One reason we go on vacation is to get out of our normal schedules and try something new. One thing we all revolve around is food. Food can make a vacation or RUIN it! Here are some tips on how to eat CHEAP and what you MUST try at Disneyland!
Eating Cheap:
* Did you know Disneyland will let you bring in your own food?! Most people don't know that. Every year when we get to California, we go to a grocery store and buy stuff to make sandwiches, big bags of chips, fruit GALORE and other things for lunch. I get up in the mornings and make sandwiches, grab a big bag of chips and a bunch of apples, bananas and oranges. This is what we eat for lunch every day in the park.
* Find a hotel that serves you breakfast! Fill up on breakfast! Make sure to grab some fruit on your way out of breakfast to bring with you.
*Go to Walmart BEFORE you leave on your vacation (or go everyday, like I do normally...) and buy the $3.00 gallon water jugs. Before you leave your hotel fill it to the brim with ice and fill the rest with water. Wrap it in a blanket or towel and enjoy COLD water all day! We put ours in the bottom of our stroller and pull it out after and before every ride. It is really big so we usually only fill it up one other time during the day and we don't have to buy pop, juice or water ANYWHERE.
Now, I can see why people don't want to pack their own lunches. Of course you want to eat anything and everything you see in sight at Disneyland...or at least you THINK that is what you want. When you arrive, you become giddy. Your children become giddy. Your family members begin giggling like they are 7 year old little girls. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY wants to stop and eat anything decent for themselves. You want ice cream, churros, pineapple dole whips, brownies, turkey legs, popsicles...you get the idea. I bring lunches so we can eat on the go the whole morning and afternoon. This way I know my kids and I are getting some good nutrition (which avoids AWFUL tummy aches and tired bodies). My family is MUCH happier on our vacation this way! Then in the early afternoon we all pick out our favorite treat and go CRAZY while watching the parade. This way we all get our sugar fix when we are getting tired and can go for awhile longer before dinner. We eat dinner and do some easy slow rides before happily heading back to the hotel with full tummies and tired bodies. :)
Food you MUST try in California:
1. Ice Cream! On Main street in Disneyland there is an ice cream parlor with the BEST ice cream in dipped waffle cones. Do NOT miss this place. It has the best sundaes with chocolate chip cookies and cookie dough ice cream in a chocolate dipped waffle cone with sprinkles. BEST EVER!
2. Pineapple Dole Whips. Right out of Frontier Land is a stand with a line down a fence (yes a line) to get one of the BEST treats you will EVER have! It is pineapple flavored ice cream. It is a MUST have!
3. Mrs. Knott's at Knott's Berry Farm. About 10 miles from Disneyland is Knott's Berry Farm. Right outside of the park is a place called Mrs. Knott's Chicken. One dinner meal from this place will feed TWO people. They have incredible rolls and fried chicken. This is GREAT for an afternoon lunch if you need a break from the park.
4. Downtown Disney. Right outside of Disneyland is Downtown Disney. They have a HUGE variety of eating places that are cheaper than eating in the park. We enjoy the Rainforest Cafe (kind of expensive, but fun!).
This is all I have time for today to share with you all! I hope this helps with saving money for you when you do go! It helps us save around $300 each weekly trip on just food! My next post will be about something I am trying that is new. It is how to get DisneyLand tickets for CHEAP! Seriously... :) Have a Happy Mother's Day!
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Cheap Hotels
Wow. Sorry it has been so long! Life is always crazy for me. So here we go! Hotels.
I have stayed in the quite a few different hotels when we have gone to Disneyland. Some were close (across the street), some were down the street and some were about 10 minutes away. Each has its pros and cons. Today I am going to talk about those as well as how I got 6 nights at a Marriot for $75.00.
Let's start with my CHEAP $75.00 for 6 nights. Now I am sure most of you are freaking out. Yeah. I did too when I figured it out. Once again, my disclaimer! Do NOT do this UNLESS you are responsible with credit cards! If you are not, this is NOT WORTH IT! Okay. So I went to Chase.com and looked up the Marriott card. At the time I applied, it was free for a year, so NO yearly fee the first year. I also received 50,000 points and a free night at a Marriott that was either a level 4 or lower. This was ALL FOR FREE! The catch was you had to spend 1,000 dollars in three months. Piece of cake. I could do that with one bill! So I applied for one for my husband and one for myself. Of course we were approved and we each quickly spent and paid off the 1,000 dollars. The next part is what is tricky! I looked online at Marriott.com and found the point amount it would cost for hotels by Disneyland. I searched about 6 months before we were leaving. I found a hotel across the street for 25,000 points per night. I was pretty stoked about this! We could stay for four night without paying a cent! THEN, I read into it even further. If you went certain weeks, you could get the 5th night FREE! We picked one of those weeks immediately! Next I made the reservation on the phone with Marriott and then had them transfer me to the rewards department. When I talked to them I explained that I wanted to combine my husband and I's points for our vacation. They agreed that was fine ONLY because he was my husband. So this offer ONLY works with spouses. They sent us a paper in the mail and my husband had to sign it and say he was okay with transferring points to my account to pay for the trip. After that, we had to pay for taxes which came out to about $75.00. We were so excited! Then we decided we wanted to leave a day earlier and just make our vacation a whole week. I didn't want to pay for another night at a hotel, so I looked for a Marriott that was a level 4 or lower. I found one down the road from Disneyland...yes down the road...and booked our room there for FREE! We also get early check in and free breakfast. Did I mention that one was for FREE?! So after all is said and done, we have gotten 7 nights ( 4 nights with points, 1 free because of the four nights in a row, and 2 certificates for free nights at ANY Marriott that was a level 4 or lower) for $75.00. It blew my mind after we did it all! After our vacation I will cancel my husband's card and keep mine. I will just pay the $99.00 fee every year for the FREE night at a Marriott and rack up points for our next vacation.
