financial situation...vacation?

[DizNee143]

so me and hubs are pretty much broke right now..
we got so many bills from when i had our daughter Cheyenne in dec (12.4.09)..and still every now and then get a surprise bill from the birth..its crazy! lol..
i mean all the bills together are not alot alot..but we just dont have that kinda money lying around..so ive been doing like 10 bucks a month to each bill..
then on top of that we just have the standard bills..mortgage..cable..cell phone..cars..credit cards..etc..
so we are just overhelmed..we do manage to some how get by every month though..
we are even trying to sell our condo right now and its going to be a short sale..
what im getting at is..is it stupid that im still trying to save for a disney vacation? we are looking at going in january 2012..going with my parents..
with all the bills we have..
is it stupid that when i make a few bucks here and there selling things or my husband does a side job..is it wrong that i take a few bucks and put it in my disney fund? i have 200 bucks saved already..and yes we could use that to pay some stuff..but we really wanna bring Cheye to Disney when shes 2-ish..
i just feel like we are being stupid..but then again its not like im not paying mortgage and putting that money in my disney fund..its like i said..its if i have like dollar or two leftover from the week of the little bit of money i allot for myself to have on me..side jobs..etc..
ughh...
i so hate money..we never have enough! lol..

[PopPhan]

I mean no offense, but I believe you know the answer to that question....Disney will be there when you DO have the available monies, but you really should take care of the important things -- food, clothing, shelter, keeping the bill collectors away, etc. -- before the luxury of a vacation, Disney or otherwise.

You will enjoy it a lot more if you don't have to come home to more bills.....

Good luck on the condo sale and I sincerely hope that things work out and you can take that Disney vacation soon!!

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I'm sorry you're in a tight financial situtation, it isn't easy for so many these days.

This can be tricky - I know for us, that if we waited to go to Disney until we had no debt, we'd never go.

But, I also would never go to Disney (or on any trip) and jepordize our finances for it. For us, we have a plan, we're paying down debt, and able to put a little aside each week as "fun" money. We're really picky on what we spend the fun money on, and save as much of it as possible for a Disney trip.

So, if you're just scraping by, without anything to spare, then I would put off the trip for a bit. If you have a couple of bucks extra, put some towards the debt (make sure it stays current at ALL times) and a few bucks aside for a trip. When you've saved enough for the trip, then is a good time to go.

Don't feel pressured to go just because your parents want you to, or you feel you should. Not having the worry and stress about making ends meet every day will be a much better feeling that a vacation you can't afford.

[DizneyRox]

Rule #1 is you never save money when you owe money. It's nice to have a rainy day fund, but even that can usually be taken care of with credit cards.

Higher interest bills get paid off before lower interest rate bills.

Any extra money made needs to go towards paying down debt. Although, quite frankly, that short sale is really going to hose your credit rating, it might be worth taking to someone about debt restructuring.

[DizNee143]

both credit cards on suspened since im on what they like to call..there "charity case" both interest rates are ridicously low and i have a set amount i have to pay for the next 4 years..so thats taken cared of..everything is current..i moved all my due dates to the end of the month so i wont be late on things anymore..and i can pay a few bills each week..
but like i said everything gets paid..we have money for gas and food..i just try to be as tight as i can with the money..and its like every time i think i have it under control up pops a surprise bill from something..
our credit is already going bad..and we know the hit we are gonna take with the (hopeful) move..but we just obviously can not make it in jersey..its just not possible..
i know we arent the only ones going through this..and i know things will get better..i just wish we could fast forward to that point! lol..

[dnickels]

Just something to keep in mind - if you're making minimum payments on some of that debt (credit cards with 10-20% interest rates for example) you're basically losing the same amount of purchasing power by saving the money rather than putting it towards the debt.

Admittedly, I'm more of a saver, I think the only debt to hold is education (student loans, although even that should come with a caveat) or a mortgage on a house, if I have to finance anything else then it's probably something I don't need. What about canceling the cable/internet? There's an extra 40-100 bucks a month to put towards the debt. Downgrade the cell phone plans to the bare minimum, sure it means no more texting, surfing the web or unlimited talking but again, more money towards the debt. Can one of you sell one (or both) of the cars and get something basic, used and reliable (Toyota Corollas come to mind). After the short sale consider a one bedroom apartment. It's only in the last generation or so that we've convinced ourselves every child needs their own room and we need a spare and an extra bathroom and.....

Disney will be there in the future, but so will that debt if you don't get on it soon. There's a great saying that you can have everything in life, you just can't have it all at the same time. If you want Disney maybe that means giving up some of the other things (cable/cell phone/two cars). If you want the other things maybe that means giving up Disney.

