How to you organize your points?

[rusafee1183]

I am creating an excel spreadsheet to organize all of our points and was curious how everyone organizes.

Yes, I'm nerdy and actually enjoy all that stuff.

If you do have a spreadsheet, what columns do you find useful? So far I have "Use Year Description" which basically says 2012 use year points are good for stays between 12/1/2012 and 11/30/2013 and so on and so on. I have a Dec use year, and I still have to stop and think about it every once in a while, so I figured that this info would be helpful.

I also have a column for "Points available", "Used" "Must Use" "Must Bank" and a "Trip Description" column. That one was mainly because I think it would be fun to look back and see all the ways we have used the membership over the years.

Not sure if this is the most efficient way to organize, or if this will end up being a waste of time What do you do that you find helpful?

TIA!

 

[BillPA]

I have added a few other coulmns to indicated where I stayed (resort with room number) and the names of those that were along on the trip. Also a 'note' section for pro and con of the location. It doesn't do anything to help with "point control" but it makes a good referance. We have had 54 trips as DVC members in the last 20+ years. It's nice to look back at where we stayed and what was good/bad about the location.

 

[disneynutz]

I use Caskbill's DVC Tracker program.

Bill

 

[ToddyLu]

I tried Caskbill's right after we purchased....I am blonde and gave up quickly. Now I just use my fingers and toes.

We have so few points, only 210, that any planning is not rocket science.

Now ask me about park hours, ADR conf #, parade times, and EMH and I have an excel spreadsheet that rocks.

 

[catherines_mama]

OP mine is similar to your. I have baby contract but bank and borrow so I like to keep track to make sure I use them correctly. I also have trips "planned" 5 yrs out. Right now have 2 trips, Aulani with banked points in 2 years then a Christmas trip with points once we replenish 1.5 yrs after Aulani. My kids are getting to teens and don't want every year. I know once its DH and I and we can travel studio we can go more often.

I'm looking forward to more planning the next 44 yrs

 

[agie65]

I tried point tracker but did not work, may me did not installed correctly.
I also use Excel work sheet, very basic, resort name, use year, contract size, banking deadline, expiry dates, pts available in each use year, keep track of only 3 use year. Banked pts get red color. After each reservation update the columns for left over pts.

 

[deebits]

I use my own spreadsheet also. I have 3 columns at top for each resort, starting points available, used, balance, then have a gran total of what I am using for each trip and the total balance I have available

Down the other column, I have the type of room, resort, and date and at the end of each line, I check to see how much it would have cost me paying cash

I love to look back to see what type of rooms we had, the resort and the value.

 

[cwdefouw]

I use two. One is "DVC Point Calculator" originally built by Lew Rafsky about 15 years ago. I originally found it from this site, but I don't think it is available anymore. It basically has a row for each year. Your original points are added during setup and then there is a column for addons. There are 4 columns for vacations that show points used, you add comments to the cells with the vacation details. There is a column that shows points banked to the next year and one for expired points. Then there are the calculated fields. one shows a total of points allocated for each year. Then there are several that show maximum available points without borrowing and with borrowing. It also has a verification field that confirms if you filled everything out correctly by showing your total used vs your available points.

This one is set up to end in 2016, and I am still working on exactly how to extend it. The designer had locked all the static fields with a password as it was copywrited. I think that I can just start it over in 2016 but I may have to fudge the numbers a little for the first year, if there is any banking and borrowing. Someone that is really good with excel (not me) could probably reverse engineer it and just create a new one with the same functions.

The other one I use is my own creation. Basically I created it because we have 4 contracts and the other one lumps everything together. Mine has a sheet for each contract that shows running totals of points used where and what is available in each contract for the next year. Some vacation details are there but I leave that mostly to the other excel sheet.

 

[sgtpet]

I created my own spreadsheet with similar columns for the three resorts we own at. I have a second spreadsheet in the workbook that has the details of the trips I take, including where the points come from, unit, dates, etc. It works pretty well.

 

[dianeschlicht]

My spreadsheet is similar to the Op's, but I also include AP information on mine. We tend to not renew APs, so I need to track what date they were activated. That helps me plan trip dates, so it needs to be with my DVC tracking.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

I use Quicken as my electronic checkbook anyway, and so I've set up "cash" accounts to track my points, a different account for each resort (and its use year.) Works for me!

 

[nalajms]

After a BIG MS mess-up with canceling/rebooking/combining banked & borrowed points where they misplaced some points, I started tracking details of each reservation - which contracts were used, which UY, when it was booked, when canceled.... you get the point.

I also do all my planning on there too. I have a column reminding me when to book or change at the 7 months, which points to use and borrow. I have all 2014 planned out and looking at spring 2015. It gives me a headache sometimes

 

[Husurdady]

I am creating an excel spreadsheet to organize all of our points and was curious how everyone organizes.


TIA!

Hi Rf.

We made ours simple from the very beginning, [1997]. Six differant OKW contracts [150,100,50,50,50,&170 pts.] , all with the same use year[February]. How simple can that be.
....ps and now I am starting to make up a spreadsheet on selling them off with one of the 50 point contracts going last Dec,2012.