I want to join dvc sooooo bad!

[michelleiada]

My husband, an Accountant, just won't go for it. He thinks it is not worth the money, but I do! If I were not married to him...I would absolutely be a DVC owner at Beach Club. We stayed there recently by renting DVC points. I am trying to save money on my own for DVC, without him knowing, by putting $25-30 in an envelope every week. I already have $2000 but feel like I will never get there! I envy all of you DVC owners! He doesn't believe in vacationing every year either. DRIVES ME CRAZY! He will not use credit for anything but mortgaging our home, or I would just finance DVC. We have one credit card, Disney Visa of course, and we pay the balance every month. No car payments. We both work and make a good annual income. I am just so frustrated with this and feel that I really need some emotional satisfaction! Life is just way too short! So.....I am just venting here and would love to hear if anyone can offer me some advice??? Am I wrong for wishing and feeling so angry?

 

[crazybones27]

I too have been wanting to join DVC badly since my husband and I took the tour of SSR in 2006. Fortunately for me my husband sees the value in joining. The problem is I can't throw caution to the wind and buy in when I know we have so much other stuff we have to pay for first. We need to buy a house and have a new baby on the way so DVC looks like it will be something that "might" happen later on in the future. Just like you though I too believe in vacationing EVERY year. I feel all families should get away for together time just to have fun. We took our daughter (7 months at the time) to Disney this past December and on the way home my husband was sooooo upset it was over. We had such a great time we didn't want it too end. I feel everyone needs to get away at least once a year for a break from all.

I wouldn't call you crazy for wanting to own DVC. It would probably drive me crazy also if my husband didn't want to join. I mean WHO wouldn't want to own a piece of the Disney magic??

Maybe with the money you're saving you can buy a small contract via resale so you can vacation every other year and your husband could see the value in that. I really wish I had some advice for you. It's a hard situation and definitely a frustrating one. I wish you all the luck.

 

[chalee94]

Maybe with the money you're saving you can buy a small contract via resale so you can vacation every other year and your husband could see the value in that.

this is a workable idea. if you fit in a studio, you could start with a small BCV resale for $5000-6000 and at least go every other year. if he likes it, you're gold! (if not...ummm...you could rent it or something...)

 

[bookwormde]

From an accounting point of view DVC does make sense even if you only vacation every 2nd or 3rd year, you just buy less points (resale) and bank/borrow. If you are staying at deluxes at WDW staying on points for the weekdays is an exceptional value. Trying to sell a full week on points is a little less obvious. Do the math based on every other year vacation, weekdays on points/weekends on cash (do not forget to figure in the 25% discount on cash DVC reservations) and compare that to what you will spend for the same cash weekday cash/weekend cash costs and if he is a true accountant he will be pushing you to buy in as soon as the cash is available. You may not get as many points as you like but at least you will have your “foot in the door”

OF course if the reason he does not want to buy points is because he does not want to vacation at WDW regularly then math has little to do with it.

bookwormde

 

[puntagordabob]

Time for tough love perhaps: "Honey, I know you do not want to take a vacation this year and thats ok with me I respect your decision! Oh! By the way! I will be leaving on such and such date for a 5 day visit to WDW with our children (or other disney loving family member like your sister or whatever)".......

My DW is in a similar spot as your DH is....except it is I who is the Disney fan.... we live 2:20 minutes by car from WDW....and after making it clear that while I love her dearly, I am going to WDW on this day and would love to have your company, but either way I will be seeing Mickey Mouse on this day! After a while she realized that she could go with me and have a good time or else stay home while the rest of us go and have a good time!

Perhaps after your husband understands your love for Disney is part of the package when he married you, he will come around to discovering a way to satisfy "your Disney needs"....after all I am sure he loves you and wants you to be happy!!

 

[Dizny Dad]

Life is not about the money, or keeping safe. Ships are safe in the harbor, but that is not what ships were made for.

Life is establishing goals, making the effort, and accomplishing beyond your expectations. No one wants to be at the end of anything and have to say - was that it?

My goals were to make DiznyDi happy. I make the effort every day. I'll let you know at the end of it all if I had exceeded my expectations.

It is not about the money. Pass this on to him.

 

[ToddyLu]

I would continue saving money and then buy the small contract. My DH and I dump both salaries in the communal pot for distribution. Recently it was my turn to get a new car. I was driving a 2005 Toyota Solara and wanted a new Highlander. DH thought it would be a better idead for us to purchase a Jeep Wrangler as a cheaper car and then I could drive his Hummer H3 until the lease was up.....do you know where I am going with this?? So I got talked out of the car I wanted and know he gets to drive a 2009 Wrangler and a 2008 Hummer.....hmmmm?? After he got the Jeep, the next week I got 210 points at AKV....that was fair. He knew the Jeep purchase really wasn't fair to me. As an aside....I did tell him that with the AKV purchase I would just get a lovely Camry...not the Infinity.



But know that I think about it ....damn the man gets a Hummer, Wrangler and WDW trips at AKV....hmmm...no one said life was easy or fair...

