Need Pixie Dust And Advice

[disneyfan328]

Ok looks like I am now in the same boat as a lot of people. I found out today that I am getting laid off effective 4/30/09. :(I guess I knew it was coming but I was really hoping that I would make it to the end of this year. Anyway we have a trip planned for 4/24 - 5/2 to celebrate our wedding anniversary.:mickey: Right now we have the money to pay for the trip and spending money so I am leaning towards still going as a last hurrah before our belts have to tighten. My DH and I both work but I was the one with the bigger checks and the medical insurance. (thank goodness our kids medical is different so they are taken care of regardless.) My question is this - is it shelfish and stupid of me to still want to go on this trip when afterwards we will be faced with making some cut backs?? I mean I think we will still be ok but who knows how long it will be before I find another job, and I know that more than likely I won't start out making what I make now.

The kids don't know yet that we were going (thank goodness) we were going to surprise them with the trip for Easter.

Would you still go??? Or would you cancel and put that money towards the bills ect. that you will have later. help??? I have never been through this. This is the 2nd job I have had ever and I have no idea where to go from here or what to do about the trip.

Maybe its even to soon to try and make this decision so for those of you that have been through this - what did you do? Any advice to someone that's never lost a job before? I have been with this company for 16 years and its my 2nd job ever. I left the first job I had because this one offered me more money so that was my decision, not theirs.

any help, prayers or pixie dust is appreciated.

[TinkerbellT421]

I'm so sorry to hear that you will be laid. I am not going to be able to give advice for the fact that I have not been laid off, ever (thank god) so I really dont know what it is like and what you are or will go through. So I do not want to give advice, not knowing what it involves. I just had to post to you and send you prayers and pixie dust that you get a new and hopefully even better job than now. :pixie::pixie::pixie:

[sndral]

So sorry. With the economy the way that it is, it may be awhile before something comes along. You don't say how transferable your skills are. On the other hand, a 16 year committed employee is an asset and you may find something before this job ends, or circumstances may change at your company. Can you live on dh's salary alone, even very frugally, for the next year or so? Can you go without feeling guilty that you are spending money you shouldn't?
I lean towards vacationing if I can, life is short and in the end memories are what matter, not long ago discarded possessions.:magic:

[Daisy'sMom]

We just found out DH is being laid off 4/15! We are still planning our trip in Sept and would not miss it for the world. GO! Everyone deserves some happiness, especially in this terrible time.

[tink179]

Here's some pixie dust coming your way! :pixie: If you have the money already I say go for it! That kinda happened to us last year. My husband didn't get laid off, but his unlimited OT got cut which he had for years!! We always knew that it might get cut one day, but he had it for so long we didn't think about it. It dropped each one of his paychecks quite a chunk and he's the only one that works. I'm a stay at home mom. We we went anyway, because we didn't want to take the trip away from the kids. If you can manage it and you'll still be okay go for it and make it the best trip you've had if it will be your last one in awhile. :mickey:

[PirateLover]

I would sit down, really analyze the financial situation and how long you can sustain your family while you are unemployed with and without the WDW trip... honestly though, I am a pretty big believer in living life to it's fullest. Unless this trip is going to make you miss a house payment or something along those lines, I'd still go.

[hardingella]

DH went through tough time leading up to our vacation last february, he didnt get made redundant but things were VERY tough. We went ahead with our plans, but looking back now it did spoil the vacation a bit because it was constantly in the back of our minds, worrying about what would face us when we got home. Dont get me wrong we had a great time and dont regret going but i just wish that we didnt have finance worries hanging over us while we were away.
You cant see into the future, i would suggest follow your head not your heart. If you chose to go, enjoy every moment. If you choose to put it off for a while dont worry beacause Disney isnt going anywhere. Good luck.:mickey:

[SBETigg]

I'm sorry and I hope you find a new job soon. The reality is that jobs are currently hard to find with so many people losing jobs. I would have to think long and hard about taking a trip if I was going to be short a paycheck for an undeterminable amount of time.

It's not selfish or stupid to want to go. But it would be stupid to jeopardize anything that's vital to you and your family's comfort. If you know you're going to be able to stay afloat with no worries and maybe just some belt-tightening, then go and enjoy! I would also be tempted to go anyway, because the happy time and memories mean so much. But not more than being able to maintain your lifestyle without serious consequence. Best wishes.

