Congratulations to us on our one-year anniversary of Timeshare Tidbits!  The year has gone so fast, and it’s hard to believe that we have accumulated almost 70 posts!  We have enjoyed hearing from so many of you, especially those of you that we have actually met at some of the timeshares where we have stayed.  Please keep your comments coming, and your ideas for new posts.  Hopefully our site has been helpful to you, or at the very least, enjoyable to read.

What’s not to like about the Wyndham Glacier Canyon in the Wisconsin Dells? After a 4-night visit with our entire family, including one 87-year old and 2 grandkids, we can answer that question with a resounding, “Not a thing—it was FANTASTIC!!!”

Now, if you’re not excited about waterparks, you might not be as impressed as we were, but you would still enjoy it. The Dells area is beautiful and woodsy, and there are many things to enjoy other than the waterparks. It’s just that we did 7 waterparks in 4 days, and thus did not have time to do any of the other things! Luckily, we had done some of those things on previous trips.

The really neat thing about this resort is that the waterparks are right there. There are 4 indoor and 4 outdoor parks, and admission is free with your stay. The resort is huge, part of the Wilderness Resort, and pretty much a nirvana for kids. However, the thirty-somethings also enjoyed it immensely, as did the sixty-somethings. So not only do you get a rustic unit with beautiful furnishings, you get free entertainment, besides. As far as family value, we think this Wyndham has all the others beat, except for possibly the new one (also with a waterpark) in Sevierville, Tennessee.

Speaking of paradise for kids, they also have 3 arcades with games. The kids earn tickets which they can redeem for prizes—SO COOL! Mini-golf, ziplining and go-karts are also available at the resort. And, of course, this resort would be ideal for winter getaways, as you can get to the indoor waterparks without going outside. Most of them are about a 15-minute walk from the units, but shuttles run all the time.

We had a 2-BR and a 3-BR and had more room than we knew what to do with. The kitchens were well-stocked, the ceilings were high, the fireplace was gorgeous, the beds were comfortable. The furnishings seemed new and we had nice balconies overlooking a grassy area. The large, flat panel TV’s in all the bedrooms and the living room were a nice addition.

There was a small store off the lobby area which was nice for picking up incidentals, small grocery items and lattes. The staff was friendly and helpful when we asked for directions. There are some restaurants on site, but we didn’t eat at any of them, so really can’t comment on those.

And what are those other kid and adult things to do, besides the waterparks?
You can experience the true beauty and uniqueness of the Dells when you embark on one of the amphibious “Ducks,” that travel on land or water. There are Upper Dell and Lower Dell tours, the Upper being the most popular and more interesting. You can also visit the summer home of the Ringling Bros. Circus, where they actually stage small circus shows with live animals, clowns, etc. The Circus World museum is fascinating, and home to many rare circus wagons. A short drive to Baraboo will bring you to the International Crane Foundation, where you can see the 15 different fascinating species of cranes from all over the world.

Downtown Dells has many souvenir stores that are kind of kitschy, but there is a wonderful covered, outdoor outlet mall that has all your major outlet stores. There is an excellent cheese store (this IS Wisconsin!) very close to the resort with free tasting and very reasonable prices. (Where else can you buy blueberry cheddar???) And has anyone ever heard of Tommy Bartlett? A Dells visit isn’t complete without attending one of his amazing water ski shows or the Exploratory, with over 150 interactive science and technology displays. There is also a very nice casino, the Ho-Chunk, for the adults in your party.

And about an hour away is the town of Spring Green, home to Taliesen, Frank Lloyd Wright’s summer home and school. And very close to that is The House on the Rock, which can’t even be explained in print—you have to see it!

So if you’ve never been to Wisconsin, or even if you have, don’t bypass Wisconsin Dells, because it truly is a vacation wonderland! And check out the Wyndham Glacier Canyon Resort, because it is, without a doubt, one of the best! By the way, if there aren’t enough waterparks for you at Glacier Canyon, there are about 25 other ones close by–that’s why the Wisconsin Dells earned the title, “Waterpark Capital of the World!”