The second part is about WHERE you want to get a hotel. I will go from what I think is the WORST to the BEST
3. 10 miles or further: I picked this as last because of the biggest con in my opinion....DRIVING THERE AND PARKING. WORST NIGHTMARE! Of course it is better than most places, but if you have children....it is a nightmare. You are already excited driving there and will probably get stuck in traffic, then parking will take awhile, then getting on the tram to the front gates, then going through security....you get the picture? If you have kids, pay MORE FOR THE CLOSER HOTEL! If you don't, then the cheaper hotels are DEFINITELY 10 minutes away!
2. Down the Road Hotels; I picked these as second because most of these hotels have a tram that will actually drive you to the park and drop you off by the front gates. No Parking! Yeah! These hotels are usually a little nicer for the price. I have enjoyed these hotels, BUT that tram only holds a couple people and it isn't very fun to fold up a stroller on there, wait for the ONLY times they send one out and the time it takes to get there and back.
1. Across the Street; These hotels are seriously the BEST to stay at. They have a range of cheap hotels to nicer ones! There is a McDonald's RIGHT THERE for a quick and CHEAP lunch! The best part is being able to walk across the street to Disneyland and go right in WHENEVER you want. We usually head back in the afternoon and take a nap and stay WAY late. The only issue is they book up FAST. You have to book these in advance.
Another way to get a cheaper hotel with Disneyland tickets is to visit getawaytoday.com. They usually have the cheapest prices.
The next post will be about EATING at Disneyland. Where is good to eat, how to eat cheap and what you CANNOT miss out on!
I have stayed in the quite a few different hotels when we have gone to Disneyland. Some were close (across the street), some were down the street and some were about 10 minutes away. Each has its pros and cons. Today I am going to talk about those as well as how I got 6 nights at a Marriot for $75.00.
Let's start with my CHEAP $75.00 for 6 nights. Now I am sure most of you are freaking out. Yeah. I did too when I figured it out. Once again, my disclaimer! Do NOT do this UNLESS you are responsible with credit cards! If you are not, this is NOT WORTH IT! Okay. So I went to Chase.com and looked up the Marriott card. At the time I applied, it was free for a year, so NO yearly fee the first year. I also received 50,000 points and a free night at a Marriott that was either a level 4 or lower. This was ALL FOR FREE! The catch was you had to spend 1,000 dollars in three months. Piece of cake. I could do that with one bill! So I applied for one for my husband and one for myself. Of course we were approved and we each quickly spent and paid off the 1,000 dollars. The next part is what is tricky! I looked online at Marriott.com and found the point amount it would cost for hotels by Disneyland. I searched about 6 months before we were leaving. I found a hotel across the street for 25,000 points per night. I was pretty stoked about this! We could stay for four night without paying a cent! THEN, I read into it even further. If you went certain weeks, you could get the 5th night FREE! We picked one of those weeks immediately! Next I made the reservation on the phone with Marriott and then had them transfer me to the rewards department. When I talked to them I explained that I wanted to combine my husband and I's points for our vacation. They agreed that was fine ONLY because he was my husband. So this offer ONLY works with spouses. They sent us a paper in the mail and my husband had to sign it and say he was okay with transferring points to my account to pay for the trip. After that, we had to pay for taxes which came out to about $75.00. We were so excited! Then we decided we wanted to leave a day earlier and just make our vacation a whole week. I didn't want to pay for another night at a hotel, so I looked for a Marriott that was a level 4 or lower. I found one down the road from Disneyland...yes down the road...and booked our room there for FREE! We also get early check in and free breakfast. Did I mention that one was for FREE?! So after all is said and done, we have gotten 7 nights ( 4 nights with points, 1 free because of the four nights in a row, and 2 certificates for free nights at ANY Marriott that was a level 4 or lower) for $75.00. It blew my mind after we did it all! After our vacation I will cancel my husband's card and keep mine. I will just pay the $99.00 fee every year for the FREE night at a Marriott and rack up points for our next vacation.
