Wino evening roundup

Loopyseven

And that timeframe is hurricane season so I'm not sure I'd book anything Carribbean just then.

I've been to Puerto Vallarta (actually 20 minutes down the coast in Nuevo Vallarta) and Cabo in Mexico.  PV is better for laying on the beach and relaxing, Cabo is better if you want some nightlife and like to "do more stuff".  

We met some people in Cabo last time who bought their week off E-bay for like $600 (it wasn't AI, but the place we were at you could buy an AI package for like $80 a day or something like that).  You just need to really read all the fine print cause some of the listings are just for any week, some are for a specific week, and some are for the actual timeshare where you will be obligated for the annual maintenance cost for the rest of the life of the timeshare.  People who buy into the timeshare and decide the don't want to go there that year will sell them for the cost of the maintenance fees they have to pay whether they go or not.  some of them include AI or at least vouchers for some stuff at whatever resort they are at.

kellyjellybelly

We've done AI's in Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Pvnta Cana and a few other places.  They're great.  You can lay around at the beach/pool all you want, and we always go do some excursions cause after 2 days laying on a beach, I'm bored.  

Really, TK?  Pvnta Cana is a place, not a bad word.

nda_roxybabe

I like cruises, a lot. Travelzoo can often hook you up with good deals.

Birdie1483

That all sounds like so much fun!! I think I might push for the AI choice because it would be a "splurge." We're much more likely to go on a cruise at some other point because they're cheaper and we'd have more flexibility at some other point.

Plus, up until we started talking about HM's I thought FI hated cruises. He always went on about how they were one of the most wasteful and polluting things on earth.

Now I just have to figure out when we should book.

jesibel14

Oh and I'll add that I like all inclusives better than cruises   I've only been on one cruise, but I felt it didn't give enough time to explore the destinations.

I went to Costa Rica for our HM.  1/2 the trip was at an all inclusive and the resort was amazing.  CR has tons of fun excursions too (volcanos to check out, ziplining, ATVing along beaches, hot springs, horse back riding, to name a few).

kellyjellybelly

http://puntacanaprincess.com/

aww i wanna go back.

[Deleted User]

Once you start talking to a TA, they should be able to tell you when to book to get the best rates. They have all the inside details on those kinds of things.

We booked ours in September 2009 and got married this past June, so I guess we were about 9 months out. And the nice thing was that we only had to put so much down initially and then we made payments every month until it was paid off. The balance had to be paid in full about a month before the trip anyway.

DramaGeek

Y'all are making me jealous.  We spend all our vacation money visiting family.  The most exciting "vacation" we've been on in the last 8 years was the time we spent 2 days in Chicago before heading to South Bend to see my family.  Add our lack of funds to my teacher schedule and we're all kinds of screwed.  I don't want to go on a carribean vacation in the summer!  I want to go in winter, when it's cold and wet here and warm there, but we can't.  Man, we both chose the wrong careers.

jesibel14

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_wino-evening-roundup?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:c40fad02-1e76-45df-9234-61ebff1a018dPost:1ef0cc89-99e8-4fb0-ac88-287a132ff32e">Re: Wino evening roundup</a>:
[QUOTE]jesibel I went to stalk your pro pics, but they're no longer available on the site. Sad Panda
Posted by mkrupar[/QUOTE]

OH they aren't? Dang it all.  Let me see if I can fix that.  I'd be flattered to be stalked :)

louisvillebride21

I'm here! Ok, going back to read now

[Deleted User]

I should be reading right now, too instead of staying addicted to TK.

Birdie1483

Drama, the Caribbean vacations are still awesome in the summer!

And right now I"m still not 100% sure where we'll be getting the money for our HM. We'll make it work, but it makes me nervous. I'm getting my bonus tomorrow and I'll see it for all of about 24 hours before it'll all be deposited towards my credit card.

kellyjellybelly

duh, birdie, just do a honeymoon registry

mkrupar

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_wino-evening-roundup?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c40fad02-1e76-45df-9234-61ebff1a018dPost:cb1636a0-ee02-469c-be9f-5cdca9a86fc4">Re: Wino evening roundup</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm here! Ok, going back to read now :D
Posted by louisvillebride21[/QUOTE]

Thanks for popping in LVB. Getting a head start on the 111 books in 2011? Enjoy!

[Deleted User]

I know the feeling about money Birdie. Honestly, it has be so depressed half of the time. I just have to start looking at the long term and not the short term. But its just so hard. I don't know how in the hell we afforded the HM, but we did, and it was all cash.

