Do you have a question for me? It can be about anything you need an answer too! Confused about how to shop at a store? Not sure where to find something on the blog? Have a question about a vacation at Disney? Feel free to ask me here!
Also if you have left a comment in the past week or sent me an email and have not received a response, feel free to ask it again here! I had about 5 emails that were returned to me this week because the emails were invalid.
Okay, as I just updated my savings progress ticker (yay for finally getting to 51% in 6 months!!!), I thought of a something. Sometimes I get frustrated or discouraged because our vacation fund goal is about twice what it is for most here. Part of that is by choice (like for example, since we only get to go every 2-3 years at MOST, we like to stay at a moderate resort…but that’s really our only “splurge”), but the rest is out of necessity (a cross country flight, for one…that alone is like $1200-1500!!). My goal for our Jan 2011 trip is $5000- just under $3000 is my Disney estimate (since 2011 rates aren’t out yet), the rest is transportation, a day at Sea World (my kids first time!), and a couple hundred in spending money…with a tiny bit left over as an overestimate, just to be safe. Like I said, we have finally reached 51% in 6 months, with only about 10% being OOP (good thing as we have an itty bitty income!!), but it still feels so much harder to reach our goal than it seems for some people with lower goals. We are crossing our fingers for good codes this year (another stay 4 get 3 deal, or something similar would be AMAZING!!! or a good room only, as we’re splitting our res.), but try to plan for the cost without any deals.
But anyway, all that said, do you have any advice or encouragement for those of us dealing with much higher goals (in a bad way LOL) to reach? We save and stash money however possible (after bills, student loan payments, and necessary spending, of course), but it still feels so much harder to reach than if our goal was only under $3000 or so. Darn cross country flight!!!!
HI Kristin,
I have a question about Disney Visa card and it’s rewards. I have been a member for years with it, but haven’t ever cashed in for the reward dollars.
However, I am going to Disney in March WOOHOO, and I want to cash out.
My question is, can I cash out now to get my rewards to spend in March/ do they expire/ should I wait/ how does it work?
I tried to understand it on their site, but it wasn’t clear and I know you used reward dollars on your trip
I have a question about the “store” coupons I find in the newspaper. Sometimes Target and Farm Fresh offer coupons that say “manufacturer’s coupon” at the top, then say “redeemable at XYZ Store”. Does this mean I can ONLY use them at that store? Or is this a gimmick to get me to shop there? I think I can get better deals if I use these coupons elsewhere, but I can’t find any information on whether this is allowed.
Thank you! =)
Have you ever heard of the Cooking Club of America? I have been asked to join. It is something where you can preview and try different cooking utensils and items and give your opinion. Then you can keep the things that you try. It costs $12 a year but I don’t know if maybe the free stuff might be worth it. Thank you!!!
I joined said Cooking Club…I think it is CRAP. I have yet to get any free untensils in the mail. My husband and I recently moved and when I did my change of address they said it could take up to 4 months for me to receive the issue that I missed. Overall, I am NOT pleased with them but my husband likes the tips and tricks that he finds in the magazine.
Jen-
Thank you for the information!!! I hadn’t sent in the money yet and will not. I am so grateful that someone was able to give me some advice. Thanks again!!
I am somewhat confused on RR rewards works. Could you please offer a simple explanation? Thanks!
I have a quick ?…we’ve never gone to Sea World via bus before, but this trip we’ll be taking the bus from DTD to Sea World one day. Have you done this and do you have any details about it? The stuff I can find online is basically just that the bus picks up at DTD, fares are $2/person ages 6+, and that it’s bus #50. I looked at the bus website and didn’t get any more info, so I’m hoping to find someone out there with personal experience doing this!!
Also, on a different note, did you see Target is having a ‘black Friday” sale online on Saturday?
http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/190-6119548-3146363?node=1263430011&&AFID=Performics_Deal%20Seeking%20Mom&LNM=Back%20in%20Black%20Friday%20at%20Target.com%20-%20Shop%20on%207/23%20Only!&ref=tgt_adv_XASD3208
oops duh, I meant Friday (obviously! LOL)
Power Rangers are all the rage in my house right now! My four year old LOVES them!!! We are currently saving up for our Disney trip so my son can meet them at their home, Disney World! I hear a rumor that Disney no longer owns the rights to the Power Rangers. Do you know if this is true?