The second part is about WHERE you want to get a hotel. I will go from what I think is the WORST to the BEST
3. 10 miles or further: I picked this as last because of the biggest con in my opinion....DRIVING THERE AND PARKING. WORST NIGHTMARE! Of course it is better than most places, but if you have children....it is a nightmare. You are already excited driving there and will probably get stuck in traffic, then parking will take awhile, then getting on the tram to the front gates, then going through security....you get the picture? If you have kids, pay MORE FOR THE CLOSER HOTEL! If you don't, then the cheaper hotels are DEFINITELY 10 minutes away!
2. Down the Road Hotels; I picked these as second because most of these hotels have a tram that will actually drive you to the park and drop you off by the front gates. No Parking! Yeah! These hotels are usually a little nicer for the price. I have enjoyed these hotels, BUT that tram only holds a couple people and it isn't very fun to fold up a stroller on there, wait for the ONLY times they send one out and the time it takes to get there and back.
1. Across the Street; These hotels are seriously the BEST to stay at. They have a range of cheap hotels to nicer ones! There is a McDonald's RIGHT THERE for a quick and CHEAP lunch! The best part is being able to walk across the street to Disneyland and go right in WHENEVER you want. We usually head back in the afternoon and take a nap and stay WAY late. The only issue is they book up FAST. You have to book these in advance.
Another way to get a cheaper hotel with Disneyland tickets is to visit getawaytoday.com. They usually have the cheapest prices.
The next post will be about EATING at Disneyland. Where is good to eat, how to eat cheap and what you CANNOT miss out on!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Airports with kids....NIGHTMARE NO MORE!
Have you ever seen that picture of the woman with two kids on leashes in the airport? They are wrapping themselves around her legs with the leashes and she is about to fall over? Or the one where one kid goes one way, and the other goes the opposite way? Yeah. That's about how it feels at the airport with kids. Seriously. I have done it will two kids while one was breastfeeding. So here are some survival tips that make the trip SO MUCH EASIER!
* PLAN PLAN PLAN! It is better to be EXTREMELY OVERLY organized than searching for EVERYTHING! I make sure to carry a small purse over my shoulder. In it I have all our ticket information, car rental information, passports, drivers license, birth certificates (Children will need them if they are under 16 usually for identification purposes), cash, one diaper, a small thing of wipes, a binkie (yes!), maps or any paper item you will need. It won't get in the way if it is a long strapped bag that is flat. They have these all over the place. Invest in one NOW! They are seriously the best! You will have to pull out identification about fifty times at the air port and tickets and passports, so you may as well have them easily accessible.
* Kids need to be in a stroller or backpack. Any child who is under the age of six should be in a stroller or strapped to you in a back pack. This makes life SO MUCH EASIER! They are the ones who like to run away. I give my kids a LARGE snack or a meal to sit and eat while we make it through checking in our bags. That is probably the hardest part of it all. They sit there quietly and you can move around easily.
* Make sure to arrive to the airport TWO HOURS (yes, hours) before your scheduled flight. You never know how long the lines will take with airports. You don't want to stress on top of having kids with you. Make sure to have enough time to let them go to the bathroom the fifth time if they need or get a drink from that cool drinking fountain or even ride an escalator three times (guilty).
*Make sure to check in ALL car seats when you check in bags. Some people carry those things to put under the plane. Don't. It is just extra weight and totally not worth it. Check them in first thing. They don't count them as one of your bags if you fly Southwest (another reason I LOVE them). Get rid of everything you can at that point except for backpacks for each kid and your small purse.
* After bags are check, realize that you are going to have to go through security. This is a stressful thing. Make sure you have all sippy cups EMPTY before you go through. You can fill them up with water right after you go through. Water bottles are okay if they have not been opened up. They do have a family lane because they know it will take you twenty minutes to get through with all your kids. Give each adult a child (or teenager a child) to take care of at this point. If there aren't enough adults, try your best! Make sure the oldest one understands BEFORE you get to the point of putting stuff up in bins that he/she needs to take their shoes off and their backpack. You will have to fold up your stroller and put it through the machine. Start taking kids out BEFORE so you can move through quicker. Don't get stressed! Just try to be calm and move quickly. If people get mad behind you, turn around and give them the mean stink eye. They will shut up. Trust me. Or take longer to annoy them. That is fun also. :)
* After you get through you can sing, do a dance, run in circles...what ever makes you happy! You made it though the hardest part of the whole traveling trip! Next IMMEDIATELY find your gate. I know you want to eat or go to the bathroom or whatever, but find that gate NOW. There is a bathroom and eating place by it. Go find a seat and take turns going to the bathroom and grabbing a snack or drink. You may have to wait a little bit or may be boarding already! Hopefully the first rather than the last. Try to find a window seat while waiting. Kids LOVE to watch the airplanes take off. It entertains them and makes them VERY happy!
