March 2012: Spring Break, Here we come! Threadjackers take over the world!

[KatMark]

Your plans continue to sound great. You are making me so excited for my trip in 50 days just reading your plans.

 

[Lidian]

Sounds like a great day! Wish I knew more about the parks so I could plan a little more, but I just don't remember enough about them from way back when and I'm sure things have changed alot too. Just going to go with the flow and see where we are and what we want to do. I'm sure we will miss some things, but all the more reason to book a return trip

I'm bummed that BTMRR is going to be closed too And Dumbo will be down while I am there too!

I still flip through my Birnbaum and visit the website to make sure I didn't overlook a major attraction. As far as nooks and crannies go, I discover them as we tour.

And yes, missing out on stuff is the perfect reason for a return trip!

You know .. I've never ridden Dumbo before. So I'm sad it's not the "original" one ... but will have to take a spin anyway. Sorry that you'll be missing out on Dumbo all together.

Your plans continue to sound great. You are making me so excited for my trip in 50 days just reading your plans.

Huzzah for a girl's trip Kathy! I'm so excited for you!!! (And jealous!)

 

[DMGeurts]

Hey Liddy... I just looked it up... There's an opening at 12:05 on the 8th at Biergarten for 7... Or would we rather book seperately and ask to be seated together, so we don't have to figure out prices? It would be OOP for us too... Or we could just plan to eat CS somewhere - I'd have credits for us for that. LOL

LMK.

D~

 

[Lidian]

Hey Liddy... I just looked it up... There's an opening at 12:05 on the 8th at Biergarten for 7... Or would we rather book seperately and ask to be seated together, so we don't have to figure out prices? It would be OOP for us too... Or we could just plan to eat CS somewhere - I'd have credits for us for that. LOL

LMK.

D~

Well, if you want to use CS credits, we can just meet somewhere and grab CS meals together. Or if you want the Biergarten, book it. I'm game for whatever. I'm easy to please when it comes to WDW.

 

[DMGeurts]

Well, if you want to use CS credits, we can just meet somewhere and grab CS meals together. Or if you want the Biergarten, book it. I'm game for whatever. I'm easy to please when it comes to WDW.

OK I'll let you know what I decide... I doubt it's sell out any time in the next few days.

D~

 

[Lidian]

OK I'll let you know what I decide... I doubt it's sell out any time in the next few days.

D~

Sounds good to me!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Oh Lidian! Where are you Lidian?? Girl, you have got to get your nose out of the textbooks and give us an update!

 

[DMGeurts]

Oh Lidian! Where are you Lidian?? Girl, you have got to get your nose out of the textbooks and give us an update!

I was thinking that too... I think Liddys gone missing... Finals have to be over soon... Maybe she is just avoiding us?

D~

 

[Lidian]

Oh Lidian! Where are you Lidian?? Girl, you have got to get your nose out of the textbooks and give us an update!

I was thinking that too... I think Liddys gone missing... Finals have to be over soon... Maybe she is just avoiding us?

D~

The worst of my finals are over .... but trust me, you don't want an update from me right now.

I'll be back after grades are posted to let you know how I did.

 

[oopsiDAISY]

The worst of my finals are over .... but trust me, you don't want an update from me right now.

I'll be back after grades are posted to let you know how I did.

I hope you are okay!!! Prayers and pixie dust headed your way...

 

[Lidian]

I hope you are okay!!! Prayers and pixie dust headed your way...

Thank you.



Here's the update you don't want to hear ....

Dh gets a bonus each December (and a raise). They promised him a good bonus this year, plus they were "going to take care of him" since he got a BIG promotion and no raise.

They didn't.

His raise was awful, he's the lowest paid office clerk by nearly $7/hour. I asked who he ticked off and told them to go lick their shoes or something ... but who knows.

His bonus check is about a fourth of what I expected. This was the plans (in order of importance) for his check:
my schoolbooks for Spring semester
WDW trip
new beds for the kids

The check won't even cover our balance for our WDW trip.