Previously known as Fairfield Timeshares, the Wyndham system is one of the largest timeshare systems in the world.  They offer quality resorts all over the United States, as well as some affiliate resorts in foreign countries.

When the timeshare idea first began, companies sold fixed weeks.  This meant that you bought a week at a resort in a certain season and unit. There was almost no flexibility as far as trading.  However, over time, exchange companies were born and with the creation of RCI and II came the ability to exchange for different resorts, different seasons, different-sized units.

Wyndham also eventually created a point system for its more recent owners, which offered even more flexibility.  Fixed week owners were given the option to buy into the point system, but didn’t necessarily have to. Those who opted for the points program purchased deeded property, which can be passed on to someone else, just like the properties of the fixed week owners.

There are some major advantages to the Wyndham points system, a notable one being that you can go to any Wyndham resort, not just the one that you own.  Also, you do not have to go for a full week, but can divide your vacation time into smaller blocks of days if you desire.  The system requires you to use more points for weekend nights, so you may want to try to book trips on weekdays, instead.

If you are traveling alone, or with one other person, you might take advantage of a studio, or smaller unit, which requires less points. The season in which you travel also influences the number of points you will need to use.  Within a resort, certain units may require a greater amount of points, such as a Presidential Unit, an oceanfront unit, or a higher floor. Sometimes newer resorts, or resorts in high demand areas, like Hawaii, may require higher point values to stay.

Let’s look at the points chart for Wyndham Royal Vista in Pompano Beach, Florida, located right on the beach.  Let’s say you are planning a week’s trip for 3 adults during prime time, and you have decided that you would like a 2-bedroom villa. According to the chart, that will cost you 203,000 points. You really don’t want to spend quite that many, as you were hoping to save some for another trip.  So, back to the chart.  You decide that probably you could really get by with a 1-bedroom, as it has a king bed and a sleeper sofa.

The beach view would be nice, but since the resort is on the beach, and you’ll be there  for several days, you really don’t care too much about the view from your unit.  This resort offers a “point saver” option, which is basically a unit with an obstructed view, so you decide on that, instead.  And, if you move your trip back a week, it will put you in high time, instead of prime time, thus saving you more points.  Then, instead of booking Sunday to Sunday, you decide to leave on Saturday, which will save you an expensive weekend day.  So now, you’re looking at 90,000  points instead of 203,000 points.  You’ve saved so many points, you could go for almost two weeks!

By making some adjustments, you have saved 113,000 points! Of course, you might not want to make all these concessions, but the point is that if you examine the options carefully, you may be able to use less points.

You can also use your Wyndham points for trading into RCI. You call your Wyndham counselor, and deposit a designated number of points into the RCI system. They assign you a resort, unit size, and season for trading purposes and you use this deposit to search RCI’s inventory for your vacation. Often you can “trade up,” getting a larger unit, or a better season.  You can also trade back into Wyndham using fewer points, but you will have to pay the RCI exchange fee.

We have four other posts covering the Wyndham Timeshare System.  You might check these out for additional information:  An Overview of the Wyndham System, a Wyndham RCI system explanation, a Wyndham Wrap-up, and using the Wyndham Points Chart. Overall, the Wyndham points system offers a great deal of flexibility and allows you to plan some great vacations!

I can’t afford to take a vacation!  In this economy how can we go on vacation?  Where has all my money gone– NO vacation this year!

We hear these statements frequently from friends and family and would like to discuss some of the ways you can take a cheap timeshare vacation every year.  You need it and deserve it!

First, let’s talk about buying a timeshare week.  Do NOT purchase a week from the developer, as they are very expensive and you will get very little of your money back when you go to sell.  We have bought several of our timeshares off eBay.  You need to follow several auctions that are going on and only bid on ones that are using a closing company.

