saving for OB account.

[martin jenkins]

how do u lot save??? we buy a money tin and only save $1 & $2 coins on our last cruise we saved $1,100 but as we still have 591 days to go i'd say we'll fill the tin so hoping for around $2,300, have also heard people do the 52 week challenge i.e. $1 the 1st week $2 the second week etc.

[paul929207]

I guess you will get nearly as many different ways as there are cruisers. We don't do anything special. Just make sure we always have enough to go

[Mommypig]

how do u lot save??? we buy a money tin and only save $1 & $2 coins on our last cruise we saved $1,100 but as we still have 591 days to go i'd say we'll fill the tin so hoping for around $2,300, have also heard people do the 52 week challenge i.e. $1 the 1st week $2 the second week etc.

 

 

Saving change is a great way to save up. I once challenged some girlfriends of mine, who claimed they could not afford to travel, to throw all their change in a jar, and a year later we went to Disney World for a long weekend with barely a bump in their budgets.

 

We also rob the food budget. Any money that I can save at the grocery store gets moved from the food budget to the cruise budget.

 

Linda

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Nan_Sea]

We maintain a zero balance on our credit card every month. When we go on a cruise that months bill is actually lower because we haven't been spending money on everyday expenses like gas, restaurants etc.and charging everything to the credit card gives us 2 points per $. A win win!

[KirkNC]

We maintain a zero balance on our credit card every month. When we go on a cruise that months bill is actually lower because we haven't been spending money on everyday expenses like gas, restaurants etc.and charging everything to the credit card gives us 2 points per $. A win win!

 

I love it, spend money to save money!

[billco]

My credit card company helps me save by putting a limit on how much I can charge.

[Nan_Sea]

I love it, spend money to save money!

 

 

I tell my husband we should cruise more often for the savings :)

[sue2go]

You have inspired me to pull my half full change jar out of the depths of the closet and put it in plain view for filling between now and Feb '16!

[pppatpc2]

We use our credit card for everything, pay it off every month and put the cash back bonus away for travel spending. We have several cards and make sure we use each one for the categories that offer more than 1%. It has become a game. Very rarely do we pull up to the gas pump when my husband doesn't say, "which card for gas this month".

[Cruise Junky]

We have various ways. Change is huge. There's about $500 sitting here in change right now..easy in Canada with $1 and $2 coins. We have a vacation account that we contribute to every pay. I also have a fantastic foreign exchange place across from my office. Every pay I buy about $100 worth of euros or US$. My AMEX is a travel rewards card and my visa is a cash back card

Edited July 20, 2014 by Cruise Junky

[RetiredNTraveling]

We have found several ways to save that little extra! Of course the change canister which go to my DW for her Gambling & Bingo! :p I crush all of our alum. cans and surprisingly that adds up quick around here. (about $7/month!) :rolleyes: Then there is my DW secret stash in her dresser drawer that I don't know about! :rolleyes:

But the best and most secret way is that I "Rat Hole" my extra $1 bills weekly in my closet, so my DW doesn't find them. ;) That gives me plenty for excursions and drinks! "The wife doesn't know about this so keep it a secret, OK!!" :D

[PescadoAmarillo]

We don't put aside money, per se, but every time we do something ourselves and save $100s or $1000s, we consider it money saved for cruising. Sometimes we surprise ourselves with the things we get done (it helps that DH has an abundance of skill and a very patient assistant (me!)). Somebody remarked to us just last week, "You guys don't eat out much, do you?" Well, only 3 to 5 months each year. ;):rolleyes:

 

We could never just save change...we pay for everything with a credit card to get points. I don't think I've used $20 in cash since we returned home in late March. As for which card for gas, groceries, home improvement- it varies by quarter depending on bonus points and to use the wrong card for a purchase is an unpardonable sin. And we've saved $1 per gallon on gas every purchase this summer, by buying Home Depot gift cards at the grocery store and getting 4x gas points as well as 5% bonus points. If there's a deal, we take advantage of it. It all adds up.

[dchip]

We use our credit card for everything, pay it off every month and put the cash back bonus away for travel spending. We have several cards and make sure we use each one for the categories that offer more than 1%. It has become a game. Very rarely do we pull up to the gas pump when my husband doesn't say, "which card for gas this month".

 

We don't put aside money, per se, but every time we do something ourselves and save $100s or $1000s, we consider it money saved for cruising. Sometimes we surprise ourselves with the things we get done (it helps that DH has an abundance of skill and a very patient assistant (me!)). Somebody remarked to us just last week, "You guys don't eat out much, do you?" Well, only 3 to 5 months each year. ;):rolleyes:

 

We could never just save change...we pay for everything with a credit card to get points. I don't think I've used $20 in cash since we returned home in late March. As for which card for gas, groceries, home improvement- it varies by quarter depending on bonus points and to use the wrong card for a purchase is an unpardonable sin. And we've saved $1 per gallon on gas every purchase this summer, by buying Home Depot gift cards at the grocery store and getting 4x gas points as well as 5% bonus points. If there's a deal, we take advantage of it. It all adds up.

 

Once you learn how to use your credit cards, you find amazing savings and cash back options!! I must say it took us a few married years to find ourselves in that position!! :eek: Before that, we had a change jar. :D

 

Cheers, Denise

[RaiderCruiser]

We've done several things for our next Alaskan cruise.

 

We are doing the 52 week thing, but to make it a bit easier I started at 52 and working backwards while wife started at 1 and going forward.

 

We used our C/C airline miles to get First Class R/T tickets from Houston for $37 each.

 

And of course we are receiving our OBC thanks to Carnival Stock holdings...

[Thrak]

We use our credit card for everything, pay it off every month and put the cash back bonus away for travel spending. We have several cards and make sure we use each one for the categories that offer more than 1%. It has become a game. Very rarely do we pull up to the gas pump when my husband doesn't say, "which card for gas this month".

 

I'd do that except for the fact that they charge more for gas purchased on credit. I find it wipes out my cash back savings.

 

I have to travel for work sometimes and we tend to take the travel reimbursement checks and stick them into savings toward cruise costs. Since the "reimbursement" is far more than the actual amount the trips cost me it works out well.

[FlynnRider78]

We save £10 every week for extra spending money but we use a Terramundi pot, otherwise we'd dip into it all the time!!! [emoji12]

 

I really like the 52 week thing, I think well give it a try.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[dorisis]

how do u lot save??? we buy a money tin and only save $1 & $2 coins on our last cruise we saved $1,100 but as we still have 591 days to go i'd say we'll fill the tin so hoping for around $2,300, have also heard people do the 52 week challenge i.e. $1 the 1st week $2 the second week etc.

 

Put in few extra Loonies and you might have enough for another cruise. It's easier than you think.

[martin jenkins]

we only use it for our onboard spending i'll put my credit card in credit with it and get the 2 points per dollar.