Ever since Time began, people have been trying to sell things to other people.  Initially, these encounters were very informal, and sometimes did not even involve the spoken word.

Fast forward to modern times, where people are actually put through training, and sometimes have college degrees in marketing to help them sell their products.  And, as in any job or field, there are those who are very good at what they do, and those who—-AREN’T.

A case in point:  when we were first married, a guy selling vacuum cleaners came to our door.  We immediately told him that we would not buy his machine, because we had just purchased a vacuum cleaner a few weeks before.  He then proceeded to tell us that his company would still pay him his salary if he did a 45-minute presentation, even if we didn’t buy.

He seemed like a nice enough guy, and we weren’t in a hurry to do anything else, so we told him to go ahead.  For the next 45 minutes, he threw dirt, salt, and heaven-knows-what-else on our carpet.  He outlined in great detail the wonders of an Electrolux, and attempted to convince us that we should return our other vacuum and buy his product.  When all was said and done, and he had cleaned up the mess, he waited for our answer.  We said “no—we told you at the beginning that we weren’t buying.”

Instead of picking up his stuff, thanking us and leaving, he proceeded to act like somewhat of a spoiled brat.  “Well, why won’t you buy my vacuum cleaner?”, and “I spent all this time with you, why won’t you buy?” were just a few of the annoying and embarrassing comments that he directed to us.  Maybe he had a wounded ego, but we were frustrated because we had been honest with him from the beginning about our intentions.  When we finally got rid of him we decided no more “playing Mr. Nice Guy” with salesmen.

In spite of the fact that timeshare sales people have kind of a poor reputation, the real truth is that there are good ones and there are not-so-good ones.  We have encountered many of both in our travels, although probably more of the not-so-good ones.  We have heard horror stories from people who have been victims of arm-twisting, manipulation and lies.  Not that this is an excuse, but to some extent the whole timeshare culture may be partially to blame.

In an attempt to explain this last statement, look at these issues:

• When purchased from the developer, timeshares are very expensive.
• People are brought into a timeshare presentation (“hooked”) and promised money and/or gifts worth anywhere from $25-$200 for 90 minutes of their time—NO OBLIGATION TO BUY
• Most people who do a timeshare presentation have no intention of buying.
• Most people who do a timeshare presentation do it only for the free gifts.
• Many people who buy a timeshare have no idea how to use it; thus, word spreads, making timeshares even less desirable.
• Many people do not understand that maintenance fees are forever—another reason not to buy a timeshare.

With these kinds of negative attitudes inherent in the timehare culture, it’s not surprising that some salespeople would resort to less-than-ethical tactics when they try to sell their product.  Add to that the fact that most of them work on a commission basis, which thus puts more pressure on them to achieve more sales.  It seems that unless this culture can change, then timeshare salespeople are generally doomed to bad reputations.

So, in this negative timeshare culture, is it even possible to run into good timeshare salespeople?  Of course it is, and here are some of their characteristics:

• They are friendly, courteous, and respectful, always.
• They ask questions, and they LISTEN to your answers.
• They present information in a forthright and direct manner.
• They answer questions to the best of their abilities, seeking other help if they don’t know the answers.
• They assess your needs and wants, and personalize the presentation.
• If you decline to buy, they remain courteous, friendly and respectful.
• If further communication is necessary, they follow through.

We know of 2 outstanding salespeople in the field.  One is Fred Weber, who works as a realtor in the Traverse City, Michigan area.  One of his duties includes selling resales for Pinestead Reef Resort, which has been sold out for a number of years.  His “presentation” consists of speaking at a Welcome coffee for about 5 minutes and handing out a list of available properties.  He knows many of the owners by name, keeps everyone informed of good bargains, and is extremely easy to work with.  He knows the area and is always quick to respond and follow through.  We have purchased 2 or 3 properties from Fred, and never had a problem.

The other salesperson is Trish Panzarella, who worked at Treetops Resort in Gatlinburg,TN.  (I believe she has moved on to other things–namely, raising and working with show dogs.)  Trish ran a very efficient resale office at the resort using no hard-sell tactics.  They later sold RCI Points as part of the Berkeley Group.  Trish ran some excellent seminars (not connected to sales)  for Treetops guests to help them maximize their points.  We purchased from her, also, and we were always treated with courtesy and respect.  Hopefully she and her husband have retired to a beach in Florida and are enjoying their canine friends.

In summary, I guess we can say that not all timeshare salespeople are bad:  some are awful, some are mediocre, and a few are really good.  What’s important for you is to realize which kind is sitting across the table from you within the first 15 minutes of your presentation.  Then you can strategize how you want to have YOUR needs and wants met—not his or hers.  If buying is what you want, fine; if not buying is what you want—fine— if information is all you want—fine–but YOU will be in control!

The Diamond Resorts International is a timeshare company based out of Las Vegas, Nevada and they either own or manage more than 200 resorts.  They are located in 25 countries, and own some 70 resorts and 130 affiliated resorts. For a complete list of Diamond resorts you can go to their website.  They have over 400,000 owners, making them one of the biggest timeshare companies– and they are continuing to grow.

We had the pleasure of staying at one of their resorts recently, that being Sedona Summit in Sedona, Arizona– if you are interested, view our post about that resort.  We took time to attend a sales presentation given by Diamond Resorts International and thought we would share some information about the Diamond system in this post.

We also bought a discovery package of some 10,000 Diamond points to use in the next 18 months.  These points will give us a chance to stay at a couple  more Diamond resorts and, more importantly, allow us to book a Maui Diamond resort for our up-and-coming trip to Hawaii.  We have found it very hard to get to Maui with our current timeshare ownerships.  We also plan on using some of those points to stay at a Diamond resort in Avila Beach, California on another future trip.

Diamond Resorts International bought out the Sunterra Corporation, a timeshare company which has had many financial difficulties over the years.  They have since been buying other struggling timeshare companies and bringing those resorts along with their owners under their wing.  These owners have the option of keeping their deeded weeks, or coming over to “The Club” of Diamond Resorts International. 

It might be helpful to look at the differences between ownership in a Trust/Club or the typical deeded week of a timeshare resort or timeshare company.  If you own a deeded week, you have a given week at a resort and typically own a given unit number.  This affords you ability to go to that resort at that time or to trade your week.  A number of resorts or companies have assigned your deed so many points and, again, you can vacation during your week or use your points to trade into their system or into other timeshare trading companies.

