Mini-vent, told Mother about our possible DVC purchase....

[disnutt]

I'll never tell my mother. Not even when we're staying together at HH this fall. I'll just let her think I got a really good deal on the internet.

I've told my MIL (who spends WAY too much on gifts for our family) that we want cash for our add-on fund. We just took them to the World at the beginning of the month for their first trip. I don't think she'll want to go back but she now seems to understand that DH and the kids really love it. Maybe it has convinced her that we really would rather have an add-on instead of another piece of jewelry or a sweater.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We never mentioned it to my Dad (Mom is gone), and he wouldn't care anyway. MIL was told, but had no idea what it was all about (she's in her 90's), no one cares. DH's sister thinks it's nuts, but she never travels beyond the state borders!

 

[kathleena]

If you are prone to feeling offense or distress if you get a negative answer to your DVC ownership - don't tell people. Don't feel the need to tell them, explain to them, justify to them etc. The only way to avoid it all is to adobt the "Don't Tell" policy.

I just don't care anymore what other people think about what I do with my time or money. I'm not causing anyone harm,. not doing anything illegal or immoral and it's certainly none of their business, even if I do choose to tell them.

My Mom probably would have looked a little down her nose, but my Dad poured thousands of dollars a year into his boat for 30 years. He understands.

 

[TammyNC]

We didnt tell anyone for at least 4 years cause we knew they would think we went off the deep end

But several trips under our belts later and at least one with each set of in-laws has shown them we didnt totally lose it.

My barber told me the other day that he was going to the beach to stay at a friends timeshare for a week. I said "well thats nice of them" and thought how nice it is we can share our joy with others through DVC also. But he went on to say that the friend doesnt even use the timeshare anymore and has tried for years to sell it but cant get rid of it. Then my thoughts turned to how we as DVCers dont seem to have that problem, being able to sell, that is.

Its just nice to know that DVC is so well received among its members. It just takes those not in the know a trip or two to see the err of their ways

Good luck with your mom!

Jimmy

 

[conciergekelly]

Telling people we have DVC has kind of stopped that "you're going there again " response that we seem to get from our friends. My inlaws get it. They go all of the time. MIL bought a house by Disney. My DH says it is her web. My brother is the only one who gives me grief. He just doesn't get it.

 

[WolfpackFan]

I'm too old to be playing games with my family. What I choose to do with my money is my business. They know we've bought two DVC contracts, but I don't think they quite understand what it is. They think we're rich anyway, since we do travel alot. My mother has made this comment many times. I was playing golf with one of my brothers a couple of weeks ago and he made a comment along the lines of you sure must be rich to own two timeshares. What he doesn't understand is basically we're prepaying for future vacations for many years to come while I'm still working and have the disposable income. Once I retire next year, even if money gets tight, we'll still be able to take several nice vacations every year. I'm sure we get talked about behind our backs, but you know what - I really don't care (and DW cares even less than that).

 

[njziggy]

THANK YOU_ THANK YOU_ THANK YOU!!!!!

Our central air died yesterday & leaked water all over our basement. It took forever to clean up. I was feeling mighty low about the whole thing. When I went to bed that night and was watching TV I remembered the post & went to check it out. DH & I sat & watched beloved channel 650 - and got a chance to escape to Disney & forget all our household disasters.

 

[wtpclc]

My family is pretty reasonable and knows we are conservative with our money. My parents think it's nice. It helped to tell them we could trade out to some of their favorite places (even if it's not the *best* use of points).

We have yet to tell the ILs. They love WDW and that's the only thing they don't penny pinch on. However, even last night we offered to charge something of rmy MIL and have her write us a check when we get to their place. She said,"But then you'd have ot pay your bill," Yeah, I do that every month. (Gotta' get those rewards points.) So, even though we're also DINKs (Not rich but techinically DINKs), they'sd probably think we're wasting our money. After they got over that, I'm sure we'd be expected to take all 4 of my dh's siblings and their families to WDW on us. I'd love to share byut we don't have THAT many points.

 

[fkj2]

I don't look at DVC as an investment, but if I did, it would be one of the better ones I've made, particularly since I bought in when the concept was relatively new.

At the time I bought primarily to enjoy DVC with the family although we don't travel together now. On those occasions, when my niece/nephew were younger and did accompany me, my mom and our friends, we made some great memories that can pop up at almost any time. And the photo ops. The fun at 50s Primetime Cafe. TOT. You get the idea.

Kind of like the Mastercard commercial: Priceless.

 

[TW1]

Me: "Good morning, my name is TW1 and I haven't told my parents."

You: "Hi TW1"

(Group hug)

I've been meaning to tell them. I give them lots of hints, you know, the t-shirts I wear and talk about Mickey as my best friend, my antenna toppper...I've been hoping them catch on. You know, I want to tell them, it would be such a releif, no more hiding, no more hush-hush trips to my happy place. I dream that they would actual embrace my decision to be the member I am.

Its my life choice and I want to share it with my parents, I just don't know how to begin. My friends tease me..."Just tell them" they say, but its diffiult, the ridicule, they can be so judgemental you know? I can just see the look on my Dad's face...that "I've failed him as a financial planner" look. All those years of Accountants summer camp down the drain.

