[gingles]

Originally Posted by tinkerbelle24

...If I have a purchase at the store for $4.20 I will gove $5 and stash the change...

There are several of us confirmed change stashers here on MB!

[tinkerbelle24]

Originally Posted by gingles

There are several of us confirmed change stashers here on MB!

Yesterday I went to Shoprite to get something and the total was $15.02 The girl was looking for the 2 cents and I told her no way just give me back .98 and she looked at me like I was crazy

[Jennatrz]

That's a good one. She is probably still puzzled by this.

[Pixie Mom]

I purchase each one of my kids a gift card at the disney store with there christmas money from Grandparents. I "give" them the cards in August (they are 5 & 7 so I really hold them) when we go down and tell them when the card runs out that is it. Over the years they have learned to really think about what they want and our spending is really controlled. I also go to walmart before I go down and buy them 7 days of disney t-shirts @~$9 each so they don't look to buy them in the park.

[Mikey Canada]

I'm all about buying some gifts prior to our trips. A few weeks back DW and I bought a bunch of t-shirts on sale at the Disney store $5 bucks each. I have also gone to the dollar store and picked up a number of those glow bracelets, necklaces and LED colour changing wands. Those come out during the night parades and fireworks. Kids are happy and I'm glad I didn't have to pay a fortune.

[WishIWasThere]

Originally Posted by tinkerbelle24

Yesterday I went to Shoprite to get something and the total was $15.02 The girl was looking for the 2 cents and I told her no way just give me back .98 and she looked at me like I was crazy

Oh Im glad Im not the only one that does this.. I just took all the quarters out of my stash and I had almost 90.00 of quarters so it works well for savings (we only started saving like 5 months ago)..

Lets see cheap things we do: We don't buy anything till the last day that way we get exactly what we want and aren't tempted to get something later on. We brings drinks and snacks into the park with us instead of buying things there. If there are outlets nearby we will look there for things. We get pins when they are on sale for cheap (less then 2.00 a pin usually). When we went as a family we made T-shirts for everyone so we could tell our family apart from the crowd. We buy ponchos, fans etc from Walmart before we go. We get one counter service meal and split it..

We don't do anything I would consider tacky.. I don't reuse mugs. I don't bring ice chests with full meals into the park with us. I just do things that I don't see a problem with.. (sorry if it offends anyone but I just wouldn't feel right doing it..)

[12Amigos]

I haven't read through all the replies, so this may have already been said...

When my daughter was younger ( 3 or 4) I would buy a double bacon burger with an extra bun and we would make two burgers. I've never been charged for the extra bun and the patties are more than large enough to be filling with just one.

My husband showed me this site a couple of weeks ago and I'm finally getting around to checking it out and posting. This honestly is the BEST Disney site I've seen so far!

[BGHG2802]

I get what you are asking . . . I will save a few bucks by buying water and juice and diapers from Garden grocer.com instead of the gift shop but other than that we will stay at a value resort instead of a moderate or deluxe, and buy the meal plan, it saves a little money.

[WDW-LUVR]

I LOVE shopping so any aera I can save money in and add it to my shopping fund I do. We always try going during Value Season. We bring our refillable mugs. WE always bring fruitloops it has multi uses, Breakfast(bowl of ceral), Snack any (dry) and then the ducks love them. also at the breakfast buffets I will get my son a banana for a snack later that day. With DDP the counter Service we usually don't eat our desserts so we started getting snack things that I can throw in the back. If it just my DH and DS and I We don't cut alot of corner but that is very few and far between trips. I'm already Planning a 2009's trip. It's starting with a party of 12,which my Husband and I are Paying for 10 so I know I will be cutting as many corners as I posibly can. We will have 6 children so I will be Scrapping Autograph books for them and going to staples and buying them XLG pens ($2.00). Bringing, Snacks, useing the milk in the gift shop as snack on the DDP, given the children a spending limet, and Hoping and praying for FREE Dinning next year. LOL

