Originally posted by Scat Cat
Dean -
Thanks for explaining your thinking. It makes sense for people who can afford to take two vacations a year, as the original poster appears to do.
However, I can only take one vacation a year because I run my own business and I'm not wealthy. I would not have bought at BCV if I couldn't trade my points for different resorts. I look at my DVC points as a way of guaranteeing that I take a nice vacation each year. And I don't "need" to go to Florida every year because DL is one hour from my driveway to it's gates.
Also, I am such a dyed-in-the-wool cheapskate (I was raised that way) that I would NEVER spend the money to rent from an owner at the Marriott Timberlodge. I'd be in that $45 per night Value Inn down the street!
I could only afford the DVC because of a small inheritance, and considering the pain I went through in the events leading up to it, I decided to treat myself.
Different lifestyles, different options!
There are many ways to be thrifty or even cheap. I'm very cheap, just ask my wife. I used timeshares and FF miles to go to HI in 2002 for 2 weeks. Total costs including indirect cost, air fare, interisland, rental cars and food about $2500. We had two 1 BR units at the Embassy on Maui and a 2 BR at the Embassy on Kauai.
This summer we had a 3 BR Oceanfront penthouse in Puerto Vallarta MX for 9 days then three 2 BR units oceanfront at the Marriott Grande Occean in HH for 4th of July week, well 5-12 July. Total costs for the whole lot almost exactly the same.
As for the 1 vs 2 weeks, I currently own 6 timeshares. These include 2 weeks at Grande Ocean (HH), three DVC contracts and a MX resort. I have owned as many as 10 but have pared down my holdings to what I simply use. When I don't use them in any given year, I rent them to cover the fees for all of them. I usually do two weeks a year but have done 3 weeks once or twice. I get 5 weeks a year vacation but usually don't take all of it for the same reason you don't take more, it cuts productivity too much.
There are many ways to be cheap, what I look for is VALUE. One can buy other timeshares and DVC and still just do one week a year or 3 weeks every 2 years. there are many situations and scenarios that make that situation work well for many people.