Best of luck, just remember that a week with the mouse isn't worth risking your financial future :mickey:

[DizNee143]

Just something to keep in mind - if you're making minimum payments on some of that debt (credit cards with 10-20% interest rates for example) you're basically losing the same amount of purchasing power by saving the money rather than putting it towards the debt.

Admittedly, I'm more of a saver, I think the only debt to hold is education (student loans, although even that should come with a caveat) or a mortgage on a house, if I have to finance anything else then it's probably something I don't need. What about canceling the cable/internet? There's an extra 40-100 bucks a month to put towards the debt. Downgrade the cell phone plans to the bare minimum, sure it means no more texting, surfing the web or unlimited talking but again, more money towards the debt. Can one of you sell one (or both) of the cars and get something basic, used and reliable (Toyota Corollas come to mind). After the short sale consider a one bedroom apartment. It's only in the last generation or so that we've convinced ourselves every child needs their own room and we need a spare and an extra bathroom and.....

Disney will be there in the future, but so will that debt if you don't get on it soon. There's a great saying that you can have everything in life, you just can't have it all at the same time. If you want Disney maybe that means giving up some of the other things (cable/cell phone/two cars). If you want the other things maybe that means giving up Disney.

Best of luck, just remember that a week with the mouse isn't worth risking your financial future :mickey:

like i said the 2 cc we have are suspended and ones rate is 4% and the other is 3%..so we are doing pretty good with those..
my husbands truck is paid off..and we still have 4 years left on mine..which i already downgraded and got rid of my dream truck for a cheaper one..
we have the cheapest plan for our cells..
we already only live in a one bedroom condo with our 7 month old daughter!!!!!!!!..
whenever we finally sell we will be burning rubber and running from jersey as fast as we can...we are moving south..where my hubby will still get paid pretty much the same for his type of work and can live better..
we just gotta struggle through all of this..
i just wish it would pass already..we always seem to struggle with money...i hate it!

[DVC2004]

My feeling is if you can afford to sock a little away here and there (after you have your needs met)- then why not? It's good to have a goal and something to look forward to in life. It's very depressing to work and work and have all your money go to bills. If you skip ordering that pizza once in a while and make one at home, throw that $10 or $20 into the bank. Go sell your old clothes to Platos Closet or a your daughters old clothes/toys to a kids resale- throw it in the bank. It adds up. I don''t think there is anything wrong with putting aside for later if it will make you happy and will make life a little more enjoyable.

Hang in there- it will get better. It just takes time.

[diz_girl]

Brittany,

It's great that you have a payment plan set up with your credit card companies and that the interest rate is low and you are current with those bills and your other bills. That gives you some stability in your situation.

I'm going to be a little contradictory to what the others are saying. I think that you need to save a little bit for your Disney trip, so that you have a light at the end of the tunnel. Knowing that a Disney trip is 'somewhere' down the road is nice, but while it's still 'somewhere' and you're not planning for it, you won't get the mental lift from knowing that WDW trip is that much closer. So paying into a Disney fund (even if it is a couple of dollars) isn't wrong. It can help you keep your spirits up, which will benefit your family before you even get to WDW.

Oh, and maybe you should wait until the end of her second year to take her to WDW, rather at the beginning of the year. She'd still be two (and free for admission and at buffets), and you'd have a few more months to stabilize your financial situation and to save for your trip. Maybe take her the week after Thanksgiving in 2012. Thanksgiving comes early that year, so you can go while she's still two and enjoy the holiday festivities at the same time.

You probably have family and friends who want to buy the baby 'things' and want to buy you some'thing' for your birthday or some other occasion. Other than Christmas, if someone asks you what they can buy, just tell them that you want cash. Not a gift card, but cash. That is what you really need right now. You can tell them that you want to take your daughter to WDW and the cash can help towards the trip. I understand if you're not comfortable saying that, most people aren't. But people do appreciate the honesty and might be more receptive to the cash idea when they know you have a goal in mind rather than blowing it on something.

Good luck to you and your family.

[civilmousefan]

Unfortunately, I am on the side of those who think that you should get your finances in order BEFORE planning an expensive vacation. I know that there are way too many families that are really struggling financially.

How do you think you would feel if this was all behind you? You seem to have a plan to make this happen with the exception of putting money away for a vacation. I don't know your entire situation but I think you need to take a look and calculate how fast you could have your creditors paid if the money being set aside for a vacation was used to pay down debt. I think that in doing so - it would be paid off so much faster. Once paid off, I believe the satisfaction and relief you would feel would be better than additional years of debt for the price of a vacation.

I too have been in a situation such as yours and have forgone vacations and even nights out with friends in the past because of living paycheck to paycheck, paying a mortgage, car and credit card bills and raising a family. I worked hard at reducing my debt exposure and today am living debt free. I also had a little bit of luck - generally no health issues for myself or family.

I wish you good health and good luck - and hope that the future gets better for you.