Since I have lived here, I have had to curb my shopping habits tremendously and I hate it. I am seriously thinking about getting another job just so we can have the money for me to go back to school instead of taking out a loan. H has enough of them and I would like to get them paid down first before we go taking out more debt.

mkrupar

KJB that place looks like a lot of fun.

andy71781

Hi!  I'm here.  Just got back from a meeting with my new Minneapolis version therapist.  I guess its weird to say that online.

I'm fat and didn't even weigh myself this week because I'm too fat.  fatty fat fat.

kellyjellybelly

It was nice! what beats a bed on the beach?

Loopyseven

Yeah, H should be getting a bonus check in January - and tax returns in February.. but they will be gone about as soon as we get them as well.

andy71781

Ugh we are having series honeymoon issues!  Birdie - whatever you do do not book with vayama.  They are kind of a rip-off.

DramaGeek

Birdie, I need to keep the illusion that the only reason we can't go on a caribbean vacation is because we could only go in the summer.  Do not reduce it all to being about money because then I'll feel pathetic.  Seriously, I want to take a big vacation, but holy hades they're expensive.  Maybe someday, when we've paid off the heloc or something.  It's $1k for us to visit family every year; if we didn't have to do that we could go on a bigger vacay once every 4 or 5 years.  Sometimes I wish we weren't so respnsible with our money and could go without worrying about it.  hell, we only spent $500 on our honeymoon because we had two tuitions to pay and only one income at the time.  Now I feel like we'll never go on a nice vacation someplace new.

Yeah, I'm a bitter and jealous old hag

[Deleted User]

I can't wait for our tax returns. H and I already have been talking about filing asap and not waiting until the last minute this year. I guess we need to get on it bc I don't know how the being married part is going to factor into the equation. I hope it works to our advantage.

Birdie1483

Yeah things have been rough for me this year Missy. We got a 6% paycut in February. That was the equivalent to a monthly CC payment for me. That, on top of other stuff happening, made my CC go higher than I would like.  I've made it my goal to get it paid off by the wedding.

We were notified today that we'll receive the 6% back as a bonus, but it'll be taxed like a bonus. They have to take out at least 25% for Federal and then State and Local will be taken out too. They claim we'll get some back when we do our taxes, but we'll see. I'm not complaining though. I had resigned myself to the fact that we weren't getting anything, so when they said it was a possibility at our xmas party I almost started crying.

Birdie1483

Andy, it might be the wine, but at first I thought you said vagina haha!

louisvillebride21

No, just going back to read the thread

Jen, I'm telling you. You can get trip insurance when you book the cruise. I got so much of a better rate than the travel agent could give me. I can help you plan if you like. Remember, I backpacked Europe for 2 months, totally aloen and every plan went off without a hitch. I've been on 4 cruises, so I know a thing or two to be able to help.

kellyjellybelly

Andy - Chicago is Chicago.  Well, we really haven't gotten much snow this year, so that makes me a happy girl.  I feel like an abandoned child with you and beachy gone lately.

DramaGeek

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_wino-evening-roundup?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:c40fad02-1e76-45df-9234-61ebff1a018dPost:cc34bfc9-3321-4e4b-8cf7-8cb655422245">Re: Wino evening roundup</a>:
[QUOTE]Drama - exactly. I used to have a paid off vehicle and that was part of my budgeting problem when I bought a new (used) car. I was used to having that extra money a month that I suddenly didn't have anymore. I don't have student loans, but FI has a shitton. I guess that's "good" debt though.
Posted by Birdie1483[/QUOTE]

OMG, I know.  When we moved our mortgage more than doubles.  Zoinks!  It took a while to adjust to it and change our spending habits.  I hated that tiny little 964 sq ft house, but the disposable income was nice!

Birdie1483

Drama, that's not a bad thing about your H though. When I found out how much FI has in his 401k/IRA I almost shiit my pants. His dad is a super saver as well. You'll definitely be glad you were conservative now when you're older and wanting to retire, travel, etc.

Birdie1483

That's going to be our problem in a few years probably. We currently live well below "our means" and I don't know how we would enjoy life with a higher mortgage payment. I grew up living in a modest house and having a boat and a lake house and going on vacation every year, so it doesn't bother me. That was with having a mom as a teacher and a blue collar working dad. It can be done!

kellyjellybelly

We do something similar Loopy - but I just try and put any extra cash in a little bank in our dining room.  It adds up surprisingly quickly.  We're planning our next big trip to be to South Africa, so that's going to take a bit of savings