I can charge up to $500 to an account at our school bookstore. So I originally thought it wouldn't be a big deal. I'd just stand in line and charge my books (it's an experience I hated for Fall semester and was hoping to get around it by paying OOP for Spring books). For those on FB, some of this is repeat information .... But ... my books were nearly $800 used, over $900 new. That meant, even if I charged my books, I'd still have to come up with $300+ OOP.

This means DH's bonus check that won't even cover our WDW trip ... and was trying to scrape up extra money for it ....

I've done some shopping around, and I've whittled the "total balance" down to about $600, but that's buying books from the bookstore, Amazon, and B&N. I won't get my reimbursement check until the end of February, which will be around the same time we'd get our tax refund. Therefore, we're at a loss on funds for WDW. We have a little bit in savings, but I know what goes out doesn't go back in ... But it's possible with my check coming late February that we could pull some out ... but what if something happens? Then that money isn't there.

Anyway .... NEED SOME ADVICE:
Has anyone bought books from Amazon or B&N "Marketplace"? Do you have any other websites you'd personally recommend to buy textbooks from? I found a website that searches 200+ bookstores, but the only ones I've heard of are B&N, Amazon, Cengage, and Walmart.

I'd prefer to not "roll the dice" and end up with a book that's not readable from markings all through it ... I don't mind used, I don't mind notes and highlights in it ... but I need to KNOW that it will have 100% of the pages and text in it.

Second, some of my books are available as eBooks through B&N. What's the difference between a Nook and a Kindle? And would an eReader be great in theory but horrible in practice? Has anyone used an eReader for college classes? I like the thought of light and portable ... but not sure how simple they are to use, especially if the Professor says, "Turn to page 579 and work problems 7, 9, and 10."

I know I'd have the expense of an eReader up front, which would hurt, but if it would be a good investment, perhaps I could ask Santa for a gift card to B&N to use towards it.

I refuse to give up on making this work. But I could really use some encouragement. The thought of cancelling makes me . Especially since today in DS's Kindy class, the teacher asked what they would do with $1 million. DS said he'd take mommy to WDW . My heart broke. There's no way I can cancel with such a sweet comment like that.

 

[DMGeurts]

Thank you.



Here's the update you don't want to hear ....

Dh gets a bonus each December (and a raise). They promised him a good bonus this year, plus they were "going to take care of him" since he got a BIG promotion and no raise.

They didn't.

His raise was awful, he's the lowest paid office clerk by nearly $7/hour. I asked who he ticked off and told them to go lick their shoes or something ... but who knows.

His bonus check is about a fourth of what I expected. This was the plans (in order of importance) for his check:
my schoolbooks for Spring semester
WDW trip
new beds for the kids

The check won't even cover our balance for our WDW trip.

I can charge up to $500 to an account at our school bookstore. So I originally thought it wouldn't be a big deal. I'd just stand in line and charge my books (it's an experience I hated for Fall semester and was hoping to get around it by paying OOP for Spring books). For those on FB, some of this is repeat information .... But ... my books were nearly $800 used, over $900 new. That meant, even if I charged my books, I'd still have to come up with $300+ OOP.

This means DH's bonus check that won't even cover our WDW trip ... and was trying to scrape up extra money for it ....

I've done some shopping around, and I've whittled the "total balance" down to about $600, but that's buying books from the bookstore, Amazon, and B&N. I won't get my reimbursement check until the end of February, which will be around the same time we'd get our tax refund. Therefore, we're at a loss on funds for WDW. We have a little bit in savings, but I know what goes out doesn't go back in ... But it's possible with my check coming late February that we could pull some out ... but what if something happens? Then that money isn't there.

Anyway .... NEED SOME ADVICE:
Has anyone bought books from Amazon or B&N "Marketplace"? Do you have any other websites you'd personally recommend to buy textbooks from? I found a website that searches 200+ bookstores, but the only ones I've heard of are B&N, Amazon, Cengage, and Walmart.