[Dznygrl79]

My thought is keep putting the money away, as long as no emergencies arise where you are going to need to use the money. About 6 months before the vacation take another look at the fund, will it be enough for vacation and if so is it what you want, if its not what else would you like to do with it. But as long as you are in repayment and current keep putting it away, its always better to have savings.

[BrerGnat]

Your baby is only about 7 months old, right? Well, unfortunately, kids just get more expensive as they get older. Sorry to burden you with that news, but it's true.

I think, to be completely honest, that a vacation of any sort needs to be just out of the question for the forseeable future. You are in serious financial trouble (you already know that), and you should be thinking about your FUTURE finances as much as your PRESENT finances. I don't know how old you are, but you have to also be thinking about your retirement, your child's education, etc.

I am a firm believer that vacations are an earned luxury. Only when you have all your financial ducks in a row should you be thinking about spending money on luxuries (vacations, expensive clothes, electronics, etc.)

I hope your situation improves soon. Good luck on the short sale and the move to a more affordable place. I hear you on expensive living...I live in Orange County, CA. Talk about a money drain...

[DizNee143]

you all have very good points..for both sides..and i think i do put away money for just the reason dvc2004 said..its nice to look forward to something..have something fun to work for..
i guess i should of worded my orginal post better..we are broke..yes..but everything is taken cared of..it took about a month or two after Cheye was born to get back on track..but we have a system now..and nothing is being paid late..anymore..we get by..barely but we do get by every month..and when my hubby does get side jobs its not like we take the whole amount and put it towards the vacation..depending on what he makes i just take anywhere from like 5-25 dollars of it and put it in my disney fund..
and also..we wouldnt really have to save that much for the vacation..since my parents are DVC members..so the resort is taken cared of already..we would drive down..just really need spending, food, and ticket money..
and believe me we are already doing everything we can think of to live cheap! lol..
im a coupon/sale queen now and save so much now! its great!!
we havent been out in forever!!! last two times we went out to eat were mothers and fathers day..otherwise we dont do that..and the things we do try and do now are free..cuz we cant just sit at home lol..BORING!
i guess i just needed to vent..i just wish the end result of being able to live a bit better would come faster!
thanx for listening to me go on and on! :)

[betteratmk]

Brittany,

It's great that you have a payment plan set up with your credit card companies and that the interest rate is low and you are current with those bills and your other bills. That gives you some stability in your situation.

I'm going to be a little contradictory to what the others are saying. I think that you need to save a little bit for your Disney trip, so that you have a light at the end of the tunnel. Knowing that a Disney trip is 'somewhere' down the road is nice, but while it's still 'somewhere' and you're not planning for it, you won't get the mental lift from knowing that WDW trip is that much closer. So paying into a Disney fund (even if it is a couple of dollars) isn't wrong. It can help you keep your spirits up, which will benefit your family before you even get to WDW.

Oh, and maybe you should wait until the end of her second year to take her to WDW, rather at the beginning of the year. She'd still be two (and free for admission and at buffets), and you'd have a few more months to stabilize your financial situation and to save for your trip. Maybe take her the week after Thanksgiving in 2012. Thanksgiving comes early that year, so you can go while she's still two and enjoy the holiday festivities at the same time.

You probably have family and friends who want to buy the baby 'things' and want to buy you some'thing' for your birthday or some other occasion. Other than Christmas, if someone asks you what they can buy, just tell them that you want cash. Not a gift card, but cash. That is what you really need right now. You can tell them that you want to take your daughter to WDW and the cash can help towards the trip. I understand if you're not comfortable saying that, most people aren't. But people do appreciate the honesty and might be more receptive to the cash idea when they know you have a goal in mind rather than blowing it on something.

Good luck to you and your family.

A good gift card to request for birthdays and holidays is the Disney gift card. They can be saved and used for food, tickets or hotels :D

[BellesRose]

I think you should save. If there's an emergency, you already have the money. If not, you get a vacation. Plus, you may need that money for moving!

If my parents had waited until they were out of debt to take me and my brother somewhere, we'd still be waiting. We have never had a "real" vacation, but they did take us on short Disney trips once in a while (Which consisted of going to the Magic Kingdom, eating at McDonald's, and spending the night somewhere in Orlando). We also did a lot of day trips to different areas; just get in the car and see where we end up, which didn't cost much because gas wasn't that expensive back then and we ate fast food. I don't feel "ripped off" because other families got to go away for a full week every single year. I feel like I've had a better life than anyone, because I know how much my parents have struggled and still continue to, yet did everything in their power to give us everything we could ever need.

People can tell you to just wait until things aren't so tough financially, but let's be honest, that day may never come. If you can save money without getting behind on the rent, why wouldn't you?

