The joys of returning to WDW

[Richard Weiss]

Some people are just cheap, and are going to save it all for retirement on the shore, where they spent their cheap yearly vacations.

One never knows how much time the good Lord is going to give each of us. I believe in doing what you enjoy while you can physically and mentally can enjoy that experience to its utmost.

I am not real big on saving for the future, or to have a large amount set aside to give my children or grandchildren. I want to spend my money on them while I am here with them and can watch the joy in their eyes.

Later Mickey Buddies, Rich Weiss

[SYDNCLAIRESMOM]

Amen...

[Battleship Bob]

Well said......and Amen!

[georgina]

Ouch! Call me cheap because I like the beach! You are free to spend your money as you wish; I do save for the future, and don't expect anyone else to be paying my way when I'm 90.

I come from a large family, we camped for vacations because that was all we could afford. I paid my own way through college, and don't feel at all slighted because my parents never took me to Disney World. I have taken my children there several times because I enjoy it, but I think spending time together is more important than where you spend it.

[BethC1952]

Well, we solved the whole "vacation at the beach" thing by moving there full-time. No more vacation expense, so more money for WDW!

Beth

[ChairborneRangr]

We have a balanced approach. We take some inexpensive and some expensive vacations. Big thing is we spend time with our kids and the rest of the family.

10% to church, 10% to savings/investments, live life and have fun with the remaining 80% :bounce:

[ashjohnson80]

Actually WDW is about as cheap of a vacation that I can think of doing, other than camping. I'm a very thrifty person and I'm proud of that. But when we go we always drive (7-8 hour drive) and we haven't stayed on site as of yet, but I would like to do that in the future especially when we have children. This year I got my room from priceline for $37/night and last year I got my room from another discounted internet source for $39/night and it was very nice and very close. We also usually eat pop tarts in our room for breakfast and don't splurge on meals. However if my mom was going on vacation she would want the nicest room and the nicest restaurants, i just don't care about all that i just love the rides and the parks so i guess just how much you spend is personal preference but it doesn't have to be an "expensive" vacation.

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by SYDNCLAIRESMOM
Amen...

Ditto.

I never got why people scrimp and save and deny the simple joys of life.

I've vacationed on the Jersey Shore. Spent about as much for a week there as I am for 10 days in Orlando.

[crz4mm2]

I enjoy all types of vacations. We have camped and we have had nicer vacations. I like cheap hotels (long as they are clean and well maintained), but I love Deluxes. And I like to Eat good food.
I wouldn't mind a week on the beach, but the time I have spent on a beach cost almost as much as my WDW vacation. Last year's driving/touring vacation out west to see the sights cost as much as a WDW vacation. WE loved it though! I agree with whatever poster said it was about family and time you spend.
My mom and dad never had much money. We took a week every year and visited my aunt a couple of states away and we did some camping and did some theme park trips (St. Louis). They saved money cause they 'couldn't afford' to go. My Dad died at age 61. They had always 'planned' to go on a trip out west and never did. I will not make that same mistake!!
I won't be leaving behind a ton of money for relatives to fight over, but will be leaving behind memories to last my family!

Spend time with your family. That is the single most important thing in my life.

Cathy

[rhiansmom]

I agree!

I just got back from my vacation at the CR. DD who is 4 would pray every night "and please make me be in Disney World". I had planned on taking her in the future but then a friend from another message board had her 7 year old daughter die of mennigitis.

They regretted never taking her to the places she really wanted to go- enough said I booked my hotel and flight and off we went 3 weeks later!

I am so glad we went, don't regret spending any single penny, and my daughter is just beaming becuase she had tea with Alice and breakfast with Mickey and Minnie!

[Dznypal]

MY folks are both in their 70.s and have the same thoughts as Richard Wiess that is doing the things while your in good health and mind!

Every 2 years my folks take our whole family on a trip (as of this year there are 20 of us!!!!)

IN 2 weeks we are leaving for HAwaii!!!

My parents have the attiude that they want to see us enjoy our inheirantance.!!!

I am so glad my folks are both so healthy and my kids (who are both in the 20's) have grandparents that they can do things with!