*You can keep your stroller up to this point without any problems. Make sure to find a flight helper and let them know you want to check your stroller in to go under the airplane. They will give you a ticket and a sticker to put on your stroller. When you are boarding, there is a spot to leave the stroller folded up. It really is nice to keep the kids in until that point. When exiting the airplane, the stroller will be in the same place so you can put your kids in it before you enter the destination airport.
* After you get boarded and seated on the airplane, immediately lay the ground rules for the older kids. Let them know they are not allowed in their backpacks until you have taken off and are in the air. Most kids are entertained looking out the window or looking at everyone walking in the plane. The closer you sit to the front the better. The turbulence isn't as bad and you can get off faster. :)
*When the plane takes off kids under the age of 3 have a hard time with their ears. I always give my kids a sippy cup with something they normally don't get to drink. This will pop their ears without them knowing and make the transition up into the air a little easier. With a baby, feed them at that point. Try your best to make sure they are hungry. After they fall into this beautiful sleep the whole way to your destination. One less person for you to worry about.
*The kids backpacks should be full of surprises! New snacks, new toys, electronics with new games. Nothing they have ever done or seen before. This way, the back pack is entertaining for the entire ninety minute plane ride. Trust me! It has worked SEVERAL times for me!
* If you have an infant, I like to keep them strapped to me the whole time in a backpack or a wrap. This way they are comfortable and you have two free hands. You are happier and so are they.
*Exiting isn't too bad. Get your kids in the stroller and get your bags. Make sure to use suitcases that are not black or blue. EVERYONE has suitcases like that. It is harder to find your bags if you do that. Cover it in pink duct tape or put a big sticker so that you can easily pick it out. I have a polka dotted pink and green suitcase. I never miss it. Never.
*Make sure you know where you are headed after you get your bags. If you are taking a taxi, renting a car or being picked up, make sure you know where to go. If you rent a car, you usually have to take a shuttle to the place. Make sure you tip the driver. They will help you with your bags getting on and everything. They are awesome!
I hope these tips help a few of you when you fly to your vacation destination! My next post will be about hotels and how to get them for cheap, like $75.00 for six nights at a Marriott. Yeah, I just did that. :) See you next time!
Brianne
* PLAN PLAN PLAN! It is better to be EXTREMELY OVERLY organized than searching for EVERYTHING! I make sure to carry a small purse over my shoulder. In it I have all our ticket information, car rental information, passports, drivers license, birth certificates (Children will need them if they are under 16 usually for identification purposes), cash, one diaper, a small thing of wipes, a binkie (yes!), maps or any paper item you will need. It won't get in the way if it is a long strapped bag that is flat. They have these all over the place. Invest in one NOW! They are seriously the best! You will have to pull out identification about fifty times at the air port and tickets and passports, so you may as well have them easily accessible.
* Kids need to be in a stroller or backpack. Any child who is under the age of six should be in a stroller or strapped to you in a back pack. This makes life SO MUCH EASIER! They are the ones who like to run away. I give my kids a LARGE snack or a meal to sit and eat while we make it through checking in our bags. That is probably the hardest part of it all. They sit there quietly and you can move around easily.
* Make sure to arrive to the airport TWO HOURS (yes, hours) before your scheduled flight. You never know how long the lines will take with airports. You don't want to stress on top of having kids with you. Make sure to have enough time to let them go to the bathroom the fifth time if they need or get a drink from that cool drinking fountain or even ride an escalator three times (guilty).
*Make sure to check in ALL car seats when you check in bags. Some people carry those things to put under the plane. Don't. It is just extra weight and totally not worth it. Check them in first thing. They don't count them as one of your bags if you fly Southwest (another reason I LOVE them). Get rid of everything you can at that point except for backpacks for each kid and your small purse.
* After bags are check, realize that you are going to have to go through security. This is a stressful thing. Make sure you have all sippy cups EMPTY before you go through. You can fill them up with water right after you go through. Water bottles are okay if they have not been opened up. They do have a family lane because they know it will take you twenty minutes to get through with all your kids. Give each adult a child (or teenager a child) to take care of at this point. If there aren't enough adults, try your best! Make sure the oldest one understands BEFORE you get to the point of putting stuff up in bins that he/she needs to take their shoes off and their backpack. You will have to fold up your stroller and put it through the machine. Start taking kids out BEFORE so you can move through quicker. Don't get stressed! Just try to be calm and move quickly. If people get mad behind you, turn around and give them the mean stink eye. They will shut up. Trust me. Or take longer to annoy them. That is fun also. :)
* After you get through you can sing, do a dance, run in circles...what ever makes you happy! You made it though the hardest part of the whole traveling trip! Next IMMEDIATELY find your gate. I know you want to eat or go to the bathroom or whatever, but find that gate NOW. There is a bathroom and eating place by it. Go find a seat and take turns going to the bathroom and grabbing a snack or drink. You may have to wait a little bit or may be boarding already! Hopefully the first rather than the last. Try to find a window seat while waiting. Kids LOVE to watch the airplanes take off. It entertains them and makes them VERY happy!
