How this single mom can afford Disney 5 times a year.....(and other tips on saving some extra cash)

Well, the truth is I'm not rich. Quite the opposite. I mean, I'm not destitute, but I'm on a pretty tight budget. Disney wouldn't necessarily be even IN my budget, if it wasn't for the extra gift cards and little bits of cash I can come up with. My current goals are always paying for my hotel with free money (usually by selling something online), and then getting free gift cards to Starbucks for my vacation coffees, and Target gift cards to then in turn buy Disney gift cards- and that pays for my food/souvenirs. I can typically come up with close to $300 in gift cards/cash within a 3 month period, if I hustle. Sometimes I get lucky, other times it's REALLY hard and I have to cancel a lunch reservation and eat quick service kids meals. The last trip I took was a 3-day trip and I did it ALL for under $500. It was a lean time of year, and I didn't have quite as many gift cards or cash-outs from my apps. Therefore we only had 1 table service meal, and didn't get a toy EVERY day. Yeah I know, I spoil him, but it's just the 2 of us, so I figure who else am I gonna spend my money on? Speaking of money........

MONEY. Everyone needs it. Disney loves it. They want all of yours. Now, I can’t say I can put a price on the memories that have been made at Disney World, but Disney definitely has. That being said, I am always on the lookout on ways to save money when it comes to my WDW trips. I’m also on the lookout on ways to MAKE extra cash for these trips.

This post is going to outline the different areas I have stumbled upon in regards to saving money, making money, and earning rewards. My next post will explain the different apps/websites/avenues themselves, but it would've made this post WAY too long and hard to read. Don't worry though, I"ll go into (probably too much) detail in the next post. So, let's talk about what I use and where I end up making that extra few bucks here and there, or earning those rewards.....

YOUR SMARTPHONE. What did we do before smartphones? Well, depending on who you talk to, either too much, or too little. All I have to say is, instead of complaining about everyone being on their phones too much, USE that phone to make you some extra cash, or save you some money! There are SO MANY APPS that can do that for you. In my next post, I’m going to list a few that I have used, along with maybe some that I haven’t used YET but hope to try out in the future. I’m also going to post referral links to the apps I like the most. You can use my link to get set up on your own, and we’ll BOTH typically get a bonus of sorts- but don’t feel obligated to use my referral code. (Jk please feel obligated…..)

CREDIT CARDS. Do you have a credit card that gives you cash back? Use THAT to make Disney-related purchases. Don’t have a credit card/don’t use them? No worries. I don’t typically use credit cards either. I don’t focus on that as a ‘way’ to save money, because it’s not something that works for my family right now. However sometimes it can be a HUGE savings on things like gift cards etc. Just something to keep an eye out for.

MARKETPLACE/MERCARI/POSHMARK/EBAY. Don’t forget that now with the awesome technology that we have, we can literally sell our stuff online within minutes and get paid instantly via Venmo/Paypal/etc. Granted there are consignment shops (especially for kids stuff) but I have found that I can typically get MORE for my stuff via the Marketplace/Mercari, than I can selling to those consignment shops. Plus then I don’t have to pack everything up and drive it somewhere.

DIRECT SALES. DS are NOT for everyone. Most of the time they’re more work than ANYONE will let on. Yes, they do work out great for some people, and I myself not only sell LuLaRoe (with my sister), but I’m looking into another DS company as well to get started with. We like direct sales because we like to interact with people. and we are both great with customer service. I am also pretty organized (when I try), and like doing the office/behind the scenes stuff. I also LOVE getting to sell products that I use myself.

ANNUAL PASS. Are you a FL resident? Do you live within driving distance to Orlando? Either way, getting an annual pass is ALWAYS WORTH IT. Even if you aren't a FL resident, and don't live within driving distance...... if you're planning on going to the parks for more than 5 days in a year, I would seriously consider getting an annual pass. Unless of course, you somehow can get freakishly fantastic discounts on tickets and hotels. Think about this: photo pass is included with Gold+ passes, you get free parking, you get discounts on hotels, merchandise, most restaurants, etc. Even if ONE of your family members has the pass- you can reap all of those discounts! Don't take my word for it though, go online and look at the different passes and their perks. If you are a FL resident you can do the flex monthly pay, and it's even THAT much more affordable. The 20% off merchandise perk alone makes things so much more affordable for us!

TIME FRAME. Not everyone's schedules are that flexible, I know- but if you're looking to take more frequent trips, obviously the middle of the week is less expensive than the weekends. I'm fortunate to have that flexibility in my schedule- and most of my trips are Monday-Wednesday or Wednesday-Friday trips. I understand though, that I'm in the minority, and that it's typically not conducive to most folks' schedules.... but man, if you can swing it- do so!!!

MINDSET. Would I like to ALWAYS stay at deluxe resorts, eating whatever and wherever I please? Sure. But that's not real life. I'm a single mom, and I typically go alone, just M and I- so staying at a hotel that works best for US isn't usually a Disney Resort. (See post about staying off property). Driving ourselves vs. using Disney transportation works better. Sometimes I like to feel pampered and I'll splurge on a mod/deluxe stay on property.... but for the far majority of our trips, we're headed to the Marriott. It took a few trips before I got past the mindset that its 'not a real vacation' if I'm not in a Disney resort. Some folks NEVER stay in Disney resorts- but of course it's what I always DID so having to change my whole mindset of what a Disney trip meant to me, took some time. It did happen though- and although I love the Disney 'feel' of a WDW Resort, it's not any less of a trip for me to grab a super cheap Marriott room and throw M in the car for a quick trip up there. As a matter of fact, I plan on doing a lot more of them within the next year, and not splurging at ALL on Disney Resorts. I can't even imagine how much $ I will save! :)

All in all, where there's a will, there's a way. There are also LOTS of Facebook groups devoted to saving money! One of them, which I have found to be SO helpful- is called 'Ways to Save for Disney', and I highly recommend joining them. A fantastic group of people who have lots of ideas and tips for saving money!!!!

Thats all for this post, I will elaborate more in the next one- shoot me any questions you might have, about any of these topics!!!! Talk soon!!! <3