Debt Dumpers - 2019

[DisneyMandC]

We did the Deluxe dining plan on our first trip together in 2014. Then in 2016 we decided that it was too much food and we should just pay out of pocket instead. We didn't limit ourselves at all. If we wanted the most expensive meal, we got it. We definitely ordered less food because appetizer, entree and dessert with every meal was just too much food. We compared costs and we spent less overall without the dining plan. But I am thinking now that the dining plan includes alcohol and DH likes to get a drink now and then on vacation, it would probably save us money. Plus we spent a decent amount on food at the Epcot festival booths, though I haven't added that all up yet. Having 28 snack credits to use towards Food and Wine would definitely help with the cost. And we plan to book 1 or 2 character meals as well, so given all of those factors I think that it might save us money this time around. It would cost $1057 for the regular dining plan and that is all that we would need, I think. Plus I think that my parents and brother are more inclined towards using the dining plan and that might actually simplify this larger group trip.

ETA: With the regular dining plan, it gives entree and dessert, but I thought I read somewhere that you could get an appetizer instead of dessert. Is that true? Because I think it would work out really well to have one of us get an appetizer to share and then the other get a dessert to share.

We also did the Deluxe plan for our honeymoon in 2015. It was A TON of food. I don't regret it because it made for a great honeymoon, lol, but it is an obscene amount to eat. We are doing the regular dining plan for our September trip with 6 people. I don't know the answer on the appetizer instead of a dessert but I would be really interested to know that as well. We would do the same and get a couple appetizers and a couple desserts to share.

Did you find that a lot of the options at F&G were available to get with snack credits? I can't remember how many were snacks when we went before, but I would definitely like to use some snack credits at F&W in September.

ETA: Just googled and found this. So looks like YMMV, but I'm definitely going to ask when we do TS meals on our trip!

 

[Shughart]

i'm with you on that-it's one of the financial justifications we used for putting in a whole house generator. several years ago we had a snowstorm ('snowmagedon' as it's refereed to historically around here) that knocked out power for a week. when i had to pull out and toss all my freezer (let alone 2 fridges worth) of food and go to replace it it reinforced to me how much we save by watching sales and buying meat to put up in air seal bags. in 2015 'wind storm' knocked it out for another week-and people were going nuts b/c it hit right before thanksgiving and all the stuff they had bought on sale and stashed in their freezers was lost.

nope-i would rather replace it and have the peace of mind that it won't being dying on us anytime soon. it was interesting to see all the bells and whistles on the newer models even though i just wanted something pretty basic. i don't get the concept of glass shelving in freezers though-i've had a few instances where something has puddled up or leaked and then frozen solid resulting in my either having to chip away at it or apply warmed water to detach it and clean up a shelf-i just envision shattered glass if something like that happened.

I am the same way about the bells and whistles. Although I think it might be nice to have the alarm that beeps when it has been left open. That is the only bell/whistle our fridge has (well glass shelves too) and it's super nice because my 9yo has a tendency to not shut either all the way!

i think this can be a very wise decision. while i think it's admirable for parents to want/plan to help their kids with future college expenses i think far too many participants in these types of plans are shortchanging their own financial futures in this pursuit let alone those that are up to their eyeballs in debt and barely scrape by each month (or worse go deeper in debt).

Our rough beginnings as a couple meant that we were not able to start saving for college when we started having a family as many FP recommend, but husband's first job came with a 401k, coincidentally. So now here we are with a healthy start on retirement, a 9yo and a 12yo, and a hefty check coming from their great grandmother's estate and I am thinking COLLEGE FUNDS. What a great starting point! With a little catch up work from us, we could have easily have 1k per year put away for them by the time they hit 17/18 yo.

Just want to say to all of the parents of little ones out there... Senior year is soooo expensive. I swear every time I turn around there is another expense. I truly wish I had saved more (earmarked more) for this year. To be honest first semester wasn't too bad but second semester is a doozy! My breaking point was the $120 prom ticket. That's not a typo- ticket not tickets! On the plus side I told her that in no uncertain terms was I paying big money for prom shoes (her dress is quite full so they won't even be seen). She tried Plato's Closet but struck out. Headed off to DSW on a lark and found a pair that she loved on clearance. Originally $59.99 and we paid $23.99. I can live with that.