Once the resort is sold out, then the Homeowners Association has that responsibility for running and maintaining the resort.  You have a chance to become involved in the resort by running for the board or in voting for board members.  Also, based on the bylaws, you sometimes have to vote on other issues concerning the resort.  One should consider this a real estate purchase with responsibility.  Some resorts or companies are well-managed and keep maintenance fees low.  Others have struggled with high maintenance fees and poor management.

The other approach is the Club/Trust arrangement where the resort is deeded to the developer or to a non-profit Trust that the developer has created. In this case, decisions about fees, upkeep and amenities are made by the developer. Since owners are not real estate owners, the fees are calculated as a part of the upkeep and running of the resort.  This keeps the resort operation in the hands of the developer.  They tend to keep costs under control and maintain nice resorts with good amenities to attract new owners into the Club/Trust. But in the real world, reviews have been mixed: some owners are happy to have less responsibility in the running of the resort, and others are upset about excessive maintenance fees.

Clearly Diamond Resorts International is of the Club/Trust variety and any new purchases in the resort are tied to the Club.  Older owners have the choice to keep their deeds, add new points in the Club, or convert their deeds for a cost into the Club. You do not acquire the Club status if you buy a resale.

If you wish to trade into other Diamond Resorts, you must be in the Club, and the only way to be in the Club is to buy from the developer.  They also say that you can only buy from the developer at the time of your Diamond timeshare presentation. This is their way of locking out re-sale purchases.   This also prevents people from attending Diamond sales presentations over and over again and getting more freebies.  You can buy a “Discovery Package”  (like we did), in which they give you 10,000 points to use within 18 months.  They also lock in the price for that time period.

If you end up buying, you get points in the trust and you can use those points like cash to stay at Diamond resorts or to trade them for other vacations. They are tied into the Interval International timeshare trading company and have made the trading into II much easier by dealing directly with Diamond folks.

Like any timeshare system, they have a number of ideas that you would need to understand if you bought into their system, such as reservation times based on home resorts ownership, discounts in points with last minute reservations, ability to rent rather than use points 21 days out, and usage of points for cruises, rental cars, etc. 

Diamond Resorts International seems like a good system with a number of excellent resorts. They have figured out some of the resale problems, at least from the developer’s standpoint.  But think carefully before buying, and do your research. We have written a number of posts about buying timeshares and suggest you read some of them.  Also the Timeshare User Group (TUG), on their timeshare community forums, has some information about the Diamond system that would be good reading before you buy. We will keep you posted as we stay in two more Diamond Resorts.  If you are an owner,  let us know what you think of the Diamond system.

Who doesn’t love the magic of Disney and Mickey Mouse?  The Disney Vacation Club is the timeshare division of the Disney Corporation. It is comprised of some 11 timeshares, 7 of which are in Orlando, Florida in the Disney World complex.  There is one at Disney Land in California, one in Hilton Head, South Carolina and one in Vero Beach, Florida. A new resort, Aulani, just opened up in Hawaii.

In the timeshare world, Disney is often at the head of the list for the best timeshares.  They are top notch.  We have stayed at two and they were outstanding. We have visited or toured at least five others and found all to be top of the line. Their activities and amenities are hard to beat–they are “Disney” all the way. We have written posts on our visits to both the Animal Kingdom Resort and Old Key West, and if you are interested you can read those.

We own 165 points in the system and have found it to be easy to use.  We bought our points resale and thought we would discuss the mechanics of buying resale in the Disney Vacation Club.

The Disney Vacation Club sells you the Right to Use (RTU) contract, not a lifetime deed like most timeshare companies do.  This means you have a certain number of years to use your points every year, and at the end of that time, they get the contract and points back. The first resort sold was Old Key West, which ends in the year 2042.  The current resorts they are selling will end in 2060. The other resorts fall on the same dates or between those two. Regardless of whether you buy from the developer or resale, you get the same RTU year for that resort.

DVC is connected with the RCI trading company, and it is a points-based system. We have found that most people who buy Disney points use them, and if you see any on RCI online, they are usually snatched up very quickly. It takes more points during peak vacation times and for larger units. The newer resorts often require more points than the older resorts.

A major issue when buying resale is that Disney is one of the few timeshare companies that has a right of first refusal in all their contracts.  That means with any offer to buy a Disney Vacation Club timeshare, that contract must first go to the Disney Corporation. If they think the amount is too low, they will buy the contract and pay the seller the amount of the offer. You cannot adjust the price once it goes to Disney.  The potential buyer gets nothing, but loses no money.  Disney can then take those points and sell them through the normal developer channels.  This, of course, keeps the value of the Disney timeshare high.  This is good for the owners, because if and when they want to sell, they can get a higher price as compared to other timeshares on the resale market.

Another issue is that in March of this year, the Disney Vacation Club put some restrictions on resale purchases. Folks who purchased resale before March were grandfathered in under the present system.  We don’t think it is a major problem, but it might impact some people, so you need to be aware of the policy.  It states that people who purchase their ownership from any one other than directly from the Disney Vacation Club, will not be able to use those points for reservations or stays through the Incidental Benefits. This includes the Adventurer Collection, Concierge Collection and the Disney Collection.

The Disney Collection allows you to stay at any Walt Disney World Resort hotel as well as sail on the Disney Cruise line.  The Adventurer Collection gives members the opportunity to take guided Disney group vacation tours all over the world.  The Concierge Collection offers the ability to reserve at select resorts and hotels that are known for their elegant design and fantastic surroundings.  So, if you are interested in these options, you need to buy directly from Disney and pay the big bucks.

The maintenance fees for the Disney Vacation Club run from $6.78 per point down to $3.90 per point, varying with each resort. The number of points needed for a full week in a one bedroom runs from around 150 up to 300 points based on the time of the year and the resort. When booking a vacation, we often cut off a couple of weekend days and save a lot of points–you do not have to book a full week. They take more points for Friday and Saturday stays. You also have the option of banking your current year’s points ahead a year. You can also draw points a year ahead. Doing this, you could use three years of points for a big trip in a given year.

We don’t think it is a good idea to buy Disney if you want to just trade your points into RCI.  You buy Disney to go to Disney. Trading into RCI takes from 124 to 160 Disney points for a one bedroom for a full week.  The points needed vary with the season you wish to trade into. Again, trading into RCI you can often do less than a full week. But the bottom line is, we think, if you are going to buy Disney Vacation Club points, you should use them to stay in a Disney Resort.

One of the major players in the resale market for Disney is “The Timeshare Store”. It is the one we used and we were very happy with all our dealings with them.  Another major one is DVC by Resale.  You can also do a search in Google for Disney Vacation Club resale and come up with others.