The closing company will take care of everything needed for the closing and the transfer of the deed.  They will hold the money in an escrow account until you have the deed, before they will release money to the seller.  Also, expect to pay a closing fee of around $300.00 to $500.00; sometimes you can split this with the seller.  We also call the resort on any listings we are interested in (before we bid) to make sure it is a free and clear week with no back taxes, special assessments, etc.

You can also check with friends, co-workers, etc. in reference to weeks they are not using.  Perhaps they would be interested in selling.  Right now, with the poor economy, people are even willing to give a week away for free just to get out from under the maintenance fee. You can also talk to a resort and possibly pick up a week that is in foreclosure.

Look closely at the maintenance fees that you will be required to pay every year.  Our cheapest one-week maintenance fee is only $411.00 per year. Some can run over $1000.00 per week.  This makes a week fairly expensive if you are trying to take a cheap vacation.  In the long run you will save a lot if you can get a week with low fees, and if the week trades well (if it is in a good location) you can trade into more expensive resorts.

Once you have a week, you can begin to plan your vacation.  If you bought a fixed week at a resort, you simply go to the resort the week that you own and enjoy your vacation. If you want to trade the week, you need to join RCI or II to trade– which one will depend on the resort you purchased at.  You can then trade your week to go to different resorts and/or at different times of the year.  You can often take a one bedroom week and trade it for a larger unit.   We just recently traded a studio for a three bedroom in Myrtle Beach during spring break, using RCI.

If you bought points in say, the Wyndham system, you can trade these points through RCI for another week.  You can also use your points to stay at any Wyndham Timeshare and they have a lot of resorts all over the country.  You use more points for weekend stays vs. weekday stays. You use more points for a larger unit, like a three bedroom, vs. a small unit, like a studio.  Finally, you use more points for travel in a high demand season vs. off-season. So look at the resorts and plan to get the most out of your points.

Now that you have your vacation scheduled, let’s cover some of the ways to save money on your cheap timeshare vacation.  First of all, if you drive, it is almost always cheaper than flying and renting a car. Sometimes you have a large enough unit that you can invite friends along and charge them to cover some of the cost.  Also, because most timeshares have a kitchen, you can save a lot of money by fixing meals rather than going out for every meal.  We usually do a little of both, which cuts costs.

Most timeshares have excellent amenities, so you can save money by enjoying the resort rather than spending money on local attractions. The resort usually provides activities for kids, and that  helps out with planning entertainment.  In addition, they frequently offer discounts to area attractions or activities that also save money.  Many resorts offer tours of the area or sights, and they provide transportation for a fee.  Instead of paying so much per person to do this, simply drive your group to the site and tour by yourselves.

We travel a lot and enjoy cheap timeshare vacations.  You can too!

It’s time to create another timeshare meal for the family. What can you cook that’s quick, easy, uses few ingredients and tastes good?  It’s too expensive to feed everyone at a restaurant for every meal, and often the kids don’t like their food, anyway. Obviously, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is always better than restaurant mac & cheese, right???  (No, it isn’t homemade, but I bet your kids think it is!)  Even fast food becomes expensive after a few days, and it’s pretty monotonous after awhile.  So let’s check the recipe file for some timeshare cooking stand-bys.

Here are three main dishes that require a minimal amount of effort and are undoubtedly more nutritious than Happy Meals. Add a vegetable or salad and bread of some kind, and you’re good to go! These can all be thrown together ahead of time, and then quickly baked or served when you get back from sightseeing or a theme park.

Savory Chicken

1 envelope Herb & Garlic Soup Mix
3 T. water
4-6 boneless chicken breasts
2 large red cubed potatoes
1 large onion, cut in wedges

In large, resealable plastic bag, combine soup mix and water.  Add chicken, potatoes and onion and toss to coat.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or all day.  Pour all into greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serves 4-6.

Pizza Pasta Pizza

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (or dried, minced onion)
1 28-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz. spiral pasta cooked & drained
2 C. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
4 ounces sliced pepperoni (cut smaller, if desired)

Cook and drain ground beef and onion on stove or in microwave.  Stir in pasta and spaghetti sauce.  Put in 9 x 13 greased baking pan.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Top with pepperoni.  Bake @ 350 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.  Serves 6-8.

