Debt Dumpers 2025

[focusondisney]

We also talked to Disney, and we'd get a credit.

Do you have a room reservation or a package? In 30+ years of Disney stays, I have never heard of anyone getting a credit for a resort reservation. A room reservation can be fully refunded outside of 8 days. A package stay within 30 days can be changed to different dates further out & could then be cancelled for a full refund.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

We currently have $700 saved in Disney Gift Cards to buy food or anything else we're doing. We don't ever buy souvenirs on our trips anyway. So we shouldn't have to spend any money once at Disney. We're going to ride to MK and resort hop on Saturday night after we land and hopefully watch MK fireworks from Poly beach or Grand Flo boat ramp. Sunday we're sleeping in and doing lunch at Giordanos and maybe somewhere to watch some football. Not sure about the evening. Monday we're going to Fort Wilderness to check out Tri Circle D Ranch then we're going to Downtown Disney to walk around and will probably eat a late lunch or early dinner at somewhere like Polite Pig or Earl. DW wants Summerhouse or whatever it's called, but we shall see.

You are losing more than $600 by going. How are you getting to the resort from the airport? Mears - $, Uber - $, friend - $(at a min you should offer gas or a meal out). Non-extravagant places at Disney - $. What will you be doing? Pool time only? Entertaining yourself by riding the different modes of transportation? This will not be a cheap trip. How much do you have saved for it? Enough to charge nothing?

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Things have been a little crazy here. Back in September, we took a 12 nt Princess cruise to the British Isles and France for our 30th anniversary. Our friends joined us and it was a great trip. Unfortunately, about a month before the cruise, I started having pangs of nausea every now and then. It gradually increased to occasional vomiting. Well, that increased too. Even just sitting in a restaurant, I'd have to quick jump up and find a rest room.
I noticed too while washing my hair (arms raised over my head and moving) that my heart would beat faster and pounding sometimes. I also felt strangely exhausted even though a lot of our excursions weren't any more walking than what I'd do for a day at work. I certainly didn't feel as if I was doing anything strenuous. I also was having more and more tremors in my hands and legs.

By the time we flew home from London, the vomiting was more frequent so I made a dr appt. (It was a miralce to not puke on the plane.) Without doing a single test or labs, he says it's excess stomach acid. I'm not sure if I told him my heart pounded occasionally and the occasional tremors but still stomach acid sounded like BS to me but I'll give him a chance. So he gives me Pepcid and Zofran and within a few days I couldn't even keep anything down. He tells me to see a GI specialist.
In the meantime I went back to work post vacation and felt really weak & fatigued. I worked 2 days and called out again and applied for FMLA. Luckily I could get in the next day with a nurse practitioner. She agreed it doesn't sound like stomach acid and recommends upper & lower endoscopy. That is scheduled for later this month and I'm due for a colonoscopy anyway. (By now I'm convinced it's some horrible cancer.) She ordered lots of bloodwork and called me the next day as I'm reading it on my portal, that my thyroid level is crazy high. She says I need to go to the ER. (On a Friday afternoon? No way) So I went early the next morning. My heart rate was 130 just sitting. They joked and asked if I was just mountain climbing.

So they repeat all the labs and checked for a heart attack too which was all good. It still showed my thyroid crazy high. They gave me a month supply of meds to lower my thyroid and also a heart med to slow it down and now it's not pounding right out of my chest. They said to see an endocrinologist which I have an appt on Wednesday. I googled how long it takes for the meds to make you feel normal again. It says 2-4 weeks to see a change, but 6-8 to see significant changes.

So I've been on the meds since Oct 11 and I'm finally not feeling like a jellyfish anymore. At my worst, it would take 3 days to get laundry done. I'm down to one long day. yay! I think there were some days when I would shower but just put a clean nightgown on. lol. My calcium level was also high which also causes muscle fatigue. Crazy stuff.

The kicker is that our big Sept cruise, along with taking off a week in August for my niece to take a break from caring for my dad, has used up every bit of time off in my bank. I've also applied for short-term disability and they keep asking for more documentation. They are really dragging their feet with approving it which is so annoying. I've only been paid for Oct 2 & 3 and that's it. Thankfully, I have savings to cover my lack of paychecks but I hate to have to tap into it. Oh well.