Some of the folks that sell resales also rent out Disney points, so you can try a few days at a Disney Resort to see how you like it.  They usually rent for around $12.00 per point. You would need to figure out how many points you  need, based on the resort, time of year, size of unit and number of days you would like to vacation.  We traded into the Animal Kingdom Resort through RCI to try out the Disney system before buying.  We also did a tour to see other units and get current pricing and incentives from the developer.

If you shop carefully with the resale folks, you can often save from $5.00 to $25.00 per point off the developer prices.  Buying directly from the Disney Vacation Club will sometimes net you some special offers, such as extra points for the year with no maintenance fees, but do the math using the same number of points at the same resort–buying resale always wins.

In addition to the cost of the timeshare, there will be a closing fee. It is usually based on the number of points, running from $400.00 to $500.00. Most of the resale companies charge a fee for each point you buy, thus more points purchased gives you a larger closing fee.

If you are interested in the top-of-the-line timeshare resorts in the Disney Vacation Club, be sure to read this post carefully and do your homework. There is no question that you are ahead financially if you buy resale.  We did, and our family has enjoyed our Disney vacations and we look forward to many more in the years ahead.

It was reported by CBS news this month that timeshare fraud is at the top of the list of complaints by consumers.  In Florida, complaints were up to 12,000 for the year– the highest ever.  They also indicated that timeshare scams are one of the top areas of trouble, running 3 to 1 over all other types of complaints.

The timeshare industry has a bad reputation among the general population.  There are a lot of negative attitudes about timeshares and the methods that are used in both buying and selling.  There are a lot of scams that you need to be aware of.  Some of them are truly illegal transactions; others are legal but would be considered shady business practices.  We also find a lot of lies or half truths used by timeshare sales people to pressure people into buying a timeshare.  We would like to take a look at several of these in the hopes of making you aware of some of the things going on in the industry, so you will not fall victim to any of them.

Let’s start with some of the resale scams.  What usually happens is you get a call or letter from some company willing to sell or rent your timeshare for you.  They are asking somewhere around $400.00 to $1000.00 upfront for their services.  You give them your credit card number, and that’s the last you hear from them.  You are out your money and still have your timeshare with its yearly maintenance fee.

CBS reported that one individual ran up $4000.00 in credit card charges and received nothing. After paying out the money, he attempted to contact the businesses and got nowhere.  When CBS tried to contact the companies he used, they just got endless run-arounds, full voicemail boxes and no response from any of them. He was unable to recoup any of his $4000.00.

These scam artists rent an empty office somewhere, bring in a lot of temp help with all kinds of phone lines, and start calling people. They take the money and run. Some of them take your deed saying that you are off the hook, but do nothing– and you are out your money and still have the responsibility of ownership.  The bottom line is never pay any upfront fees to rent or sell your timeshare.

Another approach that has been used is for a company to buy a number of lots for around $2000.00 each in a small development in a state that is popular for retirement.  They then call you up, and offer to give you $10,000.00 (or a figure around that amount) for your timeshare if you will buy a nice lot for your retirement home for $30,000. You agree and later find out that you have purchased a pretty worthless piece of property (worth $2000) and are out your timeshare and $20,000.00. A number of companies have made millions of dollars with this approach.

We have written a couple of posts about how to sell a timeshare. If that is your need or interest, you should take a look at them. If you have been taken in by any of these tactics, you should contact the Federal Trade Commission or the Better Business Bureau.  You should also contact your state Better Business Bureau or similar organization with your complaint.  Keep close track of people’s names, with dates and times of any contacts.

We also suggest that you be very careful when talking to timeshare sales people.  We have written a couple of posts about taking a timeshare tour; they might be helpful for you to read to give you a better understanding of that process.

We have worked with and talked to some honest sales people, but keep in mind they are all trying to sell you a timeshare.  Unfortunately, some do lie, twist the truth or are unrealistic in what you can do with what you are buying.  They tell you that you can trade your week for a two bedroom in Hawaii.  After buying, you try to work out a trade and can get almost nothing when they told you it would be a snap.

They often dwell only on the positive and do not give you a true picture or understanding of what you are buying.  Many tell you it is a real estate purchase, and it will only go up in value.  In reality, the value goes down about 75 to 80 percent or more when you walk out the door. They frequently set you up with a high interest loan to pay for your timeshare; again this greatly increases your overall costs over the years.  Most often they gloss over the yearly maintenance fees you have to pay and the amount of those fees.

If you do buy from the developer, be sure to get everything in writing before you sign anything.  Also, if you later decide that you have made a mistake with your purchase, you have a certain amount of time (depending on the state in which the timeshare is located) to rescind the whole thing.  Usually it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of a week.  However, we recommend that you buy resale, and not from the developer. Again we have written a couple of posts about buying timeshares, and if you are interested be sure to check these out.

We love to timeshare, and hope you do as well.  You might buy one and get hooked by the bug and have years of wonderful vacations like we have.  You need to be careful, and continue to read this site as well as a number of the sites on our recommended lists.  Knowledge is power, and the more you know, the less likely that you will get taken in by one of these scams.  Be on guard!

This is a last post in the series of the top ten mistakes people in the timeshare world make.  It’s been fun to write about these mistakes and to listen to others who feel the same way we do.  We hope you read these and can avoid some or all of these as you enjoy your timeshare vacations.  If you have not read the first three be sure to click here: #1-#3, #4-#6, and #7 & #8. Now, lets get into # 9 and # 10.

#9. Neglecting to Research the Area in Which You are Vacationing.

Picture a family of four going to Disney World for the first time.  They have done no planning and arrive mid-morning to enjoy the park.  The kids already want a snack and drinks, and are running around yelling about all the Disney glitz they see.  Dad is trying to find a map and plan a route for the day.  Mom is looking at the schedule of shows and doesn’t have a clue what they are about, or which snack bar will satisfy the kids.

Contrast this with the family that has read several books about planning this trip, weeks ahead of time. They arrive before the park even opens and head to the area that they know is most popular, and will have long lines later in the day. They have a schedule of what they want to do for the entire day at the park, and a plan for which rides and attractions to see first.  They already know, from their reading, where they want to eat lunch and how much it’s going to cost.  They have snacked before coming into the park, or maybe eaten a large breakfast, and, with their plan in place, are ready to go.

Which of these 2 families is going to see and do more at Disney World on any given day?  Of course, the answer is the second family, the one that researched ahead of time and made a plan.

Time and again we see how much more you can get out of a vacation if you plan ahead. You also will not come home and find out later that you have missed some great things to see or do on your vacation. We often see families at the beginning of their trip who are unsure about what there is to do or see and are adrift in organizing their vacation.

