The Frugal Free Gal

Save money at Disney World. That may not sound like a doable statement, but it is. A lot of us still have this idea that going to Disney World and saving money are mutually exclusive ideas, and way back in the day, it used to be. It’s not like that anymore. While Disney used to be the place you went on vacation if you had money to burn, it can now be more affordable. Here are some tips to save money and still experience the wonder of The Magic Kingdom.

Save Money at Disney World with These Tips

With these tips, you’ll be able to experience Disney World in all its glory without worrying so much about your pocket book. Because let’s be honest, it’s hard to have fun when you’re worrying about your wallet.

1. Go During The Off Season

Just like it is with almost anything, the off season is one of the best ways to save money. Everybody and their brother goes to Disney World during the summer and for holidays. Instead of visiting during those peak times, head to the park during the off season. You’ll find better pricing because they need more visitors. Another bonus of the off season is that the park isn’t so crowded.

2. Check with Disney for Deals

I wasn’t kidding when I said that Disney has become more affordable. There was a time when going to Disney meant paying through the nose and living with it. Now, even Disney is offering deals on their park. A great way to save money is going right to the source and seeing what sort of offers Disney has going for your desired vacation time. Just remember that off season tip. You’ll get the best deals from Disney in the off season.

3. Purchase Multi-Day Passes

There are a lot of ways to save money on your Disney trip, but extra cheap tickets aren’t one of them. That’s one cost you’ll just have to live with going into it. However, if your trip is long enough, and you plan on being at the park everyday, consider getting a multi-day pass. With a multi-day pass, the ticket price isn’t quite so bad. In fact, an adult pass is almost 50% cheaper if you opt for a 7 day pass.

4. Don’t Drive

You might think that driving to Disney would save money, but these days, Disney offers buses via the free Disney Transportation System. All you need to do is get yourself that far, and then you can use the free DTS. While this saves you money on gas, be aware that the buses are generally crowded, and the travel is slow going. If you have the patience for that, it’s an excellent way to save money, and especially hassle. Have you ever tried finding a parking spot at the park? Yeesh.

5. Don’t Stay at the Resorts

While the magic of Disney Resort vacationing is touted heavily on television, you can save money and still vacation in style without them. Rather than staying at one of the resorts – which gets especially pricey for families of more than 4 – consider staying at a McMansion instead. There are hundreds of them, and they’re only a few miles away. They’re swanky, too. They come decked out to the nines with pools, grills, big-screen TVs, and more, and 3 bedroom rentals start at as low as $165 a night.

6. Pre-purchase Souvenirs and Trading Pins

Souvenirs purchased at the park can cost a pretty penny. Instead of purchasing souvenirs at the park, purchase souvenirs ahead of time and pack them with you. The Disney section at Walmart has a great selection of Disney items at an affordable price. You can also find several cheap Disney items at your local dollar store. If your child insists on buying souvenirs around the park, this is a great time to pull out a special surprise that you have pre-purchased, saving you a lot of money! If you are into trading pins at Disney World, you can find Disney trading pins at Amazon.

7. Pack Lunches and Snacks

Packing our own food was one of our top ways to save money at Disney World. You are allowed to bring in food and snacks that do not require heating to the parks at Disney World. It’s always a good idea to eat a big breakfast at your hotel before arrival to the parks and then eat a packed lunch and/or snacks throughout the day. Our favorite foods packed were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, granola bars, and other light snacks. By evening, you may run out of food to eat depending on how much you packed, so you’ll either have to opt for eating at the park (which can cost about $40+ for a family of 4) or you can wait until you leave the park to eat.

8. Request FREE Water

You know I love freebies. Request free water at Disney World Parks at any counter service or snack station. You can also bring your own Brita water bottle with a filter and fill up in case you stop at one of the water fountains for water.

9. Bring Your own Small Spray Bottle

If you go to Disney World during the spring, summer, or early fall, you may want to bring your own small spray bottle and spritz yourself or your children to keep cool during hot months. Spray fans are sold in the park, but they are pretty pricey.

