Offered to take a friend... now can't afford it

[lisam427]

So sorry to hear about your situation. It is scary how fast your finances can change in this economy. Would your niece's family be willing to pay a portion to help defray the cost to you? September is still a few months away to save. Would your DD and her best friend be willing to get a job this summer to also help pay towards the trip. If they are 16 they would both be old enough to babysit or get a part time job. Good luck to you and your family.

i just asked my 16 year old dd's opinion on this. she and i both agree with the above poster. we would sit down with your niece, her parents, and your daughter and explain your financial situation to them. then ask the girls if they would be willing to get a part time job or side job so that your niece could go.

 

[williamson_ja]

The only problem with having them get a job is that my dd is not 16 yet... she'll turn right after our trip. So, therefore she cannot drive herself to work. They do hire kids at 15 around here, but we live 25 miles from the nearest town and so it's very difficult for her to get to and from work. There are no busses to town from here. We live in a town of about 300 people. It takes 30 min. to get to the nearest real town with actual jobs. I work in the afternoons, so I can't take her down there.

I agree with everyone about how awful it would be to uninvite her at this point! That's why I was asking for some options of what to do. I would hate to break her heart...It still seems bad to me to just cancel the whole trip, too though. She still won't get to come that way. I don't know. I feel frustrated right now. I'm sure that most people would have a difficult time if their income was cut in 1/2.

 

[buckler]

If the girls are going to try to earn the money, here is an online survey site they sign up for. It won't earn a lot but every little bit helps.
http://www.teenseyes.com/

Also, if you are brave enough to post your tentative travel plans and budget, I bet the budget savvy people on here could find ways to make it work.

 

[punkin]

Also, if you are brave enough to post your tentative travel plans and budget, I bet the budget savvy people on here could find ways to make it work.

Yes, do that. I, for one would love to help OP make this happen.

 

[mrsklamc]

You said, you don't go into debt for trips. It may be true that you don't borrow money, but, let's look at the definition of debt:


–noun
1.something that is owed or that one is bound to pay to or perform for another.
2.a liability or obligation to pay or render something
3.the condition of being under such an obligation: His gambling losses put him deeply in debt.

You made a verbal commitment to your niece and are indebted- obligated- to stick to it. It's not right to go without her.

Is there a chance your husband's hours will change?

 

[bethy]

I agree with everyone else. Postpone the trip or find some way to cut corners. She is not just a friend. She is your niece. She is your family. I personally could never disappoint my niece like that. If I could still afford to take my immediate family, I would make sure my niece could go too. If money is that tight, I wouldn't go at all.

I agree. I would honor my commitment and move heaven and earth to include her. She is your NIECE. She is family. I would just make sure that she and your daughter are a part of the solution. this could be a great opportunity for them. Also I wouldn't necessarily say that the reason you can't afford your trip currently is b/c of your niece. Just that you don't have enough saved up for the total cost of the trip and that everyone needs to step up and find ways to fill in the gap.

As a side note I would also add that if our household income were cut in half then we probably would postpone any major travel until things were looking brighter job-wise and our savings had been built back up.

 

[PaulaSue]

Sounds like I would postpone the trip for all of you and maybe next year go with or without neice.

 

[Nolcrest]

Since your niece was already invited I feel you need to postpone the trip to when you can all afford to go.

 

[julluvsdisney]

I would see if her parents could chip in. I mean it is their daughter and you are family so they should want to help. It was very nice of you to invite her so they should be able to put something in for her. The girls also could collect cans. My mom does this every year and saves a few hundred for spending money for disney. What about babysitting or tutoring? Any of these 3 options could save a few hundred between the 2 of them combined with a few hundred from her parents that could add up to 500-600 easy if not more. That would leave you with a little over 100 to have to pay for her. Also the girls could have a yard sale with you and her parents and sell some old clothes or cds ect. If they really want to go together they will make it happen! I agree with others level with them all and see what they are willing to do to go. You might be surprised at how willing they are to do whatever it takes to got together! Good luck!

 

[twinklebug]

I would see if her parents could chip in. I mean it is their daughter and you are family so they should want to help. It was very nice of you to invite her so they should be able to put something in for her. The girls also could collect cans. My mom does this every year and saves a few hundred for spending money for disney. What about babysitting or tutoring? Any of these 3 options could save a few hundred between the 2 of them combined with a few hundred from her parents that could add up to 500-600 easy if not more. That would leave you with a little over 100 to have to pay for her. Also the girls could have a yard sale with you and her parents and sell some old clothes or cds ect. If they really want to go together they will make it happen! I agree with others level with them all and see what they are willing to do to go. You might be surprised at how willing they are to do whatever it takes to got together! Good luck!

Collecting cans after a kid's softball/baseball game is a great way to make money AND help with recycling. I knew a man who paid for his brand new pickup simply by collecting and turning in cans from the parking lot after the Pat's games & concerts.