Don’t fall into the trap of doing no research or pre-planning for your timeshare travels.  We find it is great fun to plan and makes for great trips.  Here are some of our suggestions:

1. Head over to your local library or book store and find some books about the area.
2. Search the Internet for activities in the area, things to do and places to go.   Check out the Tourist Bureau web sites for the towns you will be visiting.
3. Talk to friends and co-workers who may have gone to the area, and pick their brains for ideas.
4. Check with other folks at the resort and ask questions about places they have seen, restaurants they have eaten at, things they have done, etc
5. Attend the usual welcome breakfast that most resorts have for guests.  If they do not have, one talk to the folks at the front desk.
6. Try to get your hands on the AAA tour books for the states that you will be visiting.  They have a wealth of information to assist you in planning your trip.
7. Go to the TUG website and read reviews of the resorts in the area you are staying.  (We will also talk about these reviews in the next mistake)  A lot of the reviews will also cover the area, in addition to the resort itself.  Reviewers talk about places they have eaten, things they liked in the area, etc.
8. When you get to the area, stop by the Chamber of Commerce to talk to them as well as pick up information and coupons.
9. Buy a local newspaper the first day or two and look for activities in the area as well as local coupons.

We also read an interesting article about being happy in which they ask the question: Research, shows that vacation-goers feel happiest (a) A month before they take off for their destination, (b) In the middle of the vacation, or (c) Right after they get back?

The correct answer is (a) a month before.  Researchers found that planning a vacation can improve your mood for up to two months before the trip. Personally, we experience a lot of happiness in anticipation of our vacations.

So, Plan, Plan, Plan and enjoy your trip.

#10.  Not Reading Reviews of the Resort You Are Thinking of, or Have Traded Into.

If you have been involved with timeshares for any length of time, you probably have a horror story about at least one that did not meet up to your expectations.  Of course, we all have DIFFERING expectations, which makes it sometimes difficult to read a review and take it seriously.

This is our 5-Star resort that we traded into???!!!
photo credit: Franco Folini

For example, I once read a review about a resort in the South that had a few dead bugs on the floor. The writer was extremely upset about this, complained to the management, bought bug spray, etc.  Now, assuming that it really WAS just a few bugs, it was in the South, and it was summertime, “ a few dead ones”  does not seem unreasonable to me.  This has happened in my house, I hate to say, which is why my husband sprays stuff to kill them.

But this person ranked the resort quite low because of this. I don’t see that as quite fair—I think I would have been more upset if the bugs were alive.  But then, that just shows that we have different perspectives about bugs, and what kinds of things make for an unacceptable resort.

When people write reviews, be they negative or positive, they are really doing us all a favor.  No one is paying them to do it, and they are sharing some valuable information.  What bothers them might not bother you, but if you read the review, at least you know about it ahead of time.  Then, you can assimilate all the info and decide if the resort is for you.

In many cases, reading a review helps you with vacation planning.  Recently, we booked a resort in Sedona, Arizona. We’ve been there several times, staying at Arroyo Roble and Wyndham Sedona. This time, because of our different points and timeshare systems, we decided to book through RCI, and couldn’t decide between Sedona on the Ridge, or Sedona Summit.  After reading several reviews on TUG, we chose the Summit because it was closer to town and we felt it best fit our needs.

TUG, or Timeshare User Group, offers excellent, thorough reviews.  You can often pick up little tidbits about a resort that you may not find in the RCI book or on their website. You might learn about these things in other ways, but often they’re the kinds of things you don’t even think to ask about. For example, in Sedona, to walk from Arroyo Roble into town there is a killer hill that you have to walk up.  Someone posted in a TUG review that there is a “shortcut” involving the parking garage which cuts the climb in half.

Another example would be the entrance to the Wyndham at Panama City Beach. It takes forever and a day to walk into the resort, and it is quite confusing.  The building is adjacent to a hotel, and most people get lost at least once.  Again—someone on TUG posted a “shortcut,” making it all easier and quicker.

If you visit the Wyndham Nashville, and want to drive to the Opryland Hotel, don’t park there and pay their exorbitant fees.  Instead, park in the Opry Mills (scheduled to reopen next May) lot, by the big rock for free.  Then walk about 3 minutes into the hotel.

These are just some quick examples that helped us out when we did our research and read reviews. Occasionally, a review will send out red flags, and that’s when you need to do MORE research and try to find more reviews.  Some other good sources, besides TUG, include redweek.com, rci.com, tripadvisor.com, hotel.com, and, of course, timesharetidbits.com—you can also type in the name of the resort and see what comes up.

Does a bad review always mean you shouldn’t stay there? That’s for you to decide—that’s why you need all the information you can get. You might want to read this post about West Yellowstone. We decided, in spite of bad reviews, to stay there.  It wasn’t perfect by a long shot, but we would go back.

The only time we booked a resort without reading reviews (there weren’t any, at the time) it was awful.  You can read about it here.

So, the motto here is “Be prepared.”  Read the reviews before you book, but if have already booked, read them anyway.  That way, there will be no surprises!

Our two previous posts have dealt with some of the Timeshare Mistakes that people frequently make.  In this post we will deal with Numbers 7 and 8, along with some solutions to those problems. If you have not read mistakes #1-#3 or #4-#6, click to go to those posts.

#7.  Failure to Think Through Problems When Traveling with Friends and Family.

One of the great advantages of owning a timeshare is that you frequently have extra room to invite friends and family along.  We have had many wonderful trips doing this, but we’ve learned that you need to plan ahead and communicate often and early with the folks involved. We’ve seen some problems in relation to our own trips, and others have indicated to us some mistakes they’ve made when inviting friends and family along on a vacation.

First, you need to realize that having people along on your vacation changes the dynamics of that trip.  You have more bodies to deal with and you have to try to accommodate their needs as well as your own.  This gets more complicated with each additional person that is invited.  It is much easier to travel with another couple, as compared to traveling with 8 or 9 people, which we have done.

