TLDR: Husband lost job weeks after planning and paying for our disney trip . Its non refundable. Should we still go?

[mjkacmom]

I am possibly misunderstanding, is there other savings like an emergency fund or main checking account besides the $1000 you currently have in savings?

If not, I would not be going or planning a Disney trip. The tickets and gift cards you can defer to a future time, but the timeshare thing is really tough. I have not booked one of these before, but is there any possibility to try to rent the week to someone else? That is really hard if you have to eat the $1000 for the room. That part of me almost thinks "Just go, you lose the thousand either way", but you'll be piling gas costs, wear and tear on your vehicle (more miles means oil change, tire rotations etc all come sooner) and additional food costs in order to not eat the $1000. That is a rock and a hard place.

How about raising funds in order to cover those added costs? I am always trying to find ways to make extra cash here and there so I have years of experience in selling things on eBay, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. Is there anything in your home that you don't use or need anymore that is still of value? If you start now and list a couple things on Marketplace, even if it's $10 here and there, you could potentially earn a few hundred dollars between now and May and cover your gas expenses, that would take a little of the hit off. That is how I try to fund the food portions of all of our vacations.

You may already have an emergency fund in place so I could just be talking out of my butt here, but if you don't, that would be my #1 priority before thinking about vacations after this point.

I hope you're able to figure out best case scenario. If you do go, commit and try to enjoy yourself. If you don't, don't get discouraged, maybe make a date target goal (like, "We want to be able to go to Disney by May 2025"), that can be a real motivating factor in helping you plan everything financially and gives you something to look forward to.

My 26 year old started looking for an apartment today (came home in November after a 7 year relationship ended). She says she can easily afford rent, and has $15,000 in cash, her dad is a FA. We both agreed she needs to keep that in cash fir a 6 month emergency fund (she also drives a 15 year old civic and drives a lot). Both of our parents were financially secure, we didn’t to on many vacations, didn’t go out to eat, they all drove used cars, but we never had to worry about money (like some of our friends, one of my friends was always having to move from apartment to apartment), that’s a gift to give to your children.

 

[lanejudy]

after awhile of being home we aquired a sizable savings from the leftover (besides bills) coupled with tax refund money ...
...I currently have 1000 in savings

Sorry, but these 2 sentences contradict each other. You either have a sizable amount in savings or you have $1000 in savings. If you do only have $1000 in savings, you need to get financially stable and figure out how to make ends meet for the next few months.

Salvage what you can from the vacation without putting more $$ into that endeavor. See if the timeshare can be re-rented -- right now that is your only truly sunk cost. Save the tickets and gift cards. DO NOT spend more funds on gas, food, hotels down and back, wear and tear on the car, etc. Food on vacation always costs more than at home, even when you plan to prepare all your meals yourself at the timeshare. If you had car trouble on the drive, how would you handle that (repair expense, maybe another hotel night on the road, more food expense on the road, etc.)? You need to be prepared for the unexpected and with only $1K in savings you are not ready for a long distance trip or an 11-day vacation. You also need to be prepared for the unexpected at home -- what if the baby gets sick? What if the car needs an unexpected repair? Lots of unexpected things crop up at the most inopportune time. You need a cushion of savings, not spending more for vacation.

might possibly be able to have the dates changed through disney like you said, for an unchanged. But would have to know what dates we would rather use them and would have to pay the difference up front.

This is incorrect. Even purchased through a 3rd party your tickets will retain their value if fully unused. Yes you would need to change the dates and yes you would need to pay the extra for the new dates -- but none of that has to be done in advance. Make note of the ticket numbers and their value (what WDW sold the ticket for at the time you bought). Hopefully you bought since mid-December so the prices online today should be your value.

 

[allison443]

Does your husband have any concerns that being fired could impact his ability to easily get another job? Also if he is not working by the time of the trip, in my state he would not be eligible for unemployment during the time period that he is on vacation. Just some factors to consider. Best of luck - I know it is a difficult situation.

 

[TwoMisfits]

As a new poster who joined today, if you are truly planning this trip, I would cancel it and seek any refunds you could get. The ticket value will remain for when your spouse has a future job and your family is in a more stable state.

If, instead, you follow in the footsteps of previous posters on this board who posted about job losses and trips, I hope current members are aware of the rules about seeking/sending monetary gifts.

 

[Mle8308]

Does your husband have any concerns that being fired could impact his ability to easily get another job? Also if he is not working by the time of the trip, in my state he would not be eligible for unemployment during the time period that he is on vacation. Just some factors to consider. Best of luck - I know it is a difficult situation.

And in many states if you are fired for just cause, you cannot collect unemployment benefits. Maybe I'm not as altruistic as I should be, but something seems off about this. Similar to another poster who lost her job and was asking if she should go to Disney...

 

[Robber Baron]

.