10. Take Your Own Stroller or Borrow One From a Friend

We borrowed a large stroller from a friend and took it with us to the parks to avoid having to pay for lockers. It had a large basket underneath to fit all of our belongings. We were able to use the cup holders in the stroller for drinks, the middle compartment for a few loose items. We could hang our camera bag and other bags from the handle of the stroller. Our small kids switched riding in the stroller when they were tired. It was a HUGE lifesaver on our Disney World trip. A double stroller is a good option if you have very small kids.

11. Bring Your Own Camera and Take Your Own Photos

You have the option to buy photos with the PhotoPass service, but you’ll be paying a lot for your memories. Bring your own camera and take your own photos. You can use your camera to take photos of your family with all of the characters as well as around the park.

12. Don’t Forget an Autograph Book and Pen

Never leave home without a Disney autograph book and pen! You can buy these at the park, but it may be wise to purchase them in advance and have them handy to avoid standing in lines and being tempted to spend more at souvenir shops!

13. Pack the Sunscreen

Protect yourself from the sun. Pack plenty of sunscreen for the whole family to avoid getting sunburned. Take small breaks around the park to avoid getting overheated.

14. Watch FREE Disney Parks Vacation Planning Videos

Make the most of your time at Disney by watching free Disney Vacation Planning videos. Just click the Mickey Mouse banner ad below to access videos.

Save Money Without Skimping on the Magic

The Magic Kingdom is a wonderful place to vacation as a family. Heck, it’s a wonderful place to vacation as an adult if you’re a big time Disney lover. And while, for most of us, it seems like an expensive proposition, the costs can be heavily mitigated with some smart decisions. There is nothing stopping you from seeing Disney World in all its glory while you save money.

Do you have any other tips on how to save money at Disney World or Disney Land? 

During a no spend challenge, it can be tempting to spend money!

When we go so long swiping our cards here and there without much thought, it can be challenging to refrain from spending money.

We have to stop before each purchase and ask ourselves whether or not the item is something we need and can afford and whether or not we have the time to take care of that item once it’s in our homes.

FREE No Spend Tracker Printable

You’d be surprised at how many things we “think” that we need only end up being “wants” instead.

Weekends can be tricky during no spend challenges.

If you have kids at home, it can be challenging to constantly entertain them and provide activities that are always free.

Weekends are also the time when many people travel. During these weekends, we spend more money on gas to get to and from, convenient store purchases for sodas and snacks, and money on activities once we get to our destination.

If it’s not a day trip, we spend money on hotel rooms for a cozy place to lay our heads at night. Over a weekend, purchases can add up!

And of course, weekends are often times saved for shopping. Avoid heading out to your favorite local retailers, thrift stores, or even shopping online during a no spend challenge month.

That’s why I’m here to provide you with a list of activities and things to do during a no spend month that do not cost a thing.

With enough planning and preparation, you can create a schedule for each weekend to help you avoid spending during a no spend month.

By doing this, you will be less tempted to spend a lot of money on weekend outings that are costly.

FREE Activities to Take Advantage of During a No Spend Challenge

1. Visit your local library and check out books and other library freebies offered.
2. Sign up for freebies.
3. Research parks in your area and visit a new park.
4. Plan a picnic out at a park.
5. Feed ducks at a park.
6. Find a catch and release pond and catch fish.
7. Go for a bike ride around the neighborhood with the family.
8. Go on a nature walk.
9. Complete a scavenger hunt.
10. Take the kids to a neighborhood pool.
11. Plan a family movie night at home and stream free movies.
12. Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (We stream free movies and TV through Prime).
13. Play board games, cards, or dominoes.
14. Declutter your home.
15. Write in your journal.
16. Read the Bible.
17. Start a gratitude journal.
18. Download and play free apps.
19. Download free Kindle Books.
20. Play with your kids in the backyard.
21. Build a fire (if you have a fire pit) and sit around it and talk.
22. Visit a neighbor.
23. Look up new recipes.
24. Work in your garden.
25. Go for a run.
26. Print coupons.
27. Paint a picture.
28. Take pictures.
29. Start meal planning.
30. Take a nap.
31. Write thank you cards.
32. Call a friend or family member.
33. Write down your goals.
34. Plan a budget.
35. Go through old photos, baby books, and memory boxes.
36. Rearrange your furniture.
37. Enjoy a beverage on your front porch or back yard.
38. Put some music on and clean your house.
39. Clean out your car.
40. Visit Pinterest and make a craft with items you already have.
41. Dance around to music.
42. Try Amazon Music Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial.
43. Take a bubble bath.
44. Give yourself a pedicure.
45. Walk your dog.
46. Have a yard sale.
47. Find and attend a good church.
48. Attend a weekly Bible study.
49. Workout at home.
50. Take advantage of free Educational Websites for Kids.
51. Relax and meditate.