Before you invite folks along, you need to discuss among yourselves some key points. You need to be clear on some things before you extend the invitation.  The following are some of the questions and issues you need to deal with:

1. Who are you inviting? What if they think you are inviting the whole family and you only have room for the couple?  Be specific, or, if there is room for more, let them know that. What if they suggest others that might like to come along?  If you have thought this through ahead of time, you should have a clear answer as to why or why not.
2. How long are you inviting them for? Sometimes we plan it so that we have some alone time on the trip, like one week with friends and one week without. Other times it works best to have them along for the entire trip.  We took our family on a Florida trip, and we planned for  three days before and three days after  a week spent with the entire family.  It worked out well, but we talked about it before and set up our plans.
3. What are the sleeping arrangements? How many bedrooms are there, and what kind of bed will each person be sleeping in?  Sometimes this can get a little tricky.  Also, if some people have to sleep on a sleeper sofa and share a bathroom, they probably would want to know this ahead of time.
4. What are the costs? Be up front before you go if you are going to charge them for accommodations, food, car rental, gas, etc. It would not be fair to give them a bill after you get home without previously discussing the costs involved.  Also, go over other expenses that might come up on the trip, like sightseeing or activities.
5. Are there some special needs of the people you are inviting? We have often traveled with an aging parent, and we had to plan on how that changed what we might do on the trip.  They don’t have the energy we do and may not get around as well.  You should probably be open in discussing this ahead of time, and maybe make some accommodations like building in down time, minimizing uphill treks, etc.  We have also traveled with guests that have special dietary needs, so discussing meals (where, when, and what) ahead of time can be important.

When you, yourself have some clear ideas about what path the trip will take, then you can approach your potential guests. We usually lay out the trip and our ideas, get their input, and then suggest they take a couple of days to think about it.  Our enthusiasm and careful planning, combined with theirs, makes a great beginning for a timeshare trip full of memories!

#8  Eating Out for Every Meal on Your Vacation, or when “What’s for dinner?” becomes “Where are we going for dinner?”

There are many reasons that people eat out when they are vacationing.  If you stay in hotel rooms, you usually don’t have any means of fixing meals. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you do have a small refrigerator, microwave and coffee pot, but even then it’s difficult to actually pull together a meal, because the hotel room may not have dishes, silverware, glasses, etc.k and you haven’t thought to bring them.

Another reason that people eat out for every meal on their vacation is because it IS their vacation, and they don’t care to cook. This is certainly understandable, especially if we’re talking maybe one or two vacations a year. These people definitely want to make the most of their vacation time and not worry about everyday stuff, so it is just easier to go to a restaurant.

We have found that there are people on vacation, staying in timeshares, who never cook—sometimes not even breakfast.  They don’t like to plan meals, shop for the meals, and then cook and serve them.  AND, they really don’t like to clean up after them! (Who does???!!)  But my guess is that these people fall into the aforementioned category—those who have limited vacation time, and just don’t want to spend it on everyday chores.

Nobody says you HAVE to cook, just because you have a nice, fully-equipped timeshare kitchen.  And, you certainly don’t have to do it all the time.  But, having that kitchen is so darned convenient, and you can probably remember a timeshare salesman once telling you how much money you could save by using that kitchen. And, though we generally don’t agree with timeshare salesmen about much, on this point, they’re right!

Let’s look at a typical 7-day timeshare vacation for a family of 4. The costs listed here are middle-of-the-road.

Breakfast                                  $5-10 per person            $20-40 per family

Lunch                                       $6-12 per person            $24-48 per family

Dinner                                      $7-20 per person            $28-80 per family

Looking at these ballpark figures, eating “cheap” for a family of four would cost around $72 a day.  To bring it into that price range, probably at least one of those meals would have to be at McDonalds or a similar fast-food place.

Looking at the more moderate to high end of the scale, the food cost for the day comes in at $168 for a family of four. So if we do the math for the whole week, the low end is at $652. Wow!!  That’s a lot!  But the high end comes in at $1,176!  I think some people could go on a whole other vacation for that price!

Okay, so I am trying to make a point.  I know that there are a lot of variables here—for one, babies do not eat as much as teenagers do. You could eat hamburger all week instead of steak.  You are in high-priced Hawaii rather than more reasonably-priced Michigan.  But the truth is, most timeshare people probably fall somewhere in between when it comes to cooking in and eating out—they do a little of both.  But when you’re on vacation, it’s easy to get carried away and not realize how much money you’re spending.

After doing some internet research, I deduced that the average family of 4 spends $100-150 a week on food. (Not groceries, because that includes toilet paper, cleaning supplies and other incidentals).  The figures can also vary depending on where you live, and what you eat.  So, if you eat all your meals in the condo, your food will cost about $150 for the week. To accomplish this, you may have to bring some staples along in your timeshare tub if you’re driving, or your suitcase, if you’re flying. You may also choose to use some prepared foods, which are more expensive, since you are on vacation.

But, let’s say you shop and bring your $150 worth of food to the condo, but decide to eat out for one meal every day. Your cost for that one meal out for a family of 4 for 7 days will be (on average), $336.  I used the highest lunch figure of $12 per day, per person to equal $48 per day, times 7 days, to arrive at that figure.  So even if you cook in for your breakfasts and lunches, and treat yourselves to dinner at a restaurant (or takeout) every night, you are still only spending $486, which is somewhat less than the low figure of $672 to eat out all the time.

So what’s the solution?  Easy—read the Timeshare Cooking posts and pull out the pots and pans!  This post in particular—Timeshare Cooking Cheaters—is for those who really don’t care to spend much time in the kitchen. Most timeshare kitchens are convenient and well-stocked with all the utensils and cookware that you need.  With a little planning you can easily become a Timeshare Gourmet Cook, and at the same time, save money to go toward your next vacation!

Look for the conclusion of Top 10 Timeshare Mistakes, coming soon!

In our last post, we began a discussion titled “The Top Ten Timeshare Mistakes That You Have Probably Made and What to do about Them.” We discussed the Big 3: buying directly from the developer, not understanding the timeshare system you own, and not looking carefully at those maintenance fee amounts before you purchase.

This post, and subsequent ones, will cover some of those lesser, but significant, mistakes that people often make when venturing into the timeshare world. Even if you have avoided these mistakes, it’s good to be aware of them and it’s definitely a good thing to be aware of the solutions so that you can pass your knowledge on to others you may meet.

# 4. Not Using Your Timeshare Every Year

This mistake is far more common than what you would think.  You are reading this site, and probably are fairly timeshare savvy—thus, you would probably be aware that not using your timeshare is kind of like buying a new car and letting it sit in the garage.

We know a couple who bought a timeshare from the developer and then let TEN years go buy before they finally used it!  We were so shocked that we didn’t ask why—it was so hard to fathom that anyone would do that.  After all, if the average maintenance fee is $700 a year, that alone would account for $7000 wasted. If you add in the original cost of the timeshare—well, you do the math.

Some people who follow this same course of action say that timeshare salesmen led them to believe that they were buying the timeshare as a real estate investment and it would appreciate in value—thus they could recoup their money when they sold it, even if they didn’t use it every year.

