How do you afford DVC?

[DonnerB]

No kids & high income, but I am an outlier in this thread in that I rent. A rent controlled apartment in a part of town where owning would mean living in a dated condo I wouldn't enjoy nearly as much. I value experiences, such as taking vacations to Disney with my points, but also being able to walk (in a car-obsessed city) to multiple grocery stores, banks, pharmacies, movie theaters, museums and shopping malls. My commute to work is short and avoids freeway traffic. My car, like my apartment lease, is ten years old . Not saying I couldn't have purchased DVC if I owned, just saying I like the financial and lifestyle flexibility renting has given me (also lucky to have a generous health insurance & retirement package at work).

 

[tidefan]

Hey,. thanks so much for the reply. you make it even sound fun! Glad to know it's such a great field and great prospects.
Not sure if your username refers to the Crimson Tide, but DS is going to a rival SEC school.....DH and I have to get used to everything ORANGE.....it's quite an adjustment from our usual purple/gold.

100%. Roll Tide!

P.S. - Fun fact, I do not have a single piece of orange clothing anywhere in my closet

 

[ClaraOswald]

Purchased in our 40s. We are a single income family but have a decent savings and decided it was worth it to dip into a little since Disney trips are our favorite vacations.

 

[AdamsMum]

Purchased in 2007-Canadian $ at par (or almost). I pieced together 4 smallish contracts, 2 direct-2 resale all paid in cash. I was spending on a Disney vacation at a moderate every year anyway. Hubby had a blue collar job, I was administrative but not management level, so moderate incomes. Marriage broke up and I had to pay for my points a second time to my ex (well half anyway). In the early days I didn't do any expensive experiences and ate table service only once or twice in a 10 day vacation. I sound like your poor cousin! I'm better off now that I'm retired. I haven't regretted spending the bucks on DVC for a minute. My kids and I have had many special vacations together, and I get to walk "home" from Epcot!

 

[gleddo]

My wife is a nurse and I'm a retired police officer. We bought BWV in 1996 and VB in 1997. We financed both. We are now 100% debt free and no longer finance anything. We recently bought two BLT resale contracts and paid cash for both.

 

[808blessing]

Purchased in 2007-Canadian $ at par (or almost). I pieced together 4

I have been looking for my DW twin! I didn't think anyone else bought both BC and BW! Yay!!

 

[DVC-Don]

I was a big time boater, Hudson River, Erie & Champlain canals and Lake Champlain. Sold the boat and used that $$$ to purchase DVC. Boating is expensive: Loan payments, marina docking, fuel (cost over $400 for fuel to cruise one way to NYC from Albany in 1999), insurance and maintenance.

 

[kilik64]

100%. Roll Tide!

P.S. - Fun fact, I do not have a single piece of orange clothing anywhere in my closet

You should try living in the state and having to see it all over the place.

 

[bdrex28]

We are fairly new DVC members, early 50s with all but 1 kid out of the house and 2 through college and adulting. We're fairly high income I guess, wife is a CPA and C-Level for a large corporation, I run a sales team for an organization which I started after 12 years of the Marine Corps upon college graduation.

However, we are cheap and hate spending money outside of travel. After spending way too much money booking at Rack Rate when the kids were young, then renting , we finally took a DVC tour and we both began regretting we weren't aware 10 years before. we almost bought DVC (250 pt contract in March of 2020 @ riviera) but this crazy thing called COVID was beginning when we were there, so we decided not to sign. Fast forward 3 trips later and we bought the sleep around point contract of SSR. it wasn't expensive and it's already saved us a ton of money (we've gone 4 times so far) and are going again early February.

as for affording, since the two older kids are out of school , we were very fortunate in that both had full athletic scholarships so that helped, youngest quit sports so we'll have to pay for him though, and we are pretty simple people in that we both drive paid for vehicles and neither of us are big on high end clothing (I am a watch guy though) our budget is driven towards vacations and travel. I can't remember exactly but I think we paid about $12k for our contract. Again, it's already paid for itself x 4 in 2 years.

 

[tidefan]

You should try living in the state and having to see it all over the place.

BTW, good luck to Chelsea this year. A good friend of mine up in Huntsville is a Chelsea supporter. Myself, I am a Pompey supporter. Interesting fact, the owner group for Portsmouth FC is headed by Michael Eisner, the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company...

 

[Mousemath]

We had taken approximately 10 Disney trips paying cash at moderates or off sites, and always have been responsible with retirement savings and paying down the mortgage. I spent 10 years keeping an eye on DVC, doing the math many times, but didn’t have the cash on hand and was just too darn conservative.

Then, BTC rallied to $120k and I couldn’t take it anymore. Sold some for the first time and paid cash for my resale contract .

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Because I broke literally every 'rule' established here on the forum.

I had never stayed deluxe, only moderate. We were paycheck to paycheck professionals who had just had our first child and I had not long-since left the comfort of a Fortune 100 Bank VP job to start my own IT company.

I went over to visit my BIL who was staying at BWV and I brought up that I wished we could stay there. Interestingly, we met them at the pool. Never even went in their room.

The next morning we were at SSR meeting with Nick and the rest is history. We bought 4 contracts over 2 years. All direct. All financed by DVD. All going full term. And I'd do it all over again, so for anybody that wants to say anything, save your breath. Keep it to yourself because I don't care what you think.

"If you can't pay for it, you can't afford it." Yeah I did and yeah I can.

235 at AKK and 210 at BLT.

If we don't sell out and move to FL, I fully intend to buy another 200+ somewhere from Nick (DVC Resale Market now) when we retire. Probably SSR SAPs.

 

[davidhr]

Because I broke literally every 'rule' established here on the forum.

I had never stayed deluxe, only moderate. We were paycheck to paycheck professionals who had just had our first child and I had not long-since left the comfort of a Fortune 100 Bank VP job to start my own IT company.

I went over to visit my BIL who was staying at BWV and I brought up that I wished we could stay there. Interestingly, we met them at the pool. Never even went in their room.

The next morning we were at SSR meeting with Nick and the rest is history. We bought 4 contracts over 2 years. All direct. All financed by DVD. All going full term. And I'd do it all over again, so for anybody that wants to say anything, save your breath. Keep it to yourself because I don't care what you think.

"If you can't pay for it, you can't afford it." Yeah I did and yeah I can.

235 at AKK and 210 at BLT.

If we don't sell out and move to FL, I fully intend to buy another 200+ somewhere from Nick (DVC Resale Market now) when we retire. Probably SSR SAPs.

I like to say “Life is too short to always make the best financial decisions”. Sometimes you have to treat yourself, and that might come at a cost. It’s totally worth it if you know what you’re doing.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I like to say “Life is too short to always make the best financial decisions”. Sometimes you have to treat yourself, and that might come at a cost. It’s totally worth it if you know what you’re doing.

Exactly. Some people aren't comfortable with that. I get it. There are a lot like me also. Most just won't speak up here. Oh, they're here. And plentiful.