Skip to main content

How we fund 25K in Traveling and have a Daycare Payment Mortgage!

As always I explain our my family spends 25K a year on vacations while still have a $630 a month daycare bill. 

1) Working REWARDS! 
     a) Disney Chase Credit card.  2% back.  Use if for EVERYTHING except 3 things.  We have one of us cruise for free on Disney every other year.   AND Disney Vacations are 6 months 0 % interest.
 
     b) Costco Citi card!  We make over $1500 a year back from 2 cards and the Executive Membership.   That cash (sent as checks you cash at Costco registers) is used to pay for our entire Carnival Cruise this spring break!   Gas = 4% cash back.  Travel = 3%   Eating out = 3%  Costco= 2% cash back.   
   
     c) Alaskan Airlines Credit Card-  companion fares, free baggage, miles.
 
     d) EBATES!  In 8 days I have made $63 in cash and $30 is pending travel.    You start at the EBATES website and simply shop like normal online.  The referral link within Ebates makes you money.
ex:  Amazon says "hey EBATES send me people to shop"  Ebates loads up the % back and posts it.  You start on Ebates and click the Amazon link, it sends you to Amazon KNOWING you will earn cash back.  You shop on Amazon like normal (be sure to stay in that referral link) and BAM % back in your EBATE account the next day.   It is THAT easy! 
Cash is sent to your Paypal account (or paper check) every quarter.   This alone pays for our spending money for our Thanksgiving Cancun Trip.    Here is my snip-it proving what I have earned and (promise, legit)!  And the link to sign up.
Below in the photo #1) All money made on Ebates to date (8 days people)!   #2) My last PayPal deposit. #3) how I earned cash back on shopping.

 LINK to sign up: https://www.ebates.com



2) We do not have car payments.     Hubby drives a 2003 Accord, me a 2010 Swag Van we paid off in  2 years (hence, didn't travel much those years).

3) Our mortgage is lower. We are both full time educators and could have afforded over 2K a month on a mortgage, instead we opted for a cheaper home for a cheaper mortgage.
   
4)  Shop travel deals online during good sales.  Our entire April spring break Carnival cruise is $1400 for all of us.       Our Alaskan Cruise we got the alcohol package for FREE when we upgraded to a Balcony (which I had always wanted).   In Mexico always Kids Stay FREE deals.

5) YNAB!  You Need a Budget is an online cloud budget tool.  It is budgeting on steroids!  You have to account for EVERY penny!   I have been using YNAB for 5 years and I am able to FULLY fund my vacations thru budgeting each month.  I set aside 2k a month for travel, this tool allows me to budget monthly and set goals.    It tells me what we spend the most money on (ahem, food and shopping) and allows us to have discussions about habits we NEED to change to reach our goals.      They have amazing training videos,  and a FREE 30 day trial.   Try it, no obligation (it is better than MINT which I used for 2 years and EveryDollar).   Try it here:  https://ynab.com/


Travel on Everyone!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Disneyland in the Rain with kids- here is your Ninja packing list:

Rainy days are the BEST days to go--- no lines- literally you can walk on to everything!   How to do Disney in the rain: 1) Everyone in 2 layers.   (thermal for kids) 2) Ponchos for the adults!    $5 at Walmart!  Buy an extra for the stroller- cover it well when you have it parked.  3)  Towels- when rides are wet and you are NOT because of your 2 layers and poncho, you don't want to get wet right?!   So put the towel down and sit on it.  4) Mattress waterproof crib pads- to cover legs of kid in stroller!    You see the purple rain boots- those are my 4 year olds.   Mattress pad (the baby ones at Walmart that fit a crib) over his legs.  Poncho on top. 5) Waterproof shoes for ALL!   (double socks) 6) a GOOD Weather app that tells you when RAIN is going to start.   We figured out the heavy rain was coming at 11am-2pm--so we left to take naps during that time.  7) Change of clothing- in case you get too wet. 8) a GREAT attitude of adventure.  You will get wet.. you will.
Post a Comment
Read more

The NinjaMom's guide to a Princess Alaska cruise with kids!

I took my 7 year old and 3 year old up to Anchorage Alaska and boarded the Coral Princess Ship in Whittier- we spent 7 days going southbound to Vancouver.   Here is all of my tidbits... the good and the bad: Lets start with the good: 1) The bed is the MOST comfortable thing ever!  I wanted to take it home, my happy place was IN BED on the boat!  They even have a flyer that talks about the amazing mattresses!   (on my Christmas list) 2) Nature!  Princess does the nature of Alaska right!  The Naturalist on board (Gloeta) was amazing.  The ship brought on Rangers in Glacier Bay National Park (Where only 2 boats get to enter a day and very FEW companies have access to this National Park) there were many bridge wildlife talks, and lectures on Glaciers and Whales.   Princess does an amazing job on bringing Alaska alive to you!   (No, you do NOT need a balcony.  I had a window, and it was perfect on deck 5.   If you can afford it, great.. but I chose to spend more money on excur
Post a Comment
Read more

My Do's and Don'ts: Great Wolf Lodge Anaheim, Ca (you can bring wine)

**I get nothing for this post, I paid full price for our room. You know me, I am all about giving advice when traveling...  I hope this is helpful: July 5-7 we were at the 2nd Happiest Place in Anaheim, Great Wolf Lodge (GWL).  Holiday weekend, you would think to steer clear...NOPE!    Do it!!!!!! .. this is a GREAT vacation! Imagine a large hotel room (we upgraded to the bunk bed cabin style for the kids).  They get own section of the room in a themed bunk bed with own TV (it's a BUNK bed, just do it).    Imagine a HUGE water park with lots to do, and not long lines... because only those staying at the hotel can go to the water park.. the longest line we waited in for a tube slide was 10 minutes.    They  have a lagoon area for the tiny tots, a HUGE play slide area for the pre-schoolers, and the rest for big kids (48inches) and bigger.     Money saving tip-  get the cheaper room, and book 60+ days in advance.  I found rates for $175 a night!   That is half what I paid! Her
Post a Comment
Read more