Thursday's Tip

OK, so I have to apologize because I have all but abandoned my Thursday's Tip series. All I can say is the holidays have overtaken me, and I'm all out of creative juices right now. Still, I managed to crank one out for today...hope it's helpful!

I'm a big advocate of paying for (or at least saving for) your Disney vacation in advance. I don't believe in going into debt for a vacation. Any vacation. Even a Walt Disney World vacation. Today's tip offers a great way to help you plan and save for your next trip. When you've got an idea of your trip dates (hopefully you know 6 months to a year in advance!), log onto the Disney website and price out your trip at full price--with no discounts. That way, you'll know the maximum amount your trip could cost. (Don't forget to add in flights, food, gas, or whatever extras are not covered.) Then, take that figure and subtract what you already have saved specifically for your vacation. The amount that's left is what you'll need to save between now and then, so divide that amount by how many months are left until your trip. Then you'll have a clear figure of what you'll need to save each month.

Now, you may say, "But I am quite sure I will get a discount. My trip isn't going to cost that much." To that I say, GREAT! And when you save that full amount, you'll be thrilled to have the extra cash to spend on souvenirs or, better yet, a jump start on savings for your next trip!