Oh help me Dis-ers. Tell me how you do it.

 

[wtpclc]

Its my life choice and I want to share it with my parents, I just don't know how to begin. My friends tease me..."Just tell them" they say, but its diffiult, the ridicule, they can be so judgemental you know? I can just see the look on my Dad's face...that "I've failed him as a financial planner" look. All those years of Accountants summer camp down the drain.

My mom is an accountant. I told her how much I'd save even from rates at low times. She knows what I got by on when I was starting out. (It doesn't hurt that my brother, who always seemed so much more fiscally responsible, has needed to borrow from her.)

Make your father a spreadsheet with just simple numbers. Show him where you'd break even (if you hadn't increased you number of trips )

 

[Lora]

We must be lucky. Everyone must be talking behind our backs.

When I first started reading this thread, I thought, "Wow, my family is great. I've never had anyone say a negative word about our DVC purchase or trips to WDW." Then I read your comment and thought maybe that's what's happening to me!

 

[carone0318]

We bought in 1999 and it wasn't until 2004 that my ILs knew that we owned. As my dh put it, he didn't want to hear his mother's "cheap advise", which is what he refers to the comments as. But, in 2004 we took his parents and BIL. We finally told them that we owned, well I did. They never had asked us before then if we owned, but if they would asked me I would of told them. My mother is fine with it and my brother bought after us, so we are finally out in the open. As for other family or friends, I don't care what they think. They all know that we are Disney freaks and sort of accept it. It helps that our best friends are also DVCers.

I always find it funny that the people who make fun of all the return visits are the ones that come running to you for advise the minute after their WDW vacation is booked! Knowledge is power

 

[CHOPR]

I am the youngest of 8 kids---all with families now. If I say anything about DVC to them I will have to make all kinds of excuses why they can't come along Damn pointmunchers I am thinking about a gv for a group ,but letting them pay for the rented points For now it's just my little family of 5. I guess i'm selfish but DVC makes me that way . I want/need more points,points ,points, it's become an obsession

 

[SleepyatDVC]

We were all out in the open with the DVC thing with our families. In-laws enjoyed a GV with us. Everyone knows that we were all tapped out of points because of the big trip. And we only have a limited amount of points, blah, blah...

But NO WAY will we let anyone know about our add-on!

 

[gtrist4life]

We bought our DVC membership to share, so we told each side of the family, every other year is for us, and the alternating years are to be shared with my side, DW’s side, and friends. This year was for my side and at the BWV for 4th of July. In January we explained the deal to who was invited and if they couldn’t make it to let us know by April. Several backed out, their choice. They may not get invited next time as I’ve got a fairly large family and only 180 points.

We’ve told my inlaws and my mom and step dad. Haven’t told my bio-father as we’re not very close. No negative comments, and I’m pretty sure they don’t really understand what we have. But the inlaws are in town now visiting us and they mentioned about us all going in 2007

Peace,
G4L

 

[kathleena]

Its my life choice and I want to share it with my parents, I just don't know how to begin. My friends tease me..."Just tell them" they say, but its diffiult, the ridicule, they can be so judgemental you know? I can just see the look on my Dad's face...that "I've failed him as a financial planner" look. All those years of Accountants summer camp down the drain.

Oh help me Dis-ers. Tell me how you do it.

Well, you know you can't change how they will react to it - all you can change is how you respond to their reaction.

It took me a long, long, long time to detach my parents "approval rating" of me from my own approval rating of myself. It's my personal opinion that until you can reach the point of telling them without expecting or hoping for approval and can just accept what they will say - that it is ultimately best to keep it to yourself for now and spare yourself the disappointment.

At one point in my life, my mother said to me "You don't share things with me anymore". I told her that I had stopped doing it because she always replied with a host of advice when I wasn't asking for or needing advice or a she had a reaction of fear or disapproval or whatever that always brought me down. By that time, I was in my 30's and I just didn't need it. I said I was needing her to celebrate with me and be supportive when I shared with her. As long as she couldn't do that, I wasn't going to share with her.

It was a hard thing to say to her, but she got the point. If was a while before we worked through the issue and I was able to feel that I could tell her somethings with disapproval. But we never really made it the whole way. I still refrained from sharing, because I felt couldn't always handle her reaction.

OK, so that is all rather personal - but I guess my point is - it is not your obligation to share with them. Hooray if you can!

 

[TOMAR@SSR]

Honestly, we waited waaaaay too long to buy into DVC. Each year it was one thing or another that put our purchase on the back burner. Then the years roll by ,and you never do it. Finally, in Oct. of `03 we just said NOW, and that`s it. It`s been the happiest time for our family, and we don`t regret a thing !!! Our children are having children of thier own now, and it makes our decision much more exciting, with the extension of our family!!!
So, don`t worry about the small stuff, ( you can`t please everyone, family members included ) just be happy you made the right decision for yourselves !! , and enjoy your DVC

 

[winniedapooh]

Not one person other than 5 DCherubs and all of you know about the purchase I gave to DH for Father's Day!

 

[WolfpackFan]

Not one person other than 5 DCherubs and all of you know about the purchase I gave to DH for Father's Day!

Lucky Dad!!!