How To Avoid The Timeshare Plunge And Still Travel

Our motivation to travel has changed from 20 years ago. Back then, television commercials and word of mouth motivated us to see the world. Now, we are constantly hounded by friends posts on social media, photographers sharing amazing sites and so forth. As we sit at our desks at work and scroll through countless pictures of friends and family enjoying life, we wonder two things, do these people even work? Also, when is it going to be our turn to live life? 

You can call it jealously but really the fact is that you’ve worked hard, and you need a break, not just from work but from your routine. You’ve earned a vacation and you know exactly where you would like to go. The problem is it’s also the same time everyone else wants to go there and that means increase hotel rates, lots of traffic and less fun. So, how do you avoid this and still enjoy your vacation?

How Timeshares Sucker You In

Rather than allowing you the chance of looking for better alternatives, timeshare companies like to utilize a psychological tactic where you are making a decision based on experience, not facts. People think that these companies use free theme park tickets and vacations as a way of luring you in when in reality, they are simply trying to create an enjoyable environment that you want to continue to experience as often as possible.

When are you most likely to eat ice cream, on the way home from the gym, at 9 am in the morning, or right after you’ve had a few slices of pizza and are watching television? That’s the same mindset timeshare companies utilize. They do not ask you to make a decision when you have just arrived or in the middle of your vacation, they wait until you are happy and want to continue being happy.

Better Ways To Travel

Obviously, these methods are effective otherwise, these companies would not generate the kind of money they have been. However, if your goal is to travel more and you are looking for ways to do so without signing up for a timeshare, consider these options for a budget-friendly trip:

• Try and go off season: Seasonal areas for travel have one thing in common, increased rates. For example, if you are traveling to Key West during the winter months, you are going to see a lot of people from the northern states and around the world there as well. This is when the cost for a hotel room is extremely high as is the cost for much of the entertainment you will experience on the island. However, if you go in the summer months when tourism is down significantly, you can find reasonable rates and still enjoy everything the local area has to offer.
• Look at Airbnb’s: The good thing about Airbnb’s is that they’ve become so popular that you usually see a good amount of information on a place before you sign up. That means that you are able to look at reviews and get inside information before choosing a place.
• Use travel apps: there are dozens of apps and sites that offer you the best rates on hotels and for the most part, they do a great job. These sites have worked out arrangements with the hotels to get their customers the best deals.
• Don’t take the week off: If you work M-F, 9-5 then you probably get a week or two for vacation. Traditionally, we think of taking an entire week off to really travel. This tends to increase the cost of the trip significantly as it’s more food and more time in hotels. Instead, take Thursday and Friday off, travel Wednesday night and head home Saturday night or Sunday morning. This still gives you 2-3 full days at your destination and cuts your expenses in half. Plus, you get to use those other vacation days later in the year, either for another trip or to enjoy your home and relax.

Everyone has a different situation when it comes to travel interests, time, budget and so forth. However, one thing everyone should understand is that there are affordable alternatives to timeshares that need to be explored and if you made the mistake of getting into one, you need to get out as soon as possible.