Unfortunately, this is untrue.  Timeshares depreciate in value and should never be considered an investment. Timeshares provide wonderful vacation opportunities, but if you manage to sell them, you will recoup only a small percentage of what you paid if you bought from the developer.

Obviously, life sometimes intrudes on the best of our intentions—sickness, death, a change in work situations and numerous other things can occur that make going on a vacation unimportant or impossible. We have had 3 or 4 situations like that in 15 years, which is a very small percentage when you consider that we do an average of 15 timeshare weeks every year.  These can be classified more in the “emergency” category, as opposed to the previously-mentioned couple who just didn’t use their timeshare for a decade.

There’s really not much you can do if your emergency occurs at the last minute, but it’s a good idea to check the policy of your particular timeshare system.  RCI does offer some type of insurance, but we’ve never found it to be effective in covering our costs, especially for the number of weeks that we travel.

If you have to cancel your plans and still have a little time, you can look into renting your unit through the resort, or possibly on eBay.  Be sure that you check any policies regarding guest certificates.  You might also consider renting a timeshare week to friends or family, or even giving it as a gift.  Sometimes worthy organizations auction off timeshare weeks as prizes.

Just remember—an unused timeshare week is a lost week, as is the money that paid for it.

#5 Neglecting to Network with Other Timeshare Owners

You can learn so much by talking to people and listening to people.  After all, that’s probably why you’re reading this right now—you want to learn more about timesharing and/or you want to express yourself in regard to timesharing.  How foolish it would be not to take advantage of  networking opportunities.

Talking to people at a timeshare resort is extremely easy, because most of them have common ground—they own timeshares. It’s amazing how many long conversations we have had with other guests that began simply by asking, “Do you own here?”  Friendships usually develop, and while they may be only transitory ones, we have learned a lot from them.

If you are new to a timeshare system, speaking with other owners at your resort can be an invaluable source of information.  Often, this can also clue you in to the best units to request and what activities are fun and worthwhile.  You can also amass a wealth of information about restaurants and places to sightsee in the area. Many of our conversations have led to discussions about other resorts that are outstanding, as well as lists of “must-dos” when we get to them.

When we speak with other guests at resorts, they often pick up on the fact that we know a little bit about timesharing.  Initially, I’m sure they think we are selling something, but we try to reassure them by giving them one of our business cards in hopes of introducing them to this website.  Many of these folks seem almost starved for knowledge about their timeshares, and we truly feel that the internet offers some great sites to help people learn.  Although we mention them frequently, here is a partial list.  Please feel free to contact us if you have some to add.

• Red Week
• Timeshare Forums
• Timeshare User Group
• Wyndham Resorts Forums
• Disney Discussion Forums

I once heard it said that no one ever learns anything by talking.  (I used to tell my students this, but unfortunately, some of them didn’t get the implication that “listening” is how you learn!)  Anyway, listening is good, but INTERACTION is better—so work on or use your networking skills to better your timeshare knowledge.

# 6. Bypassing the Amenities and Activities of the Resort.

Another frequent mistake we see timeshare folks make all the time is not taking part in the activities that the resort provides and not using all the great amenities.

Let’s take a look at some of those activities.  We have found that about 90% of the resorts we have stayed at provide some activities for their guests. A few provide only a few while others have a large list with 5 to 7 activities a day for all ages.  The important thing to remember is that those activities are being paid for with your maintenance fees, so you should be taking advantage of them.

We always go to a welcome breakfast and orientation, if they have one.  It is a great time to organize your week, find out about the area, network with other guests and get a free breakfast. We always go through the list of activities and circle the ones that we are interested in or that fit the age level of the guests we have with us.

Several resorts do a potluck or cookout for the guests and we always have a great time meeting folks and enjoying good food.  Along the same line, many do a wine and cheese party which again is great fun. Check out our post about resorts that have great activities.

Along with the activities of the resort, you also need to look closely at the amenities they provide and make sure you take advantage of them.  Almost all resorts have a swimming pool. Many of them have several pools with slides, hot tubs, etc.  We have spent a good part of the day using the pools, and the grandkids just love them. Recently, at a stay at Old Key West in Orlando with our whole family, we made extensive use of all the fantastic activities and pool.  It was a weeklong stay, but we only went to the parks on 2 days because we were having so much fun at the resort! It helped, too that our grandkids are only 3 and 7 years old.

Also many of the resorts have a lot of other facilities that you or your family might enjoy such as tennis, mini golf, shuffle board, basketball, etc. If you or someone in your party enjoys these, make sure you don’t pass them up.  A lot of the resorts have indoor equipment which we enjoy using when the weather conditions force us indoors.  They have pool tables, ping-pong, air hockey, video games, etc

The important thing is to closely check out what the resorts provide in the way of activities and amenities and enjoy them.  Most are free or available at a nominal cost. The amenities and activities of timeshares definitely surpass those available at hotels, so enjoy this perk that you paid for when you bought your timeshare!

Our next post will deal with more Timeshare Mistakes.  We welcome any comments or feedback that you may have.

Life is full of mistakes and one’s venture into the timeshare world can be full of pitfalls.  We have been enjoying timesharing for some 15 years and have made plenty of mistakes.  We thought it might be helpful to look at the most common mistakes folks make and explore some solutions.

The first three that we’re going to discuss are probably the most common.  We’ll call them the BIG 3. Subsequent posts will discuss the remaining 7 mistakes.  Here is the list:

1. Buying directly from the developer.
2. Not understanding the timeshare system you own.
3. Not looking carefully at those maintenance fee amounts before you purchase.
4. Not using your timeshare every year.
5. Neglecting to network with other timeshare owners.
6. Bypassing the amenities and activities of the resort.
7. Failure to think through problems when traveling with friends and family.
8. Eating out for every meal on your vacation.
9. Neglecting to research the area in which you are vacationing.
10. Not reading reviews of the resort you are thinking of or have traded into.

Let’s get started with the biggie:

1. Buying directly from the developer.

So number 1 is probably the biggest and most expensive mistake that people make, and yet it is the easiest to fall prey to –after all, most are “hooked”  while enjoying the euphoria of their vacation.  Timeshare salespeople can be extremely nice and personable—and some can be misleading and tell untruths.  They offer you gifts and money and a way to enjoy more and better vacations. Most people venture into this timeshare presentation knowing absolutely nothing about timeshares.

There is tremendous pressure and arm-twisting to buy TODAY, or this great price will expire, never to re-surface. Probably 90% of these gullible folks have never heard of timeshare resales, allowing you to buy this same timeshare, or same number of points for about 10% of the amount that they’re trying to sell it to you for.