We have a cruise on the Treause in April that I will likely have to cancel. While I'm out of work I'm not accruing more time off and I've already promised my niece a week off in May. I don't know when I'll be back to work but the final payment due date for the cruise is Dec 26. I'm glad I finished our Christmas fund over the summer so that won't be affected.

I'm likely going to need some follow up doctor visits so that will be more time I'll need to take off over the coming months.

I'm looking forward to my endocrinologist appt, getting some answers, and hoping I will be feeling like my old self soon.

 

[pblack]

Things have been a little crazy here. Back in September, we took a 12 nt Princess cruise to the British Isles and France for our 30th anniversary. Our friends joined us and it was a great trip. Unfortunately, about a month before the cruise, I started having pangs of nausea every now and then. It gradually increased to occasional vomiting. Well, that increased too. Even just sitting in a restaurant, I'd have to quick jump up and find a rest room.
I noticed too while washing my hair (arms raised over my head and moving) that my heart would beat faster and pounding sometimes. I also felt strangely exhausted even though a lot of our excursions weren't any more walking than what I'd do for a day at work. I certainly didn't feel as if I was doing anything strenuous. I also was having more and more tremors in my hands and legs.

By the time we flew home from London, the vomiting was more frequent so I made a dr appt. (It was a miralce to not puke on the plane.) Without doing a single test or labs, he says it's excess stomach acid. I'm not sure if I told him my heart pounded occasionally and the occasional tremors but still stomach acid sounded like BS to me but I'll give him a chance. So he gives me Pepcid and Zofran and within a few days I couldn't even keep anything down. He tells me to see a GI specialist.
In the meantime I went back to work post vacation and felt really weak & fatigued. I worked 2 days and called out again and applied for FMLA. Luckily I could get in the next day with a nurse practitioner. She agreed it doesn't sound like stomach acid and recommends upper & lower endoscopy. That is scheduled for later this month and I'm due for a colonoscopy anyway. (By now I'm convinced it's some horrible cancer.) She ordered lots of bloodwork and called me the next day as I'm reading it on my portal, that my thyroid level is crazy high. She says I need to go to the ER. (On a Friday afternoon? No way) So I went early the next morning. My heart rate was 130 just sitting. They joked and asked if I was just mountain climbing.

So they repeat all the labs and checked for a heart attack too which was all good. It still showed my thyroid crazy high. They gave me a month supply of meds to lower my thyroid and also a heart med to slow it down and now it's not pounding right out of my chest. They said to see an endocrinologist which I have an appt on Wednesday. I googled how long it takes for the meds to make you feel normal again. It says 2-4 weeks to see a change, but 6-8 to see significant changes.

So I've been on the meds since Oct 11 and I'm finally not feeling like a jellyfish anymore. At my worst, it would take 3 days to get laundry done. I'm down to one long day. yay! I think there were some days when I would shower but just put a clean nightgown on. lol. My calcium level was also high which also causes muscle fatigue. Crazy stuff.

The kicker is that our big Sept cruise, along with taking off a week in August for my niece to take a break from caring for my dad, has used up every bit of time off in my bank. I've also applied for short-term disability and they keep asking for more documentation. They are really dragging their feet with approving it which is so annoying. I've only been paid for Oct 2 & 3 and that's it. Thankfully, I have savings to cover my lack of paychecks but I hate to have to tap into it. Oh well.

We have a cruise on the Treause in April that I will likely have to cancel. While I'm out of work I'm not accruing more time off and I've already promised my niece a week off in May. I don't know when I'll be back to work but the final payment due date for the cruise is Dec 26. I'm glad I finished our Christmas fund over the summer so that won't be affected.

I'm likely going to need some follow up doctor visits so that will be more time I'll need to take off over the coming months.

I'm looking forward to my endocrinologist appt, getting some answers, and hoping I will be feeling like my old self soon.

I hope you feel better and get answers soon! I can only imagine how stressed out you may be. Sending big hugs!