I keep thinking that next year will be cheaper but I know I'm just lying to myself!

I remember senior year being very expensive when I was a senior because it was my Mom's first year being a single Mom, and I know I was not the kindest about it :/ I have a plan for my girl for high school though, because I know she will be the one that goes to ALL the dances and want her hair/nails/etc done.

We got back from WDW very early on Sunday morning due to a flight delay, so I am just starting to recover from it all and give you guys an update.

We had an awesome trip! DD loved all of the rides and shows that we went to. She also loved eating at all of the restaurants and for the most part she was really good. I think it was hard sometimes for her because there weren't a ton of opportunities for her to run around without the chance of her being trampled by crowds, but we tried our best to let her walk herself in the lines or play in more open areas. One highlight is that for Flower and Garden festival, they had playgrounds set up for younger kids. DD loved both of the playgrounds and it was nice to let her run around without worrying as much. After MK on Sunday and Monday, we went to Epcot on Tuesday, Animal Kingdom on Wednesday and Hollywood Studios on Thursday. Highlights for DD was Small World and Skipper Canteen at MK, Figment and meeting Tigger at Epcot, Kilimanjaro Safari and Festival of the Lion King at AK, and Indiana Jones Stunt Show at HS. I was able to snag us Flight of Passage fastpasses right before our dinner on Wednesday, so DH and I took turns. It was nice to finally get to try that ride. I was hoping to get a Slinky Dog Dash or Alien Saucers fastpass, but nothing popped up while we were there. And there aren't many rides that DD can do at HS due to height limits, so we left mid-afternoon and went to Epcot to do some Flower and Garden festival stuff. We ate around the world for dinner that night and again for lunch on Friday, then spent the rest of Friday at the Polynesian pool. And on Saturday we went to Disney Springs and ate at Maria and Enzo's with the 40% passholder discount. DH loved that place and was so glad that I booked it. He got the sea bass and I got the rigatoni. Both were super delicious.

Overall, we loved it and can't wait to go again in October. DH wants me to add up all of our dining expenses from this trip to decide if getting the Disney Dining Plan might make sense for us in October. DD mostly ate from our plates for meals and since she is under 3, we wouldn't have to buy a dining plan for her. DH mostly thinks it would be nice to have all of the snack credits for Food and Wine, plus he likes that he could get an alcoholic drink with his meals. That is a change from the last time we had the dining plan in 2014. I think it might make sense, but I won't know until I have time to deduct souvenirs costs from our overall expenses.

I am glad you had a good trip! I am counting down the many days until we go in December. It feels like forever!

 

[amalone1013]

We also did the Deluxe plan for our honeymoon in 2015. It was A TON of food. I don't regret it because it made for a great honeymoon, lol, but it is an obscene amount to eat. We are doing the regular dining plan for our September trip with 6 people. I don't know the answer on the appetizer instead of a dessert but I would be really interested to know that as well. We would do the same and get a couple appetizers and a couple desserts to share.

Did you find that a lot of the options at F&G were available to get with snack credits? I can't remember how many were snacks when we went before, but I would definitely like to use some snack credits at F&W in September.

ETA: Just googled and found this. So looks like YMMV, but I'm definitely going to ask when we do TS meals on our trip!

I've looked into this a lot though we've never pulled the trigger on a dining plan, but this is definitely what I've always seen. I'd just go in expecting you might always have to do dessert but it never hurts to ask and you might be pleasantly surprised

 

[DisneyMandC]

I've looked into this a lot though we've never pulled the trigger on a dining plan, but this is definitely what I've always seen. I'd just go in expecting you might always have to do dessert but it never hurts to ask and you might be pleasantly surprised

Definitely! I've already planned for a couple places where I'm just going to pay OOP for appetizers. We have discounted GCs to use at Yak and Yeti anyways so I'm planning to get the ahi tuna nachos again

 

[jen7233]

I don't think I gave my parents a lot of costs in high school. I'm sure I had a few, like the senior ring and prom dress, but I honestly don't think compared to what I hear now that they had that many expenses with me.

We got back from WDW very early on Sunday morning due to a flight delay, so I am just starting to recover from it all and give you guys an update.