Does this sound like your experience?  If so, don’t beat yourself up about it—now you know. You’re reading this website, TUG, Timeshare Forums and other sites that clue you in about buying resale.  What’s done is done, so enjoy your timeshare and consider it a learning experience.

If you have not yet purchased a timeshare, the bottom line is say “no,” and then go home and do your research.  If you have purchased one within the last few days, check the state laws on rescinding, do it if you can, and then do your research.

This is one mistake we did not make, but we came awfully close—I’m sure that Hilton salesman went home that night and had a stiff drink—and maybe quit in the morning!  Four months later, we bought the same timeshare  (resale) for about $6000 less and have been enjoying it ever since.

2.  Not understanding the timeshare system in which you own.

This is probably the second biggest mistake that people make during and after the time that they have acquired a timeshare.  It’s easy to see why, because most of the systems are complicated, and every one is different; thus, if you own in 5 or 6 different ones, like we do, it can be very confusing.  We’ve met a lot of people who only buy in one system for this very reason.

The solution to this mistake is very simple—you need to educate yourself about your timeshare, and that takes work and time.  Read all of your paperwork, and all mailings from your system.  Then, go online and find websites that apply to your timeshare, to include the site of the company in which you own.  Find out if there are user groups that you can join.  Most are free, and you can pose questions and/or join discussions.  Listed here are some that we have found very helpful with our particular timeshares—we check these frequently throughout the year as we plan our trips

• Disney Vacation Club
• Hilton Grand Vacation Club
• Red Week
• Timeshare Forums
• Timeshare User Group
• Wyndham Resorts Forums
• http://www.disboards.com/
• www.wyndhamvacationresorts.com/

3.  Not looking carefully at those maintenance fee amounts before you purchase

This is a little bit like a “hidden cost,” because if you buy from the developer you are probably so caught up in the glories of the presentation and timeshare ownership that you neglect to realize that there is another fee that comes around once a year—the maintenance fee.  Salesmen tend to sweep this one under the rug, and sometime after you get home you realize that maintenance fees are for life.

Even if you buy resale, you may not realize that these fees exist, or that they can vary greatly in amount from resort to resort.  Gold Crown resorts tend to have higher maintenance fees, but not always.  Resort management, where the resort is located, and kinds of amenities can have a lot to do with the fees you pay.

Again (not to sound like a broken record for those of you who remember what those are) the key is to be aware, and do your research before you buy. If you already own the timeshare, seek out the resort manager and ask questions.  Read the yearly financial reports.  Talk to owners at other timeshares when you trade in and compare costs.  Read our previous posts:

The What, Why, and How of Timeshare Maintenance Fees

Timeshare-Maintenance Fees

Those Malicious Maintenance Fees

We are not saying to always buy the resorts with lower maintenance fees, nor are we advocating NOT buying the resorts with higher maintenance fees.  What we are saying is:  Be informed, do the research, determine whether the fees are reasonable for what you get, and then decide whether you can afford it, and whether the resort will do what you want it to do for you.

So, as we wrap up the BIG 3, rest assured that you are not alone if you are guilty of one of these mistakes, or even all three. They’re the kind of mistakes that are so easily made when you go into a high pressure situation knowing very little– and you get caught up in the moment.  Keep reading this site and other timeshare sites to guard against making or repeating these mistakes. And stay tuned for the conclusion of this post.

RCI is the largest timeshare exchange company in the world.  They have had a long history of trading timeshares and, like most companies, have evolved over the years.  They are fully automated and you are able to complete practically all transactions over the Internet.

They started out trading weeks for weeks.  They developed the “RCI Points” system to provide better services and greater flexibility for the timeshare owner.  Resorts would have to make the decision to go into the RCI points system and owners would pay a fee to turn their weeks into RCI points. This conversion fee usually ran a couple of thousand dollars and would often come attached with the requirement of buying additional timeshare time or points from your resort.

The number of points you got for your week would depend on size of unit, time of year, location, and gold or silver status of the resort. You would have the choice every year to use your week, or it would go automatically into the RCI points system. With your points, you could book your vacation; RCI would show you every possible week available and how many points it would take for that vacation. Fairly simple– you have this many points and it will take this many points– easy to do the math.  They also let you bank points for the next year or borrow points a year ahead.  You also could book for less than a week’s time, thus using fewer points. We own a couple of resorts in the RCI points system and book vacations every year this way.

Let’s take a look at the different choices you have to book vacations in the RCI point system and the time windows for setting up your vacation.  There are booking fees for most of these, in varying amounts, also dependent on whether you do it over the telephone or online:

Home Week-You can reserve your home unit and week from 12 to 13 months out. (If you do not it goes into the points system)

Home Resort-At the resort you own you can book 11-12 months ahead.

Home Group-If your resort is part of group of resorts, you can book at the 10 to 11 months window.

Standard Reservation-You make your vacation plans at 10 months out or less.

RCI Weeks Reservations-You can tap into RCI weeks inventory and can book from 10 days to 24 months out.

Cruise Vacations- You can use your points to book a cruise.

Other Uses of Points-You can use your points to book airfare, hotel or car rentals.

Last Minute Inventory-These vacations require no points, are booked for a dollar amount, and are very close to the current date.  Most cost in the $250.00 and up range.

Extra Vacations-These seem to be along the line of rental of timeshare resorts and are for dollar amounts, not points.  They run high in dollar costs, most around $1000.00 or more.

A couple of observations are in order. We, along with most timeshare folks, do not think it is a good use of your points to book cruises, airfare, hotels, or car rentals.  You can do better booking directly.

You can also book ( using standard reservations in the 45 day window) a vacation for 8,000 to 9,000 points if the resort has inventory and they participate in that program.  However, some resorts in high demand areas do not reduce the points that are needed.

If you own a week’s timeshare that is not a points resort, you can deposit it into the points system. You are given points based on time of the year, unit size, location and gold or silver status. ­­­We do this very year with one of our week’s resorts that we own.

It seems that RCI was in the hopes that every one would jump on the points system. However, many resorts and timeshare owners did not choose to convert over to this system–they wanted to stay in the week’s system.  So in the hopes of making the system easier and better, they have come up with a new way of handling week resorts and trading power. We have written a recent post on how the new weeks trading power points works.  If you have week timeshares and want to trade those weeks into RCI, make sure you read this post.

We enjoy trading using our RCI points and generally seem to get a better selection of resorts than in using our week’s timeshare trading using RCI weeks. We own both weeks and points, several being in large timeshare systems, and use them all to get the vacations we want.