 

[barkley]

Things have been a little crazy here. Back in September, we took a 12 nt Princess cruise to the British Isles and France for our 30th anniversary. Our friends joined us and it was a great trip. Unfortunately, about a month before the cruise, I started having pangs of nausea every now and then. It gradually increased to occasional vomiting. Well, that increased too. Even just sitting in a restaurant, I'd have to quick jump up and find a rest room.
I noticed too while washing my hair (arms raised over my head and moving) that my heart would beat faster and pounding sometimes. I also felt strangely exhausted even though a lot of our excursions weren't any more walking than what I'd do for a day at work. I certainly didn't feel as if I was doing anything strenuous. I also was having more and more tremors in my hands and legs.

By the time we flew home from London, the vomiting was more frequent so I made a dr appt. (It was a miralce to not puke on the plane.) Without doing a single test or labs, he says it's excess stomach acid. I'm not sure if I told him my heart pounded occasionally and the occasional tremors but still stomach acid sounded like BS to me but I'll give him a chance. So he gives me Pepcid and Zofran and within a few days I couldn't even keep anything down. He tells me to see a GI specialist.
In the meantime I went back to work post vacation and felt really weak & fatigued. I worked 2 days and called out again and applied for FMLA. Luckily I could get in the next day with a nurse practitioner. She agreed it doesn't sound like stomach acid and recommends upper & lower endoscopy. That is scheduled for later this month and I'm due for a colonoscopy anyway. (By now I'm convinced it's some horrible cancer.) She ordered lots of bloodwork and called me the next day as I'm reading it on my portal, that my thyroid level is crazy high. She says I need to go to the ER. (On a Friday afternoon? No way) So I went early the next morning. My heart rate was 130 just sitting. They joked and asked if I was just mountain climbing.

So they repeat all the labs and checked for a heart attack too which was all good. It still showed my thyroid crazy high. They gave me a month supply of meds to lower my thyroid and also a heart med to slow it down and now it's not pounding right out of my chest. They said to see an endocrinologist which I have an appt on Wednesday. I googled how long it takes for the meds to make you feel normal again. It says 2-4 weeks to see a change, but 6-8 to see significant changes.

So I've been on the meds since Oct 11 and I'm finally not feeling like a jellyfish anymore. At my worst, it would take 3 days to get laundry done. I'm down to one long day. yay! I think there were some days when I would shower but just put a clean nightgown on. lol. My calcium level was also high which also causes muscle fatigue. Crazy stuff.

The kicker is that our big Sept cruise, along with taking off a week in August for my niece to take a break from caring for my dad, has used up every bit of time off in my bank. I've also applied for short-term disability and they keep asking for more documentation. They are really dragging their feet with approving it which is so annoying. I've only been paid for Oct 2 & 3 and that's it. Thankfully, I have savings to cover my lack of paychecks but I hate to have to tap into it. Oh well.

We have a cruise on the Treause in April that I will likely have to cancel. While I'm out of work I'm not accruing more time off and I've already promised my niece a week off in May. I don't know when I'll be back to work but the final payment due date for the cruise is Dec 26. I'm glad I finished our Christmas fund over the summer so that won't be affected.

I'm likely going to need some follow up doctor visits so that will be more time I'll need to take off over the coming months.

I'm looking forward to my endocrinologist appt, getting some answers, and hoping I will be feeling like my old self soon.

I'm so sorry you're not feeling well-i hope they get this tracked down and addressed. if you were strictly dealing with nausea (including random gagging) I would immediately ask if you had any history of migraines cuz my youngest had this come on out of nowhere a few years ago and we went round and round with the doctors trying to figure it out until he went in for an upper GI scoping and the doctor just offhandedly asked if he had ever had migraines-when we told him he did he explained that there's a type that presents as nausea, gagging and vomiting (with no headache). youngest now takes a light medication daily and it's largely eliminated the symptoms.

fingers crossed you get a quick diagnosis with an easy fix.

 

[LadybugsMum]

I did the responsible thing and canceled my solo trip. I'm going to sulk over here for a minute.

 

[FreeTime]

I did the responsible thing and canceled my solo trip. I'm going to sulk over here for a minute.