I'd prefer to not "roll the dice" and end up with a book that's not readable from markings all through it ... I don't mind used, I don't mind notes and highlights in it ... but I need to KNOW that it will have 100% of the pages and text in it.

Second, some of my books are available as eBooks through B&N. What's the difference between a Nook and a Kindle? And would an eReader be great in theory but horrible in practice? Has anyone used an eReader for college classes? I like the thought of light and portable ... but not sure how simple they are to use, especially if the Professor says, "Turn to page 579 and work problems 7, 9, and 10."

I know I'd have the expense of an eReader up front, which would hurt, but if it would be a good investment, perhaps I could ask Santa for a gift card to B&N to use towards it.

I refuse to give up on making this work. But I could really use some encouragement. The thought of cancelling makes me . Especially since today in DS's Kindy class, the teacher asked what they would do with $1 million. DS said he'd take mommy to WDW . My heart broke. There's no way I can cancel with such a sweet comment like that.

Oh Liddy...

Well, I gave you a bit of info about the Ereader - because that's what I thought you were asking about...

I am so sorry about DH's bonus... There is nothing worse than an employer taking advantage of an employee this way... Reminds me of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, where Clark's wife's cousin (can't remember his name) kidnaps Clark's boss because he nixed bonuses that year...

The first thing, I would do if I were you - if your trip is in jeopardy - but you'll have finances to pay for it closer to the trip dates... I'd get rid of your park tickets down to 2 days that will make your trip total go down. You can add them back later. That might help a bit.

Are student loans an option??? Keep in mind that I hate student loans (we finally make the last payment for Josh's in January... Only took us 13 years... ) but maybe it can get you through this tough spot?

I wish I had something else to offer you to help you out... Some great piece of advice to turn your day around... but it's been over a decade since I was in college and things have changed so much...

D~

 

[kittylady1972]

Thank you.
Here's the update you don't want to hear ....

Dh gets a bonus each December (and a raise). They promised him a good bonus this year, plus they were "going to take care of him" since he got a BIG promotion and no raise.

They didn't.

His raise was awful, he's the lowest paid office clerk by nearly $7/hour. I asked who he ticked off and told them to go lick their shoes or something ... but who knows.

Anyway .... NEED SOME ADVICE:
Has anyone bought books from Amazon or B&N "Marketplace"? Do you have any other websites you'd personally recommend to buy textbooks from? I found a website that searches 200+ bookstores, but the only ones I've heard of are B&N, Amazon, Cengage, and Walmart.

I'd prefer to not "roll the dice" and end up with a book that's not readable from markings all through it ... I don't mind used, I don't mind notes and highlights in it ... but I need to KNOW that it will have 100% of the pages and text in it.

Second, some of my books are available as eBooks through B&N. What's the difference between a Nook and a Kindle? And would an eReader be great in theory but horrible in practice? Has anyone used an eReader for college classes? I like the thought of light and portable ... but not sure how simple they are to use, especially if the Professor says, "Turn to page 579 and work problems 7, 9, and 10."

I know I'd have the expense of an eReader up front, which would hurt, but if it would be a good investment, perhaps I could ask Santa for a gift card to B&N to use towards it.

I refuse to give up on making this work. But I could really use some encouragement. The thought of cancelling makes me . Especially since today in DS's Kindy class, the teacher asked what they would do with $1 million. DS said he'd take mommy to WDW . My heart broke. There's no way I can cancel with such a sweet comment like that.

Ok I'll admit I was very worried about your upcoming news and I'm glad everybody overall is okay as that was my fear. So now let's see how I can help...if at all!

I don't know a lot about used books. I supposed you could also try eBay as I have bought a few used books from them with success and most users put descriptions there. I've never bought textbooks though...so who knows? I have bought from Half.com as well, which is an Ebay company. Again, just not sure about the success of textbooks but hopefully you will have some luck.

