Disney DINKs with Julie and Andrew
This episode is airing on Friday, February 14, which is also known as Valentine’s Day, and I’ve never been a huge fan of Valentine’s Day. In my high school and college days, it was because my significant others always seemed to disappoint me with their gifts, and if I was single, it was because I was single. When I was married, I wanted my husband to show me love and affection all year and not just on Valentine’s Day. Now that I am 41, I think most of the time it is just a waste of money.
What I do love about about Valentine’s Day is the attention it brings to being a couple. While being in a couple is not a life goal for everyone, if you are part of a couple it is important to have shared goals and make smart financial decisions aligned with your goals, which is why I am excited to share with you Julie and Andrews’ journey.
Julie and Andrew are also known as the Disney Dinks, and they are here to show me how their relationship improved with more focus on their goals.
What Are We Drinking?
Julie — Vodka Martini
Andrew — Spiced Rum
Shannon — Vodka & Pink Grapefruit Schweppes
Podcast Notes
A few years back, Julie and Andrew got to a point in their lives where a lot of their friends were starting to have kids, and they were trying to figure out what they were doing. Their social life got kind of quiet.
They’ve always loved Disney, but they got this opportunity to discover what it meant to be DINKs — dual income no kids.
They started the blog to write about their journey figuring that out. It quickly became less a personal journey and more about diving into Disney, travel, and food. It was their way of owning it and saying this is who they are.
Julie and Andrew do not ever plan on having kids. It is clear now, but it was awkward before they got to that place. Some people don’t get it, but they have friends and family that do.
They were married at Disney and it is the best place to go, because there are so many adult-only areas. They cater to adults.
Julie and Andrew never saw the cost of Disney as a burden, they saw it more as a goal. They wanted to figure out how to make it happen. They cut back on certain things that others may spend money on and they set travel and Disney as a priority.
They travel much differently now than they did when they were in their 20s.
They both went through the Financial Gym process. Andrew found it enlightening, because he always thought they did a good job with their finances, but it was good to have an outside perspective. The Gym allowed them to take a deeper look.
You get to a point where your salary grows and you stay in your house and you get comfortable. It is good to be intentional about your money. We can always stand to do better with our finances.
Lifestyle inflation is a serious thing. Goal setting is more of a challenge for DINKs, because there is more free cash flow.
Everyone has their different priorities and goals. Just because they are DINKs doesn’t mean they have gobs of money.
Their Gym Trainer was Victoria. When they started at the Gym, they lived in the Maryland/D.C. area and set their five-year goal to move south, closer to Disney. Within a few weeks of meeting with Victoria, they had an opportunity to move to Orlando. They have been in Orlando now for six months.
Their biggest goal was to reel their budget back in. They had some small debt hanging out there and they focused on getting it paid off. Another goal was bulking up their emergency fund. They started at the Gym in the winter and it was the perfect time to hibernate and save money by cleaning out their freezer and selling things.
The process of getting financially healthy for Andrew was somewhere between exciting and scary. He knew they could do better, but he didn’t know how much better he could do until they met Victoria. It was eye opening.
When you sign up for a marathon it sounds great and you get a medal, but then you look at the training runs you need to do. Some days are better than others, but it gets easier the longer you do it.
They tried to get creative and proposed a lot of cost-saving get togethers at their house and their friends’ houses and they had a lot more fun than they would have at a restaurant.
Many people are afraid to propose those things, but Julie and Andrew didn’t get any pushback. It became the go-to. Instead of going out to dinner, can you do a potluck? Instead of buying an outfit at Ann Taylor, can you buy one at T.J. Max? Instead of going out at 10:00, can you go out for happy hour?
Julie and Andrew have been married for 12 years. They’ve been to every Disney property in the United States and one international park (Paris). Before June, they’ve been to a Disney property about 10 to 12 times since they’ve been married.
They usually plan one big trip a year and then smaller, less expensive trips. Disney is usually their big trip. There is not really a cheap way to do Disney, unless you live in Orlando. There are ways to save money, like pack lunches. They see a lot of waste with food spending.
Disney has options that are very premium, but there are ways to save.
You can find sellers who have discounted tickets and they offer discounts to military members. The ticket cost gets cheaper with more days.
Now that Julie and Andrew are Florida residents, there is a good discount for the annual pass. As soon as they got their Florida drivers licenses, they bought their annual passes.
Now they go to Disney, on average, at least three to four times a month. A lot of it is driven by blog-related activities. Some weeks they don’t go.
This past Saturday, they went to Epcot for four or five hours, where before, when they were on vacation, they were in the parks from open to close.
If you can book something special like a dining package that includes a show, or tour packages where you can see behind the scenes, it can be very memorable.
If someone has a goal of travel and Disney, their best advice is to set goals and cut expenses. Andrew packed his lunch every day, when they lived in D.C., and most people didn’t do this. They saved almost $3,000 a year, just in packing lunches. The little things really add up.
What is it going to cost and what are you willing to do to save that much money?
Since they don’t have kids, they aren’t tied to a school schedule. They used to go to Disney in January and February, to escape winter, and then they would go in the fall when kids went back to school.
When they went to Disneyland in Paris, they saw a deal a year out and they were able to buy two days and get one day free for their tickets, hotel, and dining.
Flexibility is key when scheduling, because you can get really good deals. Do your research and find a hotel that fits your needs and price. You don’t need every meal to be a fancy meal. The dining plans can be too much food.
Julie and Andrew were doing movie reviews when they first started their blog, so they could go to the movies for free. A couple of years ago, they got serious and put a content calendar together and made stuff happen.
The blog started growing and they started getting product opportunities. As the blog grew bigger, they were able to start negotiating paid collaborations.
Now that they live in Orlando, they have more opportunities. If they are not getting outright paid for something, they are doing an experience they would have wanted to do anyway.
Andrew’s favorite hotel in all of the U.S. Disney parks is the Grand Californian. Julie’s is the Grand Floridian.
Andrew’s favorite restaurant is Steakhouse 55 in California. Julie’s likes Cinderella’s Castle for the setting and Tiffins for the food.
TAKEAWAY: My biggest takeaway is that most financially successful couples we see at The Financial Gym are the ones with the most aligned and prioritized goals. It doesn’t matter if the goal is going to Disney World, or buying a house. When both parties are aligned, magic happens, and you don’t need to go to the most magical place on earth for that to become a reality.
Random Three Questions
What is your favorite Disney movie?
What is your favorite Disney memory?
What is a Disney location you would like to go to?
Connect with Julie and Andrew
Blog: The Disney DINKs
Instagram/Facebook/Pinterest: @thedisneydinks
If you’re in a couple and would like to get your goals better aligned, I hope you’ll reach out to my team at The Financial Gym. My trainers love working with couples and being a part of a successful threesome, as we like to say. The great news is that Martinis and Your Money listeners get 15% off Financial Gym services. So head over to, or send friends to, financialgym.com to get signed up today.