We had an awesome trip! DD loved all of the rides and shows that we went to. She also loved eating at all of the restaurants and for the most part she was really good. I think it was hard sometimes for her because there weren't a ton of opportunities for her to run around without the chance of her being trampled by crowds, but we tried our best to let her walk herself in the lines or play in more open areas. One highlight is that for Flower and Garden festival, they had playgrounds set up for younger kids. DD loved both of the playgrounds and it was nice to let her run around without worrying as much. After MK on Sunday and Monday, we went to Epcot on Tuesday, Animal Kingdom on Wednesday and Hollywood Studios on Thursday. Highlights for DD was Small World and Skipper Canteen at MK, Figment and meeting Tigger at Epcot, Kilimanjaro Safari and Festival of the Lion King at AK, and Indiana Jones Stunt Show at HS. I was able to snag us Flight of Passage fastpasses right before our dinner on Wednesday, so DH and I took turns. It was nice to finally get to try that ride. I was hoping to get a Slinky Dog Dash or Alien Saucers fastpass, but nothing popped up while we were there. And there aren't many rides that DD can do at HS due to height limits, so we left mid-afternoon and went to Epcot to do some Flower and Garden festival stuff. We ate around the world for dinner that night and again for lunch on Friday, then spent the rest of Friday at the Polynesian pool. And on Saturday we went to Disney Springs and ate at Maria and Enzo's with the 40% passholder discount. DH loved that place and was so glad that I booked it. He got the sea bass and I got the rigatoni. Both were super delicious.

Overall, we loved it and can't wait to go again in October. DH wants me to add up all of our dining expenses from this trip to decide if getting the Disney Dining Plan might make sense for us in October. DD mostly ate from our plates for meals and since she is under 3, we wouldn't have to buy a dining plan for her. DH mostly thinks it would be nice to have all of the snack credits for Food and Wine, plus he likes that he could get an alcoholic drink with his meals. That is a change from the last time we had the dining plan in 2014. I think it might make sense, but I won't know until I have time to deduct souvenirs costs from our overall expenses.

That's a great trip report! That's a good score on the FoP FPs, too bad on the SDD. We got lucky with those FPs already, so I'll see how those rides are in Toy Story Land. Ours are old enough and tall enough to ride everything, but they aren't feeling it on some things, like ToT, so we skip that. I've never tried Maria and Enzo's but I'll keep it in mind if we go to Disney Springs twice but I don't think we'll make it there more than one of our days, if we happen to I think we'll do some quick place that's there. We have the Boathouse reserved for our actual planned evening in Disney Springs, and I'm looking forward to that. We never do the dining plan, so I can't answer on the appetizers. I can't wait for trip soon coming up! Except, we have no other plans for the rest of the year, no summer plan when kids are out of school, and no plans for next year. I think we've got a pretty good deal on the cost so far so I'm pretty happy with that, $2600 for 4 people, 9 nights, 5 day park hoppers, magic bands, minigolf, airline fees. Since no dining plan, I'll also be tuned in to what dining costs as we go. So, after this trip spring break it'll feel strange, no plans! Sometimes that's just fun to look forward to.

 

[Eureka]

Just want to say to all of the parents of little ones out there... Senior year is soooo expensive. I swear every time I turn around there is another expense. I truly wish I had saved more (earmarked more) for this year. To be honest first semester wasn't too bad but second semester is a doozy! My breaking point was the $120 prom ticket. That's not a typo- ticket not tickets! On the plus side I told her that in no uncertain terms was I paying big money for prom shoes (her dress is quite full so they won't even be seen). She tried Plato's Closet but struck out. Headed off to DSW on a lark and found a pair that she loved on clearance. Originally $59.99 and we paid $23.99. I can live with that.

I keep thinking that next year will be cheaper but I know I'm just lying to myself!

DS' prom ticket is $85. Plus he had $25 registration fee for SkillsUSA this week. I gave him $50 for it and he paid the rest. He decided to wear his band tux so no rental there. He is going with a bunch of friends rather than a date, so I don't think we'll have many other expenses. For that anyway. Lol.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Did you find that a lot of the options at F&G were available to get with snack credits? I can't remember how many were snacks when we went before, but I would definitely like to use some snack credits at F&W in September.