*You can keep your stroller up to this point without any problems. Make sure to find a flight helper and let them know you want to check your stroller in to go under the airplane. They will give you a ticket and a sticker to put on your stroller. When you are boarding, there is a spot to leave the stroller folded up. It really is nice to keep the kids in until that point. When exiting the airplane, the stroller will be in the same place so you can put your kids in it before you enter the destination airport.
* After you get boarded and seated on the airplane, immediately lay the ground rules for the older kids. Let them know they are not allowed in their backpacks until you have taken off and are in the air. Most kids are entertained looking out the window or looking at everyone walking in the plane. The closer you sit to the front the better. The turbulence isn't as bad and you can get off faster. :)
*When the plane takes off kids under the age of 3 have a hard time with their ears. I always give my kids a sippy cup with something they normally don't get to drink. This will pop their ears without them knowing and make the transition up into the air a little easier. With a baby, feed them at that point. Try your best to make sure they are hungry. After they fall into this beautiful sleep the whole way to your destination. One less person for you to worry about.
*The kids backpacks should be full of surprises! New snacks, new toys, electronics with new games. Nothing they have ever done or seen before. This way, the back pack is entertaining for the entire ninety minute plane ride. Trust me! It has worked SEVERAL times for me!
* If you have an infant, I like to keep them strapped to me the whole time in a backpack or a wrap. This way they are comfortable and you have two free hands. You are happier and so are they.
*Exiting isn't too bad. Get your kids in the stroller and get your bags. Make sure to use suitcases that are not black or blue. EVERYONE has suitcases like that. It is harder to find your bags if you do that. Cover it in pink duct tape or put a big sticker so that you can easily pick it out. I have a polka dotted pink and green suitcase. I never miss it. Never.
*Make sure you know where you are headed after you get your bags. If you are taking a taxi, renting a car or being picked up, make sure you know where to go. If you rent a car, you usually have to take a shuttle to the place. Make sure you tip the driver. They will help you with your bags getting on and everything. They are awesome!
I hope these tips help a few of you when you fly to your vacation destination! My next post will be about hotels and how to get them for cheap, like $75.00 for six nights at a Marriott. Yeah, I just did that. :) See you next time!
Brianne
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Disney Land for Cheap: Part 2 (Flying/Driving)
The thought of either flying or driving to California makes most people decide NOT to do the trip. Honestly, I don't blame them. Traveling with kids is one of the most stressful, horrifying, annoying things you can do...UNLESS you know how to do them right! :)
Driving
I am totally not a fan of driving. This is how my parents took us every year. I remember getting car sick and having ALOT of bloody noses. Here are a couple of tips for those driving with kids:
1. Make sure you plan where you are going to stop. Try finding a McDonald's with a play place and plan on staying for at least an hour to let your kids fill up on greasy fast food and get their wiggles out.
2. Leave early in the morning. Wake up your kids five minutes before you leave and hand them breakfast in a baggie. They can wake up and eat breakfast while driving, which cuts some time off! If they are used to watching morning cartoons, wait about thirty to forty minutes and then start a movie. That is a good two hours of driving right there!
3. Activites! Kids need LOTS of different activities. Try buying them new toys, crayons, books and other items they have never seen or done for the trip specifically. This will keep them occupied longer. IPADS and IPODs are AMAZING in the car! Make sure to pack the chargers. They have adapters that you can plug into your cigarette lighter so that you have a plug in the car. I have even heard of people printing off maps of Disneyland and California Adventure so the kids could circle which rides they wanted to go on the most so they could plan the days around those rides.
4. Stay in Vegas. Who doesn't LOVE Las Vegas? Stay in a cheap hotel there for a night and make your vacation a little longer. They do have lots of activities and good places to eat.
5. Research! When you are taking a long road trip it is good to research where the rest stops, eating joints and Wal-marts are. Then you know if you have time to make it to the next one without someone peeing on the side of the road or starving to death.
