It's hard being financially responsible! No add-on for us

[Tiger926]

I've posted a bit in the past few weeks about us trying to understand the whole resale vs add-on process. We have 300 points - 175 @ SSR and 125 @ AKV. Our cast includes myself, DH, DD6 and DS2. We feel like we've outgrown studios, and so we were looking to add on between 75-100 points in order to stay exclusively in 1 beds for approx. 10-12 nights each July. We don't want to borrow, as we have several ill family members, and have had to reschedule and change vacations several times over the past few years, plus the point reallocation cost us a bit too. We pretty much decided that we would definitely add-on, but after talking to our guide today, and spending many days pouring over The Timeshare Store website, we don't think that's a good idea at this time.

After looking at resales and talking to our guide today, we realize that it is not financially responsible to do an add-on at this time. Although our dollar is pretty strong, we are still paying off some other accumulated debt - I took 2 maternity leaves in the past 5 years which cost me over $80,000 in lost salary, so it's a little over $30,000 to go, and so this must come first. We did pay off our van 11 months early, so that's good, but we want to keep that going.The problem is though that the longer we wait, the higher prices go, and this is frustrating, but nothing can be done about it.

I need to come on the DISboards each day, as it's my coping time, but seeing so many add-on threads is hard some days - LOL! Seriously, we are grateful for our 300 points, but we are still a bit frustrated about the point reallocation, and so I guess it's studios in combination with 1 beds for us for the next little while. We've done this for the last few years, so we are used to it, and we have stayed at all resorts except BLT and Treehouse Villas, so we know what to expect.

So, to those of you who are good about resisting add-ons, good for you, and to those of you who are fortunate enough to add-on, congrats!

Thanks for listening to me vent, Tiger

 

[Chic]

I noticed that you mentioned a decision was made to add-on but you changed your mind after talking with your guide. Are you aware of how much you can save by purchasing a resale? I noticed that you own at SSR like myself. I did an add-on at SSR back in the Spring for $65 a point which is almost half of what Disney charges. I'm currently awaiting another bid at SSR right now through resale. Just thought I would pass this information on because I feel you may have changed your mind after your guide quoted you numbers. If a lower price may alter your decision, I strongly suggest the resale route. My purchases were made through www.**********.com Good luck with your add-ons in the future.

 

[spiceycat]

hey understand completely.

several years ago really wanted BCV - but had to cancel because the budget did not allow it.

only got BLT because sold OKW and still own on BLT.

you can't know what tomorrow will be like - so you are doing the right think.

 

[twinklebug]

The problem is though that the longer we wait, the higher prices go, and this is frustrating, but nothing can be done about it.

...

So, to those of you who are good about resisting add-ons, good for you, and to those of you who are fortunate enough to add-on, congrats!

Good for you! Finances first.

Add me to "the time is not right" group. I figure with banked and borrowed points we'll have enough points until summer 2011 when we run dry (eek!) I've started to save up for that date to buy another 75-100 points (resale or add-on will depend on the disney prices and incentives.) Buying DVC is a cash-only thing for me. No matter how much my heart may tell my brain otherwise, it's simply not a necessity.

 

[Tiger926]

I noticed that you mentioned a decision was made to add-on but you changed your mind after talking with your guide. Are you aware of how much you can save by purchasing a resale? I noticed that you own at SSR like myself. I did an add-on at SSR back in the Spring for $65 a point which is almost half of what Disney charges. I'm currently awaiting another bid at SSR right now through resale. Just thought I would pass this information on because I feel you may have changed your mind after your guide quoted you numbers. If a lower price may alter your decision, I strongly suggest the resale route. My purchases were made through www.**********.com Good luck with your add-ons in the future.

Thanks for the info - as I mentioned, we have been researching both avenues. SSR resales for smaller contracts are about $70+, so with closing costs, and exchange, this will put us close to $8,000. You are correct, that this is less than Disney's $112.00 p/p ($102.00 with incentives), but still too much for us at this time.

We have been playing around with the points calculator, and we can do pretty well with 300 points, so we'll see how it goes!

Thanks for all replies and making me feel better, Tiger

 

[Deb & Bill]

We're a family of three. We used to have 500 points and go twice a year. We spent a whole lot of money on dues and trips. So we sold off two of our five contracts and now have 325 points which make for one really nice trip each year. It really hasn't been difficult to only go once a year. We still get APs each time we need them, but they last for two trip since we work to schedule those two trips so they are about 325 days apart. We'll go mid-June one year and then late May-early June the next.

By the way, we never stay in studios- they're just to small for the three of us.

