and how it was really important to help our oldest make his dream come true since he'd saved quite a bit of money on his own...my FIL told him that family vacations were a waste (that's probably why DH only had one family vacation while growing up) and that we were "cheating" our kids by not buying them things.

I grew up poor enough that really, I didn't have much of either. Closest I got to a "family vacation", was when my mother and a whole bunch of her friends would all rent a single house for a long weekend, together - at nearby Salisbury and Hampton beaches.

As I passed out of middle childhood, even that went away; my "vacations" became the super-cheap summer camps run by largely charitable organisations. Now, don't get me wrong: my mother worked very hard to see to it I never went without. But, she still couldn't afford the "newest and shiniest" of toys for me, either. Sometimes it was struggle to get food on the table for us both - and she frequently went without, to make sure I got enough.

...

And do you know what I miss most, between "awesome toys" and "great vacations" ...? The vacations. I was lucky enough in my mid-teens to be taken to Disney World by my Grandmother (which was also my mother's first, and so far only, trip there); that was absolutely awesome.

But other than that? No family vacations to speak of, much. And I'd've traded back even the toys I _did_ have, for a few more of them. Happily and gladly; because I remember those few vacations a lot more than I remember any specific toy I had as a child.

...

Toys are a month, or a year.

Memories re FOREVER.

[Kynna]

Everybody has priorities I guess. It's just about recognizing what is most important to you and making that happen. I grew up as one of the token poor kids in an upper middle class town and we always found a way to have a rich life. We went to the free concerts in the park. We went to the local college to see theater and went to the dollar theater if we wanted to see a movie. The few vacations we had we spent in a tent until I was 10.

Now that my life is more comfortable we still cut coupons, were department store clearance rack clothes people, and my nails have never seen a manicure. It cracks me out when peole who get their nails done, wear designer jeans, only buy name brand foods, and drink $5 coffee's everyday, or even more on booze complain about how expensive it is to go to Disney.

[Tonichelle]

Forget Disney, budgetting in general and "living like your broke" is a foreign concept anymore. SAVINGS? What's that?! Even when I'm not working full time I have a savings. People say it's because I must be a mooch - no I just live within or below my means. I don't take money from the gov't, and I only moved in with my parents when I lost the last job and we decided it was time for me to go full time with my own business... it's completely doable, like yous ay, but people have to WANT to put in the EFFORT... that's not taught anymore.

[mimidodaplgo]

I am all over this topic..

My DH and I decided when we got married that DEBT would not be a word in our vocabulary. We do not own credit cards..we drive vehicles that are typically used that we can only finance for 2-3 years, ex..I drive a 2004 Honda Odyssey. My DH works with a service dept at a local dealership, so we stay on top of the service for our vehicles at a very minimal price..that is a big fortunate for us.

I also purchase bulk grocery items to which we eat at home every night. We do tend to eat out on special occasions (birthdays, award our DD for a special accomplishment, etc.) which comes to the sum of probably 5 times a year.

We keep a very tight budget on everything we spend. It is a lot of hard work and discipline to make a budget, stick to a budget and not allow yourself to give in and go outside the budget. That may mean spending weekends at home and finding inexpensive ways to entertain yourself, but if you keep your "eye on the prize", then in the long run you will see just how worth the hard work really is.

It is not always easy to say "NO" to the kid who wants the new shirt, shoes or pants, but if you always provide them with what they want without them seeing the true value of a similar product for a lot less and the benefit of getting that product, then they will be poorly prepared in their adult lives managing their own money. We pattern their future decisions!!

So, I am glad I am a very "wise money manager" and I am glad that I can skimp and go without generally very unnecessary items in my life to have the one BIG necessary item and that is my trips to WDW!! That is definitely something in my life I cannot live without. And thankfully, my whole family feels the same way, but really, I don't think I have given them much choice not too..

[Teresa]

We're not as strict as some of you, but we still do without some things so we can continue to vacation and enjoy ourselves.
Our children were taught at a very early age; you get everything you NEED and some of what you WANT. They were also taught to know the difference.
Some of the things we do to save money:
We use coupons for stuff we'd buy anyway. We do NOT buy things just because we have a coupon.
We do eat out (probably more than we should), but we use coupons for that, too!
Sports equipment is bought at the 2nd hand sports store, if at all possible.
We go to the movies, but we use the children's school IDs for discounts, I used to get a student discount (I technically still could since my university ID has no expiration date), and DH is now a senior!!
We only buy drinks at the movies - one for every 2 people.
Red Box and Family Video are our friends - since we've started using them, we don't buy as many videos.
Video games are bought at the used Video Game store.
We don't have a data plan for our cell phones - why would I need that? (we just got texting last August because of Kathryn going to university).
We do still have a home phone, mostly because I'm terrified something will happen to one of the kids, and with home phone comes 911+. I've used 911 too many times to think of getting rid of it - when Samantha was injured, seconds counted.

I think for a lot of people, spending money without thinking has become a way of life. They don't think that stop to the Dairy Queen will make a big difference - but it costs $5 for each person, when I can buy a 1/2 gallon of premium ice cream for $5, or even make my own for less than $1. It's about choices - and the people who give their kid $20 for the snack bar have made the choice for instant gratification.