You’ve heard me talk about the attention to detail in the Savings for Disney course. That step-by-step guidance is important for someone like me, as I tend to get overwhelmed easily by things outside of my comfort zone. Having Kristin walk me through each step, in easily understood language, made attempting the unknown feel safer, easier.
One of the steps in organizing your budget is to examine your current bills and expenses to find places you can trim the fat. An example is calling your cable company and seeing if there are any promotions currently going on, or a more cost efficient plan you can switch to. Oh boy. If you’ve met me, you know that calling a stranger and asking them for something is #1 on my list of Terrifying Things I Never Want to Do. (Don’t let the blogging fool you. I’m a bit of an introvert.)
But this course isn’t just about changing your habits for a quick fix. Saving to Disney is about adapting to a new lifestyle that benefits you in the present AND the future. While I may have come into this course thinking it applied only to coupons and clearance sales, I found it also applies to the list of Terrifying Things I Never Want to Do.
A few months ago, I started at a new gym. It had childcare, classes I really enjoyed, and was a 5 minute drive from my house. Win-win-win. My membership was part of a promotion where I got three months for $20. More winning! Last week I realized, with some dread, that my membership was about to expire. If I wanted to keep up my fitness routine, it was going to cost me $50 a month. Not as much winning.
Knees shaking, I went to talk to the woman who runs the gym. It was after my Zumba class, so I was running high on endorphins, hoping they would drown out the fear. I started to explain my situation, when she stopped me. “You have two little girls who come with you sometimes, don’t you?” We got to talking. I told her I used to be a teacher before I decided to stay home with my girls. She explained that one of their childcare workers would be leaving at the end of May. Would I want to come in for a few hours one day a week and watch kids? It comes with a free gym membership. Back to winning!
Now I’ve got my gym membership and the $20 a month we had been budgeting can go straight into my Disney fund! This won’t work for everyone, I get that. I’m certainly not telling you to go out and force random gym owners to hire you. But what I am saying is, there are savings you didn’t know existed. Be willing to talk to people and explain your situation, even if it is the #1 on your list of Terrifying Things You Never Want to Do. Think of it as an adventure! A savings scavenger hunt! The worst that can happen is they say no. The best thing that happens is you find another way to finance your dreams.
Have you found an unexpected way to increase your fund? I want to hear about it!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!