[jrkcr]

I know people may not agree with this, but I think if you wait till DD is about 4 or 5 years old, she (and you) will enjoy the trip more. A 2 year old may end up being scared of characters, need more naps, and in general remember less of the trip.

Wait till she is older, and your money situation will be better too.

I do the "snowball" method to pay off our debts. You can find out about it from just a google search.

Hang in there!!

[kakn7294]

As someone who's been in a tough financial spot, I think that if all of your bills are paid and you can set aside a little money for a Disney trip in the future, then continue to do it. You can look at it as an emergency fund - there if you need it for an unexpected bill or to be used for your Disney trip if you manage to get all your finances in line. Sometimes it takes years to get out from the debt and you need to have a little fun here and there in life because if you waited to be debt-free, you might wait forever. Good luck to you! I hope things work out for you.

[SBETigg]

Brittany, what a tough choice! It's hard to wait when you really want to go, and they're only little once. We waited. Our kids were 8 and 10 before our first trip. And it was a long, hard wait, but it was almost so much sweeter for all the waiting and dreaming about it, and they loved it just as much as we always hoped. But it would have been nice to see their reactions to rides and characters when they were littler, too. It just wasn't in our financial picture back then, and I have no regrets for waiting until our situation improved and we could afford it without as much stress.

But who knows what the future holds. You have to do what feels right for you. Best wishes with making the very hard decision to go or not to go.

[BellesRose]

I know people may not agree with this, but I think if you wait till DD is about 4 or 5 years old, she (and you) will enjoy the trip more. A 2 year old may end up being scared of characters, need more naps, and in general remember less of the trip.
I actually agree, because a 4-5 year old will remember the trip, whereas a 2 year old won't.

[DizNee143]

I actually agree, because a 4-5 year old will remember the trip, whereas a 2 year old won't.

i know she wont remember it..and believe me i got my parents against me on it and everyone else i know giving their opinion also..

but my parents took me when i was 22 months..why cant i have the same experience with my child?!?

i dont care if she wont remember it..it will be more about the here and now..she will hopefully have a blast while we are there and will be happy and everything will be wonderful..and we will have tons of pictures!!

we'll be back again and again and she can remember those other trips..

i know it will be a completely different vacation if we actually get to go and im all for it..and its not like we are those phsyco park commandos that need to get everything done anyway..we are lucky we plan what park we want to go to the day before hand..lol..we will go slow and will go at Cheyes pace..i want to experience disney will my lil princess..

i had a different experience when we were there in sept..i was 7 months pregnant then..it was definitely different but still had an awesome and wonderful time..

anyways..
about the money part..
im gonna keep putting money away and if god forbid something happens and we need cash fast..i got it..if not..woohoo disney world here we come!!!!!:mickey:

[SBETigg]

Sounds like a good plan, Brittany. Now I'm going to be on the lookout for psycho park commandos when I'm there. They sound a little scary, or a lot of fun, I can't decide. :)

[DizNee143]

Sounds like a good plan, Brittany. Now I'm going to be on the lookout for psycho park commandos when I'm there. They sound a little scary, or a lot of fun, I can't decide. :)

hahaha..wrong choice of words?
i didnt know how else to put it, in the heat of the moment of typing that up..we jsut arent ones to have a plan and have to get sooo much done in a day..we just go with the flow..i mean after all it is a vacation...:)

[BellesRose]

Sounds like a wonderful plan! :thumbsup:

[Georgesgirl1]

I just thought I would share about our upcoming trip to give you some ideas on how to still get to go on your trip without breaking the bank:
I got laid off in May and we seriously considered canceling our trip, but instead we decided to do things super cheap. Like you, my parents are DVC members and had given us points, so our room is free. We will have a studio, so we can eat meals in our room. I am bringing lots of stuff to make sanwiches, oatmeals, granola bars, etc. so we only have to eat out once a day. We are also only going to the parks twice during our week stay. We are going to do MNSSHP at MK and use our free Disney Give a Day Get a Day tickets for a day in Epcot. We know we will be back in a year or two, so we can wait for the other parks. The rest of the days we will hang out at the pool, DTD, resort hop, play minature golf, etc. We are using our Disney Reward Dollars from our Disney Visa for most of our meals and I am asking for money for my upcoming birthday which will all be put into our Disney fund. It is actually becoming a challenge for me to see how cheaply I can do this trip while still having an amazing family memory! Good luck!

[buzznwoodysmom]

i know she wont remember it..and believe me i got my parents against me on it and everyone else i know giving their opinion also..

but my parents took me when i was 22 months..why cant i have the same experience with my child?!?





Perhaps your parents were in a better financial state when they took you when you were that age.

