One of the truly wonderful things about owning a timeshare, is that YES, you can take a vacation and spend very little money—that is, if you spend that money wisely. If you bought your timeshare from the developer, that is probably one of the selling points that the salesperson used to try to convince you—and he or she was correct. Now, of course, buying the timeshare from the developer didn’t really save you anything, because you could have purchased the timeshare much more cheaply on the resale market. But hopefully, you know that now, and will not fall prey to that a second time.
So regardless of whether you bought from the developer or bought resale, we are starting here with a clean slate. For our purposes, this post will deal with what happens AFTER you acquire the timeshare. And yes, you can operate on a shoestring budget if you follow these guidelines:
1. NEVER FLY IF YOU CAN DRIVE.
This one is tough, because so often those airfare sales look so appealing. However, we have invariably found that cost-wise, a driving trip beats a flying trip every time. Along with the cost of airfare, you must also figure in the cost of a rental car—and the longer the vacation, the higher the price of that car.
Also, you need to figure in the cost of parking your car at the airport or rental lot—again, the longer, the pricier. And, don’t forget to calculate the miles and cost of driving to and from the airport. If we leave from Kalamazoo, where we live, it’s no big deal. But sometimes, to get better rates, we fly out of Chicago or South Bend. You also cannot take as much “stuff” with you—i.e. food and prep materials. Some airlines even charge $40 per bag, or $80 round trip. This can add up pretty quickly.
Granted, if you drive, and you are traveling a long distance, you also have to figure in motels for overnight stays. You should also add in wear and tear on your vehicle, toll costs, and gas. Costs for meals are probably a wash—either way, it’s expensive to eat on the road or on the plane.
The statement, “never fly if you can drive,” is a debatable one. If you hate driving, and it truly would spoil your vacation to spend 4 days in a car on the highway, then don’t do it. Some people have medical conditions that would prevent them from driving on long trips. Or, maybe you only get a week’s vacation—then, you surely don’t want to spend half of it in the car. If you’re headed for Hawaii, you can’t drive. Maybe you have 3 young children who would just not tolerate 16 hours in the car. (Not to mention their parents!) What you ultimately need to decide is what’s best for you. If this particular cost-cutting measure creates more stress than it’s worth, then don’t do it.
If you want to do a quick, ball-park comparison, click on this Fly-or-Drive Calculator. I was amazingly surprised when I charted a trip from Kalamazoo, Mi. to Orlando, Fl. I knew that driving would be cheaper, but no way did I think that flying would cost 6 times more!
2. PLAN TO COOK IN YOUR TIMESHARE KITCHEN INSTEAD OF EATING OUT FOR EVERY MEAL.
This is a pretty common theme inherent in many of our posts, so if you’re a regular reader of our site, you’re probably tired of hearing about it. But it just really makes so much sense! If you eat in restaurants 3 times a day, times the number of people in your party, you’re going to spend mega-dollars on your vacation. For that matter, who wants to be running to restaurants 3 times a day when they are so many other things to do on vacation????? And you have a bonus amenity right at your fingertips—your own timeshare kitchen.
Actually, for a good part of the time, you don’t really even have to “cook.” If you’re like us, breakfast is usually super simple and consists of stuff that you have to unwrap, pour, slice, toast, nuke and/or stir. I’m speaking of things like muffins, yogurt, fruit, bagels, cereal, even scrambled eggs cooked in the microwave. It’s probably a good idea to have whatever you usually have at home, and keep it simple.
Lunch is probably even easier. Deli meat + bread = sandwich. Or, you can p, b and j it. Add potato chips or fruit for a side. If you want something healthier, buy a bag of salad greens and add dressing. The problem with lunch is, you may already be out sightseeing or at the beach, and when you get hungry, you may settle for fast-food or even pricier fare. So, its good to plan ahead for lunch, and maybe take along some nutritious snacks or even pack your lunch, if it’s practical.
