You don't have to keep up with the Jones's

[mercydisney]

I honestly feel that I am far better off then The Jones's. I have my family who unconditionally loves each other. I am able to go to Disney ( I live in Fl) and make it possible to have the best vacation on a budget. I do not feel the need to stay in a Deluxe. We have stayed in them and I personally feel that they are no different then the moderate.
Jones's might have it all on the outside but not in the inside. For instance I have a very close personal friend who is wealthy. The type of wealth that she does not feel the need to buy annual passes, she figures she will pay as she goes and we go alot. Her immediate family has mental and health issues. Another friend went to Dubai and from the pictures she seems like she had a great time. Two weeks later she is getting a divorce.
I think the older I get the happier I am with my life.

 

[dwonderz]

I sometimes find myself getting caught up in "keeping up" during the planning stages - wanting to stay in the "nicest" hotel/eat at the "nicest" restaurant ... then I step back and remember on every single other trip we've ever taken (Disney or not) - the best memories are not the nice room or nice dinner - they're the funny moments and stories we experienced.

It's about the adventure - and money will never be able to buy that!

 

[MimiOfTwo]

Never occurred to me to keep up with the "Jones's". I'm too busy trying to figure out how to get the best deal on the things I want for this trip..so I can put that savings toward the next one! Yes we do stay deluxe for convenience. We fly because it makes the trip more enjoyable. But I've never once thought about trying to keep up with anyone. Someone will always have more money than me. But that doesn't mean they have more fun.

 

[Zhoen]

Hehe! I couldn't keep up with Joneses if I tried, so I don't. I tell my children that the greatest thing they can have in this society is "enough." Lots of people with way more than us still never have "enough," other people have less than us and do have "enough." Our "enough" might not be enough for some people, and to other people, we might seem frivolous... that's just life. And, honestly, we have a special-needs child (google the poem "Welcome to Holland"), so we have to be *VERY* careful with scheduling and overstimulation and a billion little variables and often even that isn't enough. Keeping up with others would spell disaster for us, so we just do our best to keep up with ourselves, and we often have a pretty great time doing it!

As far as vacation luxuries go, we just try to figure out what we want to do and balance it with what we can afford to pay cash for. I won't lie, if it was possible, I'd love to stay in the Cinderella castle suite, or the PoTC suite... just for a night, just to experience it... but an offsite condo with days off for just relaxing is more our speed at the moment. I'd love to fly, but it's way cheaper to drive, even with the cost of gas and spending a night in Savannah. Someday I want to stay at the Floridian because it's SO beautiful, and I'd like to have the high tea there on the fancy china... but in the meantime, we are resort-hopping on a non-park day and we will visit there, but first we are having a very-merry-unbirthday tea party lunch at the condo, and it's going to be adorable and much more appropriate for who we are at this point.

We'll be bringing drinks and snacks with us most days to save a little money. On the other hand, we did BBB last time we went when the kids were little, and this time we are doing Pirates League for the youngest and a spa trip for the oldest, that's about $200 in add-ons, so it's a matter of priorities, really. We'd rather spend the money on experiences than sodas (Darth Vader cupcakes, however, are on the must-buy list...) The kids are too old for Pooh Bear and princesses, and too small to make it worthwhile for me to pay adult buffet prices for their tiny appetites, so instead of the buffets, we are doing BoG for our splurge character meal this time. It's someplace new, the theming looks AMAZING, and we can order what we want and share if people aren't hungry (or order extra if they are...)

On these boards I've seen everything from the people who buy NOTHING in the parks to the people with a which-Dooney-to-buy-when agenda, and I think they all enjoy themselves in the end. It's about doing what works for YOU.

 

[bubblebrown]

We've been fortunate enough to get over to Disney for a quick 1 day trip every 3 years for the past decade. This year we splurged and went for two days! To be able to save up to enjoy some "extras" around the park without my husband freaking out about the costs (he's not the biggest Disney fan so it takes about 3 years to convince him to go again), about 2 years ahead of our trip I set up a Disney Dollar box. My kids can get Disney Dollars (just paper with a sticker on it) instead of an allowance so that they can "buy" their own tickets into the park. I also put slips of paper in there if we choose to skip a special meal during the year and instead enjoy it at the park (this last trip we had a very belated valentine and 10 year anniversary dinner).

 

[Shanan]

Although my last name's is Jones, I don't even try to keep up with Jones. Going this February and staying at Pop Century with my 5 year old niece. I have been slowly buying snacks& breakfast food for the room (will pack in suitcase). Using Disney Visa reward money for the character meals. Using Annual Pass discount for the room. This trip will be fun for me and the niece. Previous trip DH & I did split stay with Wilderness Lodge and Yacht Club with marina view. We spent more time at resorts and was a quieter trip. Everyone's trip has different expectations which makes it great fun for each individual. As long as you enjoy how you vacation..... go for it!