[HappyGramma]

We do a bit of both. We are saving for our retirement so that we can live about as comfortably as we do now. We also spend for vacations too and on our granddaughters. We rent a cottage for 2 weeks on a lake in Maine( have been for 24 years), we camp several times during the summer and I go to Disney every 2 years.(DH isn't as crazy about WDW as me.) I really think that you really do have to have balance in your life. It makes for a much happier life to live. ::yes::

[sm4987]

::yes:: Well said

[BWVPam]

For the last 9 years, we have spent our vacations at either WDW or DL in California. We have spent some of those vacations with extended family (brothers, parents, etc.) In addition, we have taken other smaller trips. We love those trips. This is the first year that we will not be going to DL or WDW. We are going to Colorado instead. Next year, we have 2 trips to WDW planned. I have a son going into high school in the fall and it is starting to hit me that in a few years he will be wanting to do his own thing. I want to take full advantage of these family vacations. They keep us going.

Pam

[disneyfanz04]

Totally agree with Richard...amen!!!!!!

[Tiggerlover91]

I look at it this way: I don't want to be on in the years and not know how DH and I are going to get by because we didn't "save" for our later years. However, I know that money is not meant to just stay and never be spent. I have a cushion in my checking account and I have a savings jar here at home that's at a little over $200 right now. I had to use $56 of my $200+ cushion in the bank, but I will just deposit money back into the account and not put it into my register until I replace that $56. It's no big deal really, it's just nice knowing it's there.
DH and I don't vacation a lot, but when we do, we have so much fun and makes lots of awesome memories! :teeth: We haven't been to Disney since 2001 and won't make it back til 2006, but I'm okay with that, because it makes our trip just that much more fun because so many years have elasped between trips. ::yes::
This year, our vacation is a trip home to SC. We haven't been in almost 4 years and that's 4 years too long for us. I have a 1 year old nephew that I've never met and it's time he meets his Aunt Nisey, so I can spoil him to death! :hyper: :tongue:
I don't consider myself cheap, just "cautious" with my money, but not to the point where I don't enjoy anything. If you guys could see the material things DH and I have from music materials, to Disney stuff, then you will know that we are FAR from being cheap. :rolleyes: :p

[goofyernmost]

Originally posted by Richard Weiss
I am not real big on saving for the future, or to have a large amount set aside to give my children or grandchildren. I want to spend my money on them while I am here with them and can watch the joy in their eyes.

Later Mickey Buddies, Rich Weiss

My guess is that you are a younger person. When you reach my age and old age is right in front of you, then you start to think about how you are going to survive it. Eating Alpo is not anything that I am looking forward too!

I felt that same way through out my 20's, 30's and 40's but when I reached my 50's I could practically reach out and touch my impending elderly years and man is it scary. I didn't put anything away or even have a useful retirement plan until I was 52. All I can hope for is that I can work another 10 or 12 years and put money away. I still make trips to WDW but I do it as cheaply as I can. And I go to the beach as well but I can't for the life of me understand why you would consider that cheap. Seems like I spend a lot when I am there. I can get a room in the Kissimmee area for around $35.00 per night, nothing on the ocean has ever been less than $100.00 per night. That more than makes up for the $50 + per day park fees.

[Richard Weiss]

I am 56 years old, I retired when I was 50 years old. I have saved for my retirement since I was 17 years old. My dad left little money when he died at the age of 52. I decided then and there that my wife and children would not have to experience what I did in my youth. I may the personal choice about 40 years ago to prepare my finacial situation for my retirement years.

I insured that money made available for my children's college education and I do live comfortably in retirement. Nor, do I now perform any sort of job in order to provide additional funds to support my retirement life style.

Rich Weiss

[jimmytammy]

I am 39(and holding BTW:teeth: ) and I have never been overly concerned about saving every dime. Mind you, I do have money market set up with stocks in hand and keep a close eye on that. We purchased rental investment several years ago also so I am definitely looking towards our retirement.

But my dear FIL passed away in '99 at the young age of 52 with Lou Gehrigs disease, and I swore from that time on that life was too short to set back and wait to die. Im not saying he did that, yet he worked hard and never took a decent vacation the whole 13 yrs I knew him. That same year, my MIL took 9 of us all expenses paid to WDW and we have not looked back since as our trips show at bottom.

Jesus is my Saviour so I know there is a place in heaven for me, but while Im here, I dont want to leave this place saying I wish I would have done this or that, or should have spent more time with my family. Its only money, you cant take it with you.

I think we have to balance things while still keeping a perspective. Does that make sense?

Jimmy

[Richard Weiss]

Jimmy:

Indeed you do make sense. Just as you have done, one should start out their balancing act real early during their working years.