I *CAN* tell you about eReaders though. I've been a Nook owner for a while. I had the first generation Nook, then upgraded to the simple touch (which I LOVE because it's so much lighter) and we also own a Nook Color which is the tablet version. I love reading on my Nook Simple Touch and I'm pretty sure the advantage there is that they do have true page numbers. I will tell you that the Kindle Fire at least is NOT that way so when you mention having to go to a certain page...well that won't happen on the Kindle Fire for sure, and I don't know about other Kindle versions. I know this because my 11yo DS has a Kindle Fire and as I was showing him over the weekend and figuring out how to do nots and such...we noticed the page numbers are way off. He mentioned that to me. He's required to read a 100+ page book every few weeks for a class and he wasn't sure how to determine pages with the Kindle. I do know that it was nice that he could highlight several sections of text and save notes with it...which was cool and would be VERY useful for classes I'm sure. I just read that the Nook Simple Touch has the same capability...I've just never tried it! Would it work for classes...I guess it depends on the class. Not with math or accounting, but text-based classes I think it might help.

I sure hope you get things figured out though. How sucky about the whole bonus thing, especially after he was told they would take care of him!

You poor DS and his remark about WDW...how sweet! My kids are the same way but thankfully they also have that love and if you ask them where they want to go on vacation, they will usually choose WDW as well. I'm so lucky we have had the chance to go with them as often as we have but of course I still feel guilty to be going on this trip in March and leaving them behind too!

Hope you get things worked out and fingers and toes crossed for you!

 

[Moira222]

Hi Lidian! I just found your PTR today and popped in. You are moving right along but I am at the beginning, so bear with me as I chime in on comments you made in October!

SO glad you posted your to do list, as I need to work on that as well as renew my touring plans.

RE: Vera hipster. Even a hip bag has to go through bag check I found an AWESOME bag at Animal Kingdom last May and that will be my going to the park bag until it falls apart which I hope is only after 50 or more trips to Disney World!

YAY for going back to college. brave woman to do this with kids in school. I think I'd be pulling my hair out.

YAY for Carribbean beach. I'll be looking for pics as we have never even visited this resort.

In June we are also not planning any DTD visits, though that may change. My bff Lesley LOVES DTD so we may have to do a girls shopping trip. Darn. What I do plan on doing is hitting the outlets outside of WDW as this will be the first time we drive and have a car there.

LOL for your DisneyDreaming during breaks from class. I am disney dreaming always, and I am at work now! shhhhh

I"m sorry DD fractured her arm. By now she should have the cast off, right? Cute Mickey!

You are funny with the dining choices....I know I will see the answers soon enough as I read on but here are my votes:

March 4 Crystal Palace (AHA I Got this one right! I just read your first day)
March 5 Rainforest Cafe (DARN! I had Tusker place and then thought maybe this was a "non park" meal)
March 6 Liberty Tree (SO WRONG! but you will love Park Fare. The Steps are awesome, they really make that meal. )
March 7 50s Prime Time
March 8 lunch Rose & Crown
March 9 Ohana breakfast

WOW that you are learning how to sew from your mom. how cool!@ I wish I had more time to play with my sewing machine. Those hipsters and little wallets are great!

I cry a little EVERY TIME I see the castle. Heck just seeing your photo brought a little moisture to the eyes!

Your kiddos are so cute!

LOVE LOVE your hipster bag. that is so awesome!

I see your comments about the Lines app - do you have a verizon phone? I tried to use the Lines App on my Tmobile droid phone in May and it would not work for me. I ended up just going in to the site through the browser. boo.

I like your AK day - I personally love the AK and in May DH and DD became converts (finally!) because they toured MY WAY instead of wandering aimlessly.


ooh yay for a late night at MK for you & DD. Have to say Katie and I had such a good girlie time when we did that (of course ours was by mistake, DH had a tummy issue) -- we did all the silly things DH does not have patience for AND shopped for him too!


