Debt Dumpers - 2017

I lurk this thread but rarely post and I just want to share that I will be 100% credit card debt free by the middle of September! I have one card left with a low ish balance and each week between now and when I leave for Disney in 8 weeks, it will be PAID! and I will NOT use it in Disney unless its needed (grant me strength lol)

My biggest debt outstanding is my car which will be paid a 14 months early if I stay on track and pay it down thru till May next year.

talking about debt to other people, they dont understand it so I wanted to share my "progress" here :)

ETA: I use google sheets for my budget and its really satisfying to fill out and watch the numbers drop!

ETA 2: My goal was to have all of my bills paid through the end of October before I leave for my trip in September. By next may, I should have all my bills paid through the end of 2018!
 
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Jealous of you all taking Disney trips soon. I got a pin code in the mail this weekend for fall dates but don't have the time or funds to use it. My work annual meeting is in Orlando in 2019 so I am hoping I can add on a little time to at least visit one park then.
 
Is it near Times Square(where we're staying)? I have us booked at Carmine's Time Square for my birthday dinner. Juniors cheesecake for dessert :).
I had a Juniors cupcake when we were there. Yummy! If you have a chance, go to Eataly near the 9-11 memorial. The pizza and pasta restaurant inside was phenomenal. One of the best meals we had there all week.
 
We're also looking for a great breakfast place!!! Know of any?
It's uptown from where you are staying but we went to a really nice breakfast place called Elizabeth's. It's at Columbus and W 93rd St. I'll find the link.

http://www.elizabethsnyc.com/#american-comfort-food

We stayed right across the street from the 96th street subway and found it very easy to get into Times Square on the 1 train if you decide to try it for breakfast. Took maybe 20 minutes to go back and forth. The restaurant is only a couple blocks from the subway. Would be a convenient place to eat if you're going to the Guggenheim, natural history museum or Central Park.
 
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Jealous of you all taking Disney trips soon. I got a pin code in the mail this weekend for fall dates but don't have the time or funds to use it. My work annual meeting is in Orlando in 2019 so I am hoping I can add on a little time to at least visit one park then.
Wierd, I got a pin code too. But the rates with my TA are way better. Thanks for the breakfast suggestions. We had breakfast in Montreal at a place called eggspectations, wish there was one in NYC.
 
Yep, I am aware of that as well and was prior to making my decision. Thanks!

I'm glad you knew about that. When I took out a 401k loan in the early 90s no one told me that. I'm still with the same company but I would have faced the taxman if I left before the loan was paid.
 
Wierd, I got a pin code too. But the rates with my TA are way better. Thanks for the breakfast suggestions. We had breakfast in Montreal at a place called eggspectations, wish there was one in NYC.

If you come to the Washington area, we have a few here. There's one in Ellicott City, Md.

I used to eat there occasionally when I would be in Montreal. Loved the eggs benedict!
 
Just needed to share. I just completed a mystery shop today for $20. I am also expecting $22 from eBates in August. Once these post to my account, they push us well over the 1/3 mark ($3333) in our DVC savings fund! I have been aiming for this milestone since we started the fund at the beginning of the year. Now I get to look forward to hitting the half way mark, with another $1667 to go. I doubt we will get there by then end of the year, since my work travel is over until January so I won't be able to see big gains from excess per diem. But I will still be adding Swagbucks, eBates, Ibotta, mystery shop earnings, savings account interest and other such things into our DVC fund. We also have the remaining $280 to be paid in November for renting out our current years DVC points. Maybe I will get lucky and come into some unexpected funds to help push us closer to that mid-way point.
 
Just needed to share. I just completed a mystery shop today for $20. I am also expecting $22 from eBates in August. Once these post to my account, they push us well over the 1/3 mark ($3333) in our DVC savings fund! I have been aiming for this milestone since we started the fund at the beginning of the year. Now I get to look forward to hitting the half way mark, with another $1667 to go. I doubt we will get there by then end of the year, since my work travel is over until January so I won't be able to see big gains from excess per diem. But I will still be adding Swagbucks, eBates, Ibotta, mystery shop earnings, savings account interest and other such things into our DVC fund. We also have the remaining $280 to be paid in November for renting out our current years DVC points. Maybe I will get lucky and come into some unexpected funds to help push us closer to that mid-way point.

Congrats - that's excellent. We are tentatively planning to purchase DVC at the end of the year - how hard is it to rent out points that you don't use?
 
Congrats - that's excellent. We are tentatively planning to purchase DVC at the end of the year - how hard is it to rent out points that you don't use?

It was very easy to rent out points. This was our first time renting and we went through David's. You just fill out a form and they follow up with you with contract information, etc. Once that is completed, they will send out alerts when someone is interested in renting points at your resort that fit your criteria (within your points range and possible booking dates). You email back letting them know if you can book the reservation right then and they send you the information. The alerts go out to several people with the same resort and criteria, so it is sort of a first come, first served system. I rented out my points after the second alert, so it wasn't hard or anything. I then got the initial payment via Paypal and will get the remainder once the actual reservation date hits in November.