Crockpot Chicken & Noodles

Some who timeshare always take a crockpot along if they are driving to their destinations.  Many resorts offer them for your use, but you have to ask to borrow them.  They are not normally stocked in the kitchens.  If you don’t get a chance to make this while staying in a timeshare, try it at home—it’s really good!

4-5 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
2 cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 15-oz. cans chicken broth
1 package frozen Reames egg noodles
salt, pepper, garlic powder

Put raw chicken chunks into crock pot and coat lightly with salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste.  Add soup and broth, and cook on Low for 8 hours.  Add uncooked noodles and turn to High.  Cook another 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  If you want to add a bit more color and taste, you can add pimento and mushrooms during the last phase, but they’re not really needed.  This probably serves about 8, and is good re-heated.

We’re always looking for new timeshare cooking ideas, so please let us know if you have some!

If you can ever manage to trade into a timeshare on Sanibel Island, by all means, do it! Unfortunately, that is not an easy thing to do, as most Sanibel owners use their weeks. Not surprising, as it is a wonderful retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily demands and urban living. Of course, if you’re into night life, malls, theater, etc. then Sanibel is not for you.  Actually, one of the most popular activities on the island is shelling.

On the Southern Gulf in Florida, this resort island has access by a toll causeway costing $6.00. The charge is only for the trip onto the island– it’s free to leave.  Sanibel is a barrier island best known for its seashells.  Each tide brings in new shells for one to explore and find.  The best time to go shelling is in the early morning, and the islanders have coined the term, “Sanibel Stoop.” This refers to people who are looking for shells who are, of course, stooped over.  The island is also known for its lush green vegetation, bird life, lighthouse and fine sand beaches.  What more would you need for a great vacation destination?

It has numerous paved paths for bicycling and this is a favorite activity of visitors.  Also it’s popular for all the usual water activities like swimming, boating, fishing, sailing, etc.

You will find on the island the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum. This is an excellent museum with displays showing the history and art of shells.  An excellent children’s area with hands- on learning is great for the young ones in your party.

The J.D. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is found on the island.  This refuge has more than 6,400 acres and is great for bird watching, canoeing and wildlife tours.  You can also take nature and sea life cruises from the refuge which gives background of the area as well as excellent viewing of wildlife.   They last 90 minutes with several viewing opportunities.

The island also has many great dining locations; over 25 restaurants are located around the island.  You can find great seafood and several sandwich and burger places to meet everyone’s taste.  One of our favorites is Cheeburger, Cheeburger, where you can be in their exclusive club by downing a “Pounder” burger. They take your picture next to a fabric “Pounder,” and put in on their Wall of Fame. (No, we didn’t do it!)

For accommodations, there are numerous timeshares on the island as well as hotels and inns to number about 20 other places to stay.

There are a number of areas for shopping for local gifts as well as gifts of the sea that are great fun to look at and wander through.  For a restful, laid-back getaway, Sanibel is a great island that should provide days of great vacationing!

Are you a Wyndham timeshare points owner? Or are you thinking of buying some Wyndham timeshare points? Do you want to better understand the points system for Wyndham or other timeshares which operate using points?  If you answered yes to any of these questions then this post is for you.  We will try to get you up to speed on using the points system for your greatest benefit.

When timeshare shares were first sold, your only option was to buy a fixed week.   As most of you are probably aware, many timeshares have now gone over to some kind of points system. This was done to give owners greater flexibility in using their timeshare purchases.  The beauty of these systems is you use more points for larger and nicer units, for example, a three bedroom vs. a studio.  Also, you use more points for prime travel time vs. off seasons for a given area.  You can also go for part of a week using less of your points.  So with that background information, let’s take a look at the Wyndham point system.