 

[rentayenta]

Would love to add on 100 points at GCV but the only thing is stopping me, is money.

 

[kikiq]

So, to those of you who are good about resisting add-ons, good for you, and to those of you who are fortunate enough to add-on, congrats!

Thanks for listening to me vent, Tiger

We too resisted the urge when GCV came available. We had saved some money toward it and we ready to buy BUT then DH's company asked everyone to take a paycut so that no one would be laid off and I have not gotten a fulltime teaching contract yet. Tough choices, but like you said have to be financially responsible. We need that money for other things now. Vent away, we understand. We took our August trip because we had already bought really cheap plane tickets, our DD got us in the parks and we had our Disney Visa Reward cards to eat plus had a few more villa meals.

 

[liznboys]

I'm sorry. I know how you feel... We had to cancel our BLT add on a year ago. We were THIS close to buying but realized it wasn't the right thing to do. We are very grateful for the points we already own though.

Good luck!

 

[toniosmom]

I would have loved to add on at BLT, but I resisted. I just don't think it would have been the financially responsible thing to do. I think I've extended myself far enough with the contracts I already own. It can be so addicting to buy more points, but with the price of airfare and park tickets, there is still plenty that I need to lay cash out for each trip.

On Thursday night, Jet Blue extended their schedule until April 30th. I quickly I booked our March 6th round trip flights on Friday morning for $234. Later that same day, the price increased to $269.....a $35 pp increase less than a day after the flights were opened! What the heck??? (Continental is about $100 more pp for the same flights.) We paid about the same this past March, so I don't anticipate getting any good flight fares like I've read about on the DIS. Living in NJ, we don't get super deals.

 

[littlestar]

With layoffs and companies continuing to operate lean as far as staff, you're wise to be cautious. I look at it like this, I can always rent any extra points I need or rent a night or two with an Annual Pass rate without tying up the money.

We trimmed our DVC points down to just 155 (we've owned 550 through the years when I count all the contracts up). I rest better at night with what we've got right now. We tend to either rent through RCI or II (Interval) for extra vacations, too, in Orlando. I can usually rent for $243 to $500 a week for 1 and 2 bedroom Gold Crown resorts in Orlando for our extra trips. Owning the DVC points still allows us to stay at DVC once a year, though

 

[corpcomp]

You are being very financially responsible, however, perhaps you might consider buying a small contract around 30-50 points for right now and then adding on later. This is probably the best pricing you will get. The smaller contracts do not lose the value that the larger contracts do because people are more willing to pay a higher price for a smaller contract. There are several smaller ones at the Timeshare store. We are looking for a small 30-50 point contract at BCV (we have 240 right now, but are targeting a UY of Feb only.

Its just a matter of adding on little by little and not breaking the bank at the same time. Hey you are up 50K from the time offs so you should consider a small add-on to celebrate having done so well. You will make up the rest regardless with your financial controls in place.

Best of luck

 

[sskem96]

Sometimes you just have to be thankful for what you have. We have 185 pts. at AKV and we go off season in the fall or spring. It's enough for a 1 bedroom for a week. We'd love to be able to go more than once a year or stay longer than a week, but for now this is how it has to be. When we take DH's family in 2011 we're going Sun-Fri to avoid the extra points it takes for Fri and Sat nights. It's the only way we could afford to get 2-2 bedroom villas which is what we need to accomodate everyone, and of course we still have to use more than 1 year's worth of points.

When my kids are bugging us for another trip to Disney, I have to try to make them understand that most of the kids they go to school with have never even been there and may never get to go. DH's parents and younger brother have never been. For a lot of people, they get to go once in their life. We go EVERY year, and we should be VERY thankful for that. When we can afford it, we will definitely add on, but for now I have to consider us very fortunate to be able to afford a nice vacation every year when other people are losing their homes.

 

[tinkerbellmom1]

I completely understand your issue and share the same disappointment. We own 2 SSR contracts for 275 total of points. We have good jobs, but with the current economy, our local county froze salaries and step raises (both of us work for our county). It has been my greatest Disney disappointment not to have bought in at GCV.

Would love to add on 100 points at GCV but the only thing is stopping me, is money.

Realistically, I just couldn't justify purchasing more points right now. The spender in me just wanted to do it and not look back, the good girl in me knows it isn't right. The little angel part of me won over !

The good news is that we still are DVC members with 2 great trips planned this year for our sons senior year! We need to be happy with what we have knowing we can afford it, and be thankful that good judgement won over.

Keep your chin up and look forward to your next trip home!