Not to be rude, but if I were in your situation the last thing that would be on my mind would be a vacation. I'd be sick with worry about what if something major comes up and I need that money that was spent on vacation. Sure its great to save for the vacay now and if something comes up before the trip you'll have that extra money, but what if something happens a few weeks after the trip and you can't get that money back??? I'd be thinking what if we keep getting unexpected bills (it could be in the form of almost anything sick family member or broken car just to name a few) and we can't dig ourselves out of this mess, or catch back up. WDW will still be there a few more years down the line, but unfortunately your debt will still be there too unless you take the steps necessary to get yourselves out of it. I don't want to judge you or preach to you, but you mention that your barely getting by as it is, I just don't think that's the time to be thinking about planning a major vacation. I agree with what a few other's have said. I think you'll enjoy your vacation so much more if you don't have to worry about bills and such back at home. Again none of this was meant to be rude, but you asked and I'm giving you my honest opinion, its what I'd tell a good friend if they asked me the same question. Good luck with everything.

[DizneyRox]

+1 pp

I understand wanting Disney to be a goal, however the real goal should be to be debt free in x number of years.

The pressure and toll of living in debt is tremendous. Trust me I know. I laugh at those commercials: "Do you owe $1000, $2000, even $5000 in credit card bills?" That's NOTHING! Literally, a fraction of the real amount. Trying to figure out how to get out from under that is enough to drive you crazy. I now live debt free after digging in, making some big sacrifices and working hard to get rid of it.

While everyone else was taking trips, buying new cars, houses, etc. I was bringing sandwiches to work everyday.

It was all worth it... That x number of years should be the plan, stick to it, and get it done. Took me 3 years...

[Magic Smiles]

i know she wont remember it..and believe me i got my parents against me on it and everyone else i know giving their opinion also..

but my parents took me when i was 22 months..why cant i have the same experience with my child?!?

i dont care if she wont remember it..it will be more about the here and now..

IMHO I feel that you already know the correct answer to your question. This trip is what you want and not what your daughter wants. Also if your parents really wanted you on this trip they would foot the bill and not be against you.

You ask "why cant i have the same experience with my child?!?". Because you can't afford it:number1:

[DizNee143]

IMHO I feel that you already know the correct answer to your question. This trip is what you want and not what your daughter wants. Also if your parents really wanted you on this trip they would foot the bill and not be against you.

You ask "why cant i have the same experience with my child?!?". Because you can't afford it:number1:

not for this to so mean but...duh! obviously..my daughter doesnt even know what WDW is! lol..
but id like to share the experience with her..

its not up to my parents if they want me on my trip?!? they arent against me..and my parents are already "footing" some of the bill! :D

they just know it was a totally different kind of vacation when they took me at the age and would rather i wait with having to lug diapers and everything a baby needs around..and possibly having her hate the characters like i did that first trip when i was 22 months..they are saying to wait cuz they know from experience that is was one heck of a trip for them..but that part of it doesnt bother me what so ever!

and the why cant i expericence wdw with my child at that age AGAIN has nothing to do moneywise! lol..

i dont know how you were reading into things but it was all wrong..

AGAIN..we are paying all of our bills..they get paid..we are on plans as the cc companies like to call charity cases..very low interests as stated above..i even pay a little bit more each month than they want..theres nothing else i can do there! i live cheap..i bargin hunt..i sell things i dont use anymore..my hubby is very talented and is always doing some kinda side job..we both bring lunch to work..we use hand me downs from anything from clothes..to couches..our parents are both very generous and help us..or surprise us with things we want instead of need..we get by..maybe i make it sound worse than it is..because i know i rather have a bit more money..lol..wouldnt we all?

so those few bucks extra i may have come the end of the week..im still continuing putting that in my disney fund..its something nice to look forward too..heck its almost 2 years away!

you all make good puts..and i am already doing what we can too say bye bye to bills..but i guess i need something fun to look forward to in my life..and i dont like living in the "what if" state..whatever will happen will happen..we always get through it..

its not like im looking to go away tomorrow..by the time we go we should be better off..if not..we'll make that decision when it gets waaaaaaaaay closer..:mickey:

thanx again for all the very Very VERY different advice..

[Dulcee]

If my parents had waited until they were 100% debt free to take us away to Disney we never would have made it.

As a twenty something now my boyfriend and I run on a tight budget with very little wiggle room and some student and credit card debt but we still put money away every month for vacation because we need the break.

If your meeting your monthly bills and can put some away do what you think is best for your family and go away! Everyone needs a break, burning yourself out so that five years down the road you can look back and say I wish I had the chance to see what she thought of the Mouse and the castle as a two year old just doesn't seem worth it.

Life is short, live it today.

[BrerGnat]

If my parents had waited until they were 100% debt free to take us away to Disney we never would have made it.

My parents didn't wait either. In fact, we went on vacation every year. As a kid, my understanding was "doesn't EVERYONE do that?" My parents spent their entire lives in debt, living beyond their means.