[tinkerbelle24]

Originally Posted by WDW-LUVR

I LOVE shopping so any aera I can save money in and add it to my shopping fund I do. We always try going during Value Season. We bring our refillable mugs. WE always bring fruitloops it has multi uses, Breakfast(bowl of ceral), Snack any (dry) and then the ducks love them. also at the breakfast buffets I will get my son a banana for a snack later that day. With DDP the counter Service we usually don't eat our desserts so we started getting snack things that I can throw in the back. If it just my DH and DS and I We don't cut alot of corner but that is very few and far between trips. I'm already Planning a 2009's trip. It's starting with a party of 12,which my Husband and I are Paying for 10 so I know I will be cutting as many corners as I posibly can. We will have 6 children so I will be Scrapping Autograph books for them and going to staples and buying them XLG pens ($2.00). Bringing, Snacks, useing the milk in the gift shop as snack on the DDP, given the children a spending limet, and Hoping and praying for FREE Dinning next year. LOL

Welcome to MB!!! I like the idea of bringing the cereal with you. I do that sometimes but when its just my yongest and I I dont worry about that.. When I have the whole family with us I try to think of ways to save $

[fearless1123]

There was a similar thread a long way back and was I was wondering if any of the "old-timers" remember a tip from one lady about frozen meat on a stick?

Part of the fun of the vacation, for us, is eating the different special foods we can't get at home - I remember thinking what a joke it would be if I tried to get my family to eat "meatcicles" in the parks!!!

I don't mean to make fun of this tip, you just gotta know my family...

[Goodegirl2007]

Great thread - LOTS OF GREAT IDEAS!!

We buy a season pass for our trip in Late October, and then make sure we return early October of the following year before the pass expires, and it saves about $100 each (instead of buying 7-10 day hoppers each time). This year we are really getting our moneys worth, because we are taking an extra trip in May - So we are able to use our passes for 3 trips! If you renew your seasons pass before it expires, you can save even more! Also, being part of the DVC, we save tons while staying at deluxe resorts!

[tiki]

I'm a complete cheapskate, my husband hates it when we are on vacation! Like others, I pack a separate suitcase with dry items, snacks, oatmeal packets, bowls, spoons, empty water bottles to fill there and add drink packets ($1 for 8 at Walgreens). Then fill the suitcase with souvenirs to take home.
The only food we buy there is fresh fruit and milk and one restaurant/counter meal a day. The thing we splurge on is Chef Mickey's. I look forward to vacations because I actually lose weight!
In October I went with just my youngest (2 yrs) and spent only $75 (that was including two character meals and what I had packed) on food during our 6 day trip. I paid for the airfare with cc points and the hotel with Disney cc points, so the whole trip cost just $500.
I highly recommend earning points by charging gas, groceries etc on a cc!! Citibank Premierepass is the most flexible I have found, you can earn pts. for airfare, hotel, etc.

[Cindyrella]

Eating every meal in a restaurant is expensive whether you are at Disney or any other vacation spot. We've done the Fort Wilderness cabins and made a trip to the local market for cereal, milk, water, snacks, etc. We usually do either lunch or dinner at a restaurant but never both. The other meal is usually a snack or pizza or fruit cups. We bring a water bottle for each of us and fill it in the hotel and put it in the fridge overnight. During the day we refill at the water fountains.
When we do buy a soda we get 1 and share it between 2 of us. Same with fast food - buy less and share.
As soon as we decide we are going to Disney, we begin using our Disney VISA for EVERYTHING - gas, groceries - the stuff we would normally use a debit card to purchase. We pay off the balance each month. We can usually buy the park tickets with the credits from the Disney VISA - which is a big savings.

[shaggie229]

We UPS down a "care package" to the hotel. We include a case of water, cereal, breakfast bars and snacks. We also send our sunscreen and umbrellas with it. It saves us time and money!