Example of point chart for Wyndham Nashville, Nashville, TN:

If you take a look at the point chart above, you can get an idea of how the system works.  You can see the weeks and the seasons along the left side of the chart, and if you look at the points you need, you can see how you can save points by traveling in off- seasons. Resorts have from one to four different levels of seasons.   Look at the above example to see the points needed for quiet, value, high and prime seasons.

Also, you can see the points needed for a Friday or Saturday stay, and the Sun-Thur nights.   Again, more points are needed for weekend days.  If you follow across the top you can see the room size and the point difference for the different sized units.  Some resorts will require different amounts of points based on the view.  You would need more points for an ocean view or for a high floor with an ocean view. In the example above, they have some presidential units which take more points.  You need to study the chart very closely for the resort you wish to travel to, and match what you want and need with the number of points you own or would like to buy.

Many people ask, “ how many points do I need?“  We suggest you start with around 105,000 to 154,000 points.  Use these for a couple of years to get an idea on how you like the system, and go on from there.  This number of points will not get you to some of the new higher points resorts, but it gives you a chance to get some nice timeshare vacations.

If you use the information on the chart, you can get more vacations for your points if you plan accordingly. Select the smallest unit you can for the number of people traveling, try to stay away from the weekends, and see if you can travel in one of the off- seasons.

Points chart using Wyndham points in RCI:

Season Demand Studio 1BR 2BR 3BR or more

RCI Red            Greater              70,000     105,000       154,000           254,000

RCI White        Average           42,000       77,000 128,000           189,000

RCI Blue           Lesser                 28,000      63,000         77,000             154,000

This chart shows how many Wyndham points you need to get an RCI unit to deposit into their system and use it to search for a vacation.

Another option you have with your Wyndham points is to take some points and make a deposit into the RCI System.  If you put them into RCI you can trade to resorts all over the United States and the world.  Also, when you deposit them, they will last for two years which gives  you a longer time to plan your vacation.  You can deposit a smaller amount, let’s say a studio in blue time, which only takes 28,000 points.  You can then search the RCI inventory and often get a 1 or 2 bedroom unit. You will need to pay the RCI exchange fee, but again you can get more vacation days for less Wyndham points. You can use these deposits with RCI to trade back into the Wyndham system, usually with far less points than if you would have booked directly with Wyndham.

This should give you a good overview of the Wyndham points system.  Keep reading this site as well as the Wyndham User Group site and enjoy many timeshare vacations.

As always, the answer to that question depends on circumstances, and your particular vacation needs.  We own 5 weeks in Traverse City at Pinestead Reef, an RCI Resort.  It is approximately a 3-hour car drive from our home, right on the beach of Lake Michigan.  Because it is so close, and 4 of our 5 weeks are Flex Weeks, we can break it up into 1-6 day intervals if we don’t care to stay an entire week.  Often it can be fairly last minute.

This is an older, Silver Crown resort, built in the 1980’s, that has an excellent manager.  There are 46 units that are re-furnished every 5 years, and while it is not elegant, it is homelike and cozy. Traverse City is a thriving area with great restaurants, good shopping, 2 casinos, many wineries, and close access to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park, Sault St. Marie, Mackinac Island, and other tourist destinations.  Since it was sold out long ago, only resales are available.  The prices are amazingly low, compared to our other timeshare purchases, and it trades very well.

So for us, this was a no-brainer.  We deposit our red January week into RCI Points, use our fixed early September week, use our 2 June weeks when the weather is great, and use our early May week as flex. If we have extra days when we can’t be there, we rent them through the resort and use the money for maintenance fees. Also, if you are interested in being on the Board of Directors for your timeshare, living close by would make it easier to attend meetings. So our reasons for buying a timeshare close to home include:

• Short travel times
• Quick getaways
• Love of the area
• Reasonable cost of ownership
• No expensive airfare needed

Here are some other scenarios that illustrate how buying a timeshare close to home might work for you:

Let’s say you live in Knoxville, and own a timeshare in Gatlinburg (about a 40 minute drive).  Your middle school daughter wants a sleepover birthday party, but wishes it could be more special than the usual.  So you use your points, or rent, 2 very large units that maybe sleep 6- 8 people, making sure you have at least one adult sleeping in each unit, of course! The kids can use the pool and sports facilities at the resort, and you can order pizza for dinner.  You can use your timeshare kitchens to make breakfast (maybe, Baggie Omelets?)  Buy a cake, see some of the sights, and you have a party!  And, you save wear and tear on your own home!

