Banking and Borrowing?

[disney junky]

I'm a bit curious how other DVC'er do this and I know there will be a tons of perspectives. Last year I had some points left over that I was afraid I would either lose or have to rent. Something I'd never done, so I was apprehensive about the prospects. In the meantime, I added on, booked an unanticipated trip for this year and booked a second trip for this year with the add on points and a pretty good number of borrowed 2007 points. When we originally purchased it was with the intention of going every other year and staying in a 2BR during the summer. Now with the add on, we can either stay longer every other year or go for a shorter trip every year. FYI, we now own 200 points.

I made a mental decision that before I would ever get stuck with points, I would borrow and stay an extra day, rather than having some odd number of points out there. So many of you have so much experience with this that I am curious if this is a decision that many of you have made, and if I am creating a problem for myself later on. We do plan vacations pretty far in advance, though the two trips this summer were spur of the moment for us (meaning within the 7 month window). I am kind of anal about vacation planning.

I am always looking for ideas so any suggestions would be appreciated. I don't consider myself "point stingy." We bought the points to use, and I'll take a boardwalf view for the view if I feel like it, even if a standard is available. I'd probably even get a 1BR for just DW and me for the extra room.

 

[DVCLiz]

The only time I had extra points, it was only a few and I banked them into the next year. When I made my next reservation, I used those banked points first.

FWIW, we almost always get a 2BR at HH and WDW, and there are only three of us. We love the extra bedroom - each daughter has her own bed and I get the king to myself!!!! DD12 an I did get a studio recently, so we could stay a full week, but I'm not against using points in any way that suits me, either!!!

 

[disney junky]

I just decided that point frugal sounds better than point stingy....sorry if I offended the points stretchers....

 

[lizziepooh]

I'm not sure why you feel negatively about banking extra points. IPersonally, I wouldn't plan an extra trip just to use up points so I didn't have to rent or bank them. Banking points is very easy and gives you a cushion for a longer vacation or larger accomodations the following year. It really is whatever works for you and what you are comfortable with.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We are often in a banked state. When you bank, the only thing you have to realize is that you need to use a minimum of that number of points that following year, or you will lose those points.

 

[disney junky]

I do bank points. I should have clarified. I was faced with a situation where banked points were going to expire, so rather than have that happen, I decided when I am planning a trip, to use all the points available, banked and current unless I am planning another trip within the next year. As I said in the OP, we never had intended to go every year, so if that held true, and we banked and used current points every other year and didn't use all those banked and borrowed points, two years would pass before anther trip, and even if I banked those few additional points, they would expire before my next biannual trip; or am I confused.

 

[DVCLiz]

I just decided that point frugal sounds better than point stingy....sorry if I offended the points stretchers....

Gosh, you certainly didn't offend me!!! I was just responding to your question with my personal experience. I've only had extra points once, because I've only been a member for two years!!!

I do think, though, that I'll probably do some of each over the course of my DVC membership. Some years I'll probably have a few points left over, and some years I'll be a few short. That's what I really love about DVC - I have the flexibility to do either!!!