 

[firefly_ris]

And in many states if you are fired for just cause, you cannot collect unemployment benefits. Maybe I'm not as altruistic as I should be, but something seems off about this. Similar to another poster who lost her job and was asking if she should go to Disney...

Well, I guess if it is a fake post, maybe some lurkers can still use advice from this thread, so there's that at least.

 

[FQLover]

Goodness! I don't know if this poster is legit or not, but if the case is true and she is really in this situation, I feel compelled to say, "Don't go!" Now, I am frugal and sometimes cheap, but if the household earners for my family of three dropped down from one to zero, there is no way I would continue on with an 11 day vacation, under any circumstances. Try to re-sell that time share, even if you lose 200-300 dollars, that is better than losing the whole 1000. Put the tickets and gift cards away for another time. They will keep.

How are you going to pay the next batch of bills that come in, after the ones you paid ahead? It is great that your husband is optimistic, but you need to be seeing him with a new job and a first paycheck deposited in your bank. Make a budget for the leanest monthly expenditures you can manage. A lot of people here had good suggestions for finding extra income. You need to hunker down right now. Congrats on saving that $1000 but that will not pay a month's expenses, of course. Apply for SNAP benefits, visit your local food shelter, apply for WIC for your baby--whatever it takes to keep yourselves fed and with a roof over your head.

You should not be "feeling guilty or stupid" for planning the trip. How could you know the future? But if you go ahead with these plans now, in the face of these circumstances, I would very much worry about how you will survive until your husband's employment is back on an even keel. Remember 1 year old babies don't know where they are. They have just as much fun at home with you playing with them as they would being strolled down Main Street at Disney. Sometimes the fun is for us seeing our infants somewhere really cool. They themselves will have no memories of a trip at this age.

It is always disappointing when we have to cancel a vacation. But something pressing that needs our attention is usually the reason for it. You will get through this and can re-schedule when the picture is brighter. Good luck.

 

[focusondisney]

Why would you prioritize bringing a baby to this in this situation?

You can reschedule Disney bookings and tickets. Push it as far as you can. Then push it again in a few months. Go when you have a stable financial situation and your kid is old enough to get it.

I wouldn't even be able to enjoy buying a Dole Whip in this situation.

This was my first thought. This baby born was 3 months prematurely & seems to be less than a year old. I worked with premmies & their parents in the hospital for years. Parents are always advised to avoid crowds & anyone who is ill. I don’t know any pediatrician who would think taking a young premmie baby to a theme park is a good idea.

Sorry, but these 2 sentences contradict each other. You either have a sizable amount in savings or you have $1000 in savings. If you do only have $1000 in savings, you need to get financially stable and figure out how to make ends meet for the next few months.

Salvage what you can from the vacation without putting more $$ into that endeavor. See if the timeshare can be re-rented -- right now that is your only truly sunk cost. Save the tickets and gift cards. DO NOT spend more funds on gas, food, hotels down and back, wear and tear on the car, etc. Food on vacation always costs more than at home, even when you plan to prepare all your meals yourself at the timeshare. If you had car trouble on the drive, how would you handle that (repair expense, maybe another hotel night on the road, more food expense on the road, etc.)? You need to be prepared for the unexpected and with only $1K in savings you are not ready for a long distance trip or an 11-day vacation. You also need to be prepared for the unexpected at home -- what if the baby gets sick? What if the car needs an unexpected repair? Lots of unexpected things crop up at the most inopportune time. You need a cushion of savings, not spending more for vacation.

My 2nd thought was, taking any vacation, let alone a Disney vacation when you have $1000 in the bank is a terribly bad & immature decision. For everything you pointed out. And a vacation with a premmie baby at that. Your advice is spot on.

And in many states if you are fired for just cause, you cannot collect unemployment benefits. Maybe I'm not as altruistic as I should be, but something seems off about this. Similar to another poster who lost her job and was asking if she should go to Disney...

Well I’m just as skeptical as you are. The stories are way too similar, with the addition of the premmie baby. If I’m wrong & this is a real post, I feel very sorry for the poster. This couple has some growing up to do. Sounds like they could use a lot of guidance in financial planning & decision making. Best case scenario is it’s a spring breaker & we’re being trolled.

 

[DLgal]

You can't afford this trip. Don't go.

 

[StacyStrong]

I wouldn’t even go to Starbucks with $1000 in savings, a family of 3 and no income.

 

[Dakota731]

I’ve rented a lot of timeshares in my time, and they can almost always be rented out again in this type of situation especially with a popular tourist destination. Everything else can be saved for a future trip so why spend tons of more money on food and gas when your family is unemployed. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself in these circumstances anyway so I’d stay home. Your baby is too young to remember the trip anyway.

 

[Disney_David]

Was thinking the same....