Similar scenario:  You live in Las Vegas, and egad! Guess who’s in charge of the 5-year Family Reunion this year??? Use your points, or better yet, rent units and charge everyone!  With resort activities, pools, saunas and fitness rooms, you have lots of built-in entertainment for everyone (and you don’t have to clean your house before they come!)  Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have all those casinos around, either.

Last one:  You’ve just found out that Uncle Harvey and Aunt Nadine are coming to visit for the weekend.  But your house is a dusty mess because you’re remodeling the kitchen, and right now you can’t even cook in it.  If you live close to your timeshare, why not put them up in it for the weekend? You might even have a more enjoyable visit, because everyone will have more privacy.

Of course, buying a timeshare close to where you live might not even be an option for you in certain parts of the country, because there might not be any nearby!  But if you are committed to timeshare travel, you might want to consider this option. We know of several people (besides us) who have done it!

From time to time we highlight different timeshare systems.  This week we are discussing another hotel-based system affiliated with Sheraton. Starwood Vacation Ownership offers a way to have your dream vacation both at home and around the world wherever and whenever your heart desires. Starwood is a resort and hotel development company with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. The vacation system is comprised of 850 luxury hotels and 2200 fantastic villas in 75 countries.

Basic membership begins with the purchase of a Home Resort Timeshare ranging in price from $6000 to $23,900. A Home Resort unit is for a specific size with a specified season for use on an annual or bi-annual basis for one week at a time. Usage is on a fixed or float week basis with reservations to be made 12 months in advance. Electing to use the float week option offers flexibility to enjoy your home resort during a different season of the year or to exchange your home resort for one in a different location and season.

This is a one-time purchase at a fixed price. Along with the purchase, there is a yearly fee of $99 which is paid to the Home Owners Association in your home resort location. This fee is paid along with your yearly maintenance fee.  This allows you to make internal exchanges  as well as gets you an account with II for additional trades. The goal of the Home Owners Association is to provide a community atmosphere by offering opportunities to get to know your neighbors. And, like all timeshares, there is a yearly maintenance fee.  Starwood’s tend to be on the higher side.

Older resorts were sold as fixed weeks and some are with RCI for trading. All newer resorts are sold as deeded property, but they work under a point- based system called Star Options points.  These points work much the same as other timeshare point systems–higher points for larger units or at the prime times of the year.

Owners also participate in a Starwood Preferred Guest Program and use Star Points. This works the same as most major hotel frequent stay programs.  You can exchange your timeshare points into the preferred guest program and stay at their hotels. Be careful of resale purchases because in some cases you can not participate in the hotel guest program or the Starwood internal exchange program.

Starwood properties in North America are located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New York City, South Carolina and Hawaii. Other western hemisphere locations are found in Mexico, The Bahamas and St. John in the Virgin Islands.  Some of the resorts are affiliated with RCI and II, and some only with II.

Your Starwood Vacation Ownership includes membership in the Starwood Vacation Network, which offers countless ways to vacation in countries around the globe. The network is a points-based system that affords you the opportunity to exchange your week using the Star Option Plan. Under this plan, it is possible to visit non-time share locations around the world owned by the Starwood property system. Accommodation is offered on a daily or weekly basis. Points may also be used for airline miles, and car rental.

Starwood offers a user-friendly online directory listing locations and availability dates. Information is also provided regarding the number of units up for resale in a particular location, as well as the number of accommodations available on a daily or weekly basis.

Excellent customer service information is provided online listing telephone numbers, hours available and the name of the person in charge of sales, rental reservations, external exchange, owner services, association management and personal ownership account information.

