Where To Stay At Disney World

Credit scores are a 3-digit number that represents your credit health. Whether you have a good score, bad score, or no score, there are actions you can take that can help improve your score, which can help you qualify for lending and credit cards and open other doors. A good credit score can also save you money. 

In this episode, we'll discuss:

• What is a credit score?

• Is your credit score actually important? 

• Ways to check your score for free

• Simple steps you can take today to boost your credit score

Speaking of simple…

Subscribe to the "3 Things" newsletter for simple money and travel tips and content. We’ve updated our newsletter to make it easier to create and consume. One email a week. 3 Things. That's it. 

Resources On Credit And Race

U.S. News & World Report: How Race Affects Your Credit Score

Forbes Advisor: From Inherent Racial Bias to Incorrect Data—The Problems With Current Credit Scoring Models

Money Management International: Why Good Credit is Harder to Achieve in Communities of Color and What You Can Do About It

Board Of Governors Of The Federal Reserve System: How Much Does Racial Bias Affect Mortgage Lending? Evidence from Human and Algorithmic Credit Decisions

Bankrate: How race impacts credit: the history and effect on lending practices

GOBankingRates: Black Americans Are More Likely To Be Denied Credit — Here’s Why, According to Experts

Resources For Free Credit Score and Credit Report Access

• AnnualCreditReport.com

• Mint

• CreditWise from Capital One

• Credit Karma

• Credit Sesame

• Credit.Com

• Experian

• TransUnion

Credit Boosting Programs

• Experian Boost 

• UltraFICO

• StellarFi

• Grow Credit

• TurboTenant (requires your landlord to also sign up for a free account)

Resources for Family Adventurers

• Learn More About Credit From Michelle Lambright Black at CreditWriter.com

• National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC)

• Why You Need A High-Yield Savings Account

• Earn High-Yield Savings With A Cit Bank Savings Connect Account

• Best Budgeting Apps For Families In 2023

• Values-Based Budgeting: Spending Your Money On What You Love

• 11 Must-Have Gifts For Travel Lovers

• Check Out Our Favorite Money & Travel Tools, Books, and Products

Download Our Free Monthly Budget Planner

Connect With Us

Facebook: FMAdventure

Twitter: @TheFMadventure

Instagram: @familymoneyadventure

YouTube: @familymoneyadventure

If you enjoyed this episode, show your support by leaving us a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. 

Join us as we wrap up our Disney World podcast series. Disney World is a wonderful place, but it's expensive, especially for families. There are ways to save money, but it can still cost more than other vacations. 

But not everything at Walt Disney World costs money. In this episode, I share 11 free things you can do at Disney World. Our list includes fun activities at each of the four parks and the Disney World resorts. 

I might even throw in a bonus freebie or two at the end of the episode. 

Speaking of free… 

Subscribe to the "3 Things" newsletter for the latest money and travel information and content. We’ve updated our newsletter to make it easier to create and consume. One email a week. 3 Things. That's it. 

In This Episode, You'll Learn: 

• Where to find free keepsakes and souvenirs at Walt Disney World

• Tips for exploring Disney Resorts even if you're not a resort guest

• Exclusive character photo opportunities for select Disney World park guests

Resources for Family Adventurers

• Walt Disney World Tips For Families

• How To Visit Disney World Using Points & Miles

• How To Save Money At Disney World

• Where To Stay At Disney World

• Planning A Disney Trip Without Kids

• Find Discount Disney World Tickets

• Why You Need A High-Yield Savings Account

• Earn High-Yield Savings With A Cit Bank Savings Connect Account

• Best Budgeting Apps For Families In 2023

• Values-Based Budgeting: Spending Your Money On What You Love

• 11 Must-Have Gifts For Travel Lovers

• Check Out Our Favorite Money & Travel Tools, Books, and Products

Download Our Free Travel Budget Planner

Connect With Us

Facebook: FMAdventure

Twitter: @TheFMadventure

Instagram: @familymoneyadventure

YouTube: @familymoneyadventure

If you enjoyed this episode, show your support by leaving us a rating and review on your favorite podcast player.

Join us as we continue our Disney World series. In this episode, I share some of our favorite tips for families visiting Walt Disney World. We're squeezing a ton of info into this episode. Stick around for the full episode to hear all of the valuable tips and tricks to plan and implement the very best Disney World vacation for your family. 