They are now 62 years old. They are STILL in debt. Not even close to being able to retire, but unable to work full time either, due to health issues (my mom). They lost a HUGE amount of their retirement fund when the stock market went into that downward spiral.

I (and my sisters) cannot afford to support them in their old age. I have no idea what will happen with that. They have gone so far as to blame US for their debt, by mentioning all the nice vacations they took us on, and etc. They now feel that we OWE them.

This is the ugly side of finances between parents and children. My sisters and I learned from their mistakes and none of us are in debt now, we have significant savings for retirement and our kids college. We go on vacation now because we can afford it!

When we first got married, though, we were barely getting by. Had lots of debt too (credit cards, student loans, car loans, etc.). I think most couples go through this. It has taken us almost 10 years to get to a "good place" financially. We took a vacation about every 2-3 years (a real one...we did short getaway trips a couple times too). Most of the time, I admit it, we used money that had come our way (tax returns, bonuses, etc.) to take a vacation rather than using it to pay down our debts. At the time, it seemed like a great idea, but it was pretty dumb. All that money we were paying on interest could have been saved if we had paid our debt off earlier...

We JUST took our kids to WDW for the first time in the spring. They were 4 and almost 6 years old. Of course I wanted to take them much earlier, but we simply could not afford to do so. Paying off ALL our debts (so that we could be SAVING money every month, for once), took us NINE years to attain. And, we are only debt free due to the unfortunate circumstance of my father in law's death, and a resulting unexpected life insurance benefit that came our way. :(

Do you watch Suze Orman's show on CNBC? I'd say you need a "Suze Smackdown", at this point. ;)

[dnickels]

Do you watch Suze Orman's show on CNBC? I'd say you need a "Suze Smackdown", at this point. ;)

Suzy’s ‘Can I afford it’ segment was the first thing I thought of when I read the post.
-can’t afford to stay in a 1 bedroom condo
-already on the credit card charity case program (this should be an opportunity to get out of debt, not go on vacation)
-still need assistance from parents (the free stay) to take the vacation
-mention more than once that you always seem to have money problems
-threads here on intercot going back over three years that repeatedly mention money problems and relying on parents for financial assistance.

I don’t list those out to be mean, but this doesn’t sound like an isolated stretch where $$ is just a little tight. You either make lifestyle changes now while you’re young or you’ll end up like the previous poster’s parents. There’s no guarantee that things will just get better as soon as you move, and moving has other costs associated with it, finding new jobs, security deposit for a new place, transferring plates/titles/drivers licenses to a new state that can gobble up a thousand bucks easily.

Honestly, best of luck, :mickey: but my advice would strongly be to work on the financial side of things before the vacation. (or at least tell the rest of us which credit cards you use so we can buy some of their stock) :thedolls:

[DizNee143]

Suzy’s ‘Can I afford it’ segment was the first thing I thought of when I read the post.
-can’t afford to stay in a 1 bedroom condo
-already on the credit card charity case program (this should be an opportunity to get out of debt, not go on vacation)


we can afford to stay in a one bedroom condo..yes its tight moneywise..but we can afford it! but theres only so long we can stay in one bedroom now with a child..so by the time we actually do sell and move im sure Cheye will be well over the age of 1 and she needs her own room! plus after we do finally sell we will be living..with my parents for alittle to just get everything together and what not..so HELLO saving LOTS of money!
and yes on a charity case..and yes a means to get out of debt and thats what im doing thats why im on them!..its not like im leaving tomorrow to go on the worlds most expensive vacation..saving for one thats about 2 years away here..



-still need assistance from parents (the free stay) to take the vacation
dont NEED assistance..my parents have always been very very generous..i rarely ever ask for help from them..and if i do its 20 bucks here and 20 bucks here..all the things they have ever done for us is out of the kindness of there hearts..they offered..since in a few years it will be passed down to me anyway! =)



-mention more than once that you always seem to have money problems
-threads here on intercot going back over three years that repeatedly mention money problems and relying on parents for financial assistance.

I don’t list those out to be mean, but this doesn’t sound like an isolated stretch where $$ is just a little tight. You either make lifestyle changes now while you’re young or you’ll end up like the previous poster’s parents. There’s no guarantee that things will just get better as soon as you move, and moving has other costs associated with it, finding new jobs, security deposit for a new place, transferring plates/titles/drivers licenses to a new state that can gobble up a thousand bucks easily.

Honestly, best of luck, :mickey: but my advice would strongly be to work on the financial side of things before the vacation. (or at least tell the rest of us which credit cards you use so we can buy some of their stock) :thedolls:

yes i can say money has not been our friend in the years we have been together me and my hubby..but we have slowly been getting better with money..and finally have everything situated..now its just the waiting game of all the payments finally being done in about 4 years..theres nothing else to do..ya we can give extra here and there and we do when we can..but otherwise theres not much left we can do..besides hopefully winning the lotto..

but the 1-5 bucks i may get to put aside at the end of a week for the disney trip we wanna take..i really dont think its hurting us..

yes you make some valid points..but are we seriously suppose to sit at home and twiddle our thumbs until we barely have any debt?

