Help me be smart about this....

[la79al]

In the past 5 months we have spent nearly $10,000 on lawyers (custody) and still aren't quite done. We were planning on using income tax refunds to pay for our June Disney trip. Now DH is thinking that maybe we should be using this money to rebuild the savings account. I know if I beg enough and put some money towards the trip we will still go to Disney in June. This is going to be our last Disney trip for probably at least 6 years. By the time we go again, DS will not want to go (he doesn't REALLY want to go now, but he's still young enough we can tell him what to do) and there will more than likely be a couple new kids. The way I figure it, no matter where we go for family vacation this year, it will cost the same as a (maybe reduced) trip to Disney. So do I throw the fit and put the money towards Disney or do I plan a different family vacation and put money into the savings account? I'm really trying to be a mature adult about this but it's hard when it comes to Disney.

 

[karibritt01]

I would figure the vacation both ways. Look at the $ for hotels, food, spending cash, travel, etc. You can do Disney cheaply if you stay off property, and use a resort with transportation provided to the parks. (No rental or parking fees.) Next, plan to eat most meals at your resort to cut food cost. With my DH, I had to prove we could afford it by doing all the work, and showing him the difference. For us, by the time we nickel and dime ourselves withentertainment, food, etc at other vacations, we come out only a few hundred more doing Disney. Hope that helps.

 

[Bob P]

To be honest, I would get the advice of a financial planner. While I love the people here on the DIS boards, I don't think I'd be comfortable throwing out a question to everyone on financial advice and going with the consensus.

By the way, we have a 20-year-old and a 17-year-old, and WDW is STILL their favorite vacation place of anywhere we have ever gone!

Good luck with your finances, I hope you get some sound advice.

 

[Barb D]

We were in a similar position last year. We ended up going on a much less expensive trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and had a fantastic time. My kids even got to try hang gliding. There are lots of ways to build memories.

 

[Eyore4Ever149]

I think a financial planner is great advice. I also think letting your husband's guidance trump the DIS is important- will pushing really hard or "throwing a fit" be required? How about creating several plans sitting down and deciding together. This should be between you and your husband and perhaps someone with good accounting advice.

you could set up a few senarios and analyize them

A. Go for it regardless
B. Postpone the trip (why does it HAVE to be 6yrs from now?)
C. If you were to go on a difference vacation what are the costs for that compared to a Disney trip - can you reduce your costs in order to go? Like staying at a Value or renting points from a DVC member?
Are you going to go on vacations over the next 6 yrs? What about skipping a vacation for 2 years and saving for your trip? This could create excitement, time for lots of fun planning. etc.
Only you and your husband know your bills, income, etc and what will work.

For us, we decided to join DVC, we have our first child now, we can bank points on years we dont go and this allows us to be on property but more eat-in meals. Financially it was tight for us to do, but we know we have $900 a month freeing up from a car payment in April and $55K from the sale of a car we have, so whats tight now will seem fabulous by next October.
It did mean putting our trip further out until we had time and points, oh and we bought them on resale.

Best of luck to you and your family!