This week has been full of decisions and nailing down actual numbers, as well as our true plan of attack. It’s getting real y’all, even though we’re so far away from our trip! I can’t wait though, it’s going to be so fun! I’m also a little nuts. Seeing the actual numbers and resigning myself to spend- it’s hard for a couponer and a professional penny pincher to commit to! This is what I do it for though- so I can treat my family to awesome vacations!
We’ve decided we’re going to go to San Diego first, then Disneyland. Miss Bongo doesn’t know we’re planning on going to California next year and I think she’ll really enjoy all the aspects of our trip- I just don’t want to spend the second half listening to her ask when we’re going back to Disneyland, if we start off there. Kids!
Flights are killing me right now! $435 a person if I were to book today- ouch. Erin assures me the price should get better and she’s given me some tips and tricks to try when it comes to booking. She could do the booking for me, but she was quick to let me know that the flights she could bundle with our package tend to be more expensive and more restrictive! I am SO glad she told me that, so I can just save money and do it myself. Besides, I’ve decided this is an area where I want control. Layovers, flight times, airlines- I think it’s best to give my crazy full rein here to find the flight that works the best for our family.
My birthday was this week, so we took advantage of some treats- and also some dinner items! I grabbed a free Venti Starbucks drink that we all shared (it was non-coffee. Hi, my name is Kristen, I’m an adult, and I hate coffee). I also picked up a free bear claw from Panera and a medium sub from Firehouse that Miss Bongo and I shared for dinner one night, while my husband ate leftovers from my birthday lunch. YAY for freebies! I’ve got a few more offers in my inbox that I’ll dole out here and there until they expire. My dining out budget is gonna look good this month!
I’ve got a spiral ham from the freezer going in the oven now. The turkey and turkey-related leftovers really helped us stick to a menu and stay in, I figured I’d go ahead and use my last ham too! It’s nice to see how much our grocery bill is going down- as well as our food waste. I’m going to do some recipes from Kristin’s Eat At Home challenge in between the ham-centric meals. Once the ham is gone, we’ll be able to go whole hog into the weekly meal planning!
You may notice my trip goal is going WAY up. That’s because Vegas was by far the cheapest part of our trip. Now that we’re flipping those days to San Digo and to Anaheim, the price has jumped up as well. I’m also budgeting for the worst case scenario- $435 per flight. I will pay for the Disney portion of our trip with discounted Target gift cards, so I’ll at least I’ll save $118 right off the bat!
2020 West Coast Trip Goal: $5000
August 11th- August 18th
$51.88 Rakuten Big Fat Check
$20- Study
$6- Ongoing Panel
$11- Secret Shopping
$5 Dabbl
$5- Bing Rewards*
$4.75- Misc Tasks
$3 Pinecone Research
*Amazon gift cards go to pay for household purchases or gifts.
Total earned this week: $106.63
Fund Total from last post: $1212.71
Current Fund Total: $ 1319.34
Only $3680.66 to go!
Week 12: We’ve Got Prices, People!