That’s right. They recently sold the rights to the Power Rangers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/13/business/media/13saban.html
Love this question and answer section! So I had to comment to subscribe so I don’t miss anything!
Diane you are too cute! :)
I am on Bzzagent with my blog as a frogpond. I have been getting these really negative reviews and I just don’t know how to take it. Comments like not a lot of disney savings and same stuff other blogs offer and just mean stuff in my book. How do I tell people without telling people that I am saving for disney not disney savings. And are you on frogpond? What is your thoughts on this? Help! You are a blog god.
People will say some really mean thing to you online because they can. They wouldn’t say the same things to your face. I’ve had some people say some downright nasty things to me. All you can do is shake it off and move on. People get mad at me b/c I don’t have coupons for Disney. ;)
I read on your site somewhere about receiving a discount when you upgrade your one-day ticket at Disney. We too did the Give a Day, Get A Day and have a free one-day ticket. How much was it for you to upgrade your GAD, GAD ticket to a second day? Thanks
Great question! I didn’t even know you could upgrade the GAD tickets :)
I hope I am correct here (if not please feel free to correct me). From what i understand :you just pay the difference so if the one day/one park ticket you received for GAD/GAD is valued at $62 for kids and $72 for adults (at Disneyland)you would pay $25 each to upgrade to a 1 day park hopper (which can be used at both parks on the same day). Same applies to upgrading to a second or third day-just pay the difference.
Yes you can upgrade them. They are equivalent to the cost of a one day ticket. So if you got a 7 day ticket. They would subtract the cost of a one day ticket (which is like $80 at DW) from the total cost.
Hi Kristin! First of all, as I’ve made posts, I just want to thank you over and over again – this has inspired me greatly to try and save hundreds of dollars each on everything. My philosophy has now changed to buy only with a coupon, only on sale, and only if I can get it anywhere from 50-100% off :-) I have a few questions, I am going to start with some of my dear friends a once a month gathering to share coupons etc…coupon parties and how do you go about these? Also I’d love to watch your other videos in the series on couponing. I only can access the first video and the last video. Would you forward me these? Thanks so much! I appreciate your efforts to make us moms be great wives, mommies and savers for our family! (PS – I am also HUGE disney fan – going in January and have been using your tips on WDW throughout this past month and will continue)!!!
Thank you so much for your super sweet compliments. :) I am so glad that I am able to inspire you so much.
I need to finish posting those videos! I got pregnant and got sidetracked and life got in the way. I’ll get the rest of those up soon. I hope.
:)
That is no problem with the videos!!! I understand how much it takes out of you and that is fine :-) Have a super day!!
We are trying to go to Disney in October for my son’s birthday. Unexpectedly, my husband had to take a large paycut at work, so we’re working with a lot less $$. Do you have any advice on quick ways to save a little money in a short time?
Thanks!
Have you checked out her forum. There are tons of ways on there posted by various people.
I had left a post on there a week or so ago. I hadn’t gotten any responses, so I wanted to check with Kristen (and anyone else)! But I see that I did have someone give some helpful hints! Thank you,Kim!
I am sure I am not the only one that can say we have been there.
The biggest thing you could do is have a yard sale and sell whatever items you have in your house that you don’t need (including stockpile items if you so wish).
Consignment sales are also starting in our area (these are at local churchs and stuff). See if there are any in your area. I made $300 at one last fall. I have to start getting my stuff ready for this season’s sales.
Try to cut down your grocery bill and out to eat bill as much as possible.
I hope that helps some!
Hi Kristen, i have a question about ecoupons. i tried to use one stacked with a manu coupon and the amount exceeded the price of the item. smiths customer service said they would not except the ecoupon. this seems silly to me, i get that i would have overage and they didn’t want that but they should atleast lower the coupon amount on one of the coupons to make the item free. do you ever have this happen?
Ashley – I’ve never had it happen to me because we don’t have e-coupons here. However, I would think they would be willing to lower the coupon amount too! That is so annoying!
I’d write Smith Corporate a letter. ;)
How much time do you spend within a day logging in new posts on the website? It seems like there are at least 10 new posts a day. Do you think you’ll be able to maintain this pace when your third child arrives?
