Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Update: Saving for Disney

We are at 37 days out!

So lets check savings! I can tell you right now, it's no where where it needs to be. But pretty close. We changed a few things around as well.

We are staying at the swan thanks to a family member instead of at Disney. (Still Disney property). So that saves $1016, but adds a couple other expenses. We're also taking a couple days to visit family. So here's what the trip looks like now:

Disney Tickets:

~ $1406 for 4 of us. We're not exactly sure how many days we'll be going to the park yet. 7 days was $1533, but I think we'll be going 5 days now.

$400 for food

$100 for the kids to spend.

$200 for me and my husband to spend

$735 for plane tickets (paid)

$225 Resort fees

Total: 3066.

735 is already paid. So 2331.

Currently I have:

$580 in Disney cards
$330 saved up waiting for Targets 10% off deal.

Still need: $1421.

I saved $910 in 43 days without selling anything except 14 socks. I have a ton of the kids toys to sell and some other merchandise before Christmas.

Right now we're at $38.41 a day or $268.84 a week.


I will be including my Black Friday sales as well into my savings which will increase as well. My black friday savings are: $205. That's almost an extra week ;)




Thursday, October 13, 2016

Couponing to Disney!

Our family are a bunch of Disney geeks. We love everything about Disney! (As most of you probably reading this blog are) but like any other low income family, finding the funds to go to Disney are pretty slim to none when you live paycheck to paycheck.

So I asked myself, how can I put money aside? We've already cut cable, have a 24% discount on cell phones, get a rebate for internet (we homeschool so internet is a requirement), make coffee at home. There isn't much wiggle room.

Couponing!

I love couponing! Have been known as an extreme couponer but have gotten out of it over time. So what better time to get back into it right?

We decided to book for early January. CRAZY right?! But I think I can do it.

Heres our trip plans:

Hotel - All star music - Disney is offering their normal fall deals for the New Year. Up to 25% off. So we're going for 9 days at $1016.

Tickets - We're a family of 4. Two adults, two children under 10. Cost for tickets for 7 days: 1533.

Flights: We got a great deal on Southwest, $92 each way. $735 round trip! Book as soon as the day OPENS up to public.

Food we're planning on bringing a suitcase full of snacks and breakfasts including an insulated bag full of deli meat and other fruits and veggies as well as bringing some on the plane. We plan on only doing 2 character meals, one for my sons birthday as we'll be down for both my son and my husbands birthdays. As this will already be part of my normal weekly budget, I am only calculating the character meals with "some wiggle room" I expect around $400 for food.

Souvenirs: Being so close to Christmas and going for my son and husbands birthdays, we're actually not doing much in terms of souvenirs. But I'm still budgeting for $300. $50 for each of the children, $100 each for my husband and I. We're not buying anything for anyone else during this trip like we normally do because we buy for Christmas or birthdays. Seeing as they'll all be over, I'm saving my pennies (more like hundreds)

So total cost: 3984 Round up to 4000 just because I like even numbers.

Paid to date:
735 - Airline tickets
125 - deposit 
25 - Disney Gift card 

Total remaining: 3115.

Total put in savings this week: 205
Total remaining: 2910


Here's how I'm going to save almost 3000 in 84 days.

Essentially thats 34.64 per day or 242.50 a week I need to save. (Smaller goals work better for me)

I stopped putting Federal taxes in because I calculated, based on my income to what I've already paid in (25% for the year) and what my husband has paid in (also 25%) we've MORE than paid our share. So that's an extra $50 in my paycheck every week.

That brings my total down to 192 a week or 27.5 a day.
Now we turn to selling items and couponing.

For couponing:

Anything I buy I will use coupons. I'm a huge Target shopper, so I want to make sure I get my totals as close to 0 as possible, saving at least 47.50 each trip! 47.50 you say? Why such a funny amount.
Here's my logic. If I save 47.50 each trip, I can buy a $50 Disney Gift Card and use my Target Debit Card, bringing the $50 down to 47.50. Essentially paying "full price" for these products. Anything I save goes TOWARDS my Disney Total.
So say I need to buy Huggies Diapers. I have $4 off 2 packs of diapers from my newspaper, Plus 5% off AND $15 gift card promotion (a promotion that is currently active) That's essentially saving me 21.50. I can take that 21.50 and put it towards my Disney savings. (How I've saved the 205 in a week thus far)


Selling Items:

I sell on Ebay, local facebook boards and through friends and family.
I have a lot of childrens items, "stock items" and Harry Potter items (Harry Potter fan right here)
So far this week I have sold 47.50 and the week isn't over yet. Between my savings at Target and my selling on boards I have saved $205 this week, surpassing my $192 goal.

Think I can beat my challenge? Let me know what you think! Other than crazy ;)















Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Cheap Groceries/Produce!!!

Everyone is always trying to save a buck, especially when it comes to groceries and even more so...PRODUCE! I mean really, the cost of product has SKY ROCKETED. It's so expensive eating healthy!

Well I'm writing this blog today to help you, me and all of your friends!

Here's what you do: Go here:

https://www.livingsocial.com/deals/1559204-20-to-spend-on-organic-fruit-and-veggies?ref=share-undefined-copy_box-web-deals&rui=41153584&rpi=204806746

Buy this coupon. $9.99 for $20 worth of organic produce (you can also get diapers and honest products on there as well) I've used this site many times. It's like Groupon.

Yes, this is my referral. When 3 people order this I get mine refunded, same thing will go for you :D

DO NOT go to grub market from their website. Use my referral link to sign up. Here's why: You get $10 AND I get $10. We both make out.

https://www.grubmarket.com:443/referral/60293

^^ Use that one!

Ok, now that you've bought the living social coupon, signed up on Grub Market, now go shopping! The minimum to date for free shipping is $59. When I did this my $10 credit for signing up under someone didn't come through under the $59 and checking the referral area of Grub Market it says: Give your friends and family $10 to try out GrubMarket. When they order over $59, they'll get $10 off and you'll get a $10 credit!


Now ultimately you've only gotten $20 off because the spending 10 and the getting 10 counteracts each other.

But you get free groceries shipped to your door!