Yes, most of the items counted for snack credits. I think this is a pretty common strategy that people use for Food and Wine because the dining plan often ends up saving people money. Here is a list of the menus for this year and you can see that almost all of the food items are "snack eligible":

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2019-epcot-flower-and-garden-festival-booth-menus-and-food-photos/

 

[DisneyMandC]

Yes, most of the items counted for snack credits. I think this is a pretty common strategy that people use for Food and Wine because the dining plan often ends up saving people money. Here is a list of the menus for this year and you can see that almost all of the food items are "snack eligible":

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2019-epcot-flower-and-garden-festival-booth-menus-and-food-photos/

Wow! Definitely do not recall that many items being snack eligible back in 2015. That's great!

 

[DisneyMandC]

All this prom talk had me interested in what we paid for our tickets when I was in high school. My dates always paid, but I knew our tickets couldn't be as expensive as what y'all were talking since I went to school in a not super wealthy area. My BFF works at our high school now as a teacher and said that juniors pay $20 per ticket and seniors go for free. I always though our proms were pretty nice and I always had a great time. I remember they hosted after-prom at school and we paid a little extra for that. They did an AWESOME job with that. Rock walls, more dancing if you want, video game rooms, all sorts of stuff. I didn't drink in high school (and still don't) but I honestly thought it was a pretty effective way to keep kids from going out and partying.

 

[amalone1013]

I couldn't find pricing on my prom tickets, but I did look up and this year is $15 for prom, and $10 for after prom at the school (was $6 or $8 back in 2008). Our after prom sounds similar to yours, @DisneyMandC

 

[jen7233]

For those that use the dining plan did you, or can you, mix it up with having the QS plan some days, and the regular dining plan the other? Wow, looking at the prices $52.50 vs. $75.49 per night for adults. But I know, expensive Disney dining!

 

[DisneyMandC]

For those that use the dining plan did you, or can you, mix it up with having the QS plan some days, and the regular dining plan the other? Wow, looking at the prices $52.50 vs. $75.49 per night for adults. But I know, expensive Disney dining!

Yup, all of your meals just come from a pool, so you can use it however you want to and it'll just show a running total of your meals left on your receipt. For our September trip, I'm planning to do two QS meals our first day, but then use 3 TS credits another day for a 1 TS breakfast and 2 TS dinner. They're yours to use however you'd like.

 

[SirDuff]

For those that use the dining plan did you, or can you, mix it up with having the QS plan some days, and the regular dining plan the other? Wow, looking at the prices $52.50 vs. $75.49 per night for adults. But I know, expensive Disney dining!

No. You get one type of plan for the length of your stay. You have to choose one or the other (or the Deluxe).

Yup, all of your meals just come from a pool, so you can use it however you want to and it'll just show a running total of your meals left on your receipt. For our September trip, I'm planning to do two QS meals our first day, but then use 3 TS credits another day for a 1 TS breakfast and 2 TS dinner. They're yours to use however you'd like.

Not what the PP was asking - the OP wanted a mix of plans (which you cannot do) You are correct, however, that the regular plan doesn't have to be used evenly (one TS and one QS per day). Obviously with the QS plan, the point is moot since one would only have QS credits.

 

[DisneyMandC]

For those that use the dining plan did you, or can you, mix it up with having the QS plan some days, and the regular dining plan the other? Wow, looking at the prices $52.50 vs. $75.49 per night for adults. But I know, expensive Disney dining!

Not what the PP was asking - the OP wanted a mix of plans (which you cannot do) You are correct, however, that the regular plan doesn't have to be used evenly (one TS and one QS per day).

Oh sorry, I missed that that's what you meant! Yes, one plan only and all people on the reservation must get the same dining plan. The credits are yours to use as you wish, but there's no mixing and matching plans.

 

[Birdie dog]