Flying
This is where it gets tricky! Let's start by talking about HOW I got round trip flights for $7.50 each. I totally believe in credit cards. I believe they are good IF you are controlled on spending and KNOW how to use them. My husband and I always look into credit cards and if they have a good program worth the rewards. Those rewards will PAY for your trip if you know how to use them correctly. My way is with a Southwest Chase Credit Card. A couple times out of the year they will offer 50,000 bonus points if you sign up for their card, are approved and spend so much money on it in the first three months. My husband and I see this as something we would get normally. There is usually a $99.00 yearly fee or if you are lucky, you can find the one with the $69.00 per year fee. Once you get your credit card you put EVERYTHING on it and I mean EVERYTHING! Groceries, bills, walmart expenditures....etc. Here is the tricky part. You have to spend it like it was a DEBIT card. Once you put something on your credit card, you deduct it from your checking account like the money was taken out right then. That way you keep track of your spending and when you have to pay for the credit card, you have the money and already planned on it being gone. You must be VERY careful with this. I pay my credit card balance in FULL every two weeks when my husband gets paid. I pay it with money that is not from that paycheck he just got, but the paycheck from the time before. I take the money out like it is a DEBIT. This way I don't pay any late fees and I rack up the points to use for flights and other things. If you have questions about this process, please comment and I will answer them. After you spend the $3,000 on the credit card and pay it off, you will get your 50,000 points. Next is the waiting game. You know when you are flying out and back. Check those dates every Tuesday and Wednesday nights for how many points they cost. These are when flights are the cheapest. Never book on a weekend. They will always be higher. If you can get them for under 6,000 points per way, you should book them. I always get the NON STOP FLIGHTS. Especially if you have kids! That is so important to know if you have stops or anything. The NON STOP flights take about an hour and a half. Very short. Kids under two do NOT need a ticket. They can sit on your lap. So if you have a family of four and it is 12,000 points per person, then you use about 48,000 points to fly round trip to Los Angeles. Everyone does have to pay $7.50 per person for the 9/11 tax. That is it. I have done this several times with Southwest and have enjoyed them every time. Please remember that if you are not responsible with credit cards, this is NOT a good way for you. Credit cards should always be used like a debit card and NEVER like a loan. It takes a lot of planning and discipline to use a credit card. For the credit card application, visit www.chase.com and look for the southwest chase credit card. DON"T get it unless they are offering the 50,000 points. They always do it eventually. Wait for that opportunity.
My next post will be about surviving the airport and airplane with kids.
Brianne
Driving
I am totally not a fan of driving. This is how my parents took us every year. I remember getting car sick and having ALOT of bloody noses. Here are a couple of tips for those driving with kids:
1. Make sure you plan where you are going to stop. Try finding a McDonald's with a play place and plan on staying for at least an hour to let your kids fill up on greasy fast food and get their wiggles out.
2. Leave early in the morning. Wake up your kids five minutes before you leave and hand them breakfast in a baggie. They can wake up and eat breakfast while driving, which cuts some time off! If they are used to watching morning cartoons, wait about thirty to forty minutes and then start a movie. That is a good two hours of driving right there!
3. Activites! Kids need LOTS of different activities. Try buying them new toys, crayons, books and other items they have never seen or done for the trip specifically. This will keep them occupied longer. IPADS and IPODs are AMAZING in the car! Make sure to pack the chargers. They have adapters that you can plug into your cigarette lighter so that you have a plug in the car. I have even heard of people printing off maps of Disneyland and California Adventure so the kids could circle which rides they wanted to go on the most so they could plan the days around those rides.
4. Stay in Vegas. Who doesn't LOVE Las Vegas? Stay in a cheap hotel there for a night and make your vacation a little longer. They do have lots of activities and good places to eat.
5. Research! When you are taking a long road trip it is good to research where the rest stops, eating joints and Wal-marts are. Then you know if you have time to make it to the next one without someone peeing on the side of the road or starving to death.
Flying
This is where it gets tricky! Let's start by talking about HOW I got round trip flights for $7.50 each. I totally believe in credit cards. I believe they are good IF you are controlled on spending and KNOW how to use them. My husband and I always look into credit cards and if they have a good program worth the rewards. Those rewards will PAY for your trip if you know how to use them correctly. My way is with a Southwest Chase Credit Card. A couple times out of the year they will offer 50,000 bonus points if you sign up for their card, are approved and spend so much money on it in the first three months. My husband and I see this as something we would get normally. There is usually a $99.00 yearly fee or if you are lucky, you can find the one with the $69.00 per year fee. Once you get your credit card you put EVERYTHING on it and I mean EVERYTHING! Groceries, bills, walmart expenditures....etc. Here is the tricky part. You have to spend it like it was a DEBIT card. Once you put something on your credit card, you deduct it from your checking account like the money was taken out right then. That way you keep track of your spending and when you have to pay for the credit card, you have the money and already planned on it being gone. You must be VERY careful with this. I pay my credit card balance in FULL every two weeks when my husband gets paid. I pay it with money that is not from that paycheck he just got, but the paycheck from the time before. I take the money out like it is a DEBIT. This way I don't pay any late fees and I rack up the points to use for flights and other things. If you have questions about this process, please comment and I will answer them. After you spend the $3,000 on the credit card and pay it off, you will get your 50,000 points. Next is the waiting game. You know when you are flying out and back. Check those dates every Tuesday and Wednesday nights for how many points they cost. These are when flights are the cheapest. Never book on a weekend. They will always be higher. If you can get them for under 6,000 points per way, you should book them. I always get the NON STOP FLIGHTS. Especially if you have kids! That is so important to know if you have stops or anything. The NON STOP flights take about an hour and a half. Very short. Kids under two do NOT need a ticket. They can sit on your lap. So if you have a family of four and it is 12,000 points per person, then you use about 48,000 points to fly round trip to Los Angeles. Everyone does have to pay $7.50 per person for the 9/11 tax. That is it. I have done this several times with Southwest and have enjoyed them every time. Please remember that if you are not responsible with credit cards, this is NOT a good way for you. Credit cards should always be used like a debit card and NEVER like a loan. It takes a lot of planning and discipline to use a credit card. For the credit card application, visit www.chase.com and look for the southwest chase credit card. DON"T get it unless they are offering the 50,000 points. They always do it eventually. Wait for that opportunity.