[dnickels]

yes you make some valid points..but are we seriously suppose to sit at home and twiddle our thumbs until we barely have any debt?

Not at all, there's tons of things that people can do for free or for much less than a trip to Disney. I just remember a post from someone else on here a year or two ago,
-her and her husband had 4 kids
-she didn't work
-they were living at the in-laws rental unit
-had not paid their last month of rent
-didn't have any way to pay the next month
-yet they took a vacation to Disney.

And she thought that was completely reasonable. :confused:

Please, please, please, don't end up like that, that's all I'm saying. :mickey: Disney is great, but it has always been and will always be a luxury, not a necessity, and certainly not a good reason to spend your life in debt.

[NotaGeek]

I am not sure if you're looking for a bunch of people to make you feel better about saving for Disney instead of paying off your debt, or if you already have your mind made up and you're just looking for some validation.

I think at the end of the day -- its your money, your debt -- if you're OK with saving for a vacation when your bills are barely getting paid and your credit score sinks, then there's nothing wrong with that choice. But, if you feel pangs of guilt over it, then odds are you know what the better course of action should be and you might just want to find some folk to tell you what you're choosing is OK.

Have fun at Disney in 2 years cause I have a feeling you'll be saving money to go on that trip regardless. :mickey:

[kakn7294]

+1 pp

I understand wanting Disney to be a goal, however the real goal should be to be debt free in x number of years.

The pressure and toll of living in debt is tremendous. Trust me I know. I laugh at those commercials: "Do you owe $1000, $2000, even $5000 in credit card bills?" That's NOTHING! Literally, a fraction of the real amount. Trying to figure out how to get out from under that is enough to drive you crazy. I now live debt free after digging in, making some big sacrifices and working hard to get rid of it.

While everyone else was taking trips, buying new cars, houses, etc. I was bringing sandwiches to work everyday.

It was all worth it... That x number of years should be the plan, stick to it, and get it done. Took me 3 years...I'm happy that you are debt-free but I think you're being a little unrealistic and harsh here. I've been where these poor kids are at and despite that, we still took a Disney trip in the middle of our troubles. I thank God everyday that we did too because 6 months later, my MIL passed away but we still have the wonderful memories we made with her on that trip. Being debt-free is great, but those memories are far greater.

[DizneyRox]

Unrealistic and harsh?

The reality is MANY folks are living way beyond their means. Credit card rates are skyrocketing due to people not being able to pay, property values are down due to foreclosures, everyone is paying the price.

Sure it stinks, but to encourage anyone to continue down that road is irresponsible. Frankly, I'd rather my house was worth what it was a few years ago over someone else getting another Mickey Mouse autograph.

Now that's harsh, but real...

[DizNee143]

I am not sure if you're looking for a bunch of people to make you feel better about saving for Disney instead of paying off your debt, or if you already have your mind made up and you're just looking for some validation.

I think at the end of the day -- its your money, your debt -- if you're OK with saving for a vacation when your bills are barely getting paid and your credit score sinks, then there's nothing wrong with that choice. But, if you feel pangs of guilt over it, then odds are you know what the better course of action should be and you might just want to find some folk to tell you what you're choosing is OK.

Have fun at Disney in 2 years cause I have a feeling you'll be saving money to go on that trip regardless. :mickey:

you are probably right..lol..
but its not like im not doing anything about my financial situation..its not like im sitting back and letting it get worse and worse..
we get by..and truthfully at the moment thats my goal..everything gets paid on time..and im on those "charity cases" to get the credit cards gone..
if we are to ever fall behind..well then duh..id use the little bit of money i have saved to help us..
we did for 2 months and i was a mess..but i was on maternity leave and disablity pays squat! but once i got back to work..it works..i just wish we made more to live more comfortably..
and again im literally saving a few bucks a week..if i even can do it every week..its never more than 5 bucks..
im gonna continue to save..and we'll see what happens with that money..
im doing what i can to get debt free..or have it be far far less..but again its now just the waiting game for us..in 4 years..2 bills will be gone and then a year after that another will be gone..its just we gotta struggle through it now..

[meldan98]

Come on people, don't be so hard on her. She's trying to get out of debt and she is paying her bills. If she needs WDW as motivation to put some money aside, then fine. Don't be rude. I'm one of those people who need to see a "light at the end of the tunnel" kind of people and I think that as long as you are paying your bills, working to get out of debt and saving money whether it is ultimately for a vacation or for an unexpected emergency then you are doing something fantastic. In two years a lot can happen. If it works out and you get to go, great! When you go, you will be able to enjoy your time with your family and you won't be putting the vacation on your credit cards. Keep in mind though not to use all of your savings for the trip though.