Checking in for March. I'm so glad this board exists, because if nothing else, it's making me stay accountable. I paid off my first CC today it had the smallest amount but the highest interest. Moving on to the next one. Like I said, it'll take a bit, but I'm doing it this time. My regular savings ( I also keep a Christmas club and vacation account ) is up to $4880 and change. My goal at Christmas for savings was to always try to have $5000 and keep it going. I've saved with every check and I'm only $120 down so I'll be at $5000 by the end of the month and move my goal to $10000.
I have finished my full month of "no buy" in January where I didn't allow myself to buy anything but needs such as groceries and toilet paper etc. I've loosened my rules for myself but the no buy really helped me. Instead of buying anything I want, I now think about it way more and leave most everything behind because I really don't need it. I did buy 4 new shirts today at costco at $12.99 each. I needed some new plain and easy shirts for an upcoming ( and fully paid for ) trip and I wasn't going to beat $12.99.
I had an annoyance earlier this month when I got an email that my homeowners was cancelled due to non-payment. I called my insurance guy and questioned what was going on since my insurance $ is in escrow. My mortgage company paid it late- only 4 days before the due date. It's been received and I'm back and re-instated, but my insurance guy, who's seen what a nightmare my mortgage people are, said I need a new one. I told him that at 3% on a 15 year that's been paid down 5 so far, that's not happening. So, I continue to babysit my mortgage company instead.
I so can't wait to get more of my debt paid off. I make pretty decent money but absolutely have spent more than I should. This will help me grow my savings ( my retirement is good, I routinely put 16% away plus what my company matches) and have more cash available when I want or need something. Thanks for the support!

 

[DisneyMandC]

I had an annoyance earlier this month when I got an email that my homeowners was cancelled due to non-payment. I called my insurance guy and questioned what was going on since my insurance $ is in escrow. My mortgage company paid it late- only 4 days before the due date. It's been received and I'm back and re-instated, but my insurance guy, who's seen what a nightmare my mortgage people are, said I need a new one. I told him that at 3% on a 15 year that's been paid down 5 so far, that's not happening. So, I continue to babysit my mortgage company instead.

I woke up one morning in October to an email that my homeowner's insurance would be canceled in 30 days for non-payment. Called in and discovered that my mortgage company somehow paid all but $5 of my insurance payment. Seriously?? How???

 

[barkley]

I woke up one morning in October to an email that my homeowner's insurance would be canceled in 30 days for non-payment. Called in and discovered that my mortgage company somehow paid all but $5 of my insurance payment. Seriously?? How???

b/c it's not a priority to them.

when we bought the home we live in i went round and round with a mortgage company about how much they wanted to withhold for homeowners and property taxes-it was HUGELY over the needed amount. they kept saying 'it will all balance out at the end of the year and if it's too much we can adjust it down and refund. i told them i was'nt going to wait a year for a refund when i could pay the insurance/property taxes myself and no longer had a mortgage company do it for me. when we still carried a loan on our home i would just pay the insurance out of pocket and they would email the yearly renewal verification to the lender, unless the lender got a notice that the property taxes hadn't been paid they knew we were up to date on it.

if you feel you can handle paying them yourself then it's worth it to see if an existing lender will let you forgo them paying it on your behalf (i also got a discount on the homeowners b/c they were paying it bi-annually vs me paying it annually).

 

[dina444444]

I woke up one morning in October to an email that my homeowner's insurance would be canceled in 30 days for non-payment. Called in and discovered that my mortgage company somehow paid all but $5 of my insurance payment. Seriously?? How???

b/c it's not a priority to them.

when we bought the home we live in i went round and round with a mortgage company about how much they wanted to withhold for homeowners and property taxes-it was HUGELY over the needed amount. they kept saying 'it will all balance out at the end of the year and if it's too much we can adjust it down and refund. i told them i was'nt going to wait a year for a refund when i could pay the insurance/property taxes myself and no longer had a mortgage company do it for me. when we still carried a loan on our home i would just pay the insurance out of pocket and they would email the yearly renewal verification to the lender, unless the lender got a notice that the property taxes hadn't been paid they knew we were up to date on it.

if you feel you can handle paying them yourself then it's worth it to see if an existing lender will let you forgo them paying it on your behalf (i also got a discount on the homeowners b/c they were paying it bi-annually vs me paying it annually).

I made the choice not have the mortgage company take out money to pay the property taxes and homeowners insurance when I bought my place so we can pay the insurance annually and the property tax at a date of our choice.

 

[rg35]

I recommend the /r/personalfinance subreddit for anyone in need of advice.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

My DD's prom ticket is $110 (and we're paying for her friend's ticket as well who used to go to the same school as she does, but transferred to another school). Fortunately she's wearing a dress her sister wore last year to another prom so the only other expense we have is shoes. Her sister will do her makeup and hair. She is paying for whatever after party they decide to go to. They were talking about a suite at the hotel after prom, but that's something they will all share the cost of.