A VERY Nosy Budget Question!!

[violet13]

We are a family of 6..and going in November, I figured it out to cost less than $3000 total for 5 nights in Orlando and going once to Disney, once to Universal, once to Islands of Adventure and possibly visiting the Beach and maybe that Gatorland or somthing. We are renting a car for 8 days (total about $500 with insurances) got a Suite for $55 a night for 5 nights, figure about $700 in ticket prices for all of us for 3 days at Disney, $350 for gas getting from Pa to Florida & back, $400 on food for a week (we will mostly eat and cook at the suite, and out a few times to places with coupons), another $200 for other parks we decide to visit (gatorland, Silver springs maybe) and another $200 on suverners, etc. That's about $2625 so far for a family of 6 for 5 days. Our family income is approx $30,000 a year. This will be our first trip, hope my budget is correct. inkbounc

 

[6_Time_Momma]

My husband works full time + at a local grocery store and I am a work at home mom. We bring in about 42000. We have 5 kids. Our trip to Florida this year will be about $4500, which breaks down to about:

$800 hotel (7 nights at Holiday Inn Family Suites, plus 3 nights on the road)
$200 gas for driving from Michigan to Florida
$1000 Discovery Cove
$800 for disney, univesal, blizzard beach, etc.
$800 food(this may have to be adjusted)
$900 for whatever micelaneous(I know I spelled it wrong) might come up

DH puts away about $250 week into a general savings and our trip money comes out of that and whatever rewards programs I do throughout the year.

 

[LoDivaLoca]

Me & Goofybeth have the same story. I make about $32k/yr. I went earlier this year, and bought an AP for about $70/80 more than my PHP & saved $110 on the hotel. So now in November, I'm DRIVING down (unlike January) & got a good AP rate at a moderate & splitting the costs w/other friends for hotel, gas, etc.

Hope that helps!

 

[bigsis1970]

I am a single working mother-one full-time job and 1 part-time job-My kids by the time we get to disney in Dec 2001 will be 8 & 5.. I only make roughly $25k a year between the 2 jobs.. I have saved my income taxes, and about $150 from my check a month and i cut coupons and my kids think i am rotten for not taking them many places or buying them alot of things but when i tell them in a suprise
birthday party that "they have won a trip to disney" i will be the queen of the day. I am going for 14 nights , staying off
property to save$$ , we have free breakfast and shuttles at the hotel -- HIFS -- will bring snacks for lunch and eat dinner
at the hotel -- Kids always eat free with a paying adult -- Our air fare for the 3 of us was under $300.00, Our park tickets
will be most expensve - but i am a member of the disney club so i will save 5% -- and we have a few character meals planned and the pirates cruise .. i am budgeting $3250.00 all totaled including gifts and meals out.. I have it almost all
saved as of today.. Our last trip included my ex and we did it spur of the moment spent lots of time in the Sand Lake Emergncy Room and checked in to the Arnold Palmers Women and Childrens Hopstial with a very sick 5 month old--Our
Vacation for H*** as we refer to it I don't think he ever forgave me for making him spend all that $$ and we didn't even enjoy ourselves.. So it was a wasted trip and wasted $$ that time .. We are healthy this time and i will
keep my fingers crossed it will stay that way.. we won't go again for another 3 or so years unless i get disney fever again.
Thanks Michelle

 

[Disney Doll]

Well, being a DVC member helps, because I personally find it asier to come up with a smaller payment every month than to have to do that big bulk payment when it's vacation time to pay for a resort! Other than that, I try to put away $50/week for vacation. I have a separate savings account that it goes into, which is earmarked only for vacation. IMHO, vacation is very important!!!You need to get away from your daily routine every once in a while.

 

[bmartin1]

Between the 2 of us we make about $70,000 gross per year, save monthly for a planned trip about every other year and hunt down bargains with the help of the internet. We took advantage of airfare wars and got round trip tickets at $150.00 but the big savings this year is that wife took a part time job at the local Disney store just for the discounts. She says this is here therapy away from "work". She gets in free, we get discounted park tickets. The rooms are half price and food and other activities have various discounts. We're not upgrading with the savings but have opted to take along our 12 year old daughters friend who has never been. We got 2 rooms (=2 showers) at the All Stars since there are 5 of us going so the girls will have their own room (adjoining with us).
We are spending a little more than usual for food highlighted at Mickey's Backyard BBQ so daughters friend can experience the magic this time and will be doing Cirque de Solai. So we,re looking at approx 5.7% of our income.
I also work fulltime, partime and am trying to finish school after many years of waiting. It may sound like we're doing a lot to make it happen but we're not. One of us is always home with the kids and both part time jobs are easy and minimal. Maybe 12 hours a week between us. Essentially we get money to buy books for college and Disney discounts.

 

[JennyLuvsPooh]

Ok this is my strategy:

First off, I am a fulltime college student with a part-time job. I don't make a lot of money, but thats why I am going to college RIGHT?! I work as a waitress currently, amazingly I live off of $300 a month not including school (school is paid for through grants, scholarships, and my amazing father). Anyways I have been saving my change for two years now and currently I have almost $1500. Yeah! That, along with money my fiance is saving will (hopefully) fund our honeymoon!

I believe, along with a lot of people on this board, that vacation is necessary. Unfourtunatly, it really is a luxury not everyone can achieve (once again that is why I am in college right?). I consider myself lucky to have the luxury of saving for a vacation. I know there are many others that cannot save at all, due to illness, loss of job, single parent, ect.


Laters..

Jenne

 

[Feralpeg]

I am a single mom with one lovely daughter. My annual income is about 90K. We usually spend about two weeks each year at WDW and spend about 7K. A good portion of that comes from my tax refund. I claim zero deductions and I'm head of household. The rest I save by putting aside about $200 a month (I buy traveler's checks - I'm less likely to spend them prior to our trip).