As a bonus, the episode blog post will contain even more tips for planning your next Disney World trip that we couldn't fit into this episode. 

Whether it’s your first Disney World vacation or you’re a seasoned pro, these tips will help you plan an enjoyable experience for your entire family. 

Subscribe to "3 Things," our revamped newsletter, for the latest money and travel information and content. We’ve updated our newsletter to make it easier to create and consume. One email a week. 3 Things. That's it. 

In This Episode, You'll Learn: 

• Free tools available to navigate Disney parks like an expert

• Resources for families of individuals with disabilities 

• Why "The Pickle" is my favorite travel tip ever

• Essentials to pack to stay happy and healthy at the parks

• An alternative for scoring dining reservations at Disney Springs restaurants

Resources for Family Adventurers

• Walt Disney World Disability Access Service

• Walt Disney World Resource Guide for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities

• How To Visit Disney World Using Points & Miles

• How To Save Money At Disney World

• Where To Stay At Disney World

• Planning A Disney Trip Without Kids

• Find Discount Disney World Tickets

• Why You Need A High-Yield Savings Account

• Earn High-Yield Savings With A Cit Bank Savings Connect Account

• Best Budgeting Apps For Families In 2023

• Values-Based Budgeting: Spending Your Money On What You Love

• 11 Must-Have Gifts For Travel Lovers

• Check Out Our Favorite Money & Travel Tools, Books, and Products

Download Our Free Travel Budget Planner

Connect With Us

Facebook: FMAdventure

Twitter: @TheFMadventure

Instagram: @familymoneyadventure

YouTube: @familymoneyadventure

If you enjoyed this episode, show your support by leaving us a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. 

Our Disney World podcast series continues, but unfortunately, not from my room at the Disney Swan Resort. My recent Disney adventure had to end, but we're not finished discussing how to plan the best Disney World vacation for your family.   

We discuss how to visit Disney World for cheap using travel rewards. We discovered the world of credit card rewards several years ago and have been earning and redeeming points and miles for free or discounted travel ever since. We want to show you how to do the same.

You'll Learn: 

• The basics of how travel rewards work, including the different types of travel rewards credit cards

• How earning credit-card sign-up bonuses is the key to building up your rewards balance quickly

• Where to buy Disney tickets so they code as a travel expense you can redeem rewards to cover. 

Catch These Must-Listen Moments From The Episode

[00:05:01] Flexible travel rewards cards vs. co-branded credit cards

[00:08:22] How to stay on Disney World property using travel rewards

[00:16:47] Our favorite airline for award travel

[00:20:31] Best practices for using rewards credit cards

Resources to Check Out

• How To Save Money At Disney World

• Where To Stay At Disney World

• Planning A Disney Trip Without Kids

• Are Travel Discount Sites Worth It? 

• How Sinking Funds Can Help You Reach Your Savings Goals 

• Why You Need A High-Yield Savings Account

• Earn High-Yield Savings With A Cit Bank Savings Connect Account

• Best Budgeting Apps For Families In 2023

• Values-Based Budgeting: Spending Your Money On What You Love

• 11 Must-Have Gifts For Travel Lovers

• Check Out Our Favorite Money & Travel Tools, Books, and Products

Download Our Free Travel Budget Planner

Connect With Us

Facebook: FMAdventure

Twitter: @TheFMadventure

Instagram: @familymoneyadventure

YouTube: @familymoneyadventure

If you enjoyed this episode, show your support by leaving us a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. 

We’re continuing our Walt Disney World series live from my hotel room at Walt Disney World Swan Resort. 

In this episode, we discuss some of the best ways to save money at Disney World. Taking a family vacation to Walt Disney World can be an expensive affair. Join me as I share some of our favorite money-saving tips to keep more dough in your pocket while enjoying a meaningful vacation with your family. 

