I recently wrote an article that talked about ways you can save while you’re *at* Disney. Today, I’m talking about ways to save *for* Disney. As diehard Disney fanatics, the Disney Divas go to Disney as often as we can afford it. When we’re not at Disney, we’re saving for our next trip. Here are some ways that we save for Disney.
Trick Yourself into Saving. Both Wishes Diva and Marvel Diva use an app called Qapital to help them save.
Marvel Diva uses two different saving methods via the app. She has a preset amount that comes out once a week. The app sends out a notification on the day of the transaction. The second thing she does via the app is round up her purchases to the nearest dollar. She started out rounding up to the nearest dollar and over time has increased it to $2 and then $3. Over the last six months, she has saved over $1000!
Marvel Diva says, “As long as I keep the rules in the app to an amount that I know I’m comfortable with, it’s the easiest way for me to save because I can set it and forget it! I would not have saved literally anything without this app.”
Get a side job. If you can’t save more, then you need to find an alternate income source. Disney Magic Diva’s husband does just that. “Our entire married life, he has worked a second job for “activities.” When the kids were young it went for sports, dance, etc. While they were in college it went for travel to visit them, and now that they are adults it goes for Disney!”
Use Credit Card Perks. Several Divas use credit card rewards to their advantage. Both Military Diva and Disney Magic Diva are fans of Southwest Airlines’ Rapid Rewards credit card. They earn points/miles by using the card for all their everyday purchases (in Disney Magic Diva’s case, this includes everything from groceries to utility bills and property taxes). Disney Magic Diva racks up miles and then uses the free Companion Pass she earned on Southwest so that most of the time both she and her husband fly free to Disney. Want to sign up for your own Southwest Card, you can here.
I personally use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card for all my travel – I get 3x the points for travel-related charges, a $300 per year travel credit, and free travel insurance.
(As an Accredited Financial Counselor, I do want to caution you that you should only use credit cards to rack up rewards if you can afford to pay off the balance in full each month – otherwise, interest and fees will outweigh the benefit of the rewards.)
Save the Extra. If you have any extra money that comes your way, like a tax refund, a bonus, or prize money, you can set it aside for Disney. Soarin’ Diva’s family earmarks her husband’s annual bonus as their Disney fund.
Shop Wisely. Several Divas (myself included) use shopping portals that reward us in the form of cash or gift cards. I use Ebates (which is now Rakuten) for pretty much all of my shopping. I’ve made $560 through Ebates over the past few years, simply by using the portal for my normal, every day shopping.
I also use the Ibotta app to get cash back (kind of like online coupons) on my normal grocery shopping – I’ve earned $176 that way in the past two years. Wishes Diva uses a similar app called Shopkick.
Start a Disney Fund. Back in the “old days” before credit cards were so prevalent, folks would set up a “club” account at a bank that was earmarked for a specific purpose, whether it was holiday gifts or a vacation. Disney briefly had their own version of this, called the Disney Vacation Account. That, sadly, exists no longer, but there’s no reason why you can’t set up your own. Many online banks allow you to open free accounts, and some of them even have decent interest rates. Make automatic transfers to the account every payday, and you’ll have a healthy Disney fund in no time.
Get a Piggy (Or Should I Say Piglet?) Bank. Some folks prefer stashing their cash in an old-fashioned piggy bank or change jar so that they can literally see their progress. When they empty their pockets, they put all loose change in the jar. Or have a “swear jar” that offending family members must contribute to.
You can purchase this Mickey Piggy Bank from Amazon to help you save!
Saving is much easier when you’re saving for a goal. Figure out your trip costs, make that your goal, and then break it up over time so that you can achieve it more easily. If you can make saving fun and meaningful, then you are that much closer to your next Disney trip!
Do you have any fun ways you like to save for Disney?
The best savings tip is to consult with a travel agent like Trish from All for Dreams Travel. She can provide you with a FREE quote and give you tips on how to get the most value from your trip.