I’ll sill with you. I have done that before. Think of what positives are on the other side.

 

[disney-inspired]

Yes, my insurance agent shopped it around in June when it jumped from $325/month to $450/month. No at fault accidents, no tickets in several years (knock on wood). The company we had was the lowest one around, she said. They said it jumped so much because the cost of replacement should it be needed jumped because of tariffs, which is understandable. Also, I'm in Dallas. So I'm sure that's part of the reason too.

I just transferred my car insurance to Texas (my parents drove my car over this past week) and I had to pay an extra $500
But seeing the way people are driving over here in the Ft Worth area - I get it. They're either crazy aggressive and tailing me (when I'm going the speed limit in the 'slow lane') or going weirdly slow and NO ONE uses their turn signal here.

They did say if I download the auto app (AAA) so they 'track' my driving, they'll give me a 15% discount - which is worth it for me. That will lower insurance to only an extra $215 for the year but dang.

Now I need to switch the title & insurance - but have to get the car smogged first. Car stuff is so annoying!

 

[Twilghtsprkle]

They did say if I download the auto app (AAA) so they 'track' my driving, they'll give me a 15% discount - which is worth it for me. That will lower insurance to only an extra $215 for the year but dang.

On the other hand if they don’t like how you drive then your rates will go up next renewal.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

Thanks. Yes, it can definitely be rough here. Progressive had something like that discount too, but I choose to drive with my phone in my pocket. So I opted out as I don't want to have my phone open and on while I'm driving.

I just transferred my car insurance to Texas (my parents drove my car over this past week) and I had to pay an extra $500
But seeing the way people are driving over here in the Ft Worth area - I get it. They're either crazy aggressive and tailing me (when I'm going the speed limit in the 'slow lane') or going weirdly slow and NO ONE uses their turn signal here.

They did say if I download the auto app (AAA) so they 'track' my driving, they'll give me a 15% discount - which is worth it for me. That will lower insurance to only an extra $215 for the year but dang.

Now I need to switch the title & insurance - but have to get the car smogged first. Car stuff is so annoying!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

On the other hand if they don’t like how you drive then your rates will go up next renewal.

True. I could never sign up for that. I drive like Cruella on my way to the train station to go to work. Any other time, I completely follow every law. I wish I could leave a few minutes earlier but it never seems to happen.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I'm so sorry you're not feeling well-i hope they get this tracked down and addressed. if you were strictly dealing with nausea (including random gagging) I would immediately ask if you had any history of migraines cuz my youngest had this come on out of nowhere a few years ago and we went round and round with the doctors trying to figure it out until he went in for an upper GI scoping and the doctor just offhandedly asked if he had ever had migraines-when we told him he did he explained that there's a type that presents as nausea, gagging and vomiting (with no headache). youngest now takes a light medication daily and it's largely eliminated the symptoms.

fingers crossed you get a quick diagnosis with an easy fix.

Hmm... that's interesting but I've never had migraines and the medication stopped the vomiting within around 10 days. Progress happens slowly because the medication only tells the thyroid to make less hormone. It doesn't remove the excess that's in your bloodstream already. I'm glad your son found an easy fix.
Does he have to take the meds for life?
This is one of my questions for the endocrinologist. From what I've been reading online, the options are meds, radioactive iodine treatments, which have a list of possible complications and side effects, or surgical removal but then you have to take thyroid hormone in pill for for life. None of these sound like something I want but that's life. Things get dumped in our lap and we have to deal with it the best we can.

 

[afan]

Thanks. Yes, it can definitely be rough here. Progressive had something like that discount too, but I choose to drive with my phone in my pocket. So I opted out as I don't want to have my phone open and on while I'm driving.

You don't have to have anything open. The app on the phone tracks it. The only thing I do with the all State one is make sure I mark stuff as passenger, train etc when I'm not driving because it'll pick most stuff up.

True. I could never sign up for that. I drive like Cruella on my way to the train station to go to work. Any other time, I completely follow every law. I wish I could leave a few minutes earlier but it never seems to happen.