[VWL Mom]

I'm really on the fence here. I think you have to follow your heart on this one.

Have you thought of other ways to add to your funds? Since you live in a condo you might start up a cat/house/plant sitting service. Something which could make you some extra money and not take a lot of time. We pay our neighbor $25 per day to take care of our three cats and water plants while we're gone. Not too bad for the 10 minutes he spends.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[diz_girl]

Come on people, don't be so hard on her. She's trying to get out of debt and she is paying her bills. If she needs WDW as motivation to put some money aside, then fine. Don't be rude. I'm one of those people who need to see a "light at the end of the tunnel" kind of people and I think that as long as you are paying your bills, working to get out of debt and saving money whether it is ultimately for a vacation or for an unexpected emergency then you are doing something fantastic.

:ditto:

I'm also one of those people who need a light at the end of the tunnel to get motivated. Some people are 'do it because it needs to be done' people and others need a more tangible reward to motivate them. I fall into the latter category, as do many others.

As for 'bills popping up' unexpectedly, she wrote that they were related to her daughter's birth, not because she is some kind of spendthrift. When I had my son, he ran a fever and he spent 3 days in the NICU. The hospital was a participating hospital with my insurer, as was my doctor, the anesthesiologist, etc. Except the NICU doctors. When DS was admitted to the NICU, he was admitted as a new patient and therefore not covered under my maternity and post-partum care. And suprise! I owed $1,800 to the NICU doctors because they were out of network. Thank God he was only in for 3 days and not 3 weeks like my co-worker's daughter only two months before (no, I didn't know about his huge bill before I had my son). Was I really supposed to expect a bill like that before I delivered? No. Was on the hook for $1,800. Yes. So people, please be a little understanding as to how a bill can 'pop up' from having a baby. Some other bills from the birth showed up months later, but thankfully, they were from in-network doctors and didn't cost as much.

Remember, Brittany was able to negotiate her way to a low interest rate and a fixed payment plan. She is not behind on any of her bills. It's not like she is going to WDW now and putting all of the costs on a credit card. So I don't think that it's terrible if she sometimes puts away a few dollars here or there to help her save for a vacation that she will take a couple of years from now.

[DizNee143]

thank you to the last few posters.
that definitely lifted my spirits! :cloud9:

but i do understand everything everyone said..my first post probably made it sound that we are worse off than we really are..and im sure i could of worded things better in that first post..but again..its not like im not taking care of the debit and bills..its just the waiting game now..and if i have money leftover from the little bit i give myself each week i put it in my disney envelope..it keeps my spirits up knowing that there will hopefully/possibly be some good fun to look forward to..instead of just working to pay bills...

thanx again to everyone..

[DizneyRox]

... As for 'bills popping up' unexpectedly, she wrote that they were related to her daughter's birth, not because she is some kind of spendthrift. ...
Some would argue that having a baby when you're already in a financial pickle to begin with is somewhat irresponsible... There would be less surprises if that didn't happen, I think all would agree.

People ultimately are going to do whatever it is they want to do. The correct advice has already been given, it's up to those with the problem to either accept it or not.

[DizNee143]

Some would argue that having a baby when you're already in a financial pickle to begin with is somewhat irresponsible... There would be less surprises if that didn't happen, I think all would agree.

People ultimately are going to do whatever it is they want to do. The correct advice has already been given, it's up to those with the problem to either accept it or not.

some would agree with that..but if that was the case..we would of never had kids..might as well just close up shop before it was even open..lol..
its just hard right now..things will get better..and again..just gotta struggle and wait through the storm..

[Georgesgirl1]

Some would argue that having a baby when you're already in a financial pickle to begin with is somewhat irresponsible... There would be less surprises if that didn't happen, I think all would agree.

DH and I were not in a financial pickle when we got pregnant and then I got laid off days after we concieved. So while we weren't in a financial pickle when we got pregnant, things are pretty tight now and it is nothing that we can help. We do have a bit of savings and no credit card debt, but knowing that we will owe our $2500 deductible to my OB in a few months is pretty scary. I am sure some peeple think we were irresponsible to get pregnant while I was out of work, but that isn't what happened at all. Be careful to judge people unless you know the full story.

I don't know what Brittany's situation was before she got pregnant, but I think some people are being pretty harsh. Sure she has debt, but she seems to be trying to pay it off the best she can. She is not saying she is planning on defaulting on her bills or taking a government handout and then going on a Disney vacation. She is saying she is currently paying all of her bills on time and putting few dollars a week away for a vacation that is several years away.

[CanadianWDWFan]

This thread has run its course, there has been a lot of information passed back and forth. I am closing it now.