In This Episode, You'll Learn: 

• How advance planning is more crucial for a Disney vacation compared to other destinations

• Creative ways to save money on dining while still enjoying those Instagram-worthy Disney Park treats

• The #1 place to find discount Disney World tickets

Catch These Must-Listen Moments From The Episode

• [00:00:53] How we travel following a traditional school schedule 

• [00:08:27] Using Google Flights to find the best flight deals 

• [00:09:41] How you can receive refunds by rebooking your Southwest Flights 

• [00:12:02] Cheaper options for purchasing your favorite Disney Souvenirs 

Resources to Check Out

• Are Travel Discount Sites Worth It? 

• Planning A Disney Trip Without Kids

• Tips For Planning  Solo Travel With Children

• How Sinking Funds Can Help You Reach Your Savings Goals 

• Why You Need A High-Yield Savings Account

• Earn High-Yield Savings With A Cit Bank Savings Connect Account

• Best Budgeting Apps For Families In 2023

• Values-Based Budgeting: Spending Your Money On What You Love

• 11 Must-Have Gifts For Travel Lovers

• Check Out Our Favorite Money & Travel Tools, Books, and Products

Download Our Free Travel Budget Planner

Connect With Us

Facebook: FMAdventure

Twitter: @TheFMadventure

Instagram: @familymoneyadventure

YouTube: @familymoneyadventure

If you enjoyed this episode, show your support by leaving us a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. 

Choosing where to stay at Disney World is one of the most important parts of vacation planning if you're headed to the parks with your family. As one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, the Lake Buena Vista and Orlando area offer endless accommodation options for Disney World guests. Despite all of the choices, one of the first decisions you must make is whether to stay on property at one of Disney World’s resorts or off property somewhere else in the area. 

This episode marks the start of our Disney World Vacation Planning Series. It’s also the first time I’ve recorded a podcast episode somewhere other than my home office. That’s right! I’m recording the first episodes of this series from my hotel at The Walt Disney World Swan Resort. 

In this episode, we tackle the question of which is better: Staying on property at a Walt Disney World Resort or staying off property? We look at each option's pros and cons to help you plan your next Disney World vacation. 

In This Episode, You'll Learn: 

• The perks of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort

• The types of accommodations available outside of the Disney bubble

• What Disney Good Neighbor hotels are 

• The hidden costs of staying off property 

Catch These Must-Listen Moments From The Episode

• [00:02:46] Why I was on Team Off-Property, but am slowly changing my tune

• [00:02:57] Why I prefer "real travel tips for real people"

• [00:12:26] Transportation challenges I faced during my stay at Disney World Swan Resort

• [00:15:33] The real questions you should ask before booking Disney World accommodations

Resources to Check Out

• Are Travel Discount Sites Worth It? 

• Planning A Disney Trip Without Kids

• Tips For Planning  Solo Travel With Children

• How Sinking Funds Can Help You Reach Your Savings Goals 

• Why You Need A High-Yield Savings Account

• Earn High-Yield Savings With A Cit Bank Savings Connect Account

• Best Budgeting Apps For Families In 2023

• Values-Based Budgeting: Spending Your Money On What You Love

• 11 Must-Have Gifts For Travel Lovers

• Check Out Our Favorite Money & Travel Tools, Books, and Products

Download Our Free Travel Budget Planner

Connect With Us

Facebook: FMAdventure

Twitter: @TheFMadventure

Instagram: @familymoneyadventure

YouTube: @familymoneyadventure

If you enjoyed this episode, show your support by leaving us a rating and review on your favorite podcast player.

Budgets. 

You either love them or you hate them. Budgets and budgeting often have a negative connotation. People often think of budgets as too rigid or that they lead to a negative view of money. Other people and families swear by them. 

Credit.com recently surveyed Americans on their budgeting habits. Here's what they discovered: 

• 27% don't think budgets are necessary

• 24% don't think they'll stick to a budget

• 15% feel too restricted by a budget

• 10% don't know how to start budgeting

• 10% just don't want to do it

• 12% are afraid to even look at their bank account

In this episode, we take a closer look at budgeting to determine if budgets actually work. 

You'll learn: 

• What a budget is

• Types of budgets

• Benefits and drawbacks of budgeting

• When budgeting makes sense

Catch These Must-Listen Moments From The Episode

• [04:25] What is the anti-budget? 

