We are continuing on with our Disney Series: How to Save for Disney.

50 Tips on Saving Money for a Disney Vacation

You put your Disney vacation budget together using my post and now you’re overwhelmed.  Please don’t be.  I’ve put together 50 very actionable tips that show you exactly how to save for Disney.

I won’t promise that any of these are easy or get rich quick schemes, but what they are is actionable and doable.  The will help you save up for your Disney vacation.

Let’s get started.

Capitalize on Credit Card Rewards

As long as I have the money to pay it right back, I use my credit card for everything.  It’s the best feeling to accumulate points and cash back for a vacation.

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Sell Your Stuff

Amazon, eBay, and Craigslist are great when it comes to selling stuff lying around your home.  

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Savings Account

Separating your Disney fund is super important.  And online savings accounts have the best interest rates.  I personally use Ally Bank.

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Free Money 

This birthday was the first time I asked for only Disney gift cards.  My family thinks I’m crazy because I’m an adult with no kids. But I now have free Disney money!!

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Disney Savings Jar

This is basically a fancy change jar.  You decorate it in a Disney way and put it somewhere visible to remind you daily.  Every cent you have gets put in this jar. You will be shocked how quickly this adds up.

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Round Up 

What I mean by this is every time you spend money, round up the cost and put that difference in your savings account.  

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Income Tax Refund

I know there are so many different places this money can go, but if it can, put it in the Disney fund!

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Contribute

Work in saving for your vacation into your budget and make monthly contributions.

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Save It

Just as it sounds, every dollar you get as a gift or rebate is for Disney.

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Pack Lunch

No more spending money on lunch.  I shock myself monthly on how much I spend on this category. Meal prep for the whole family.

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Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a website/app you can use to earn money by doing surveys, watching videos, and more.  I’m the first person to capitalize on my time and I’m even able to make some cash with this. Try it.

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Couponing 

Even the smallest amount of couponing will help you save.  Set a goal of saving $10 per grocery trip.  If you do 4/month than that’s $40 or $480/year.

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Ebates

If you do any shopping online make sure to use Ebates which is basically cash back opportunities for free.  Ebates makes deals with large stores and promises them traffic in return for a percentage that they, in turn, give you a piece of.  I was getting 12% off Groupon and 7% off Walmart and Target at one point.  Signing up is free

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Gas Budget

Set a budget for gas.  When/if you come in under that, put the extra into the Disney savings.

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Eat Out Budget

Same as above, set a budget and anything left over is for Disney.

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Receipt Hog

Similar to receipts, Receipt Hog is an app you use to earn cash back.  All you have to do is take photos of your receipts.

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Ibotta

Ibotta gives you a bunch of ways to save on everyday purchases.  You unlock rebates that they list and then take a picture of your receipt to show your\ purchased it and are rewarded.

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Discounted Gift Cards

Use Raise.com to purchase gift cards for EVERYTHING.  Amazon, Target, Pizza, anything you can think of to spend less than what you planned.  That savings is for Disney!

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More Discounted Gift Cards

This time with eBay…same thing as Raise.com, I would be more aware with eBay and look out for seller ratings and location.  The deals here would probably be better.

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Free Target Gift Cards

Every week Target has deals that involve free gift cards (buy three bags of dog food get $5), use this to offset grocery costs or anything else to save the cash.

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Groupon

Family adventures can get expensive but Groupon local deals is the place to find great inexpensive things to do.  More here

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Auto Insurance

Most people overpay for auto insurance.  Take time to get a quote from another company, you’d be surprised.

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Create A Financial Plan

This can help you save for Disney and everything else.  Create a budget for everything to see where you can cut down and save.

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No Eating Out

This is a nightmare for me. I spend so much money eating out.  Try not to for a month and see how much you save.  Do this every other month for great results. What about every other week? 

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Make A Profit

I did this all through college.  If you can get a book for a quarter and sell it for $10, even with the $2 shipping cost you can’t lose.  It was a great side job.  Sign up for an Amazon Seller Account (free) and download the app to scan the books with your phone.