Oh NO! I finished catching up and saw the very bad news on your DH's lack of raise and bonus. I share your frustration -- there is just nothing worse than expecting money that has always come but suddenly does not. Any chance DH is a union employee and can make an issue of it? Sounds rather fishy that he didn't get a raise with his promotion nor did he get any compensation. but alas that does not help you, does it?

Have you recalculated your trip with the current spring discount? its 25% - 20% (the $ changes while you are there) off for CBR. That may be cheaper than free dining. esp if you tried using the discount and making it quick service plan, then when $ comes in, upgrade your dining back to regular DDP. just a thought. Don't know what your cost is now, I looked and your trip dates, 2 park days (based on PP suggestion) plus QSD = 2300. not sure if that is cheaper than what your ressies are now or if its any easier to swallow. But its true that if you downsize your ressies now to pay by the "due date" then disney usually is happy to have you spend more $ to upgrade, they just don't like when you try to downgrade close to your trip date.

Good luck!!!

 

[Lidian]

Oh Liddy...

Thank you D.

Well, I gave you a bit of info about the Ereader - because that's what I thought you were asking about...

Thanks for the info! Anyone know if eBooks are made for only a specific eReader? Or if you buy one, can you download any eBook to it?

I am so sorry about DH's bonus... There is nothing worse than an employer taking advantage of an employee this way... Reminds me of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, where Clark's wife's cousin (can't remember his name) kidnaps Clark's boss because he nixed bonuses that year...

Oh, kidnapping is the nicest thing that has crossed my mind right now. They ONLY do raises once a year. ONLY. Regardless if you take a new position within the company ... but the way they were working around that was they give you a larger bonus (like backpay). Last year, DH got about the same amount on his bonus, and the company struggled. This year, profits are HUGE and didn't get anything extra. I'm LIVID.

I was okay with them promoting him, on the understanding they'd compensate at the end of the year. Now ... I want him to walk out. But I know that's not right, because he's our only income.

The first thing, I would do if I were you - if your trip is in jeopardy - but you'll have finances to pay for it closer to the trip dates... I'd get rid of your park tickets down to 2 days that will make your trip total go down. You can add them back later. That might help a bit.

Hmm... that's a good idea. I checked, and it would knock about $347 off the balance (roughly). It will still be a struggle, but very helpful. I may call the TA tomorrow and have her knock the tickets down to 2 days. THANKS!

Are student loans an option??? Keep in mind that I hate student loans (we finally make the last payment for Josh's in January... Only took us 13 years... ) but maybe it can get you through this tough spot?

From what I've been told via Financial Aid: Student loans wouldn't help. The bookstore will only accept $500 in charges, period. Student loans go to the school, and would not be reimbursed until February. Therefore, it's a loan I don't need, since I wouldn't get the funds until February and it won't increase the bookstore charging amount.

I could do a personal loan ... but that's not something we'd want to do either.

I wish I had something else to offer you to help you out... Some great piece of advice to turn your day around... but it's been over a decade since I was in college and things have changed so much...

D~

Thank you D. You've been an awesome friend.

Ok I'll admit I was very worried about your upcoming news and I'm glad everybody overall is okay as that was my fear. So now let's see how I can help...if at all!

OH NO! I'm soooo sorry! I didn't mean to alarm anyone in the sense that someone was not well. I'm soooo sorry!! Thank you for being worried, but it really wasn't needed. We would all survive if we missed out on a WDW trip ... well ... DH and the kids might anyway.

I don't know a lot about used books. I supposed you could also try eBay as I have bought a few used books from them with success and most users put descriptions there. I've never bought textbooks though...so who knows? I have bought from Half.com as well, which is an Ebay company. Again, just not sure about the success of textbooks but hopefully you will have some luck.

My only concern about eBay (etc) is you don't always get what they claim you're getting. People are sneaky. "Some markings on pages" might mean a page was colored completely with a black marker, but you bought it and they claimed "some" ... so now it's your loss. (Sorry, I've had horrible experiences with eBay, it's hard to think positive about it.)