There are more like 25-30 new posts a day. ;) 10 on the first page. I spend about 8-10 hours a day working on the blog. (less on the weekends). But I do make money blogging, so it’s more of a job and a hobby rolled all into one. I do the same exact thing online now that I did before the blog. (Finding deals online) I just added blogging as an extra step.
My mother in law lives close and plans to help out a lot with the baby and the 4 year old. She’s awesome!
Please tell , how do you make money doing this site? Thanks! :)
Hello Kristin,
I have followed you for some time now. Congratulations on your upcoming baby…Since you are pregnant could you provide us with some of the areas and companies that you register for? I am also pregnant about 4 and 1/2 months now…. I always hear my friends say how many samples and coupons they got from various companies. Could you put some up for us pregos??? Thank you so much for all your hard work and all the great deals you always post! God bless!
I am also prego and can use all the money saving tips/coupons/free stuff I can get as well. Thanks!
Yep! As soon as I find them, I’ll be sure to post them! They will be located under this category for easy reference:
http://www.couponingtodisney.com/category/getting-ready-for-baby/
I have a quick question for you regarding product complaints. Recently, I tried the Asian burgers from Morning Star, and did not like them at all, and so I wrote to them and let them know that I was a little disappointed. I also tried the new Kellogg’s Fiberplus cereal, and thought it was pretty tasteless. I want to write to them, but Morning Star is owned by Kellogg’s and so I feel like I’ve already complained to that company.
If you have a complaint for two different brands, but they are owned by the same company, is it alright to write both complaints?
Definitely! You have 2 legitimate complaints! They would rather you complain then never buy their products again. I know I have complained more than once to a few companies like that too. :)
When you are at Disney do you use your own stroller, rent one from Disney or rent from a third party? We will have a 1 and 4 year old with us and wanted to bring our sit and stand stroller. How difficult would this be on the buses (we are staying at a Disney resort)?
THANKS, I just love your blog. There are so many helpful things for Disney and saving in general.
Stephanie,
We took our own for our 3 year old when we went in March. (I actually bought a new one just for Disney.) It was VERY helpful in the airport because it was a long way from our gate to the Disney bus. It was very easy to take on the buses and the monorails at Disney. I didn’t have a sit-and-stand, but I don’t figure it would be *that* much difference.
We brought our own stroller. It’s not really that bad folding it up for the bus. The buses are big and wide and there is a good bit of room. Except for late at night.
This is more like a couple of questions (sorry) but I know you’ll be able to answer them fast. Are the Disney Dining plans really worth getting (especially if we bump our trip up to Dec. when we can get the free dining)? Which plan do you recommend (family of 4, but son is only 2 and can’t get a dining plan)? Do you recommend a value resort or a moderate resort? What particular resort would you personally recommend? Have you ever considered staying outside of Disney? What book(s) would you recommend reading before planning a Disney vaca? Sorry, I know that is a lot of questions…..but you’re the Disney expert. I haven’t been there since high school.
Hi Emily,
my family is going to disney at the end of august and we are staying on disney property, but it is not a hotel owned by disney. its a block away from down town disney and the hotel has buses that take us to all of the parks. of course you cant get a meal plan this way, but the hotel cost is cheaper and honestly they are nice rooms. we’ve stayed in the hotel 3 times before and never had any problems. if you do this use AAA when booking the hotel and tickets for disney :)
Thanks Siobhan. What is the name of the hotel you stay at? We were originally planning to go more like Feb or March, but then we considered bumping up our trip to Dec to take advantage of the free dining. Maybe I’ll look into a non-Disney hotel and see if the $ we would save by using a cheaper hotel room would allow us to have extra $ to purchase a dining plan. Does AAA give good discounts? I’m not a member anymore, but maybe it would be worth it to get a membership. I can get discounts on Orlando vacations through my work, but I haven’t looked into any quotes yet. So much to do……
right now the regal sun has a deal going for $60 a night.
Unfortunitely, you cannot buy the Disney Dinning Plan unless you stay in a Disney Hotel. I have seen a ton of blog posts on eating on a budget at Disney. They have great ideas on how to eat cheaply.
Can you tell me the name of the hotel? I would like to check it our next time we go to Disney.
hey guys!
the hotel is, regal sun resort and its a block from downtown disney. we love it! also go to travelzoo.com for the lowest hotel price for the regal sun. trust me, i have high standards when it comes to hotel needs, it has to clean and newly done. also the hotel has a great pool to hang out by.