 

[michelleiada]

Thanks for all of your emotional support everyone! Someday I will be a DVC owner, with him or without him! And guess what...I am taking vacations with or without him too! I'm tired of him being so cheap and only spending money when he wants to! Can you tell I'm not very happy with him right now??

 

[toniosmom]

Thanks for all of your emotional support everyone! Someday I will be a DVC owner, with him or without him! And guess what...I am taking vacations with or without him too! I'm tired of him being so cheap and only spending money when he wants to! Can you tell I'm not very happy with him right now??

It's hard when you so strongly disagree with a spouse. I'm sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time with it. I don't know how old you are, but if you are under the age of 35, I say hang in there and save your money. After you save enough money to buy a small contract, then approach your DH again.

With the way the economy is right now, your DH is very smart not to want to finance anything but your house. You are very lucky that you appear to be in a decent financial situation.

On the other hand, if you are over the age of 40, I say LIFE IS TOO SHORT and GO FOR IT. I was 48 when I purchased and I wish I did it sooner. I will be in my 90's and my son will be in his 40's when the contract expires, so I anticipate my son making good use of it throughout his life. He may even buy his own one day.

In the end, remember, "a leopard doesn't change his spots", so if your DH is really doesn't believe in annual vacations, you may wind up taking a few without him. If you have children, it's the best gift you can give them. Memories are priceless.

I wish you the best.

 

[fleurdelis]

Hi, I read your post and wanted to share our story. My husband and I love Disney. We went seven years of marriage, however with only 2 visits. We are savers. No car notes, no credit debt just like yourself. My sister had bought DVC and LOVED it, but we felt it was too extravagant for us. Then in August of 2005 we had our first daughter. 9 days later we evacuated for Hurricane Katrina and 11 days later our home flooded. We were out of our home for 9 months. After Katrina, we bought DVC. Katrina taught us that while it is important to save, it is equally important to LIVE and ENJOY life. You never know what life has in store for you and might as well make the most of it. We bought a small 100 point contract at Animal Kingdom Lodge. They have value studios there which use less points. We are so happy with it. You can always sell if its not for you. Don't waste another day. Buy it and enjoy. You can still save money on other aspects of your life. Good luck and God Bless.
Karen

 

[Br'erBriere]

I just bought (on monday) OKW 100 points. I didn't want to do the disney one and finance and figure if I did the DVC, paying cash was the way to go. So I am paying the entire resale upfront and will only owe Due every year. We have always stayed at a value except this year where we are splurging. To me its still a deal as wel love disney and always will, and yes its cheaper to stay at value every year, but we dont want to always do that. We now have a great choice.

It's one of the few times I spent so much money and was thrilled. I own a piece of disney now! if we ever dont want to go some year we can rent points and make up the dues or more.


If we want to sell, we could basically make back what we purchased if not more. To me, it made more sense to do the more we thought about our vacations and the benefits.

I say do it. Like the one song says "try to make ends meet you're a slave to money then you die" gotta splurge and have fun so I say go for it. This coming from a money tight watching husband, but a dedicated disney fanatic.

 

[Tigger031266]

Well ok I dont mean to agree with your husband but just trying to help. First off, we own at 4 resorts and financed all of them, paid them all of in less than 2 yrs. JUST HAD TO HAVE THEM. The hardest one to buy was the first.

My suggestions to make you feel better if you dont buy:
#1 Watch Dave Ramsy a bit of FOX Business. It will make you feel better when you see people that just spend without saving first.
#2 DVC only covers the room. Trips to Disney have lots of other major costs (Food $500, Park Passes ($600), Trasportation ($500), Spending ($300) and member dues (Monthly $200 every month) YOUR COMITTING TO THIS EVERY YEAR.
#3 At $30 per week with $2000 saved you could by a $6000 resale in 2 years

My suggestion. Make your husband buy it for you as a present. Secretly plant it in his head that it would be the DREAM present of all time. To do this agree with him that it just is too much but your giving away your lifes dream to satisfy him. Make him undrestand that it is a dream that will never be satisfied (a little bit of tears). perferably do this right before your birthday or aniversary. I am telling you, it will work, he will have an idea

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

Hi Michelle: We just bought into DVD this past June, after thinking about it since DVC first started! I am a huge Disney fan & grew up going to WDW every year. Also went to DL a few times growing up. I met my husband back in the early 80's & he wasn't a Disney fan (yet). His family went one time when he was in high school, stayed at a cheap hotel on International Drive, went to MK for one day & spent the rest of trip at the pool. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?! I could NOT believe what I was hearing. So I aksed him if he wanted to go to WDW w/me & he really wasn't sure. I told him I would pay for everything because I really wanted him to see it through my eyes. Well he is not a fool, so of course he said yes to the free trip. We stayed at a hotel in the former Disney Village AKA DTD. We went to MK, EPCOT, River Country, ate at great Disney restaurants, used the pool......he had a GREAT time! We went every year after that until we got married, then went every few years. Once we had kids, we started staying at CR & really loved that. So we often thought about buying into DVC but just weren't sure is was right for us because we don't go every year. My husband, like yours, is very careful with money. We needed to be 100% sure DVC was right for us. We went to WDW in Nov., & stayed once again at the CR. We had said many years ago, if only the CR had DVC, we would buy. Well, while on that trip, we thought about it everyday. We decided that since we don't go every year, we would only buy enough points to go every other year or so. We bought 200 points so most times we can stay in a 2 bedroom MK View, if we want. So after MANY years of thinking about it, we finally did it! I booked our first trip "home" for next July and can't wait. I think you should save your money & buy into yourself, if your husband doesn't change his mind. If you buy it & don't finance it, what can he really say? Good luck. I hope you can buy into DVC soon. Let us know what you decide.