One of my books ... the school is selling it for nearly $200 used. Someone has an auction for it with a BIN of $3. Yep. $3. It concerns me!

I *CAN* tell you about eReaders though. I've been a Nook owner for a while. I had the first generation Nook, then upgraded to the simple touch (which I LOVE because it's so much lighter) and we also own a Nook Color which is the tablet version. I love reading on my Nook Simple Touch and I'm pretty sure the advantage there is that they do have true page numbers. I will tell you that the Kindle Fire at least is NOT that way so when you mention having to go to a certain page...well that won't happen on the Kindle Fire for sure, and I don't know about other Kindle versions. I know this because my 11yo DS has a Kindle Fire and as I was showing him over the weekend and figuring out how to do nots and such...we noticed the page numbers are way off. He mentioned that to me. He's required to read a 100+ page book every few weeks for a class and he wasn't sure how to determine pages with the Kindle. I do know that it was nice that he could highlight several sections of text and save notes with it...which was cool and would be VERY useful for classes I'm sure. I just read that the Nook Simple Touch has the same capability...I've just never tried it! Would it work for classes...I guess it depends on the class. Not with math or accounting, but text-based classes I think it might help.

OH... I'd be using it for Accounting and Math. Those are the two books that I can get via Nook at B&N. Thanks for all the information on the Nook and Kindle though!

I sure hope you get things figured out though. How sucky about the whole bonus thing, especially after he was told they would take care of him!

Yep, I'm pretty peeved over it. Perhaps it's good they aren't having their annual Christmas party ... I'd definitely say something.

You poor DS and his remark about WDW...how sweet! My kids are the same way but thankfully they also have that love and if you ask them where they want to go on vacation, they will usually choose WDW as well. I'm so lucky we have had the chance to go with them as often as we have but of course I still feel guilty to be going on this trip in March and leaving them behind too!

Hope you get things worked out and fingers and toes crossed for you!

Thank you! I held back tears when he told his teacher he'd take me to WDW. And then all I could think of was the fact I may have to tell him we aren't going. But ... I will do everything I can, even if we have to eat Ramen Noodles every night for dinner until we go.

Hi Lidian! I just found your PTR today and popped in. You are moving right along but I am at the beginning, so bear with me as I chime in on comments you made in October!

Mary Ellen! Good to see you! I didn't know you were going back! I popped over to your new PTR. I'm looking forward to you having some definites so I can follow along easily.

SO glad you posted your to do list, as I need to work on that as well as renew my touring plans.

Mine is up for renewal in February.

RE: Vera hipster. Even a hip bag has to go through bag check I found an AWESOME bag at Animal Kingdom last May and that will be my going to the park bag until it falls apart which I hope is only after 50 or more trips to Disney World!

I know any bag has to go ... but I don't want to be weighted down.

For the life of me ... I know I read your TR, but don't recall the AK bag you found. I'll have to go back and scope it out again.

YAY for going back to college. brave woman to do this with kids in school. I think I'd be pulling my hair out.

Thank you! And who said I still have hair left?

YAY for Carribbean beach. I'll be looking for pics as we have never even visited this resort.

It will be our second trip to CBR! It's the kids' favorite so far!

In June we are also not planning any DTD visits, though that may change. My bff Lesley LOVES DTD so we may have to do a girls shopping trip. Darn. What I do plan on doing is hitting the outlets outside of WDW as this will be the first time we drive and have a car there.

We always drive, and I've never been to the outlets. A girls shopping trip sounds nice. Will you take me with you?

LOL for your DisneyDreaming during breaks from class. I am disney dreaming always, and I am at work now! shhhhh

The best kind of dreaming, IMHO.

I"m sorry DD fractured her arm. By now she should have the cast off, right? Cute Mickey!

Her cast came off on 11/30. She's doing great without it, but I was worried she'd "protect" her arm for awhile. She never skipped a beat.