 

[manning]

Never kept up with Jones' However they cannot keep up to me in retirement.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Oh heck no, we don't compare ourselves to others. Maybe we're going in "reverse" lol, but we actually now enjoy staying offsite more than onsite. We don't do dessert parties or anything like that because we rarely eat sugar, I prefer to do healthier meals by preparing them or going to healthier offsite restaurant options - so no dining plans for us whether on or offsite. Honestly, the times we've done all onsite dining we've always come home sick & exhausted for some reason. There are a few friends & relatives of ours who sort of judge our choices but...to each their own! We're simply grateful for the opportunity to spend time & make memories together, that's what is important in the end.

 

[ericar]

I don't try to keep up with anyone but I do try to do the best trip I can afford. I usually try to save money as much as I can in daily life but when it comes to Disney I have found that most of the time spending more gets more. I am still happy to do a bargain trip but I enjoy the more expensive options if I can afford it.

 

[Accident]

I found an interesting phenomenon that the more you go to disney, the cheaper it gets. There is so many ways to get the price down that it just takes time to learn them. You also need to learn what it is your family actually wants out of each trip and first you need to get out of the "we'll never afford to come again so lets do it all this trip" mindset.

I'm starting to use the phrase "Disney will cost as much as you let it" when talking to peopel trying to figure out how to afford a trip. I also like to tell people to make your first trip as lean as possible. Nobody listens but then again they are trying to keep up with the jones's thinking this is how everyone is going down over and over. Everyone seems to want to make the trip special. I don't get that logic especially if your a first time visitor or an infrequent visitor. Many spent their life dreaming of finally coming and then they fill up the day with as many costly things taking away from the reason they wanted to come. You wanted to come to see the castle, ride these rides, see what a disney resort is like. you didn't dream about a desert party or overpaying for a room your never in the first trip. All you did was make it most costly to be here.

Best advice I can give for keeping up with the frequent visiting jones's: stop over spending, the jones's aren't paying what you are to come and that's why they can afford to come 3-4 times for the price your paying for 1 trip.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

I found an interesting phenomenon that the more you go to disney, the cheaper it gets. There is so many ways to get the price down that it just takes time to learn them. You also need to learn what it is your family actually wants out of each trip and first you need to get out of the "we'll never afford to come again so lets do it all this trip" mindset.

I'm starting to use the phrase "Disney will cost as much as you let it" when talking to peopel trying to figure out how to afford a trip. I also like to tell people to make your first trip as lean as possible. Nobody listens but then again they are trying to keep up with the jones's thinking this is how everyone is going down over and over. Everyone seems to want to make the trip special. I don't get that logic especially if your a first time visitor or an infrequent visitor. Many spent their life dreaming of finally coming and then they fill up the day with as many costly things taking away from the reason they wanted to come. You wanted to come to see the castle, ride these rides, see what a disney resort is like. you didn't dream about a desert party or overpaying for a room your never in the first trip. All you did was make it most costly to be here.

Best advice I can give for keeping up with the frequent visiting jones's: stop over spending, the jones's aren't paying what you are to come and that's why they can afford to come 3-4 times for the price your paying for 1 trip.

Sound advice my friend!

 

[AquaDame]

What about you? Are you the type of person who feels they need to keep up with the Jones's to have a good vacation? Or do you focus on your vacation and not worry about other people who may have more than you?

Quite the opposite actually... I admit being envious of the kind of lifestyle where money isn't part of the equation in general, but no vacation has ever suffered by not spending a ton of money on a status place. What HAS happened is having bad things happen on vacation due to trying to save a buck. Examples at the bottom for those who like anecdotes.

I think that the best really is somewhere in the middle ground - not so cheap you are uncomfortable, not so spendy you get diminished returns. I assume whoever the Jones' are they make way more money than I will ever see and so its not an issue.


Examples:
Most recently we were in Rarotonga over the holiday break and had rented an Airbnb which was cheaper than a hotel. When we got there it wasn't what we expected at all... it was a little house on the shore to be sure but there were no screens on the windows and not even a single fan. We could see the wires in the ceiling where the fans had been, but they had been pulled out. Without bug screens we had geckos (they were cute) and flying insects in the house which of course included mosquitos but we couldn't close the window since it felt like a sauna. We tried all day - we could NOT get even a breeze in there and I very quickly got very ill from the heat. I could not cool down - not with cold water, not with a shower, not even with a drive around the island in the car. I'd feel just as bad within a half hour of being in that place. Then we found a wasp nest under the eaves by the bathroom to boot when we realized they were flying in as well. I was ready to go home within 12 hours of arriving and that has never happened to me anywhere before. We ended up going down the street to some hotels and ended up booking a different room for the rest of the vacation the next morning - they could not accommodate us the first night. We did not get a refund from the people at the Airbnb even though they said they are flexible with dates which still makes me angry but what can you do? Expensive lesson learned - over $700 flushed and we still had to get that spendy hotel room. It did "save" the vacation though - we had a blast after that - and to be honest we got a 'walk-in' rate for about half what the room should have cost us. Unfortunately they only had one of the most expensive rooms left... ^^;

The first time I went to Japan I was a broke college student so we ate nothing but cheap fried food and fatty cuts of meat which was no fun. I noticed our tempers flared as the week wore on. The second time I went I got into frequent arguments with my then boyfriend over the cost of food as well. It was not uncommon to go to 2 or 3 different restaurants and try to find something he was OK eating. At one sushi place he literally spit it back out on the plate, said he would not eat it, and left me sitting there. My husband and I have a more than ample food budget when we travel now - feeling good and with full stomachs is vital.