You can go to the AAA site to look up the price for tickets, depends on days and people and such. :)
Are the Disney Dining plans really worth getting (especially if we bump our trip up to Dec. when we can get the free dining)?
The dining plans are worth it if you can get off cheaper by buying it. It all depends on how much your family would spend. Check out each restaurants menu with prices at http://www.allears.net
Which plan do you recommend (family of 4, but son is only 2 and can’t get a dining plan)?
We liked the quick service. Im not a huge fan of too many sit down meals. We did that on our first trip and didn’t like it.
Do you recommend a value resort or a moderate resort? What particular resort would you personally recommend?
We have only stayed at Pop Century (which we love!). We looked into the moderates, but we love Pop too much. Plus I love saving money where we can.
Have you ever considered staying outside of Disney?
Nope. I like being immersed in Disney magic 24/7.
What book(s) would you recommend reading before planning a Disney vaca?
My favorites are The Complete Walt Disney World and Official Guide to Disney. :)
I’m glad to answer your questions!
where are the best places to go for the best bang for your buck when on the quick service dining plan?? i’m talking mainly about the snack portions… help please we are going “home” in nov.
This thread on the Disboards will help you figure it out. :)
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2381706
I really liked using our snack credits for breakfast to get 3 meals a day instead of 2. :)
any advice on coupon swapping? I feel like I always get the coupons I don’t need and rarely get the ones I really want! I wasn’t sure where is a good source for swapping, if it is worth the time, etc.
I’m with Alison! I feel bad for throwing away the ones we don’t use! I want to give them a good home :)
What I do with my coupons is I take the time to cut them all out – even ones I don’t use and separate them into envelopes. What I’m not going to use I pass around to my friends at work and church with a sign off sheet (so they know who else to pass it to and who has already seen them). It takes time but it’s worth it to help me and my friends save money.
I love the swapping idea. Maybe we could get one going on her forum.
Here is where I trade my extra coupons when I have time: http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/index.php#forums-trading-share-wealth
I love their site!
Do you buy products you don’t need or will never use just because you will EARN money by buying them? I am going to buy products this week at Rite Aid because there is so much extra money to be made, but I am torn about getting things I will never probably use.
Yes because I know that even if I don’t use it, someone else might be able to use it. Plus you never know if you might need it in 6 months. You could always donate it or throw it in one of your yard sales. :)
I don’t buy items we don’t use just because they are free though. I still have to pay 9-10% tax on the pre coupon amount. But if it’s a money maker, go for it!
When you buy an item at CVS knowing you are going to turn in the receipt for a rebate do you use your extra bucks to pay for the item? If I do that sometimes it looks like I can the item free, which I did and then will they still give me the rebate? I know there’s a lot of good rebate deals out there but I’m still new to this and want to get the best deal possible. Your website has been so helpful thanks so much and congrats with baby #3!!
Yep I do pay for it with my ECBs and I have had no issues in getting the money back. I’ve never heard of anyone not getting the rebate if they paid with rebates either. :)
Thanks for the congratulations. :)
Have you ever done a coupon party.. Several friends family and neighbors are wanting me to teach them how to coupon.. I am needing advice on how to have a coupon party?
I would like to know how to put one of those together too! I have such an amazing group of women at church who are wanting the same thing!
That’s an awesome idea!!! What I do with my coupons is I take the time to cut them all out – even ones I don’t use and separate them into envelopes. What I’m not going to use I pass around to my friends at work and church with a sign off sheet (so they know who else to pass it to and who has already seen them). It takes time but it’s worth it to help me and my friends save money. I also get extra coupons from them to add to the bunch on things they don’t use that I might. Try it – your friends will thank you!! Hey – that’s another idea for a “party” – coupon clipping and sorting – I have my kids help me.
Oh that’s a good one. I’ve only taught 2 classes that that was last fall. So I don’t really have much advice. I like your idea of a “Coupon Party” though. That’s fun!
The most important thing to do is to teach them the basic rules of couponing, where to find coupons, how to organize them, the right ways to use coupons, etc.
I took a class from http://www.coupon-chix.com she was great. She might be willing to help.