You are funny with the dining choices....I know I will see the answers soon enough as I read on but here are my votes:

March 4 Crystal Palace (AHA I Got this one right! I just read your first day)
March 5 Rainforest Cafe (DARN! I had Tusker place and then thought maybe this was a "non park" meal)
March 6 Liberty Tree (SO WRONG! but you will love Park Fare. The Steps are awesome, they really make that meal. )
March 7 50s Prime Time
March 8 lunch Rose & Crown
March 9 Ohana breakfast

Awesome guessing! I really wanted RFC, but until it's confirmed they're on the DDP, we'll have to pass since it would be OOP. Not to mention DS is terrified of the place. But perhaps we could request a table away from the animals.

WOW that you are learning how to sew from your mom. how cool!@ I wish I had more time to play with my sewing machine. Those hipsters and little wallets are great!

Thanks!

I cry a little EVERY TIME I see the castle. Heck just seeing your photo brought a little moisture to the eyes!

Your kiddos are so cute!

LOVE LOVE your hipster bag. that is so awesome!

'
Thanks! I just watched a WDW video and tears were streaming down my face.

I see your comments about the Lines app - do you have a verizon phone? I tried to use the Lines App on my Tmobile droid phone in May and it would not work for me. I ended up just going in to the site through the browser. boo.

I have AT&T. I'd love to switch to Verizon for the "official" WDW app ... but not sure that will happen. Sorry that you had issues. I used it allllllll the time on our May trip.

I like your AK day - I personally love the AK and in May DH and DD became converts (finally!) because they toured MY WAY instead of wandering aimlessly.

YAY! The whole family loves AK, so no whining about having to go and walk forever. Glad you got your DH and DD converted! WOOT!

ooh yay for a late night at MK for you & DD. Have to say Katie and I had such a good girlie time when we did that (of course ours was by mistake, DH had a tummy issue) -- we did all the silly things DH does not have patience for AND shopped for him too!

DH is looking forward to being "excused" back to the hotel room. DD is looking forward to mommy/daughter time. I'm excited. (Just praying finances will work with me.)

Oh NO! I finished catching up and saw the very bad news on your DH's lack of raise and bonus. I share your frustration -- there is just nothing worse than expecting money that has always come but suddenly does not. Any chance DH is a union employee and can make an issue of it? Sounds rather fishy that he didn't get a raise with his promotion nor did he get any compensation. but alas that does not help you, does it?

DH is not part of a union, and this is the way they've run the company... no raises (no matter what) during the year, only in December. As I mentioned in a comment above, I was okay with not getting a raise immediately, since they told DH they'd "take care of him" on his bonus. So ... yep, very livid. DH is too, but there's not much he can do about it. He doesn't want to be in the line of fire if they do lay-offs.

Have you recalculated your trip with the current spring discount? its 25% - 20% (the $ changes while you are there) off for CBR. That may be cheaper than free dining. esp if you tried using the discount and making it quick service plan, then when $ comes in, upgrade your dining back to regular DDP. just a thought. Don't know what your cost is now, I looked and your trip dates, 2 park days (based on PP suggestion) plus QSD = 2300. not sure if that is cheaper than what your ressies are now or if its any easier to swallow. But its true that if you downsize your ressies now to pay by the "due date" then disney usually is happy to have you spend more $ to upgrade, they just don't like when you try to downgrade close to your trip date.

Good luck!!

I priced out a discounted room ... it would be about $800 more in the end if we left FD. I even priced out moving to a value, and then upgrading (later) to regular dining, and it was almost the same amount. There's no way DH would go for paying the same price at a Value vs Mod. FD is the way to go for us with DD being 10 next year. Right now, the only way I've found to discount our trip without making it rougher on finances in the long run is to drop the tickets from 5day to 2day. (Then upgrade back to 5day at arrival).