We have chosen 'saver fare' train and plane tickets to save as little as $30 but added hours on to our trips. When I was using a Eurail pass in college we booked an overnight train in one of the cheaper overnight cars that you share and ended up abandoning the car and sleeping in the hallway it was so uncomfortable.

To save a buck I have also stayed in less than desirable locations safety-wise.. not so bad that I thought I would be killed mind you, but bad in a 'this is clearly a red light district' sense. As a lady, still dumb, but I was traveling with guys and thought it would be alright. No, still really uncomfortable. We had to spend part of our vacation socializing with the host the one time we rented only a room from an Airbnb host that expected it from us (wont do that again - we also had to share our restroom with her teenage son), suffered mouse poop in the corners of a days inn in Ashland, and my brother had one run in with a front desk that demanded to hold his passport in their safe at a hostel in Amsterdam. All very much not worth the money saved...

 

[manning]

Remember the Mercury Grand Marquis, Ford Crown Vic and Lincoln Town car? Under the sheet metal the same. Same power train, same chassis. Basically same everything. The main difference...cosmetic. The difference with the Lincoln it had air suspension which when failed cost $$$$ to fix.

The main difference..... the cost getting from point A to Point B factoring in the purchase price.

 

[MEM]

We don't feel the need either because "the Joneses" may be in debt up to their eyeballs (I think you all remember that commercial). Appearances are deceiving. I recall the year we stayed at All Star Music. The kids were like 6 and 8 and we got an AP rate of $49 a night. I didn't feel deprived, I felt very fortunate. I remember riding the bus to one of the parks and there was a youngish couple with two kids - I overheard the couple telling another guest that they were both anesthesiologists! I recall being impressed that they seemed content to stay at a Value Resort when they could have stayed at a Deluxe. Of course they could have had student loans to pay off but that didn't occur to me then. Fourteen years later and we now own four DVC contracts and visit twice a year. We are debt-free including our home. This is on one modest salary (mine) as DH is retired and a SAHD to our disabled adult son. I only feel the need to keep up with "me, myself and I".

Update - I am not "assuming" that ALL Joneses are in debt just suggesting that some are and to compare your situation or try to compete is a waste of energy.

 

[Toon crazy]

Just saw this was thread of the week on the podcast. Just having a good time posting some fun topics I think about. Glad it is causing some discussion.

 

[LovesTimone]

Life is short...Really short... so don't waste it on worrying about what other people have, So I don't care who has what.

 

[Marionnette]

Don't judge the Joneses for being wasteful spendthrifts with little money in their retirement plans, no college funds for the kids and crushing debt. You don't know the Joneses. And as someone else pointed out up thread - to someone else YOU are the Joneses.

We own a business. When we don't open our doors, we don't make money because we ARE the business. We get precious little time in the way of vacation. When I do get to vacation, it's to get away from the worries of the world. I want to feel special and pampered. I plan, save, scrounge for discounts and save some more. If I'm staying at the GF RPC and dining at V&A, it's not to impress anyone. It's because that's what I want to do. Personally, I love reading the trip reports from people who have done Disney on a shoestring as well as those who have done an extravagant stay. I commend the person who manages to get her family to Disney for under $1K as much as I admire the guy who secretly put together a fabulous trip for his wife. I take away ideas from each of them and I don't care how either writer came up with the funds to pay for their visit (unless they found a fool-proof way to win the lottery, in which case I want in on the secret).

 

[ellie05]

I don't know why so many here assume the Joneses are in debt, have no savings, or no retirement etc. Maybe they just have a big salary. The people I know they have no debt they just have a lot of money their houses are paid (yeah houses including vacation), they just own very successful companies and investments that make them lots of money. They already have more than enough for retirement and their kids college won't make a dent in the money.

 

[Robyn623]

My son is traveling to Disney World with his band the week after Christmas. My husband, daughter and I have decided to go as well. My husband has been to Disney World but this will be a first time trip for the kids and I. We do not have a lot of money so I am working hard to save money and figure out how to be frugal at the park. I'm glad to see this post because I feel the same way. Despite being frugal, I am having a blast planning this trip so far! I don't feel like we will be missing out at all. We plan on taking our own lunch in the park and eating quick service suppers in order to have money for extra Disney treats like the Mickey Bar & the Dole Whip. I've read so many great tips here and I seriously can't wait for our trip!

 

[morgan98]

I don't know why so many here assume the Joneses are in debt, have no savings, or no retirement etc. Maybe they just have a big salary. The people I know they have no debt they just have a lot of money their houses are paid (yeah houses including vacation), they just own very successful companies and investments that make them lots of money. They already have more than enough for retirement and their kids college won't make a dent in the money.

IMO, this is the best post on the thread. It is very wrong to assume that people who have nice things or spend more on something than you do are all in debt up to their eyeballs and one week away from a divorce. In life, some have more than you do and some have less. Spend and do what you are comfortable with and do not think or worry about how others are paying for what they have or do.