[PetefromRI]

Being in construction my whole life,we've learned all about layoffs and collecting unemployment.I say go for it,lifes to short.I always say that next week I could be dead or a millionaire,who knows.When you get back from your trip you guys can sit down and tighten the old belts for awhile.You'll be O.K.Just as long as your not putting your home in jeapordy and there's food in the freezer.

[disneyfan328]

Thanks for all of the answers and advice. I guess I should have noted that I was in accounts receivable for a company that does work in the mortgage industry so I guess knowing how that was going I am not surprised. I have an associates degree in Travel and Hospitality management as well. I will get a severance package and will apply for UC when I can. No, we can't survive on just what my DH makes, but again I will have some money from the severance and UC should kick in within a couple of weeks. I want to work and will be actively looking so its just a matter of deciding if we should still go.

My thoughts are that if we don't do it now (we got a great deal with a pin code and Denise at MJ) that we may not get back for several years depending on how the job search goes. Our two youngest are 7 & 9 and I really regret not getting our oldest back to Disney before she was all grown up (she went once at age 7) and we didn't go back until she was 18. I have a feeling if we cancel the trip I am going to regret it and blame myself that we couldn't go (even though in reality I know it wasn't my fault as my whole department was let go.) I just know that some people will think I am nuts to do it knowing that when we get home I will be unemployed.

[Frog]

Could you re-book the tirp for mid summer say or early aug (free dining possibly?) and use the time in between to go out and get that next great opportunity? Just food for thought, so to speak. Good luck as you go forward!!

[disneyfan328]

Going in the summer won't work for us as both my son and I have severe Asthma and the humidity and crowds would kill us. Also if we waited until Summer we would lose the deal that we got and its pretty good. I think we would pay about the same as what we are paying now for FD. Also assuming that I find something else I wouldn't get vacation time right away I am sure so starting a job and asking for a week off right away is probably not a good idea. I think we will be ok and to be honest I think that I will regret it even more if we don't go but who knows. I am off tomorrow so I am going to sit down and try to figure some things out. Thanks again!

[momofdisneyprincess]

I, too, got laid off back in October. I worked for a hospital. I think just about all industries are affected by this economy. Luckily, I was able to find another job, although further from home, within 3 months. You're lucky that they gave you notice. I had none. I would say to start looking now. Maybe you will even had a job lined up before you actually get laid off. In any case, as a PP said, as long as your children are fed and you can pay the mortgage go and have a great time. Life is too short and you will need the vacation to relieve some of the stress. 7 and 9 are such great ages to go.:thumbsup:

[Tick-Tock]

Usually I am very much a "do stuff now while you can" kind of person, and I completely understand the rationales of previous posts. That said, in this economy, the job market is tough and getting tougher. There are lots of stories about people looking for work for more than 6, 8, or 10 months. If my family could not live for a year off of one income, savings, and whatever might come in without a new job (severance, unemployment, selling stuff on eBay, whatever), then honestly, much as I hated to do it, I think I would postpone the trip and save the $$, just in case. You also have to factor in -- how secure is your husband's job?

Sadly, it's scary right now. Much as I love to travel (and I agree your kids' ages are perfect), when you said that you couldn't live off of one income, to me, that was a big red flag.

[princessesmom]

I think it depends on your financial situation. If you feel confident that you can get by for at least a year without working, then I would say go ahead. If not I would be hesitant to go. Neither my job (finance) nor my husbands (IT) are very secure right now and our income is going to be significantly less this year than it has for many, many years. We were on the fence about whether to go through with our trip in a couple of weeks. Late last year I decided if we both still had our jobs we would go ahead. We do and we are going. Howevever, I know we could get by for at least a year and probably a couple if we had to with only one of us working.

This is a very tough economy and it doesn't look like it is going to improve in the near-term. I would take a serious look at your finances and then decide what to do.

Whatever you decide, I wish you luck in finding a new job!

[BrerGnat]

Well, removing all the emotional aspect of this whole situation, consider the following:

-A vacation is a WANT, not a need.

-Your family's NEEDS have to come first: food, shelter, clothing.

-Can you sustain your family's NEEDS for 8-12 months RIGHT NOW, with the money you currently have? With the money that will be incoming in the next 8-12 months? What if your DH gets laid off?

I am sorry, but if it were me, I'd cancel the trip and put the money in savings. Luckily, your kids don't yet know about it. They are still young. I assure you, you WILL get back to WDW before your kids go away to college. ;) My favorite memories from our family's trips to WDW were from the times we went and I was between 11-15 years old. I don't remember much from trips prior to those...

As "good a deal" as this trip is, there have been deals like this in the past, and there will continue to be deals in the future, especially with our economy the way it is.