My birthday is at the end of August and I’m looking for a list of places that offer freebies for your birthday. I’ll be on maternity leave as of August 31st, so I’d like to take full advantage of some freebies before 2/3 of our income is gone for a few weeks :o)
I keep a running list of all the different restaurant clubs you can join on this list: http://www.couponingtodisney.com/2010/01/03/dining-deals-master-list/
That includes all the birthday offers too. :)
When doing the 5 A Days, do we just compliment the company or do we ask them for a coupon or what’s the best thing to say to be successful?
I always compliment and I never ask for coupons. I just hope that they are going to send me some. :) I have a few sample letters under my 5 A Day details post: http://www.couponingtodisney.com/2009/07/07/5-a-day-mail-campaign/
Looking for a sample shopping list on how you feed your family on such an amazing amount each week. Granted, I have a teenager so we would spend more but I’m looking for ways to cut down – how do you do it?????
Cristine – I am able to spend about $80-$90 a week to feed a family of 6 because I have such a nice stockpile that I have built up by using coupons. We also cook big dinners and save the leftovers for lunches. I think that helps a lot. That only leaves us needing to come up with breakfast foods and snacks during the day. :)
When you say stock pile, what exactly do you stock up on? I find a lot of coupons and sales for things like salad dresses and odd items that I can’t see stocking up on…most of my expsensive grocery bill are things that you can’t really stock up on because they are refrigerated and in some cases frozen stuff (which I guess you can stock that up for a reasonable amount of time)…
I stock up on condiments, dry goods, canned food, cleanders, etc etc. Stockpiling keeps you from having to buy those items so it leaves more in your budget to buy the fresh meats, produce, etc etc. How much are you spending right now and how big is your family?
I am new at this and just learning and could use your help. I know I can go to different bloggers to get cvs or walgreens deal scenarios, but I am wondering how everyone matches coupons to grocery stores. Do you pay a sight to match them for you or do you use something like couponmom.com. Things you might buyn versus things I might buy and finding a coupon. It is very hard to figure that out. I work and do not have lots of time. Can you tell me what you do versus what my options are. Thanks…. I love reading you everyday. Chris
A full Cup has an extensive list of forums from all sorts of grocery stores from all over. Most have weekly sales/coupon matchups. Also, try googling your stores name and money saving blog together and you may come up with someone local who does coupon matchups for your local stores.
Chris,
I am not quite sure what you are asking, but most of us will read the ad and then match coupons to it using a coupon database like the one I host here on my site.
Kristin
Southern Savers does a coupon match up each week with alot of the national grocery stores. Maybe yours are included. HTH
Do you ever use a travel agency to help plan your trips or find discounts for you. Also do you recommend any Disney travel planning sites?
I didn’t use a travel agency for either of my trips. I did it all myself through the Disney website.
I highly recommend Tour Guide Mike and Touring Plans when you are planning your trip. :)
I work in the hospitality industry and have worked in the travel industry for many years. I always book my vacations until this time. I didn’t have time to track down all the great deals so I went to Deb at Off to Neverland Travel. She was great. I did price it out after she was done and she didn’t charge a mark up.
Thank you for the help, I did get the book The unofficial guide to Disney from the library and it has helped quite a bit but I just wasn’t sure when it came right down to the buying of it all what is the best way to go.
Thank you again :)
What’s the main mistake people make when using coupons?
Do you pass up deals when you have used up your budget? Is that hard to do?
The main mistake is using coupons like a typical coupon user. Companies want you to buy one paper and use those coupons within a week or two to buy their item at full price. You need to be opposite of the typical coupon user! You need to buy 4 papers a week, save your coupons until they expire and use them with a sale.
Yes I have to bypass a lot of deals. Our tax rate is 9-10% before coupons. So an item that is $15 but is free after coupon is still going to cost me $1.50. I bypass a lot of deals like that. I can’t afford to pay all this tax.
Do you think warehouse clubs are worth it? I am a Costco member, but find myself buying less and less there because I can get a much better deal at Publix with BOGO’s and coupons. What do you think?
I have a membership at Sam’s Club and I think they do have certain items that are a great deal. You do have to know what your best price is on things though.
Like at Sams their boneless chicken is $1.98 a pound every day. That’s a great price for this area.
I also get milk and Milo’s tea there.
Bread is a good deal too. Nature’s own is 75c less for 2 loaves.
But you have to be very aware of prices when you are shopping. Most of their bulked packaged foods are not a good deal.