thanks

[KAMLEM]

Does anyone know of a legit way to make money at home?? I cant afford day care and my 2 youngest won't go to school until next year.

How about working at night or on the weekend? There are plenty of places that offer 2nd shift jobs, or even 3rd shift if money is as tight as it sounds.

I would definitely cancel, but that's me. I would be sick thinking I was spending money when I could be paying down my debt.

 

[ERMama]

i too would either cancel or downgrade ALOT. im wondering what part of the trip that adds up to $6000 is the part you cant get back at this point?

if hes on meds has he looked into the target/walmart $4 scripts? theres many bp meds on that list.

 

[wall*e2008]

If I had $40,000 of debt that I just found out about, there is no way that I'd be taking a vacation, I'd be using any money I had in paying down my debt.

ITA

Sad to say....I agree. Would you still feel that way if your marriage needed a vacation?

YES!!!!! My marriage does not need the stress of $40K over our heads.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

DisneyWorld is not going anywhere, I understand that you want to go but think of the bigger picture. If you are already that much in debt, a trip to Disney is not going to make it better. Find some place closer to home if you need a getaway.

Exactly!

On top of that if your marriage needs a vacation now, it will need a huge vacation when you get back and you realize that you blew all that money in WDW and still have not put even a tiny dent in your debt.

I would cancel and really follow the great advice here given about the non-profits.

 

[wall*e2008]

No way we would be going. I couldn't enjoy myself knowing I had $40,000 of debt hanging over my head.

I know you said you saved for 4 years for this trip but instead of saving for a trip why didn't you pay off some of your bills. As someone said , $40,000 doesn't happen overnight.

That trip is not saved for but is really in the $40K debt. This mentality is what caused the debt to grow far larger than the OP thought. The money you (op) should have been paying the last 4 years on your debt was put toward the debt not a trip.

 

[kfeuer]

I've got to be honest, when I saw that $6,000 is non-refundable my jaw hit the floor. How much more was this vacation going to cost? Even if the total was $6,000, that is a very expensive vacation. And given your debt situation, it's obviously a vacation you can not afford (and I think you know that already).

If I were in your shoes, I'd be scraping together every penny I could find to pay against that debt. Even if you still have some wiggle room on your credit cards, your limits could be lowered at any time. That's a scary place to be!

Disney will still be there when your finances are in better shape.

 

[Cdnmommy]

I'm in the minority here, but I would absolutely go on the vacation and as other people have mentioned simply try to cut the costs that are still outstanding on the vacation as much as possible. It sounds like you've been looking forward to this for a long time and don't go on vacation very often (if you've been waiting 4 years for this one). Yes, $6000 is a lot for one vacation but if you only go every 4 or 5 years....

Although, I do agree with the majority that it is stressful to be in so much debt (I'm no stranger to that much debt myself), my personal feelings are that you will create so many wonderful memories of you family on your trip and it might give you the boost in your marriage and family relationship that you need to turn things around.

I know that's no the most "responsible" way to see things, but to me creating memories is just as important as having bills paid off (assuming you can still make your payments and have a plan to improve things).

Good luck and I truly hope you have a magical trip!

 

[RMulieri]

Looking at your travel dates i come up with 2 solutions should you not want to outright cancel. 1) cut down the amount of days..Seriously.15 days trip is alot of money for anyone to shell out and with a HUGE debt,Not advisable .Cut down to 5 or 6 days. or 2) think about a different time of year next year. 15 days in PEAK HOLIDAY rates is also not a good thing to do with that much debt. Like I said previously, I would flat out cancel and get some plan and attempt control of my debt.But these are 2 options if you choose not to do that.They will cut your costs considerably.

 

[RMulieri]

I've got to be honest, when I saw that $6,000 is non-refundable my jaw hit the floor. How much more was this vacation going to cost? Even if the total was $6,000, that is a very expensive vacation. And given your debt situation, it's obviously a vacation you can not afford (and I think you know that already).

If I were in your shoes, I'd be scraping together every penny I could find to pay against that debt. Even if you still have some wiggle room on your credit cards, your limits could be lowered at any time. That's a scary place to be!

Disney will still be there when your finances are in better shape.

I thought that too.But look at OP's travel dates 15 days at disney with PEAK HOLIDAY pricing.

 

[J3nn78]

No way would I go.

I also do not understand how you could accumulate $40,000 in debt and just realize it.
How is $6000 not refundable this far out?

I do not believe in saving for something like a vacation when you are accumulating debt.

I went 4 years without Disney because we had other financial obligations. So, canceling is a no brainer to me.

Also, I do not believe a marriage can be saved by going to Disney. You still have to come back to the real world, with more debt after the vacation. Money is the NUMBER 1 reason for divorce. So I think making it a priority to get out of debt then reward yourselves with a vacation later, is the way to save the marriage.