May not be as bad as you think it all State is more forgiving because some they mark as nice trip surprise me. Looking back it's been picking up my phone activity in my driveway as I turn the house alarm on as I drive off because I don't have time to wait for the garage door to open. Guess I need to open the alarm app before I start driving and maybe that'll enough. It's about the only time I use my phone when driving.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I did the responsible thing and canceled my solo trip. I'm going to sulk over here for a minute.

I'm sulking with you. I had an awesome cabin picked out on the Treasure. I have it on hold again for 2027 but it's $600 more and so far away.
I've never done a solo trip, have you? If you're cancelling for debt paydown, maybe try to focus on how good it will feel to see that lower balance. That always cheered me up and had me doing a happy dance.
Sometimes, even after being paid off I'd log in just to look at the zeros.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

You don't have to have anything open. The app on the phone tracks it. The only thing I do with the all State one is make sure I mark stuff as passenger, train etc when I'm not driving because it'll pick most stuff up.



May not be as bad as you think it all State is more forgiving because some they mark as nice trip surprise me. Looking back it's been picking up my phone activity in my driveway as I turn the house alarm on as I drive off because I don't have time to wait for the garage door to open. Guess I need to open the alarm app before I start driving and maybe that'll enough. It's about the only time I use my phone when driving.

Wow, that is very sensitive. You can't be the only person with an alarm system but I guess it has no way of knowing that you're sitting in your driveway.

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

I did the responsible thing and canceled my solo trip. I'm going to sulk over here for a minute.

Ugh, I know how much that stinks. We had a trip planned last January that we cancelled and pushed to this January. Well, we just cancelled that trip last week. We haven't been to WDW since 2023, and I don't know if or when we will go back at this point. It's too far, too expensive, and we don't have time with college schedules.

However, I will give some advice that we heard many years ago. "Instead of using your money to improve your vacations, use that money to improve your life." Vacations are fun and they give us a temporary reprieve from our life. But, you eventually come home to whatever you left behind. If someone knows vacation money is better utilized elsewhere, do it! Catch up on bills, pay down debt, add to savings, go to the doctor, fix your car, visit other family members, give generously, whatever it is. Long ago, we dialed back vacations to get completely out of debt, and that has served us better than fattening some corporation's wallet!

 

[Kite16510]

I just transferred my car insurance to Texas (my parents drove my car over this past week) and I had to pay an extra $500
But seeing the way people are driving over here in the Ft Worth area - I get it. They're either crazy aggressive and tailing me (when I'm going the speed limit in the 'slow lane') or going weirdly slow and NO ONE uses their turn signal here.

They did say if I download the auto app (AAA) so they 'track' my driving, they'll give me a 15% discount - which is worth it for me. That will lower insurance to only an extra $215 for the year but dang.

Now I need to switch the title & insurance - but have to get the car smogged first. Car stuff is so annoying!

I called about that program and spoke with Progressive. Ask them if there's any possibility that if your report comes back negative that they can increase your rates. I asked them that and I was told that they could increase my rates up to 30% more. So I did not do it. I do have Progressive, but if it was one way thing and they could only lower my rates, I'd be good with it. And I think it depends on what state you're in. I'm in Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania allows them to do an increase.

 

[DisneyMandC]

I called about that program and spoke with Progressive. Ask them if there's any possibility that if your report comes back negative that they can increase your rates. I asked them that and I was told that they could increase my rates up to 30% more. So I did not do it. I do have Progressive, but if it was one way thing and they could only lower my rates, I'd be good with it. And I think it depends on what state you're in. I'm in Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania allows them to do an increase.

I think it depends on state and company. I switch car insurance all the time. Progressive used to not increase your rates with their system (about 10 years ago here in VA), but now they will. I currently have All State and they will NOT increase your rates based on your driving.

 

[WDW_fan_in_TX]

We've had Progressive for 20 years, probably. I'd feel like I'm cheating if I go somewhere else. That said, I don't think I want to do the program where you have to have your app up and running while I'm driving.

I think it depends on state and company. I switch car insurance all the time. Progressive used to not increase your rates with their system (about 10 years ago here in VA), but now they will. I currently have All State and they will NOT increase your rates based on your driving.