Savears, it is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you today. And now, I invite you to relax, why don’t you pull up a chair, as Kristen B proudly presents…her Disney Fund Deposit.
(Two extra points if you can name that tune!)
What a different a few weeks make. At my last check in, my deposit was small, but my mood was determined. I knew that I was just a few dollars away from making my goal, and come hockey sticks or high water, I wanted to say I had reached my savings goal by the end of June.
This was for two reasons, both of them very practical. Firstly, my 30 day mark will be July 12th. The 30 day mark is when you must have your entire vacation paid for. They way we’ve been doing our payments is using our Disney Visa for payment installments and then paying that card balance with the cash from the Disney fund. This way we earn points on our vacation payments. Those points can be redeemed as a Disney gift card, which will be used by us on vacation, probably for souvenirs.
The key here, though, is that we pay off the card immediately. My goal with couponing to Disney this year was to save all the money for my vacation in cash, through couponing, earning sites, and the other methods detailed in the Saving to Disney course. When we head past that welcome sign in Orlando, the card balance on that Visa needs to read $0.
Which leads me to my second reason for the extra hustle towards my savings goal. It is possible that I may have gone a teeny, tiny bit over budget when I actually booked my trip.
I know, I know, just hear me out!
Our dates fell within the Free Dining offer for Disney Visa holders. Initially, I booked 3 day base tickets with five nights at Port Orleans-Riverside. For $75 LESS than my initial booking price, we could stay at Caribbean Beach and get 4 Day Park Hoppers with Free Dining with an upgrade to the Disney Dining Plan (which includes Table service). More days in the park, Free Dining, AND ave $75? It seemed like a no brainer.
And it was. No regrets. But what it does is put me very close to the total trip budget. With air fare and the Disney package, our total comes to $3440.52. While that is technically still under budget, it doesn’t account for tips (table service, Magical Express) and souvenirs.
The good news is, tips and souvenirs come out out of pocket and thus do not need to be paid 30 days before hand. So now that I’ve got my trip completely taken care of, I can see if there is a little more hustle in me to drum up some tip and souvenir cash. I’ve got about 30 days. And you know my motto: if you dream it, you can do it.
Total Goal: $3500
Last Week: $52.35
Total Deposit: $70
$10, from the Nielsen Survey Follow-Up
$20, Amazon GiftCard from Playground Crew
$40, Free Gym Membership
Over Budget: $17.65
We did it! WE saved the money for my 2018 Disney trip! And when I say we, I really do mean we. I couldn’t have done it without you. Thanks for making this journey with me.
And don’t worry, I’ll be back with more Fund Deposits all the way until we leave. ;)
How’s the saving coming along for your next trip? Do you keep saving until the day you board the plane or are you done when you hit the initial goal? Have you ever ended up booking a vacation that’s different from the one you planned? Tell me all about it in the comments!
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!