Budget

In my first installment of Saving 4 Disney Saturday I discussed defining your Disney Vacation Dream, in my case my next runDisney Challenge…Coast to Coast in 2019 via the Walt Disney World Marathon and the Disneyland Half Marathon.

With my dream defined it was time to sharpen the pencil and get a good estimate on the financial means needed to cover that dream. I shared with you a great online tool found on the Disney Vacation Account page…

The Account Budget Estimator

But I had simpler suggestion, being an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner & Affiliate of Academy Travel/mickeyvactions.com, let me build you a free, no obligation quote on a Disney Vacation of your dreams.

I estimated that to make my dream of

come true it would cost me around $5400, plus a whole lot more in training hours, sweat and tears. Broken up monthly I would need to save about $250 a month over the course of the next 18 months. The question before I start addressing the HOW to do this without tapping into my already tight household budget is WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH MY SAVINGS.

If you are like me I will have saved some money specifically for a purpose and then life throws me a curve ball and the money is gone. I need a better way of separating the money I am specifically saving for my next Disney dream vacation from my Dave Ramsey emergency fund (which should be the first thing you have funded before you even think about saving for a Disney vacation).

How have I decided to keep my Disney vacation money separate from my other savings, since apparently the method I am using is just not working?

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DISNEY VACATION ACCOUNT

After a couple of weeks researching the pros and cons of the Disney Vacation Account in addition to other savings account options, I have decided that the Disney Vacation Account meets everything I am looking for…

Must be Free and have ZERO FEES
FDIC-Insured Bank (Chase)
Savings Account Separate from my current savings account for the sole purpose of paying for my next Disney vacation
The money is always mine and easily accessed should I need to withdraw the money for an emergency (but not so easily accessed that it just becomes a place for a slush fund) …money is refunded in the original form of payment with a 3-4 Day processing time
Pays some type of interest so my Disney pennies are growing while I am saving
Allows me to save over time and make as many deposits as I want, even automatic deposits from my current checking/savings accounts plus being able to add all my Disney Gift Cards that I earn from my “Disney Penny Apps”
Be able to track my saving progress

The Disney Vacation Account is simple you set up your account online, you make payments as you wish either randomly or automatic, you take the money out when the time comes and pay for your vacation. The great thing is that if you start now for a vacation a few years down the road you will have the money you need when it is time, if you make the deposits. Disney will also pay you 2%, which I could not even come close to with high interest online savings accounts. Of course, Disney will pay you in the form of a Disney gift card for 2% of whatever you spend on your vacation. So, I could be earning and extra $100 for my Coast to Coast Challenge, which in Disney terms means 20 more Mickey ice cream bars, the perfect way to refuel after a runDisney event.

Since I am a half empty type of gal, what are the downsides of a Disney Vacation Account?

When you are spending your money on a Disney Vacation you must either purchase directly through Disney or through an Authorized Disney Vacation, like myself…no third party cheap ticket agencies, discounted hotel websites…but why would you use those anyway when you get complimentary concierge level trip planning services when you book your Disney vacation through me. Sure, you are saving a few dollars, but doing a lot more work that involves lots of time and research that simply you don’t have to do (unless you are a planning nut like me).
Money is not available during your Disney Vacation, so should you be saving for spending you would need to request a withdrawal prior to travel, which can be requested in the form of a Disney gift cars which takes 4-6 weeks.

Like everything you do, read the fine print before you decide if the Disney Vacation account is for you. Also, don’t take my word that the Disney Vacation Account is a good savings plan, do your research.

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Next week, I will walk you through setting you your My Disney Vacation Account and we will begin saving!

Dreaming of a Disney Vacation? There is no denying that a Disney Vacation is expensive, but it’s an expense you can start planning, budgeting and saving for ahead of time.

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It is a dream of mine to earn my Coast to Coast runDisney Medal (running a half at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the same calendar year) and I am setting my goal for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend January 2019 for the Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, Half and Full Marathon) and the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend September 2019 for the Dumbo Challenge (5K, 10K and Half Marathon).

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I have the dream, now what is it going to take to get there? The first step is putting some numbers down on paper and decide it this trip is doable budget wise considering we have 1 child soon to graduate from college and enroll in medical school, another in the next year headed to college, plus one still at home.

Disney has a great online tool that is associated with their Disney Vacation Account program that will help you Estimate Your Budget in 3 easy steps:

Step 1: Select your Disney vacation destination.
Step 2: Complete the form, using the links within the form to help you estimate costs. Remember, prices may change from time to time. Your estimate does not necessarily reflect what the actual cost of your vacation will be at the time of booking, and does not represent an actual reservation.
Step 3: Click “Calculate” to view the total estimate–which should be used for guidance only as you save for your vacation.

But I have a simpler suggestion, being an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner & Affiliate of Academy Travel/mickeyvactions.com, let me build you a free, no obligation quote on a Disney Vacation of your dreams. I will do Step 2 for you based on your desires/wishes, instead of you having to spend all the time doing the research. From that quote, you can complete step 3, which will give you an idea on how much you need to save each month to reach your goal.

$5,370…Okay, I know I really can’t live with that number without choking and breaking out in hives. This translates to about $250 a month that I need to budget in my already tight budget for the next 2 years, so this is going to call for getting VERY RESOURCEFUL…

But I know that it can be done, last November I was able to get away for a week with the girls for a run-cation for Disney’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon. My total budget for my trip was…

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I had a year to SAVE & EARN $2500 without dipping into my already tight household budget, because after all I was already being selfish by taking a girl’s trip without the family. Thanks to some of my runDisney Gal pals I not only met my goal without taking a single penny from the household budget, but I came home with money in pocket to pay for a good chunk of our Disneyland tickets last spring.

Here is how I did it

$600 (Deluxe Hotel Accommodations at the Beach Club)-Purchased by tutoring a student 2 evenings a night for 3 months
$397 (plane ticket)-Purchased with my SW Rapid Reward Points thanks to putting dd’s college tuition each semester on my Chase Rapid Rewards card and then paying the card off each month from savings
$352 (race registration)-Purchases by writing a couple of Professional Development courses for my school district during the spring of 2016 and presenting them in the summer

Thrifty Thursday

But here is what happened with what I refer to as my “Disney Penny Apps” …

I set out to earn $1369 and ended earning $1401.15 in 11 months…

Swagbucks $700
Walmart Savings Catcher $81.14
ShopKicks $100
PerkTV $175
Ibotta $110.25
CheckOut51 $15.40
Pact $65.36
Ebay $154

I am totally stunned that I could earn over $1400 simply by putting my insomnia (thanks to RLS) to work and learning how to work a few apps while doing what I was already doing…exercising/training for my run and household shopping.

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Once you have a goal and estimate in hand follow My Life in Ears on Saturdays, (really every day would be nice), for Saving 4 Disney. I am going to explore and share creative ways to not only SAVE money but to MAKE a few “Disney Pennies” along the way that that you can use to grow your own vacation fund, as I grow mine!

Next week, I am going to discuss the pros & cons of setting up a Disney Vacation Account and where am I going to stash my savings so I don’t spend my Disney Pennies before it’s time.

My Life in Ears

Loving & Running Disney

Saving 4 Disney Saturday: Disney Vacation Account

Saturday Saving 4 Disney: My Goal