You can also rent privately or through a few other sites, but I liked the idea of David's managing the relationship with the renter.
 
While I enjoyed the birthing class I took, keep in mind that very often things do not go according to plan. I felt like the people who taught ours were so reassuring that everything would go according to your birth plan and standard birthing steps (here are the steps of labor, water breaks at the end--well my water broke and I never had a pain!) that it actually made it more traumatic for us when things did not go as expected and I ended up with an emergency c-section. So good to have a plan, good to have knowledge, but just be aware that your doctors know what they're doing and don't freak out if that plan doesn't get used!

I agree 100%!! I asked my OB if I needed a birth plan and she said she hates them because people get so wrapped up in what's "supposed" to happen that they lose sight of what's most important - having a healthy baby and mom. I told her my birth plan was 1) Give me drugs 2) Do what you need to for me/baby to come home safe.

My husband and I took all the classes too, but honestly, we didn't find them all that helpful. Just keep in mind that each kid is different, and the "right way" to do something is the way that works for your kid, regardless of whether or not it's in the baby book or taught in the class.
 
It was very easy to rent out points. This was our first time renting and we went through David's. You just fill out a form and they follow up with you with contract information, etc. Once that is completed, they will send out alerts when someone is interested in renting points at your resort that fit your criteria (within your points range and possible booking dates). You email back letting them know if you can book the reservation right then and they send you the information. The alerts go out to several people with the same resort and criteria, so it is sort of a first come, first served system. I rented out my points after the second alert, so it wasn't hard or anything. I then got the initial payment via Paypal and will get the remainder once the actual reservation date hits in November.

You can also rent privately or through a few other sites, but I liked the idea of David's managing the relationship with the renter.

Thanks - I appreciate having a Plan B (or C) for the points. I know they can also be "banked" to be used the following year, but it might be easier to just rent them if we aren't able to use them in the allotted year.
 
Thanks - I appreciate having a Plan B (or C) for the points. I know they can also be "banked" to be used the following year, but it might be easier to just rent them if we aren't able to use them in the allotted year.

We aren't taking our next trip until 2019 because of the baby. She will be 18 months, which we feel is a good age for a first trip. So we rented out our 2017 points and will be banking our 2018 points to use in 2019. I would recommend banking points into the next year to give yourself more time to decide if you want to use them. And if not, then you can rent out the banked points since they act just the same as unbanked points.
 
We aren't taking our next trip until 2019 because of the baby. She will be 18 months, which we feel is a good age for a first trip. So we rented out our 2017 points and will be banking our 2018 points to use in 2019. I would recommend banking points into the next year to give yourself more time to decide if you want to use them. And if not, then you can rent out the banked points since they act just the same as unbanked points.

At this point, I'm actually thinking of options more for any points we might get as part of a contract. I know contracts purchased on the resale market lack some of the benefits of buying direct, but one of my major selling points with DH is "look how much we can save buying resale."
 
At this point, I'm actually thinking of options more for any points we might get as part of a contract. I know contracts purchased on the resale market lack some of the benefits of buying direct, but one of my major selling points with DH is "look how much we can save buying resale."

When I bought my initial contract, I got 2 years worth at once. I turned around and rented them out through David's about 3 months later. Took about 3 days total, from the time I first contacted them until they were rented. I found it super easy, and extremely stress-free for me. The closest thing to a negative is that if the renter wants anything "extra", you have to go online and do everything. (The people who rented mine wanted to get a dining plan, so 3 months after they rented, and about 3 months before the trip, I got an email with the coding information from a Disney gift card along with the instructions on what they wanted. It wasn't difficult, only took about 10 minutes IIRC, just wasn't something I had anticipated having to do.)

Also, I bought mine direct from Disney. Probably not the most cost-effective method. I do know that about a year ago DVC changed some of the policies for owners through resale, but honestly all of the "major" perks for buying direct are not worth it. Trading for Disney cruises, you come out ahead if you rent the points and pay cash. Trading through RCI for other resorts, also not a great value. I haven't looked closely at the Adventures by Disney, but I suspect it will be the same thing - better value to rent the points and pay cash.

I think that the last change eliminates access on some of the member only benefits and discounts, but I am not entirely sure on that.

Q.
What are the benefits of purchasing an ownership interest directly from Disney Vacation Club compared to purchasing through a timeshare resale company?
A.
As a Disney Vacation Club Member, you'll enjoy vacation options available to you at uniquely themed Disney Vacation Club Resorts and through RCI®. And when you purchase your real estate interest directly through Disney Vacation Development, Inc., you'll also enjoy the following benefits:

  • Access to fantastic vacation options for you and your family from Disney Cruise Line, select Disney Resort hotels around the world, Adventures by Disney and the Concierge Collection.
  • Access to Membership Extras, like exclusive Member events and discounts on dining and merchandise.