Me too

 

[igrsod]

I am from the camp of you should go and just be frugal. Most things are paid for. Just bring your own food and snacks. We have done trips like this and it is still fun. A distraction and some fun might be just what you need.

 

[Disney_David]

If this is genuine, my heart goes out to you all. But you shouldn’t go. You need to get financially stable and even if you budget, you’ll spend significantly more than you planned or can afford

 

[bcwife76]

Perhaps this poster is a long time Dis poster but wanted to remain anonymous for this post? Who knows....
But back to the post....no, I would NOT go. Either you have a lot in savings or $1k in savings and that part is not making sense to me...if it's only $1K then you should be eating ramen and drinking water at home, not taking a trip to WDW.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

In our family we’d have a SAHD for a while while I went out and found a job to support our family, doing whatever I had to do so that we stay afloat and give my husband time to find something that’s going to be good for him long term. It’s a team effort, and some local jobs can often get started pretty quickly. (I saw a local coffee shop offering $24/hr to come in for early morning hours ~4am, not bad!) You don’t say if you have any skills but maybe this is a good time to re-evaluate all of that. I hate to say it but what would happen if you lost your husband suddenly? Do you have a plan in place to support yourself and your child should that happen? Insurance (disability, life, etc.)? Savings? Emergency funds? These are things that are important to financial, family security.

Sorry if that strays a bit from the question of whether you should go on your trip, but, as others have said (and whether this first post is a hoax or not, others are reading and learning, too) it’s good to talk about these things. I know it’s super difficult with today’s costs (as it was when we were starting out from scratch, as well). But it is reality in the world we live in. Personally I’d postpone the trip and get busy building financial security for our family. That is a better gift to your child than a Disney trip at this point that your baby won’t even remember. Once things are more secure you can look forward to planning another trip in the future. And yes, staying at Disney and buying your tickets through them may be a little pricier (though there are ways to keep costs down), but they’re good about helping out for emergencies. I was diagnosed with cancer 10 days before our first Disney cruise and had a similar decision to make. I called Disney to discuss it and they said we wouldn’t lose a penny, that they’d move our reservation up and we could go later. It was such a relief to hear that.

Good luck with this. Sometimes we need to look at the bigger picture even though it’s not what we really want to do. And I do believe that things happen for a reason. (Consider it could be a life lesson that helps your family out in the long run, for instance.)

 

[QueenIsabella]

Again, assuming this isn't a troll post...

To add to what Pea-and-me said, if you guys are committed to a SAHP, that's fine, but there are a lot of things you have to consider. In addition to having a large emergency fund and insurance (life and disability) on your husband, you also need life insurance on you--how would he cope if you got hit by a bus? All of a sudden he's grieving and finding (and paying for) child care.

In addition, a child born 3 months premature can possibly have life-long health issues. Here's hoping the baby is fine, but this is something else that should be planned and budgeted for. On the good side, a SAHP can do a lot in this regard, but there might be future therapies, surgeries, and other medical needs.

Not knowing the circumstances of the job termination--it's possible that he was terminated during a probationary period. If so, there might not be unemployment on offer. I would also mention that the wife might not all the real truth on what might have happened--she only knows what he tells her. Not saying he's lying, but he might not be saying everything.

These things come in so far ahead of an 11-day Disney trip, the trip cannot even see their dust. It wasn't a great idea to begin with (recent new employment, counting on future promotions, sick baby with possible compromised immune system that's too young to appreciate the trip any way...). Now, it's a terrible idea.

 

[focusondisney]

It wasn't a great idea to begin with (recent new employment, counting on future promotions, sick baby with possible compromised immune system that's too young to appreciate the trip any way...). Now, it's a terrible idea.

100% this. Just left out the apparent lack of any significant savings. It definitely was a bad idea to start with. Taking the trip now would be seriously irresponsible. But since the OP joined just to post & hasn’t been back since 5 AM yesterday, I’m leaning more toward troll.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Yeah, I'm leaning towards troll, too. I had a very sick child--not even a preemie, he was sick his entire second year. Even after he improved, it took me a very, very long time to relax about his health. In fact, our first trip to WDW was when he was 2 1/2--completely paid for by my MIL, she took us and my BIL and his family. I was a total drill sergeant on my son--I know my in-laws thought I was nuts, but I was completely focused on making sure he got through the trip healthy (the germs! The people! Strange bed! Strange place! Strange food! Noises!) Believe me, I stayed up nights thinking of ways it could go wrong. I insisted on daily breaks and looked up the nearest hospital, long before I left home. And it was a gift trip--no money issues at all, but I was completely overwhelmed by his health issues alone. Had it not been a family trip, going to WDW wouldn't have even been on my radar.

Fast forward 23 years--he's fine. Autistic, has anxiety and depression, has a host of issues in that regard, but his physical health is fine.