 

[wdwfan16]

Back in November, we offered to take my neice with us on our next WDW trip (scheduled for Sept. 2010). This is my dd best friend and they wanted to celebrate their 16th birthday together at WDW. At the time, jobs were going really well and the money situation looked really good for a return trip.

Fast forward to now my dh job has cut his hours almost in 1/2 and the money is really tight. We really just can't afford to pay an extra $1000 to take dn now. What should we do? It costs us an extra $740 for her tickets and a bigger room to fit her, plus the airfare. I don't want her to feel like we don't love her, but this is more than we can afford right now. I just don't know what to do. we don't go into debt for trips, so a credit card is out of the questions. Anyone have some helpful advice?

This is really hard because her family is really poor and she would never get this opportunity with them. uggh.

Sorry about the loss in hours.

For me I would do one of two things. I would either still pay for the DN or postpone the trip. I would not take the trip and leave her behind.

 

[dreamin_disney]

Maybe postponing would be best especially if your there's been a cut in your finances. Maybe waiting your finaces will be better and the girls could save some money in that time.

I don't think just the girls should work for the nieces way. I think OP should also helpout since she invited the niece. Work as a team and collect cans, yardsales, part-time jobs, yardwork for neigbors and family, car wash, bakesale. etc

Either way it adds a burden to the niece and her family because she was invited and now has to figure out how to pay her way. I think everyone should think twice about inviting guest on their vacation especially in this economy. good luck

 

[sk!mom]

No way would it be ok to uninvite her. That's the height of rudeness with the added complication of her being family. I doubt that your DD could enjoy the trip if you do that. Could you enjoy the trip knowing that you treated your niece that way?

I would cut back on the trip for everyone, postpone it and save the extra, or do some things to raise funds- have a garage sale, have the teens work- even babysitting would help, or get a part time job yourself.

What does your DD say? I read your post to my DD13 and she was horrified that you would consider uninviting your niece. Her suggestion, "go somewhere cheaper!"

 

[dfchelbay]

Maybe a way the girls could earn money is babysitting. I know she's not old enough to drive, but perhaps she could take a different school bus from her school to the area she could babysit in. Perhaps there are working parents that cannot be there for their grade school children right after school until about 6 p.m. or so. Maybe she could take a different bus from her school to the neighborhood where these kids live and you or DH could pick her up on the way home from work. Or, if she has a friend that drives, she could drop her off there after school. Just throwing out suggestions.

 

[englishteacha]

What are your travel plans? I'm sure there are some ways you can cut costs.

 

[TheRatPack]

Will you be going at the time of free dining? Maybe that would shave some of the money off if you could book with that code. Downgrade by 1 day, downgrade hotels...etc. I would not be able to tell someone we'd already invited that we didn't have the money, we've postponed because of shortages before though.

 

[DVCBELLE]

I agree that there is no way on earth I could ever tell my niece that I could no longer afford to take her but I was going anyway. I also think at 16 - your DD will be very sad without her.

Why don't you post your plans and see if we can help you!!

 

[a1tinkfans]

Back in November, we offered to take my neice with us on our next WDW trip (scheduled for Sept. 2010). This is my dd best friend and they wanted to celebrate their 16th birthday together at WDW. At the time, jobs were going really well and the money situation looked really good for a return trip.

Fast forward to now my dh job has cut his hours almost in 1/2 and the money is really tight. We really just can't afford to pay an extra $1000 to take dn now. What should we do? It costs us an extra $740 for her tickets and a bigger room to fit her, plus the airfare. I don't want her to feel like we don't love her, but this is more than we can afford right now. I just don't know what to do. we don't go into debt for trips, so a credit card is out of the questions. Anyone have some helpful advice?

This is really hard because her family is really poor and she would never get this opportunity with them. uggh.

Oh Boy this sure is a pickle! Sorry you are in a tough situation.
I do not think that you can UNinvite someone though.
I think you need to make some type of adjustment/s to the vacation, even shortening it by a day??? or having the girls (everyone) maybe do anything they can...garage sale, return bottles, I mean anything they can to come up with some $$ to help offset. I think that if you get the whole family together and then explain how tough it is ......as a "team" you guys can all somehow pool together to work this out.
Again, sorry for the predicament...I really hope this works out for you all!!

*if there is ANY way to "shave off" some $$ the people on the DIS are the ones to help...why not post your stuff to see if they can.....

 

[TnTWalter]

Sorry about the loss in hours.

For me I would do one of two things. I would either still pay for the DN or postpone the trip. I would not take the trip and leave her behind.

Totally agree. It would be different if you didn't already invite her but you did. Now if you go without her it's can't think of the right word...not right.

Trish

 

[squirrel]

I'm in a similar situation only my niece is only 4 yrs (will be in May). She knows it's her turn to go to WDW this year as her sister has gone the past two years. There is no way that I can't take her this year.

I just hope my daycare picks up and I get more children soon. I don't want to have to go into debt to take her. It's been booked since October and she has been waiting so long to go.