Holy Cow! - Disney is making it impossible for me to live like no one else.

[Ava]

perhaps, but you can't live your life always looking at some future date and deprive yourself (family) of any good times or memories today.

There is a fine line between saving saving saving or spending spending spending and the key is to find that balance. You want to be able to enjoy your retirement (so you will need to save), but for many people that time might never come or you might not have your health to enjoy it....and then find yourself wishing you had made some memories when you were younger.

Again...I dont know her situation in terms of age, health or 401K balance...but saving saving saving might not always be the right answer.

I understand what you're saying, but in the OP's case they have saved that $1800 for a specific purpose - paying down a credit card. If they just had an "extra" $1800 sitting in a savings account not earmarked for anything, by all means they should go to WDW with it! But that's not the case.

OP, I think you will feel so much better about your decision if you use that $1800 to pay down the CC as planned. Once that's done, start a vacation fund for a WDW trip. The "Free" dining promotion is very tempting but as others have said, its by no means free.

If you have to use your free airline tickets this year, do you have any family or friends you could visit to use it?

 

[mrsklamc]

perhaps, but you can't live your life always looking at some future date and deprive yourself (family) of any good times or memories today.

Memories and good times do not have to be Disney and can be had much cheaper than $1800.

 

[Maddle]

OP - deep breath, maybe sigh a little bit...."put on the big girl panties," and put the $1800 toward the credit card that for which it was intended.

It's tough, but its what grown ups do.

I didn't think you were serious either about Disney forcing you, but I do know temptation. Just turn your back and do what's right.

Maddle

 

[MarilIncredible]

Memories and good times do not have to be Disney and can be had much cheaper than $1800.

I am beginning to think this is a truly foreign concept to most of the posters here.

Be strong, OP, and use the money to pay down the cc debt! Also, there are many, many other places to go on vacation, some of which are actually cheaper than DIsney!

 

[DawnM]

Wait, what????? There are other places to go on vacation?????

My husband has been saying that for years but I didn't believe him!

FWIW: We can't afford free dining any way you slice it....we stay in a condo and eat most of our own meals/food and can do Disney much, much cheaper.

Dawn

I am beginning to think this is a truly foreign concept to most of the posters here.

Be strong, OP, and use the money to pay down the cc debt! Also, there are many, many other places to go on vacation, some of which are actually cheaper than DIsney!

 

[MarilIncredible]

Wait, what????? There are other places to go on vacation?????

My husband has been saying that for years but I didn't believe him!

FWIW: We can't afford free dining any way you slice it....we stay in a condo and eat most of our own meals/food and can do Disney much, much cheaper.

Dawn

My husband doesn't like Disney as much as I do, so we've gone to places like San Francisco, Charleston & Savannah, and most recently San Diego. We'll probably not go back to Disney until our son is at least 3 or 4 years old.

 

[bumbershoot]

...but saving saving saving might not always be the right answer.

But she was saving that for a specific purpose, to pay off things she already bought.

 

[crisi]

Wait, what????? There are other places to go on vacation?????

My husband has been saying that for years but I didn't believe him!

FWIW: We can't afford free dining any way you slice it....we stay in a condo and eat most of our own meals/food and can do Disney much, much cheaper.

Dawn

Not only that, but get this, all over the world there are people who manage to survive without taking travel type vacations AT ALL! Or take them very infrequently. Like breathatarians who can live without food these people live without vacation!

 

[SunnieRN]

When I am tempted to take advantage of a deal I try to remember these wise words from my DH:

A dozen elephants for a nickel is only a deal if you have a nickel and need a dozen elephants.

Unless you can turn around and sell them for a dime. lol, just kidding, I love this and will borrow it often, when I am tempted!!

I do have a serious question however. Why "save" $1800 to pay at one time on a credit card? Why not pay the extra $$ as you go? Is there an advantage to paying a large sum at once vs $200 or $300 at a time? I have two small credit cards, which if I use I pay them off each month.

 

[summersalt]

I did it!!!! I just paid the $1800 to the credit card. .

 

[bumbershoot]

Congrats!

 

[disneysteve]

Why "save" $1800 to pay at one time on a credit card? Why not pay the extra $$ as you go? Is there an advantage to paying a large sum at once vs $200 or $300 at a time?

No. In fact, it is better to pay as soon as you have the money. The longer you wait, the more interest accumulates.

I did it!!!! I just paid the $1800 to the credit card.

That's great! You will never regret the decision to become debt free.

 

[disneymom3]

I did it!!!! I just paid the $1800 to the credit card. .

Good job!!! Temptation gone! Oh, I bet that feels good!

Memories and good times do not have to be Disney and can be had much cheaper than $1800.

That is the one thing that drives me crazy around here. Yes, we all love WDW but come on....went camping this weekend for three days. The site cost us $45 and we ate for cheaper than we do at home. (My children are certain that one should only eat hotdogs and marshmallows while camping. ) We had a GREAT time and made tons of memories.

1800$ isn't that hard to earn again. If it's going to be paid off at the end of the year, that's six months of saving.

Now if she takes six months of savings for a vacation, then that could mean 8 or more months of paying off the credit card.

Next year's free dining will be just as a grand ol time as this year.

Now if you had a bounce back free dining with free airline tickets... That would be a different story cause you'd be getting a major discount on the room, and you could enjoy dining at the resorts instead of in the parks. Well one park ticket, plus three or four night could be the cheapest disney trip yet.

I don't get what you are saying here at all, however, I have to say that IMO $1800 EXTRA to pay down debt or anything else can take a LONG time to coem up with. Maybe some people have an extra $300 a month for whatever they want, but my budget sure doesn't work that way!

 

[hugApug]

I did it!!!! I just paid the $1800 to the credit card. .

Congratulations! It's always painful at first to see that much money disappear from your bank account, but it makes your next vacation that much easier! It's nice to not have a large CC balance hanging over your head during a Disney trip.

 

[aboveH20]

When I am tempted to take advantage of a deal I try to remember these wise words from my DH:

A dozen elephants for a nickel is only a deal if you have a nickel and need a dozen elephants.

I gotta remember that one!

 

[englishteacha]

I'm proud of you!! Celebrate with something free!

 

[Whistle]

Great job!

 

[SunnieRN]

I did it!!!! I just paid the $1800 to the credit card. .

Congratulations!!!

Disneysteve, that's what I thought, but wasn't sure why anyone would do it the opposite way?

 

[SandrA9810]

I don't get what you are saying here at all, however, I have to say that IMO $1800 EXTRA to pay down debt or anything else can take a LONG time to coem up with. Maybe some people have an extra $300 a month for whatever they want, but my budget sure doesn't work that way!

Neither does mine. But the OP said there's 1800$ left, and will be paid at the end of the year. So I'm assuming that they were throwing every extra bit at the debt. So that would be an extra 300$ a month to the debt.

After the debt is paid off, that 300$ a month payment could be used towards 2011's free dining offer.
Sorry I really don't know how else to put it...

But congrats to the OP for sending that money to the CC... Disney will always be there.

 

[lorac4disney]

Congrats!

Living debt free is FREEING!