I'm not entirely certain what I'm going to do. Well, I know I'll make the tickets 2day tickets to start ... but not sure what I'll do afterwards. FD is the best discount we can get. DH said we can move our trip ... but I planned on taking a summer class, so that will be a NO. Not to mention that if we move our trip, we'll have to pay more, since it won't be FD.

Who knows what will happen ... perhaps DH will get another check. I'm not holding my breath ... but I will find a way to make it work.

THANK YOU!

 

[oopsiDAISY]

Liddy, I feel your pain...so sorry friend!! My DH has worked for the same company for neary 10 years now. They get two bonuses a year, and the bonuses have been approximately the same EVERY TIME...except this last one. Everyone's bonuses were cut in HALF. No explanation was given to anyone. That was our Merry Christmas from his company. I pray things will get better. This is a tough economy and we have all had to readjust until things get better. We are here for you anytime you need to vent!

 

[AKL LOVER]

I feel your pain. A few years ago DH got laid off with only 2 weeks of compensation. 2 weeks later he heard from soem of his old coworkers that everybody got unexpected bonuses (they were substantial) and the boss showed up in a brand new Benz

It's so frustrating, but you will see better days in the future, I'm sure!

 

[KatMark]

I am so sorry to hear about your husband and bonus. My DH got a pay cut five years ago, has not had a raise or a bonus in fifteen years. We live in very tough times (thankfully, I have a very generous boss who does "outside the box" from my firm).

As for the textbooks, have you ever looked into Chegg? You can rent the textbooks through them. We did this for our youngest son for the last two years of his college studies...it worked out great.

 

[Corrine 1973]

Goodness, Lidian, I am away for a couple of weeks and I come back to read your bad news. It really sucks when you are promised something and it they don't follow through.

I have bought books form Amazon several times (new and used) and were happy with all my experiences. As for buying books on Ebay: look at their feedback percentages. If most of there feedbacks are good (98% or higher) than I wouldn't worry to much, but that also depends on how many transactions they do. You can always message them and see exactly what the conditions of the books are and ask what their return policy is. And if it isn't what you thought it could be you can always dispute it with Ebay (though it is a pain in the butt)

Some ebooks are able to be put on any device, though if you buy from Amazon it can only go on a Kindle, if you buy from Barnes & Noble it can only go on a Nook. Though I just recently bought an ebook on Amazon it it let me download into my computer, though that is not easy to move around.

I like the idea of down grading your tickets until closer to your date. You only need two for the booking and can add them back when you get your taxes and money from the school.

I know this is alot to handle right now, but remember you went through a simular situation for your May trip and everything worked out. It will work out this time to , so sit down, take a breath, and remember we are all here for you.

 

[solana131]

Sorry about the money issues. I know what those are like. I work for a car dealership. They have been in business since 1923 selling new Chevy and Dodge/Jeep. Last year they took Chevy away from us and now this fall they took the Chrysler franchise away. The lovely government making it difficult for small business again. They closed all but the big dealers. We are STRUGGLING to say the least. 4 out of my last 10 paychecks have bounced. Not fun when I am trying to save every cent for Disney. I have asked for nothing but Disney giftcards for christmas and I hope people will follow those orders I told them, even if its only a $5 card, that will get me a lunch....or maybe a snack

As far as text books: My cousin and I were just discussing this. She has gotten 95% of her books from Amazon. She has a Kindle (just the basic one) and she gets some on there, but like someone else posted, Kindle doesn't do page numbers. So you have to be careful which ones you get on there. And yes, you can make highlights and notes, but nothing is like the real thing. But I would not hesitate to recommend Amazon. Their customer service is second to none! If you do get something that isn't right, just give them a shout and they will make it right. Even if it isn't sold by them...like a used one, it is still a reflection of their site and they will work with you and the seller to make it right. Love them! (No, I don't work for Amazon...see above ) I absolutely love my Kindle and couldn't live without it, but not for textbooks.

I hope everything works out. You have helped me out on here so much! I wish I could do something.