• [05:45] The difference between a budget and a spending plan

• [09:15] Reasons many people graduate from using a budget

• [10:31] The importance of tracking your spending

Resources to Check Out

Credit.com 2023 Budgeting Survey

Nerdwallet 2023 Budgeting Report

CNBC Make It Article With David Bach

Financial Freedom Except on Money.com 

Ramit Sethi's Conscious Spending Plan

Follow Adrienne from Tailored WealthSaver® on Instagram

How To Take Control Of Your Family Finances In 2023

Values-Based Budgeting: Spending Your Money On What You Love

What Is The Anti-Budget?

Best Family Budget For Every Personality Type

Best Budgeting Apps For Families in 2023

Earn High-Yield Savings With A CIT Bank Savings Connect Account

How To Track Your Spending 

Our Favorite Rewards Credit Cards

Check Out Our Favorite Money & Travel Tools, Books, and Products

Get Our Free Monthly Budget Planner

Connect With Us

Instagram: @familymoneyadventure

YouTube: youtube.com/@familymoneyadventure

Facebook: FMAdventure

Twitter: @TheFMadventure

If you enjoyed this episode, show your support by leaving us a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. 

With four teenagers, we've had our share of family adventures over the years. We've made tons of mistakes when traveling that have cost us time, money, and energy. We've learned from those mistakes and are better prepared when we're planning future family vacations. 

In this episode, we explore 11 essential travel tips for families. These tips will help you save money, plan better trips and create a better travel experience for you and your family. 

The following trips have helped us over the years but may not apply to everyone. Take what works for you to help plan future family vacations. 

1. Plan your trip in advance

 There are several advantages to booking travel in advance. 

• Better deals and availability the earlier you book

• Prebook experiences that may sell out

• Plan an itinerary

• Set your travel budget

• Get your kids involved in the planning of the trip 

The amount of time and energy needed to plan a successful family trip depends on your destination, time frame and type of trip. 

2. Don't overpack

Stay at hotels or vacation rentals that offer laundry access. Pack less and wear outfits more than once. 

3. Pack snacks

Everyone needs snacks. 

4. Screen time and Downtime are your friends

Even if you have strict rules for screen time, you should consider relaxing those rules when you travel, especially if you spend considerable time traveling to a destination. Treat extra screen time as a special privilege reserved for when you travel. 

Schedule downtime so everyone has time to rest and recharge. Pay attention to your family's body language and adjust your schedule as needed. 

5. Pay for quality gear

You usually get what you pay for. We've found when it comes to travel gear, it's usually best to invest a little more to purchase high-quality items that will last longer. 

6. Always sign up for free loyalty programs

There's no cost to sign up for most loyalty rewards programs. Even if you're not going to get a rewards credit card or use a particular hotel, airline or rental company that often, you can sometimes earn extra benefits just by signing up for their loyalty program. 

7. Be flexible

Things are going to go wrong on your trip. Learn to respond well, and don't let these issues ruin your trip. 

8. Protect your kids

Implement security measures to protect your kids when traveling. Make sure they have your contact information and know what to do if they get separated from you. 

9. Get out from behind the camera

Give your kids the gift of seeing you in photos when they look back decades from now and reminisce. 

10. Use a trusted traveler program

TSA Precheck, Global Entry, and CLEAR are a lifesaver when it comes to air travel. Consider signing up for one of these programs to expedite airport security lines.

11. Have your kids pull their weight

Put your kids to work when it's age appropriate to do so. Teach them how to pack their own bag and to be responsible for their luggage and gear. 

Listen to the full episode for a Bonus Tip!

Resources to Check Out

• Are Travel Discount Sites Worth It? 

• Tips For Planning  Solo Travel With Children

• How Sinking Funds Can Help You Reach Your Savings Goals 

• Why You Need A High-Yield Savings Account

• Earn High-Yield Savings With A Cit Bank Savings Connect Account

• Best Budgeting Apps For Families In 2023

• Values-Based Budgeting: Spending Your Money On What You Love

• 11 Must-Have Gifts For Travel Lovers

• Check Out Our Favorite Money & Travel Tools, Books, and Products

Download Our Free Travel Budget Planner

Connect With Us

Facebook: FMAdventure

Twitter: @TheFMadventure

Instagram: @familymoneyadventure

YouTube: @familymoneyadventure

If you enjoyed this episode, show your support by leaving us a rating and review on your favorite podcast player.