You know what I like about chronicling my life on the internet? The feedback.
And I’m being totally serious here. I am a person, well known, who has trouble with decisions. I weigh every option and possibility to the point of exhaustion and get so in my head that it is nigh impossible to tunnel my way out. Which is why it’s really very nice to be able to say, “hey, you guys know my deal. What do you think?”
And you had many thoughts about my recent vacation conundrum. Many of you felt like I should keep my current September dates and the four days missed wouldn’t throw off the Frying Pan’s transition to Kindergarten too much. Some of you felt like if I should move to the summer if it made me comfortable. But the one thing almost everyone agreed upon was that we should stick with Yacht and Beach Club.
“This is your dream,” you cried. “You cannot give up on your dream!” “You’ve come this far! You can do it!” Firstly, thank you for believing in me. Y’all are inspiring. You should look into full time inspiration jobs because I was feeling motivated after reading those comments. I am still tempted by the significantly less expensive Boulder Ridge at Wilderness Lodge, and even debating my old fave Coronado Springs, but you are right. Shouldn’t I at least try for my dream?
I can make the new, pricier summer dates at Yacht Club my goal. It’s good to have goals. If it looks like I won’t be able to reach my goals, then we can always switch resorts to something more manageable. Coronado Springs isn’t going anywhere.
Which makes my new goal for six nights, three park days for two adults, two children, and one little babe: $5,349.86. I’m averaging our plane tickets to $1500 night now. We’ll be going before the babe is three, so she’ll be free in the parks but not free to fly. I would love our plane tickets to be less than that, but this far out, it’s hard to say. That puts us at $6849.86.
We had initially wanted to do the Disney Dining Plan, but if that doesn’t come back by the time of our trip, let’s imagine our food will cost in the ballpark of, say, $1150.14. Which puts my goal squarely back at $8000. It’s like nothing really changed at all.
While the middle of the month is usually slow for app cash outs, I was very excited about my E-Poll rewards that arrived.
Here’s the thing with E-Poll. It usually takes rewards anywhere from four to six weeks to arrive. Once it took eight. So I cash out when I hit their highest threshold ($30) but then I completely forget about it for four to six weeks. Sometimes eight. It shows up in my inbox and I am delighted that I have something to contribute to my fund.
Speaking of surprises. I’ve been my living room foyer area like mad (stay tuned for an exciting update in that regard) and I came across a box that had gotten pushed behind a door, and then under a table and I had no idea what was going on with it. It had some old coats that I think I was going to donate, but I couldn’t remember actually putting in. box, and a card addressed to me. The card turned out to be from my mother. For Mother’s Day. Which, if you are keeping track, was three months ago. How did this card get here? Was someone hiding it from me? Is a rambunctious toddler to blame? Whatever the reason, it had $25. Thank you, mom! If you didn’t get a thank you earlier and you thought I was super rude, it’s because I never got your card. It was trying to join the circus along with some old coats.
2021 Family Trip
Goal: $8000
After Last Deposit: $5913.12
Total Deposit: $55
$30 Paypal Deposit from E-Poll
$25 Mother’s Day Card that I Found in a Box of Old Coats
Still Need: $5858.12
If we do move dates to June 2021, it means I have less than a year until my next Disney Trip! Gotta really hustle to make Yacht and Beach a reality!
What’s the most random place you’ve found money?
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 five 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!