 

[duffy]

I'm with you. My husband doesn't want to yet, and I'm too scared to do it on my own. I just can't force myself to spend so much money.

So, I bought a timeshare in Vermont. We also like skiing, and have family there. We live about 7 hours away, so we could drive there. The maintenance fees are $350/year.

I paid a dollar for it. Yes, just ONE DOLLAR. No way my husband could argue with the cost!

There's a ton of available timeshares that are NOT Disney, for pennies on the thousands of dollars.

 

[leith78]

My suggestion. Make your husband buy it for you as a present. Secretly plant it in his head that it would be the DREAM present of all time. To do this agree with him that it just is too much but your giving away your lifes dream to satisfy him. Make him undrestand that it is a dream that will never be satisfied (a little bit of tears). perferably do this right before your birthday or aniversary. I am telling you, it will work, he will have an idea

Spoken like a true married person! I agree, that if your DH thinks it is his idea to buy you this fabulous, once in a lifetime gift, it might just work! He'll be the hero!! Good luck to you!

 

[Greysword]

If your husband is an accountant and likes it (it's not just a "safe job"), then let him talk himself into it! ...and here is how.

First, ask him to plot out the expenses for a standard vacation for you in Excel, including lodging, transportation, food, and miscellaneous entertainment. If he can trend this for several vacations, then great! This will give him an idea of how much it cost at the time.

Second, ask him to trend the possible cost of future vacations based on a standard rate of inflation. he may even be able to trend the cost of a Disney vacation based on previous years' romm and ticket prices. Make sure he realistically includes food and entertainment cost, based on your previous vacations (none of this...If we cut here then it will be less crap, since thats not how life works).

Third, look up the spreadsheets other DVC members have posted on the board and direct your husband to them to indicate the benefit over time of prepaying your lodging. He can also run his own spreadsheet if he likes. Make sure he includes food costs based on what you eat at home. One of the unseen value of a DVC resort to those not staying on property is the savings the full kitchen and laundry facilities have on the overall budget.

Fourth, even though you may want to stay at the Beach Club you may want to consider SSR or OKW instead as a compromise. This is because the cost per point is lower at these resorts with a longer time till expiration of the contract.

Basically, purchasing DVC is taking advantage of the time-value of money, as inflation will ensure all vacation costs (regardless of where you go) will increase over the course of your lifetime. There are some great spreadsheets on here to show these costs. All in all, I would ask him to prove to you that DVC is not the deal you think it is and let him attempt it. If he has a good argument that is realistic, then DVC may not work for your family. If it is of value (from a cost perspective), he will realize it.

 

[dvczerfs]

speaking as a dh here. being what he does for a living he should know how much it would cost to be an exhusband vs. keeping dw happy and buying into dvc! heck, i think it was in my mar. vows!! as we tell my inlaws all the time. "if you dont spend it, your kids will when you die.so go have a good time while you can" my dw moto, lifes to short to be cheap!!!

 

[michelleiada]

Okay...I love you guys and I don't even know you! A friend of Mickey's is a friend of mine! I for your advice! I am married to a stubborn man! I do think that I will try the tear tactics and beg for it for my B-day or Christmas. It probably won' work! As a nurse, I am a believer in "life is too short". Everything he does and every decision he makes is based on the almighty dollar. Our life philosophies are very different. I have seen first hand how life can change drastically at any given moment. You do need to enjoy life because you only get one! I am a very emotional person and he just isn't! He is not a horrible person and yes...I am thankful that we are in good financial shape with no major debt! I am also thankful that he works as hard as he does but I'm tired of every time I want to do something...it is a huge argument. I WORK TOO....VERY HARD, AS A MATTER OF FACT! I should be getting a bonus soon and will stick that right into my DVC fund too. I will not settle for another resort as I love Beach Club and the entire EPCOT resort area. Keep the advice coming...cause I LOVE IT!

 

[leith78]

I think it's great that you're saving the money to fulfill your Disney dreams! If you're planning on saving the money over a period of months or years (which it sounds like you are), you may want to consider putting it into a cd or money market account. CD rates aren't what they used to be a year ago, but even a small return is better than no return! Hope this is helpful.

Cheers!

 

[5forDiz]

op there are a multitude of options to vacation at WDW that are not DVC and that can be just as wonderful. Yes we own DVC but it certainly is not the only way to vacation at WDW that is meaningful. and as another poster here mentioned there are other timeshares that are much less $ out there & some may also give you ability to trade into DVC resorts too. jmho you & dh need to cross some bridges before DVC purchase even if you have your own career and income, etc. to do so - it should bring happy to all parties not possibly create a point of contention.