These benefits are only available when you purchase your real estate interest directly through Disney Vacation Club. (from the DVC website)​
As far as the discounts go, though, the DVC discounts are the same as the Annual Pass discounts, so if you have an AP (and I did a spreadsheet a couple of years ago that showed it was cheaper to get an AP than a 5 day park-hopper pass) you still get all the same discounts as the membership would give you. As for the exclusive Member events, I never have gotten to go to one of those. I plan my trips 7-12 months ahead, and I always find out about the special events about 3 weeks before they are scheduled to occur, so ... never am there when they happen.


On completely other news ... I got a notice from my mortgage company that they had done the annual re-evaluation for my escrow. Due to me changing my homeowners insurance this spring, my total payment is going down by 33%!!! Woo-hoo!!! I plan on continuing to pay the full amount. That will essentially have me paying 2 - 2 1/2 months of principal each month, so in the 12 months from September - August (the calendar year that the payment plan is scheduled for) I should be able to get close to 30 months principal paid. I've already shaved about 3 years off of my 30 year mortgage, this should shave another couple of years off. My goal is to have it paid off in 14 more years (18 years total).
 
When I bought my initial contract, I got 2 years worth at once. I turned around and rented them out through David's about 3 months later. Took about 3 days total, from the time I first contacted them until they were rented. I found it super easy, and extremely stress-free for me. The closest thing to a negative is that if the renter wants anything "extra", you have to go online and do everything. (The people who rented mine wanted to get a dining plan, so 3 months after they rented, and about 3 months before the trip, I got an email with the coding information from a Disney gift card along with the instructions on what they wanted. It wasn't difficult, only took about 10 minutes IIRC, just wasn't something I had anticipated having to do.)

Also, I bought mine direct from Disney. Probably not the most cost-effective method. I do know that about a year ago DVC changed some of the policies for owners through resale, but honestly all of the "major" perks for buying direct are not worth it. Trading for Disney cruises, you come out ahead if you rent the points and pay cash. Trading through RCI for other resorts, also not a great value. I haven't looked closely at the Adventures by Disney, but I suspect it will be the same thing - better value to rent the points and pay cash.

I think that the last change eliminates access on some of the member only benefits and discounts, but I am not entirely sure on that.

Q.
What are the benefits of purchasing an ownership interest directly from Disney Vacation Club compared to purchasing through a timeshare resale company?
A.
As a Disney Vacation Club Member, you'll enjoy vacation options available to you at uniquely themed Disney Vacation Club Resorts and through RCI®. And when you purchase your real estate interest directly through Disney Vacation Development, Inc., you'll also enjoy the following benefits:

  • Access to fantastic vacation options for you and your family from Disney Cruise Line, select Disney Resort hotels around the world, Adventures by Disney and the Concierge Collection.
  • Access to Membership Extras, like exclusive Member events and discounts on dining and merchandise.
These benefits are only available when you purchase your real estate interest directly through Disney Vacation Club. (from the DVC website)​
As far as the discounts go, though, the DVC discounts are the same as the Annual Pass discounts, so if you have an AP (and I did a spreadsheet a couple of years ago that showed it was cheaper to get an AP than a 5 day park-hopper pass) you still get all the same discounts as the membership would give you. As for the exclusive Member events, I never have gotten to go to one of those. I plan my trips 7-12 months ahead, and I always find out about the special events about 3 weeks before they are scheduled to occur, so ... never am there when they happen.


On completely other news ... I got a notice from my mortgage company that they had done the annual re-evaluation for my escrow. Due to me changing my homeowners insurance this spring, my total payment is going down by 33%!!! Woo-hoo!!! I plan on continuing to pay the full amount. That will essentially have me paying 2 - 2 1/2 months of principal each month, so in the 12 months from September - August (the calendar year that the payment plan is scheduled for) I should be able to get close to 30 months principal paid. I've already shaved about 3 years off of my 30 year mortgage, this should shave another couple of years off. My goal is to have it paid off in 14 more years (18 years total).

The different benefits for a resale purchase are a little worrisome - not so much for the actual different benefits now (the benefits that direct purchasers get are not things that we really want) but the possibility that there might be further changes. But we are not buying more than 100 points now, and it seems like Disney is not threatening any additional changes, so for us the cost difference is worth the risk.

Also, congrats on the new payment plan!
 
We had our second car in for a repair yesterday, thinking it wouldn't be coming home. $167!!!!! Is just a stop gap as there is an oil leak that will require the whole engine out but as the car is only worth $2k we aren't going to do it, it's just not viable. At least this gives us a little more time to get organised and decide whether we want a loan or a lease.

First time we will have financed a car in a while but our only cc will be down to $4500 after I put a payment on it tomorrow. Tenants paid one month in advance sof there will be no paying down next month but with another 4 rent cheques this year, we should have it paid by the end of the year!

Paid off the balance of our resort stay for SIL's wedding so now just have to cover meals and hotel on the main island before we fly home. I'm so pleased. Cutting down on spending and getting this done (and getting DH to as well!) has been hard but we are looking forward to a less stressed 2018 now.
 

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