While some of these ideas sound a bit more entertaining than others, the key here is to find something to do to fill your time instead of going out somewhere and spending money.

It takes a little bit of time to get used to managing our time and replacing the costly activities with activities that are completely free, but it can be done!

Use these examples above and plan out the remaining weekends during this no spend challenge. If you have any free activities that you’d like to add to the list, feel free to leave them in a comment below.

What free activities would you add to this list?

Doing load after load of your family’s laundry doesn’t just take a lot of time; it can also end up costing you more than you realize financially as well. In fact, it is estimated that American families spend anywhere from $80 to $600 per year on laundry alone! Just imagine the savings you could have if you didn’t have to do laundry all of the time!

While you probably can’t stop doing laundry altogether, it is possible to save big on this common household chore. This post will show you how.

1. Wear Things More Than Once

Just because you’ve worn something once doesn’t automatically mean it’s dirty, especially if you only wore it for a short period of time. Sweaters that don’t even touch your body, the pajamas you can barely keep on your toddler and the shirt your son only wore to church for an hour are all prime candidates to go right back in the drawer. Towels can be used more than once as well.

Similarly, make sure your children are only putting clothes in the wash that are actually dirty as well. If your daughter develops a bad habit of deciding what to wear by throwing everything on the floor or your son throws everything in the hamper to avoid folding it and putting it away, that’s a lot of extra laundry you don’t need to be doing. Find a variety of affordable laundry hampers at Amazon.

2. Wash Only Full Loads

Rather than doing laundry after a specific amount of time as passed (such as every morning or every evening), wait to do a load of laundry until you have a full load. Not only will you spend less time doing laundry, but you can save big on your water bill as well.

Alternately, if you need to do your laundry on a schedule to make sure that it gets done, try lengthening the amount of time between loads. For example, instead of doing laundry every day, you could do laundry every other day or every three days, depending on the amount of clothing your family owns.

3. Use Less Laundry Detergent

When adding detergent to the laundry, do you usually just throw some in without bothering to measure? If so, you may be using way more than you need. While a little extra laundry detergent won’t break the bank right away, all of that wasted detergent can really add up over time. Not only will you need to buy extra detergent, which can be expensive, but you may shorten the lifespan of your clothes or washer as well. I buy my laundry detergent at Amazon on a regular basis when it’s on sale.

4. Invest in an Energy Efficient Washing Machine

Consider replacing your old or run-down washing machine with an energy efficient washing machine. My sister has an energy efficient washing machine and she absolutely loves it. Our washing machine is about 10 years old and still working, so when that time comes that it decides to give out, we will be replacing ours with energy efficient machines.

5. Switch to Cold Water

Unless your clothes are exceptionally dirty, chances are that hot water isn’t really necessary. Make the switch to cold water for the majority of your laundry loads and save the hot water for the towels and undergarments only. This will ensure that the germs on these sensitive items are well taken care of without needlessly wasting money with every load.

6. Skip the Fabric Softener

What if I told you that you really didn’t need fabric softener to get your clothes nice and soft? It’s true. Skip the expensive fabric softener and use 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of vinegar instead. Vinegar not only helps soften your clothes, it also helps prevent fading, keeps your washing machine cleaner and helps remove excess detergent from your clothes. Just be careful not to mix it with bleach, as this can result in a toxic gas.

7. Don’t Forget the Laundry!

Have you ever thrown in a load of laundry, only to completely forget about it until several hours later or even the next day? Having to rewash a load more than once isn’t just frustrating, it’s also an expensive and time-consuming habit to get into. Set a timer if you need to or make the laundry part of your daily routine, but don’t forget to flip it!

Related: 5 Tips to Keep Up With Laundry

If you are looking for additional ways to save money that don’t take a lot of time and effort, saving money on the laundry is one easy and excellent way to do just that! Try it out for a few weeks. You may be surprised at what a big difference just a few easy changes can make.

How do you save on laundry?