money savings tips for planning your trip
- money savings account: open a separate checking or savings vacation fund account. this helps you budget and track your travel savings, keeps your regular spending separate from your vacation fund, prevents accidental spending of the money you have set aside, and helps you reach your travel goals. extra savings will help pay your trip. even if you set aside only a few dollars a month, the extra savings helps cover food cost and all the extras.
- savings jar: let the whole family contribute to the trip. we have a money jar at home that we dump change into. before every trip, i roll up the coins and bring them to the bank. i either get cash or make a deposit into my vacation fund with all the loose change. we use this money mainly for snacking & souvenir purchases. you don’t realize how much coins can add up to savings. between trips, we sometimes collect $100 to $200 and we visit often. imagine if you started collecting now?
-  disney visa credit card: by all means, i am not encouraging anyone to open up a credit card account, but if it is doable for you, then a disney chase visa card might be an added savings for your trip. it has APR of 18%-27%, offers a 0% introductory APR for six months on select disney purchases, and it has no annual fees (unless you upgrade your card to more savings purchases), $150 statement credit after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- disney visa cardmember perks: save 10% on select purchases at the disneystore.com, 10% off select purchases & dining locations at the disney world parks & resorts, and special financing on select disney vacation packages. use your disney visa card to receive savings on bookings, purchases, dining, & special tours. EPCOT character photo opportunity: bring your disney visa card when you visit EPCOT and enjoy a cardmember exclusive character experience. visit a private location (photo spot in the world celebration next to figment). this is reserved for card members. meet and pose with your favorite characters and receive complimentary downloads of your photos.
- disney rewards card: when using your disney visa for any purchases any where before you visit, earn disney rewards dollars that can be redeemed for disney experiences. rewards are loaded to a disney redemption card. i have used my points to make a payment on my resort stay, purchase tickets, and for purchases throughout the parks. Â
- disney gift cards:Â disney gift cards can be used for many disney-related purchases, including theme park tickets, resort stays, dining, & merchandise.
- gift card retailers: you can receive additional savings on your gift card purchases through target, wholesale clubs like sam’s club, and costco. target offers 5% off disney gift cards with a target redcard—purchases a $50 value card for $47.50. look for black friday deals for extra savings on disney gift cards purchases. you can find savings by purchases bulk or multipack gift cards at sam’s club.
- disney plus subscribers: disney plus credit card holders earn 4% in disney rewards dollars when they purchase gift cards or pay for subscriptions directly from disneyplus.com. (disney sometimes offers special discounted resort and ticket rates for disney plus subscribers- check the disney website for special offers).
- additional savings: to save extra money for your trip, eat out less and prepare meals at home, cut back on “no need” purchases, avoid last minute add-ons to your disney reservations & purchases, and stop unnecessary subscriptions that eat up your daily budget.
Pixie Dust Tips
when i am planning a disney vacation: i will purchase disney gift cards for my kids or ask family members to purchase gift cards for them as christmas or birthday gifts. this becomes my kids’ souvenir money. it helps them plan and budget for souvenirs and helps keep money in my pocket.