My next post will be about surviving the airport and airplane with kids.
Brianne
Disney land for CHEAP: Part One
Disney land. Doesn't that word just make you giddy inside? It sure does me! I can't help but think about pirates, princesses, ice cream, happiness, fun...etc. I could go on and on about Disney Land and the AMAZINGNESS of it! I was lucky and was born into a family that believed Disney Land was a necessity growing up. I have since passed this tradition onto my children (without force) and my husband (with force).
So you see this great commercial on TV about Disneyland and you think, 'I would LOVE to take my kids there!' You get super excited and start to plan it out in your head. We will go for an entire week and stay in the Disney Land Hotel and eat ice cream all day long! Then reality hits. You look at ticket prices and think, okay...maybe we can do this. Then you look at hotels...ugh...can we do this? Then you look at flights...okay we can't do this. Then you give up. Does this sound familiar? I did the same thing the first time I looked at pricing when we wanted to take my daughter. How in the WORLD can people AFFORD THIS! That was seriously my first thought. Then I called my parents, "HOW did you guys AFFORD to take FIVE KIDS to DISNEYLAND?!" My mom's answer was 'We just did it'. The more I thought about it, the more I looked into finding the CHEAPEST way to Disney Land. After a couple years...I think I have this down pretty well! :)
First thing to do: Plan a date at least SIX MONTHS in advance.
There is a reason we plan our Disneyland trips months in advance. Everything is cheaper farther away! Booking a hotel six months in advance will guarantee the cheapest price. They don't know how busy they will be at that time so they are just cheap. Flights are ALWAYS cheaper in advance. So first you want to decide when to go. Ask for time off work. Save up those paid time off work days for your vacation. Make sure it doesn't conflict with anything your kids do. I promise that planning that far in advance is NECESSARY for a big trip.
Second: How long are you going?
This will help you decide a lot of things! How many days you want to spend in the park? Do you want to go anywhere else in California? We usually like to go to Disneyland for at LEAST three days. With two kids, getting around Disneyland can be crazy and slow moving. If your going to go, you better have enough time to get in most of what you want to do!? Right? We also like to go during the week days. Weekends are CRAZY at Disneyland (obviously...). So we usually spend two or three days going on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Then we spend one day on a weekend like a Friday. That way we can see all the fun stuff that is only on weekends, but avoid most of the crowds on the first few days.
Third: How are you going to get there?
I personally like to fly. I don't want to drive for 12 hours with two kids. That is not fun to me. Every person is different so I will do pros and cons of each.
Flying
Flying is expensive, UNLESS you know how to get around that. It is ALOT faster, less stressful and less tiring. It is expensive, time consuming in different ways and scary for some.
Driving
Driving is still expensive with gas prices the way they are, it is extremely time consuming (2 days for JUST travel), tiring, annoying, boring....etc. Driving does give you the option of having a car to drive to other places and it is convenient.
These are three things you must decide before you can even begin planning much of your trip! Once you have made up your mind on those things, then you can move forward with trying to save money on each part of your trip.
My next blog post will be about getting to California for Cheap! I will explain how I received four round trip flights for $22.50, driving for cheap and traveling tips with children as soon as I can!
Brianne
So you see this great commercial on TV about Disneyland and you think, 'I would LOVE to take my kids there!' You get super excited and start to plan it out in your head. We will go for an entire week and stay in the Disney Land Hotel and eat ice cream all day long! Then reality hits. You look at ticket prices and think, okay...maybe we can do this. Then you look at hotels...ugh...can we do this? Then you look at flights...okay we can't do this. Then you give up. Does this sound familiar? I did the same thing the first time I looked at pricing when we wanted to take my daughter. How in the WORLD can people AFFORD THIS! That was seriously my first thought. Then I called my parents, "HOW did you guys AFFORD to take FIVE KIDS to DISNEYLAND?!" My mom's answer was 'We just did it'. The more I thought about it, the more I looked into finding the CHEAPEST way to Disney Land. After a couple years...I think I have this down pretty well! :)
First thing to do: Plan a date at least SIX MONTHS in advance.