My earlier message, needed far better proof reading efforts on my part. I note that I forgot a couple words, as well as utilized the wrong word in a couple places. The following is what I meant to write the first time around.

__________________________________________________ __

I am 56 years old. I planed for and was able to retire when I was 50 years old. I have saved for my retirement since I was 17 years old. My dad left little money when he died at the age of 52. I decided then and there that my wife and children would not have to experience what I did in my youth. I made the personal choice about 40 years ago to prepare my financial situation for my retirement years.


I insured that there was money put aside and made available for my children's college education. I am far from what is considered rich, however I do live comfortably in retirement. Nor, do I now perform any sort of job in order to provide additional funds to support my retirement life style.
__________________________________________________ __


You are most certainly correct you can't take your money with you. I believe in leaving something for one's children, but not so much so, that they don't gain the appreciation of the effort and time necessary to generate their own hard-earned dollars.

My family and my personal time always came before work. My son tells me of his well-to-do friends, (both of our children attended a private school) saying to him, I wish my dad and mom spent more time with me like your dad and mom do. Children are only young once; there are lots of years to work after they have grown up and left the home to lead their own lives.

Rich Weiss

[Lucky4me]

I agree with the spend it while you're here crowd.

The trick is not running out of money before you run out of time. We're going to try it and see what happens. :)

[goofyernmost]

Richard, I'm sorry, I must have read your first post incorrectly. I thought you said that you didn't worry about putting money away for later.

Anyway, it makes more sense when you look at it in the context of, I already have it, now I'm going to spend it, then in the, I don't have it yet but I'm going to spend it anyway, outlook. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Anyway, I am happy that you could retire at 50 and live well. I, and I assume many others, cannot. I am 56 and although I don't live from paycheck to paycheck, I cannot afford to throw what little I have away. So, occasionally I go to the beach and walk along the shore. Relaxing and, overall, not as expensive.

:blush:

[QJ411]

Originally posted by Richard Weiss
Some people are just cheap, and are going to save it all for retirement on the shore, where they spent their cheap yearly vacations.

One never knows how much time the good Lord is going to give each of us. I believe in doing what you enjoy while you can physically and mentally can enjoy that experience to its utmost.

I am not real big on saving for the future, or to have a large amount set aside to give my children or grandchildren. I want to spend my money on them while I am here with them and can watch the joy in their eyes.

Later Mickey Buddies, Rich Weiss

Very well put...agreed! ::yes:: ::yes::

[capegirl]

We live on the shore" Cape Cod", and we probably will NOT retire here due to the ever increasing population and cost of living. Our beloved Cape has lost so much of it's charm to overdevelopment. During the summer months it is difficult for residents to even get near the beach. So living by the shore isn't what it used to be.
I am always asked why we spend all of our family vacations at WDW. We go because it makes us happy, and this is $$$ well spent.:) ::MinnieMo

[frannn]

I am another who used to scrimp and save and not take vacations. Then, I realized by kids are getting older and so am I. I was burning myself out and stressing over each cent spent. I lived in an apartment with my kids (separated from first husband)) for several years, and hoarded my $. Then I met my Dh, and realized how happy family and life could be. We bought a house (I put a large chunk of my life savings in as down payment) and took a honeymoon to WDW. I didn't even want a big wedding, but DH convinced me. Thank goodness! Now we go to WDW at least once a year. I finally found out what my life was missing. I still save, have a 401K, and an IRA, but I do not deny myself WDW or DS stuff. I just cut out the secondary NY catskill hotel type vacation we used to take in addition to WDW before we bought the house). Life is too short. My DGrandma had dreams of moving to FL from NY in her later years; even had boxes in her attic marked "FL". But, they waited so long, they were too weak to make the move and enjoy it before they passed on. The had about 1m to their name, but never seemed to spend any $ for good meals, home care, etc, even though they needed it. They never left NY, and hell, they hardly ever left the house. Sure, their 3 kids had some inheritance. But wouldn't they rather have been happy and left a few $ less? Lesson learned.

[capegirl]

frannn....I agree, life is too short. My parents are the same way...rarely going anywhere, afraid to spend a dime. What fun they would have if they joined us on one of our Disney trips. The clock is ticking, and soon it will be too late. One of my aunts was the same way..all work and no play. Sadly she passed away, her husband remarried, and wife # 2 is living it up with all of her hard earned money. I may never be wealthy, but I will never let this happen to me.::MinnieMo