There is no reason to splurge when, as you said, you CANNOT support your family on one income. At some point, your severence package will run out. Unemployment checks are VERY small. And, there are millions of people in the same boat as you, and more people getting laid off every day. The job market is brutal. You may not find another job anytime soon (worst possible scenario).

This is not the time to be taking a vacation unless you have a SIGNIFICANT amount of money stashed away in a savings account (like, a year's worth of income...).

[nickv1025]

So, what you really should do is sit down with your DH and discuss what you can cut back on during the trip. While you may have to cut out some of your favorite activites, you will know that you will save some money for when you may need it for food to put on the table for the kids!

I say go on the trip but plan to spend one-half to two-thirds of what you were planning to spend.

As BrerGnat said, a vacation is not necessary. Food is necessary.

But if you know your budget, and you think you have the money, then I say sit down and discuss what vacation cuts you can make.

:mickey:

[DDuck66]

I believe that you need to look at the decision in a very factual manner. How much savings do you have available not including the cost of the vacation?? How long will that last. If you add the vacation money, how much extra time will that last you??
When this craziness started lat year, we immediatly went and put back 3 months of living expenses. We decided to go to the beach at a less expensive location, and continue to add to the emergency fund. I hope that by May, I will have about a 6 month reserve, and the way things are going, that may not be enough. It really depends on your individual finances. Good luck with the job hunt and let us know what you decide. Pixie dust and prayers go your way!!:pixie:

[pugslave]

My DH was laid off in late June, and is yet to find a new job. He has 15+ years experience with a high level company, a BA degree in communications, many great recommendations, etc... He has applied for over 500 jobs, with a few interviews, but no offers. I work, but don't make enough to pay the bills. We had to cancel our trip for December 2008, and it was a VERY hard decision. We rescheduled for May, and that is looking like a no-go also. I feel your pain, and I so very much want to hop on a plane and forget about life for a while, but I can't... I wanted to let you know that your not alone in this situation, and I wish you the best of luck in your job search.

[disneyfan328]

ok, wow - thanks for all of the advice I do appreciate it, and please know that I wouldn't risk not paying my rent or feeding my kids to go to Disney :mickey:! Up until I read the newest posts I think I was about set on still going. We had planned this trip knowing that there was a possiblity that I would be laid off and knowing that to be the case figured we had better go now as we don't know what the future will hold. I guess we will have to sit down and really look at everything. I have put some feelers and networking out there so I am hopeful that I will find something. Thanks for all of the well wishes.

[Insanity Clause]

Here is my opinion on this...take it how you want. I would take the trip as long as it won't create a huge hardship for you. It will probably be last real vacation you might be able to take till things pick up so I say have fun with your family, create some new memories and then once things get better and they will get better...then go back and create some more. My husband and I really can't afford this trip we are taking 4/20-27 our refund is what is taking care of most of it and we live on one income with 5 kids. It is hard but not undoable. Just depends on what is important.

[AmandaChan]

e. My husband and I really can't afford this trip we are taking 4/20-27 our refund is what is taking care of most of it and we live on one income with 5 kids. It is hard but not undoable. Just depends on what is important.


Same here, except minus the kids part. Refund check is pretty much taking the bill for the trip. We're only making it on my income and I hope to GOD I don't get affected by all of this (I'm a nurse, and I work at a busy busy hospital, so maybe it won't). All I know is this may be the very last trip we have together at all before we try for kids and what not. Not only that but I've had a rough year and I NEED a vacation, it's the only thing I have looking forward to this year.

Good luck with your decision, but you DO only live once and if this trip doesn't mean you'll go bankrupt and not be able to feed your kids or make your house payment, I say go for it!

[TammiMcMan]

We obviously all have an opinion on what we think we'd do in your situation, but this one is really up to you. It's scary out there right now and you need to review your financial situation before making a final decision. The job market is not promising right now and in all honesty, you should be sure that you have enough in savings/liquid assests to get through 6-9 months of unemployment. If your vacation money is above and beyond that, then you could probably go and not have that weight on your shoulders. On the other hand, if taking the money out cuts into that 6-9 month cushion, I would hold off. If you're one of the lucky ones and can find a job within the next couple of months, then you can always negotiate for some vacation time.

Unfortunately, none of us can see into the future and while I believe in the sayings that life is to short and you only live once.... that does not protect us against an unforseen medical issue, leaking roof, car engine trouble, etc. I think the key word for the current state of economy is caution.