 

[Steve's Girl]

Since the majority of divorces are caused by financial troubles, I'd say your marriage needs a debt/financial counselor more than a vacation! Money issues cause so much stress in a marriage. No vacation can overcome that! It will only cause more stress.

 

[ROIE01581]

If all fails and the economy goes south you go to Bankruptcy. There will be a lot of people doing that by the end of this year. You get to keep your house, your cars and your stuff. No credit for 10 years is a good way to teach you how to use your money wisely and pay cash. And then you can start to save for the next big vacation.

 

[crisi]

Cancel the trip. Get any money back you can. You guys are in deep (unless your husband makes a ton of money)....and without medical insurance you could get in deeper fast. You cannot afford a fifteen day vacation over the holidays at WDW. You are not entitled to a fifteen day vacation over the holidays at WDW no matter how much you "need" it. Learn the difference between needs and wants.

 

[Steve's Girl]

If all fails and the economy goes south you go to Bankruptcy. There will be a lot of people doing that by the end of this year. You get to keep your house, your cars and your stuff. No credit for 10 years is a good way to teach you how to use your money wisely and pay cash. And then you can start to save for the next big vacation.

Are you kidding me? Do you understand the impact of having a bankrupcy on your record? Most employers do credit reports on their employees. Bankrupcies increase the likelihood of embezzelment, etc. People lose their jobs, get passed over for promotions, etc. This can really screw you for a very long time! Don't do this, please! How 'bout you start that cash thing now and avoid the bankrupcy. This is just wrong!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

If all fails and the economy goes south you go to Bankruptcy. There will be a lot of people doing that by the end of this year. You get to keep your house, your cars and your stuff. No credit for 10 years is a good way to teach you how to use your money wisely and pay cash. And then you can start to save for the next big vacation.

Is this a joke? Nothing like not taking responsibility for your actions and having someone else bail you out.

 

[2002Disneybride]

I guess i'm very different. Because i would still be going. I'm sure this isnt a surprise, 40,000 doesnt happen over night. So most likely you knew about this before yeasterday, right?

.

Yeah, I would still go too...

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I would personally cancel the trip. If you are sure you want to go, cut it way back. Taking a 15 day vacation at the highest prices of the year doesn't make economic sense to anyone who has debt. I can't imagine how you have $6000 in nonrefundable costs unless you are paying a fortune in airfare or you had to pay in advance for renting a house - I don't know how renting in Orlando works. Depending when your cruise is, you might be able to cancel without fees if you are at least 75 days out (at least for Disney), unless you are travelling in a suite. If you have a WDW package booked, you can cancel up to 45 days with no penalty. If you are doing a Disney cruise, you have either booked a category 4 or higher or two rooms - that's a huge expense if you are cruising over Christmas.

If you are going to go, I'd keep the part that costs less. Pay the fee to change the airfare if you are flying. Consider staying off-site. If you stay on-site, POR is $149 a night up until December 19, when it goes to $205 per night. Have your trip done by then. See if you can get refunds for anything you have bought - MVMCP tickets (not usually refundable, but I'd try), Cinderella's breakfast, etc. Cancel the dining plan if you have it. Don't pay for park hoppers. Eat off-site, counter service, breakfast in your room. Cancel BBB, Pirate cruise, any extraneous activities that you have planned. These are things we do anyway, and we have no debt. It's possible to have a great time at WDW without spending a fortune. We've never spent $6000 on a WDW trip, and that is just your nonrefundable part. A reality check as to what you can really afford is in order.

Good luck to you!

 

[NMAmy]

Sad to say....I agree. Would you still feel that way if your marriage needed a vacation?

You can still take time off but stay home and do some local things and spend time together. Disney isn't going to fix anyone's marriage. And a whole lotta debt is only going to make things worse.

I'm sorry you're going through this but I know that I went many years without vacations when I was first married and dd was young. Spending more money on a vacation isn't going to help anything.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Sad to say....I agree. Would you still feel that way if your marriage needed a vacation?

If you're relying on a WDW trip to fix your marriage, you have more problems then just the debt. A trip thats putting you deeper into debt will only make the marriage situation worse.

If all fails and the economy goes south you go to Bankruptcy. There will be a lot of people doing that by the end of this year. You get to keep your house, your cars and your stuff. No credit for 10 years is a good way to teach you how to use your money wisely and pay cash. And then you can start to save for the next big vacation.

Nice way to think! And there's more to bankruptcy then that.

 

[tlbwriter]

Sad to say....I agree. Would you still feel that way if your marriage needed a vacation?

If your marriage needs a vacation, that doesn't mean it needs a Disney vacation. There are cheaper things to do.

(Of course, I have to admit that I'd take the trip anyway. But I would know in my heart that I was doing it because I wanted it for my own reasons, not because it was going to save my marriage. Because it's not.)