What would you give up to go to Disney?

[HunnyPots]

If you had to give up one of your comforts in order to be able to take the all-important Disney vacation, what would it be? Eating out? Movies? Cable TV?
What part of the Disney vacation would you be willing to give up if it meant the difference in going or not going?
Just curious...

 

[Trekker]

3 1/2 years ago we bought a cabin in N. WI. It has kept us from being able to do the other things we like (translated WDW).

I just accepted an offer today from someone to buy the cabin - WDW here we come - often!

 

[imgoingtodisney]

Moneywise I dont have to give up. I left a job in 1993 when my son was 1 that gave me one heck of a retirement fund. But Ive been working full time again for the past 3 years and this summer what Im giving up in order to do Disney in Oct is 5 days of vacation over the summer!!! Right now I feel I need a break but will have to wait. Over the summer I do have 6 long weekend trips planned so it shouldnt be too bad. But Id say the one thing I did have to give up for my Disney trip is summer vacation time!!!!!!!

 

[worm761]

i gave up smoking when i started to plan this trip. i was smoking a pack a day. and here in new york that translates to $120 a month!!!!!! but hey....now i have extra money to blow at WDW!!!!

 

[Cindy B]

Not going out as much. But I now give up some time to work part time for our "vacation fund"

 

[vkasal]

I'm giving up my extra free time and am getting a part time job.

This will help us afford a bunch of extras that otherwise we wouldn't be able to do.

 

[mommypooh]

I gave up my "fake nails" a few weeks ago.
Sounds funny but at $22 every other week I figured it would pay to eat with Cinderella!

My children (4 of them) also decided to do without allowance until after the trip. My husband, well I think he is keeping us on track and we are not eating out as much. When we are board and want to do someting or go somewhere we just get on the DIS and dream about our vacation!!

Mommypooh

 

[mousehappy]

I gave up beer to go to disney 3 years ago. I still dont drink beer and have been to WDW 4 times since.

 

[koswalt]

movies at the theater and video game rentals. Also cut back on the size of birthday parties. I started clipping coupons and shopping at more than one store to get better grocery deals. We also will forego our annual beach vacation this summer. I think it's all going to be worth it. Oh yeah! We told the boys last year their allowance was going to be cut by $1 each (more to make a point than any real contribution). We have reinstated their "full pay" now that it's closer to our trip (August) but they are REQUIRED to save their allowance (not spend it) until they have accumulated $50 for arcades. Then they can spend again the money they get over $50. It's worked so well my oldest son is past $50 and shooting for $80!

 

[Orky15]

My fiancee is a workaholic, so to him, taking 2 days off of work is a horrible, horrible sin. That's his sacrifice!!!



As for me? I'm giving up jetskis this summer... we had planned to get a pair but decided to stick to a rigorous savings plan that will allow patio furniture and WDW this year... maybe jetskis next year

 

[frost5000]

I come from the "working" poor you always read about. I work full time and go to school full time, but still don't make enough to even qualify for "W's" tax return deal (bummer!!)My family never eats out, we only have $50 a week budgeted for groceries (for 4 people), and we seem to do alright. I'm working on taking my kids to Disney (something that would of never happened before I found this board) as a reward for seeing me through school (they gave up all afterschool activities and became latch key kids for 3 years). I've given up - 1. all but 1 summer camping trip with the kids 2. No fast food, even if it's too hot to cook, 3. I'm working 1 extra night a week 4. no allowance for the kids 5. free internet service 6. fans instead of ac to lower electric bill (don't know how long this one will last....) 6. Kids are now getting haircuts at home. 7. Any time I spend under $50 on grocerys whatevers left goes in the disney fund. With all of this we should be able to pull of a week at disney. And with any luck, a better job in a few months!!!

 

[Pegg]

We are making a trip in August and the only thing I ahave refused to give up is my smokes. But groceries we have cut to the bare necessities, no eating out, no movies and DD allowance is going for her spending money at the world. Due to a health scare with daughter last may we are determined to go to Disney world and unfortunitly DH will not get to go, this willbe a special trip for mommy and daughter. But planning on buying annual passes to make another trip with DH, shortly after I finish school in December.
but anyways we plan only a few character meals and to save one of the biggest cost airfare we will be taking greyhound. I know lots of people wouldn't go if they had to take the bus, but anything to get us to disney.

 

[Mouser]

I have given up my free time and I am working long hours to pay for it....I normally work 30 hours a week but during our busy times I have been working six days, 48 hours a week to save for it..DH has been working some overtime too when available...We gave up beach vacation this summer to go to WDW in september...

 

[CapeCod53]

I gave up gardening, or at least the fun part(still have to edge & trim & weed & mow) no hanging baskets, annual beds, planters, no new perennials or bulbs for next spring. This is a big deal for me, I love my flowers. I already work 1 full-time & 1 part-time job, so I added doing a few rewards programs I found out about on the disboards. Hope to have enough for all our dinners at least. My teenagers both have summer birthdays(that why we're going this summer) & the trip is all they are getting for their birthday gifts(Of course since my son is turning 16, I will be spending money on drivers' ed, etc for him)

 

[Mickey76]

I would give up a lot but not the things that mean the most to me. I would sacrifice a job, not going out as much, and my sanity......all of which would be more than what I would do for a Klondike Bar....

Mickey76

 

[kim532]

It wasn't something I had planned to give up, but it worked out and provided a Disney trip. I had an old car that was getting ready to go to the little car heaven in the sky. The car I REALLY wanted I decided not to get and went with a more affordable car ( saved about $6000 buying the cheaper car). Well we saw my dream car yesterday and my wonderfull DH pointed out that if I had that car we wouldn't be going to DISNEY in 2 weeks( we were planning a MAY 2002 trip)

I'll take Disney over the nicer car anyday. And I'll probably go back to Disney in 2002 also!!!

 

[ckay87]

We won't be flying there. The cheapest airfare we found would have been $700-$800 (rt family of 4.) So, we're driving 18 hours. It amazes me how EVERYONE I know who goes to WDW has to fly. We are told that we are "crazy" to drive. For us it was a matter of either we drive there or we don't go. Guess what we picked??? 5 more days - 1st trip in 17 years!!!

 

[phins_jazy]

We are also driving instead of flying. Airfare would have been $600 for the 3 of us. And that's on southwest's $99 one way fare. We are also going to be camping for $12 a night instead of staying in a hotel for a week. My family loves to camp so adding Disney to it is an added bonus. We also cut out fast food and junk food at the grocery store. My DH also stopped smoking about 8 months ago so that is being added into our Disney fund as well.

 

[Disneydenise]

ckay87 We drove from Pa for 8 trips. We had a great time everytime. The children have wonderful memories from those trips. When we moved to NJ we drove once more before we had to get rid of the VAN. It was not such a wonderful trip so... we fly now and at our age it is probably safer. I would drive again if we had a more comfortable car but... that will defeat the purpose. If it was the only way I could get there I would do it again. We don't go out to eat alot but we are fortunate that we can afford to fly and now we stay alittle less time. Alittle Disney is better than no Disney.