So that leaves the big meal, the really expensive one—dinner. If you’ve eaten in for breakfasts and lunches, why not treat yourself to dinner out? But, if you’re on a shoestring budget, you may not want to do this every night. Even take-out becomes expensive. So our solution is to click on some of our Timeshare Cooking recipes, and head to the store for the few ingredients you will need to create simple meals that taste good. Trust me, the worst part is cleaning up afterward, which you can certainly delegate, since you did the “cooking.”
If you really hate spending time in the kitchen, we suggest reading Timeshare Cooking Cheaters—ideas for meals that are a bit pricier, but still cheaper than going out. Often you can throw things together before you head out for the day, or when everyone is relaxing in the evening. We probably average 2 meals “at home,” in the timeshare, for every 7 days on vacation, but experiment with what works for your guests or gang and you WILL save money! See some of the amazing comparisons in this post: Part 3: The Top Ten Timeshare Mistakes. (Look at #8)
3. MAKE GOOD USE OF THE RESORT AMENITIES, BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE ACTIVITIES.
This statement seems a bit contradictory, but you will soon see that we are talking about two different things. When we refer to “amenities,” we are talking about physical offerings of the resort, such as basketball courts, pools, hot tubs, pool tables, shuffleboard courts, etc. The term “activities,” refers to events organized by the resort staff that may include additional costs. Let’s look at this more closely.
Most resorts offer free use of their amenities. You paid a fee to buy your timeshare, and you also pay maintenance fees for the upkeep on these amenities, so they are not really “free,” but they go along with the territory. It is very rare to be charged a fee for using amenities, unless it is something very unique.
For example, Massanutten Resort in Virginia has a waterpark on the property, which requires a separate admission charge for guests. Occasionally, there may be something like a bike or watercraft rental. However, there are also resorts that provide some of these amenities free to their guests: specifically, Wyndham Resorts at Glacier Canyon and Wyndham Resorts Great Smokies Lodge both have waterparks that are free to guests.
So, usually, the amenities come with no extra charge, so why not make use of them? As mentioned in a previous post, when we stayed at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, our grandkids had so much fun there that they hardly missed the parks—we only went 2 days out of 7. If you have a medium-to-large family or group, and you want to save money, this is the route to go.
Most timeshare resorts have a full-time Activities Staff that offer many opportunities for having fun. Often, there are many free things to do like ping pong tournaments, swim parties, toddler games, karaoke, welcome parties, WII tournaments, etc. They may also offer some activities that have a nominal cost, such as ice cream sundae parties, wine & cheese gatherings, bingo, crafts, etc. Usually most families can afford these activities, although I would rather buy a half gallon of ice cream for the condo and make my own sundaes!
Medium-priced activities might include some form of local entertainment and/or a meal at a fairly reasonable price. Some of the Wyndhams in Branson, Nashville, and the Gatlinburg area offer these kinds of events, and they are usually very well done. The costs can add up, but are usually under $10 a person. That seems like a lot, but compared to a professional theater show and restaurant dinner, it’s an economical alternative.
The greater expense lies in the “tours” that are often listed in the activity brochure. This is where things can get pricey, because usually transportation is provided on a per person basis. Even a small amount like $10 adds up when you apply it to a family of 5. You can almost always do these tours by yourselves if you have a map and a car, thus saving quite a bit.
That doesn’t mean you would never want to do a tour. It depends on where you are, and what all there is to see. If you’ve never been to the area before, it actually might be a good idea, so you can get the lay of the land. But at times, we’ve been to an orientation and felt pressured to do a tour because it was implied that we just couldn’t see it all on our own, we wouldn’t know where to go, the guides know all the special, secret places, etc. We went by ourselves, anyway, and had a great time exploring. And, if you miss some things—well, you can always go back!
So, these are the 3 biggies to keep in mind when attempting to enjoy your timeshare on a shoestring budget. Obviously, there are other things that you can do also, like trying to limit your use of RCI, and thus save the exchange fees. You can invite more guests to share expenses. You can try to stay away from weekends when you book your trip, thus using fewer points. You can rejoice in the fact that timeshares are so much more economical than staying in hotels. The list goes on and on, but the really neat thing is that there are all kinds of ways to cut corners when you own a timeshare, and yet you still have a wonderful, home-like place to stay, with lots of fun activities and amenities to enjoy!
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