Saving for Disney!
Whether you are trying to plan a Disney vacation for yourself or for a whole family, everyone knows that Disney costs a ton of money. From the cost of tickets to hotel to bottled water......what is it up to now like $5-7 dollars per bottle. Meanwhile you can get a whole case from Costco for like $4.99 - thanks Kirkland!
I found a unique way of slowly saving money and budgeting for our Disney trip without it hitting my wallet all at once. Every store and supermarket now sells gift cards or has gift card kiosks for all kinds of different places. I shop at Target a ton. Near the register and at their gift card kiosk you can find cards to restaurants, gaming, Visa, theme parks, you name it, they have it!
As you're roaming around grocery shopping or on a Target haul, etc. look for these stations and you will see the Disney Gift cards. Did you know these are not only good for the Disney Store but you can also use them for purchasing Disney tickets, souvenirs, food and other items in the Disney parks? They come in a variety of different values from the "choose your own", $20, $25, $50, $100, etc.
What I started doing was making a habit by grabbing one every time I went to the store. I'd get one for $5 here or $25 there. Just throwing them into the mix of my weekly grocery shopping. If I found a really great Target Circle deal or coupon, I'd take that savings and roll it right onto a Disney card. Before you know it, you'll have a few hundred dollars saved up. Depending on how long you're saving it can rack up to a few hundred or to a few thousand. It may not pay for the whole vacation but it will definitely take a huge chunk out of it. You can also use these cards for souvenir "credit cards" for your kids and help them learn to budget as well.
As I started collecting all these cards, I needed a way to keep track of the money and the cards. So I came up with the Disney Dollar Binder .
I included six sections for: tickets, airfare, hotel, food, souvenirs and extras. I'd slip a card in an envelope as I brought them home. If I found a few bucks here or there, I would add that to the envelopes too. Before you know it....there's money to finally take that trip and you didn't have to pay for it all right up front! Throw this in your carry-on or your backpack and you are on your way to the Happiest Place on Earth!
If you interested in the binder or just the envelopes, you can find them on my Etsy Shop by clicking here. Or the individual listing are:
Disney Dollar Binder - HERE
Disney Dollar Envelopes Only - HERE
Happy Disney Planning!