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5% off Disney Gift Cards

You can save up to 5% on Disney gift cards at Sam’s Club.   You don’t need a membership as long as you know someone with one.

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Manipulate your Thermostat

I know you’ve heard it before. Just put on an extra sweater and turn down your thermostat a bit.  

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DIY Cleaning Supplies

I have a dog so I go through so much cleaning spray.  I recently came upon an article on DIY spray.  Why not try it and see if it works? More here

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Check your Medical Bills

Seriously.  I’ve had codes submitted wrong and bills be outrageous.  Check all of your bills and question everything.

 

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Grocery Savings

If you have an Aldi near you than you’re in luck!  They have super great deals on fresh foods like meats and vegetables.  Queen of Free has some great tips for you.

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Used Items 

Buy items off of craigslist or Facebook marketplace that are used but still great quality.  Need another car seat for the other car?  Get a used one especially when you can take off the fabric and wash. 

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Cancel Memberships

Most people rarely use their gym memberships.  Cut those things out.  Youtube videos are a great alternative.

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Carpool

If you live near other people who work in the same place, try carpooling to work to save on transportation costs.

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Side Job

Sometimes we have options for side jobs we would really enjoy.  If you can find something that is seasonal, it could be a great option.

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Pantry Week

Ever heard of this?  Force yourself to only consume things that are already in your home for a week.  You’ll save a week’s worth of groceries and eating out costs.

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Replace Light Bulbs

You can save a few dollars by switching to LED lightbulbs.  You can get them inexpensively at Walmart and other major stores.  

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Work Bonus

Who doesn’t love a bonus?  Use your work bonus all towards your vacation.

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Involve the Entire Family

Make saving for Disney a family adventure.  Get the kids and spouse involved. You’d be surprised when your teenager picks up odd jobs (like shoveling) to save for Disney or your little one saves every penny they can and understands when you have to say no. 

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Yard Sale 

I’ve only had my own place for a few years but I already have a ton of clutter.  Make room in your home and brain by selling the stuff you don’t need.  

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Collect Cans

I remember doing this with my mom. We didn’t make a whole lot but with a little more effort we could have.  This just involves saving up cans and taking them either to a recycling center or machines you can find at certain grocery stores.  Read this article about how you can take it to the next level.

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Babysitting

We all know the couple who could really use a break from the kids.  Make it known that you’re open to babysitting (for a fee of course).  

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Tutor

If you have a subject you are good at, put an ad on Craiglist and contact local schools.  Not only will you be helping someone in need but you’ll be making extra money on the side.  

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Go on a Diet

You can save so much money by dieting.  You are super focused on what you’re eating and meal prepping.  There is almost no room for eating out and spending money otherwise.

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Disney Vacation Account

Disney offers a specialized tool called the Disney Vacation Account and it really is fantastic, you can use it to estimate your budget, create a budget, and more!

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Disney Visa

If it’s in the stars for you, I would definitely go for the Disney credit card.  You can get a statement credit and also benefit from all of the perks.

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Cash

I recently went on a day trip to a historic town nearby.  I took out cash since a lot of the merchants there don’t take card.  Everything that was left over was put into my Disney savings jar.  I do this everytime I take out cash for something specific.

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Random Purchases

Disney vacations are expensive enough without thinking about all the other things you have to buy to be prepared for the vacation.  A trick is to slip in toiletries during your regular grocery runs to absorb the cost.

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A Great Resource

Kristin is a whiz at saving up money for her family’s Disney vacation. There’s a lot of information on her site so I would start by clicking on her Disney Fund update on the bottom right.  You can see the many ways she saves right from there.

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Bad Habits 

Everyone has a bad habit. Mine is caffeine.  I love Redbull AND coffee but coffee is so much cheaper.  If I give Redbull up for two weeks every month, I could save a good amount of money.  If I wanted to go further I could stop drinking coffee from the Keurig and use a regular coffee make and not have to spend all that money on k-cups.

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Resources, Resources, Resources

There is so much information out there on planning Disney vacations.  How to do it, when, and how to save.  Make sure you are reading the right stuff to capitalize the most on your time and save money.

 

That’s it!  Do you have any vacations savings tips???