We are often asked how we can afford to timeshare travel so often. We do own 14 timeshares, and usually vacation 18 weeks a year using those timeshare weeks.  We thought it might be helpful to go through some of the math on what it costs us for a timeshare vacation. Obviously, each and every timeshare vacation will come up with different costs, but we think it’s important to look at those costs and plan how to get the most vacation for your hard-earned dollars.

photo credit: TruffShuff

Many of the costs of a timeshare vacation are also costs that you have at home, so this makes doing the math a little more complicated.  For example, you need to pay for food, gas, heat, electricity, etc. at home that you would not be using while you are on your vacation. You also go out to eat at home; you spend money on some entertainment, and other activities.  This kind of trade-off makes it hard to figure what a timeshare vacation might cost, but we are going to give it a try, and we challenge you to do the same for your vacations.

First, let’s take a look at the initial cost of the timeshare. As we have indicated in numerous posts on this site, we have purchased all of our timeshares resale and have paid cash for them.  It should be clear that we have paid no interest for our timeshares and have received, we think, good value for our money.  We also feel that if we were to sell any of our timeshares, we could probably get close to what we paid for them because we bought resale. With this being said, we do not figure into our vacations the costs of the initial purchase of our timeshare weeks, as that money could be recouped if need be.

Next, we will look at the cost of maintenance fees as a part of the overall costs of a timeshare vacation.  We have written a couple of posts about maintenance fees that you might be interested in. (1) Those Malicious Maintenance Fees and (2) Timeshare-Maintenance Fees.  We can take a look at maintenance fees from three different angles. The first way is to take a given vacation, and to calculate the maintenance fee for a trip.  This would be the  actual fees you paid to your home resort.   Example (1) below illustrates this:

(1) We plan a trip to Pinestead Reef, a resort that we own in Michigan.  Our maintenance fees for the year are $411.00.  We decide to rent out a weekend night, thus getting 65% of the rental fee, which is around $80.00.  This would drop our costs for a six-day trip to $331.00 for maintenance fees. We have no booking fees, as we own at this resort

The second way would be to come up with the fees you paid at your home resort for the trade you made.  Example (2) illustrates the second approach:

(2)  We have a two-week trip planned for this spring to Myrtle Beach.  We were able to trade some of our Wyndham points for a three bedroom for the two weeks.  We used two 28,000 deposits to trade those two weeks.  For 28,000 points, we pay $142.00 in maintenance fees. In addition, we needed to pay an RCI booking fee of $189.00 per week, bringing the cost for each week to $331.00 for a three bedroom on the ocean.

The third way would be to take  the total maintenance fees we pay for the year and divide them by the number of weeks of timeshare vacation we take each year.  Doing the math this way, we find that our maintenance fee cost per week is about $350.00, so for figuring purposes, we will use this amount.

Along with maintenance fees are the booking fees, and annual dues to RCI. In some cases, it might cost a small fee of $25.00 or $50.00 to book in your resort system, but there is usually no fee if you are booking at your home resort.  As I am sure you are aware, if you book through RCI you pay a fee of $194.00 for your exchange. It is a little cheaper if you can do it online.   Because of the high exchange fees, we are finding that we are booking more trips through our home resorts, or through our timeshare systems, like Hilton or Wyndham.  For the last year, doing the math, we paid $97.00 on average for the 18 weeks of timesharing vacations for booking and dues.

Transportation:  Another cost that you need to consider is gas, if traveling by car. If we travel around 600 miles to get to our vacation spot and another 600 to get home, we travel about 1200 miles. (This would probably be an average mileage for one of our trips.)   We again do the math, using an average of 28 mpg and the cost of around $3.00 per gallon.  We come up with $64.00 for gas for getting to and back from our destination.

We usually figure that the gas we use during the week of vacation, once we get there, is about the same that we would use if we were at home, and shouldn’t be figured into the cost of the vacation. If you fly and get a rental car, that, of course, boosts the price of that vacation. We usually take only one or two flying timeshare vacations each year.  The costs vary a lot because of air fares and rental cars, so we are not including those into our costs.  Make sure you check out our post on how to get a good deal on a rental car.

The next area to take a look at is food costs. We always say that you have to eat, whether you’re on vacation or at home.  Some people say that you should not figure any food costs into your total vacation costs. Read one of our top ten secrets of timesharing about making use of the facilities of the timeshare. We suggest that you fix breakfasts in the unit and pack some lunches to keep costs down.  We also fix one or two dinners in the unit.

Probably, we should figure about $25.00 extra for food purchases and about $50.00 extra for eating out. These figures are in addition to what we would normally spend at home for food and restaurant meals.  Some people decide that when they go on a vacation they are going to eat out for every meal, and go to expensive places and have a couple of drinks, and maybe dessert.  If this is your pattern, that’s fine, but you need to realize that it’s going to up your costs.  We’ve always felt that we’d rather spend less, and go more often.  Then again, if you only take one or two vacations a year, why not splurge?!

Another area to consider is the costs for attractions and entertainment. Again, as with food, we suggest you read one of our top ten secrets of timesharing where we talk about the activities and the amenities at many of the timeshares.  We look over the list of activities at the resort and select ones we are interested in. We have had a great time with many of the resort activities.  The pool, mini golf, kids’ crafts, etc. have always been a big hit and usually cost very little, if at all. The resort also frequently has special prices to area attractions that you should check out. All of these help keep entertainment costs down.

The location frequently dictates what we end up doing. If we are at the ocean, we spend much of our time at no cost enjoying the sun, sand and surf.  On the other hand, if we are in an area of national parks, we use our Golden Age Pass and spend time enjoying the park with hiking, picnics, auto tours, etc.  In certain locations, like Myrtle Beach, Branson, Gatlinburg, etc., we see some shows.  On average, we probably spend around $100.00 on attractions and entertainment per trip.

The last area we want to take a look at is shopping. It costs nothing to look and we frequently check out the local shops, malls and outlets in the area.   And, of course, we buy our fair share!   It’s hard to come up with a cost for this category, as we buy clothes, gifts, etc. at home, too.  So we will list $0.00 in this area.

Overview of Costs: (average for a one week timeshare vacation)

Maintenance fees:   $350.00

Booking fees and RCI dues that are not included in maintenance fees.  $97.00

Transportation:  $64.00

Food:  $75.00

Attractions and entertainment $100.00

Shopping-$0.00

TOTAL $686.00

What we feel is most important, is that you figure out what your vacations cost, and look at ways to reduce those costs. We think timesharing is a good way to travel and we would much rather keep our costs down, and go on more trips.  Enjoy your trips– we do!