Surprised how the little extras added up (and what I'll do differently next time)
Just got back to Ontario after a few days at Universal Orlando and I keep thinking I did not go wild, but my final total says otherwise.
Tickets were already taken care of, so I told myself this would be a controlled trip. I am trying to be careful because I am still digging out of about $9,000 in credit card debt and I do not want a vacation to set me back.
It was not one big thing that did it. It was the drip of tiny purchases: a cold drink because it was boiling, a snack while waiting for the next ride, a themed trinket because it felt like a once-in-a-while treat, then another one because someone in the group wanted to try it. I also paid for a couple of lockers I did not expect and completely underestimated how often the gift shops would tempt me right after a ride.
I am not complaining about prices, just surprised at how fast it snowballed when you are in the moment.
Next time I plan to do two things: set a hard daily in-park spending limit in cash (or use a separate card with a low limit), and pick one planned splurge item per day so everything else is easier to say no to.
For people who go a lot, what rules do you use to keep in-park spending from quietly doubling?