There is a reason we plan our Disneyland trips months in advance. Everything is cheaper farther away! Booking a hotel six months in advance will guarantee the cheapest price. They don't know how busy they will be at that time so they are just cheap. Flights are ALWAYS cheaper in advance. So first you want to decide when to go. Ask for time off work. Save up those paid time off work days for your vacation. Make sure it doesn't conflict with anything your kids do. I promise that planning that far in advance is NECESSARY for a big trip.
Second: How long are you going?
This will help you decide a lot of things! How many days you want to spend in the park? Do you want to go anywhere else in California? We usually like to go to Disneyland for at LEAST three days. With two kids, getting around Disneyland can be crazy and slow moving. If your going to go, you better have enough time to get in most of what you want to do!? Right? We also like to go during the week days. Weekends are CRAZY at Disneyland (obviously...). So we usually spend two or three days going on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Then we spend one day on a weekend like a Friday. That way we can see all the fun stuff that is only on weekends, but avoid most of the crowds on the first few days.
Third: How are you going to get there?
I personally like to fly. I don't want to drive for 12 hours with two kids. That is not fun to me. Every person is different so I will do pros and cons of each.
Flying
Flying is expensive, UNLESS you know how to get around that. It is ALOT faster, less stressful and less tiring. It is expensive, time consuming in different ways and scary for some.
Driving
Driving is still expensive with gas prices the way they are, it is extremely time consuming (2 days for JUST travel), tiring, annoying, boring....etc. Driving does give you the option of having a car to drive to other places and it is convenient.
These are three things you must decide before you can even begin planning much of your trip! Once you have made up your mind on those things, then you can move forward with trying to save money on each part of your trip.
My next blog post will be about getting to California for Cheap! I will explain how I received four round trip flights for $22.50, driving for cheap and traveling tips with children as soon as I can!
Brianne
Who and Why?
Hello to those who have "encouraged and pushed" me into finally doing this blog. I suppose to start a blog, you probably should know who I am and why I am doing this. My name is Brianne. I am a wife, mom to two beautiful children, a dance studio owner/teacher, avid reader, lover of ANYTHING that has to do with Disney, penny pincher, travel hacker, baker, child at heart, Pretty Little Liars watcher (don't judge) and chocolate lover.
A couple years ago my husband and I found ourselves in a situation most people find themselves in. My husband was accepted into graduate school and I wanted to stay home with our little girl. This meant MAJOR sacrifice and MAJOR money issues. We both felt I needed to stay home, even though I had a Licensed Practical Nursing Degree with a VERY good paying job. At that moment I decided that I would dedicate my life to making sure my husband NEVER worried about us having enough money. I read up on MILLIONS of articles on how to save money, couponing, cooking for cheap...etc. After three years of living on practically nothing, I learned how to live with very little income. My husband graduated and was hired at a good paying job. We even cried when he received his first pay check. That one paycheck was almost HALF of what he made in an entire YEAR! That was the second time in my life I decided that we would be smart with our money. We wanted to make the money work for us. Even though my husband makes more than he made a couple years ago, we still live mostly like we are students. I just don't see the fun in spending $100 on a pair of jeans that I could coupon and buy for $20. This blog will be about different things I have done in my life to save money such as couponing, travel hacking and budgeting. I hope you all enjoy my CRAZINESS on how I manage our money. :)
Brianne
A couple years ago my husband and I found ourselves in a situation most people find themselves in. My husband was accepted into graduate school and I wanted to stay home with our little girl. This meant MAJOR sacrifice and MAJOR money issues. We both felt I needed to stay home, even though I had a Licensed Practical Nursing Degree with a VERY good paying job. At that moment I decided that I would dedicate my life to making sure my husband NEVER worried about us having enough money. I read up on MILLIONS of articles on how to save money, couponing, cooking for cheap...etc. After three years of living on practically nothing, I learned how to live with very little income. My husband graduated and was hired at a good paying job. We even cried when he received his first pay check. That one paycheck was almost HALF of what he made in an entire YEAR! That was the second time in my life I decided that we would be smart with our money. We wanted to make the money work for us. Even though my husband makes more than he made a couple years ago, we still live mostly like we are students. I just don't see the fun in spending $100 on a pair of jeans that I could coupon and buy for $20. This blog will be about different things I have done in my life to save money such as couponing, travel hacking and budgeting. I hope you all enjoy my CRAZINESS on how I manage our money. :)
Brianne
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