Disney World. Every time I say I'm not going to plan another trip there, they send me a 40% off code. It's about the only thing we splurge on. We don't have Smart Phones, cable, high speed internet, etc. We only go out to eat if I can cover the cost with gift cards I have earned online - and since I usually cash out for Disney Gift Cards to help pay for our trips, we now eat out less. Luckily we live close by and can drive there and back on one tank.

Other than that - a really good sale at the grocery store - like a B1G1F sale with really hot coupons out. Even when something is only 25 cents to $1 - it adds up when you're stockpiling 40 of them.

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Melanie

God has faith in you even if you don't have faith in Him. Name Him and claim Him!
http://www.picturetrail.com/rumrunnergirl - kids clothes & more from a smoke-free home!

Just wondering how you get codes for 40% off at Disney? Is it for the tickets to get in?

It's for the resorts. We are season ticket holders, plus I'm on their mailing list.

They send me codes via snail mail and email. At 40% off, you can get a value resort for under $60 per night (even less, depending on the season) - which is better than most dumpy hotels along the interstate! Plus, they offer free dining promos (which save us $130 per day). With free dining, you have to buy a 1-day ticket, so I save those to use during black-out dates on the season passes. I'm also going to exchange some for Annual Water Park Passes when we go in September. We're going back for Halloween (Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party), then in December we are camping at Fort Wilderness during Christmas week.

They currently have a promo - buy 4 nights and a 1 day ticket and get 3 nights free. If you went before March, they gave you a $200 gift card. They had another promo where if you signed up for a Disney Visa, you got a $100 gift card.

If you don't like to eat as much as free dining gives you, you can get a Tables in Wonderland card for $100 for 1 year - and that pays for itself usually during the first trip. It gives you 20% off food & drink at the Table Service locations, and some counter service locations.

Ticket wise, I know some people are getting vouchers to give out for 10% off the annual passes.

They just about always have good deals out for the resorts. You can go to Mousesavers.com and check out the current discounts.

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Melanie

God has faith in you even if you don't have faith in Him. Name Him and claim Him!
http://www.picturetrail.com/rumrunnergirl - kids clothes & more from a smoke-free home!

When DH has his mind set on something it doesn't seem to matter if it's in the budget or not...he wants to do/have it. So then some other part of the budget seems to suffer. But since he makes the $ I feel bad saying no sometimes. And I am the one that does the bills/checkbook so I know how much it actually hurts us. On those months maybe I should make him do the bills so he can see how much it actually hurts when he wants to spend.

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Loving wife to Matthew 6/26/04
SAHM to Jacob Matthew 4/19/03, Evelyn Grace 2/15/06 & Aiden Jackson 03/09/09

My DH's belly, it is a bottomless pit.

He eats so much,-I don't know where he stores it.
I never realized it before because he bought his own food for work, but now that I have been buying his food (a couple months ago) it is A lot. I buy most of his things at Sam's Club if I can not find it cheaper. He does NOT get a lunch break at work, so anything and everything that he eats at work 9-12 hour shift needs to be fast or something he can come back to and steal a couple bites and leave it again type of thing.

Pizza from our neighborhood pizza joint and Chick-Fil-A nuggets!

No matter how hard I try I can't copy their food!!!

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WAHM to Richie, Becca & Ryan!

Thanks for the info! I am trying my best to be able for us to go on my birthday. My ticket will be free. But, just the cost of everything else. I won't have to have a hotel or anything since we are just a little over an hour away from Disney. But...if I can find a great rate it might be worthwhile to make a weekend of it. When I was small my parents had the season passes for us many times, but back then I didn't realize how expensive it was until you try to do it for your own families. I am definitely going to check out that website.

I know we would do so much better if I could get DH on board. He just doesn't see the need to cut things out right now but we just had to use some of our savings/emergency fund to cover some medical & dental stuff and I don't see how we are going to be able to build that back up with as tight as things are right now. After our conversation last night and his paycheck today (finally be the set amount it should be from now on - it was kind of goofed up for a bit), he does seem to be thinking about a budget more seriously so I'm hoping this is a step in the right direction.

Eating out is definitely one of our biggest downfalls. We will do really good about it for a while and then we'll eat out once and totally go off track again.

Gift giving holidays seem to sneak up on us as well even though we know they are coming. Don't know why we can't seem to plan better for those.

I've dealt with this before by asking dh where he wants to take the money from for the thing that isn't within the budget.

I hear you there. When I got married we both got paid monthly and 5 week months were the wrose. Last year we moved because dh got a new job now we look forward to 5 week months because d is paid weekly. Funny how thing change.