When you purchased your timeshare, you probably never really considered that there might be a day in the future when you’d want to sell it.  The reason for selling could be one of many.  Perhaps your health has deteriorated, and traveling is just too much of an effort.  Or, perhaps you have made a permanent move into the area in which your timeshare is located, and since you now live in paradise, you have no need for a timeshare there.  Maybe you’ve found that the system in which you own your timeshare is just too complicated, or takes too much planning in advance.   Perhaps you feel that the maintenance fees are too much of a financial burden.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to sell, rest assured that you are not alone.  Many people come to the conclusion that they would be better off without their timeshare, just as many people decide they want to sell a house, or a piece of  property.

However, unlike those other items, a timeshare is going to be worth significantly less than what you paid for it when you go to sell it. You need to realize that you can only recover somewhere between 5-10% of the original cost, if that.  Even if you purchased your timeshare on the resale market, given the current economic conditions you can not expect to get what you paid for it.  Some timeshares, like Disney Vacation Club, sell for higher prices because Disney can exercise the right of first refusal (ROFR).  This means that if they feel the offer is too low, Disney will buy it back for that price, and the buyer is out of luck.

Possibly after researching what you might get for your timeshare, you might better learn how to use it and enjoy some wonderful vacations.  We love timesharing and on this site we try to help people get the most out of their timeshares. Think about it!  But if you have given it some thought and decided to sell, what is the best way to accomplish your goal of selling your timeshare?

1. Sell it to family, friends, or coworkers. If you enjoyed it, why not let others know how you used it for great vacations and they also can enjoy great trips.  Talk to family members, friends, and people you come in contact with and see if any of them are interested.  Post it at work, in church bulletins, etc.

2. Try to sell it locally. List it on Craig’s List.  Put an ad in all local newspapers and on the radio in your area and surrounding towns.  You might just get lucky.

3. Sell it to someone at your resort. If you go to your resort, talk to people and see if anyone is interested. People have  sometimes announced at a welcome breakfast that they have a week to sell. Also, people have posted a sign or even a 3×5 card with the information around the resort.

4. Contact the resort. They often have a newsletter where they list weeks for sale.  Also, many resorts have a local realtor that does resales for the resort.

5. Sell it on eBay. We have written a post on selling your timeshare on eBay that you should read.  Just click to read that post.

6. Post it on some timeshare sites. They might cost you a little to run an ad, but again you might just luck out.  Try Tug,  Red Week, Bid Shares or Vacation Timeshare and Rentals.

7. Contact some timeshare resale companies that will work with you to sell your timeshare. DO NOT pay any fees upfront. There are many timeshare people and companies who are a big rip off.  They take your upfront money and run and you are left with your timeshare and loss of your money. Talk to people who have sold or bought with some of these companies and go with one that gets a good report.

It really is possible to sell a timeshare, but it is not easy. You might also consider donating it to a charity organization.  Yes, you’d be out the money that you paid for it, but at least you’d be free of the maintenance fees.  Good Luck!

Technology is supposed to make life easier and help us to be more productive and organized. I don’t always think that is the case, but we can have a lot of fun working with it and trying to use it to make our timeshare travels more enjoyable.  Let’s take a look at the iPhone and iPod and see how we use it before, after and during our timeshare travel.

First some background: The iPhone has been around for a while and has gone through four generations of upgrades. It is first of all a phone.  You must sign a two-year contract with AT&T, the only company that Apple has licensed to use it as a cell phone. The contract is expensive and many areas do not get a good AT&T signal. It would not be my choice for a cell phone.

Shortly after the iPhone was launched, Apple came out with the iPod. The iPod does NOT work as a cell phone, nor does it have a camera built into it, like the iPhone does. The cost runs around $200.00 and can be purchased in several  different stores. The new iPad is larger, but works much the same as the iPod.  I don’t like the size of the iPad, but enjoy the portability of the iPod. You do NOT have a monthly charge or any contracts to deal with.

The iPod it what we own and use on a daily basis, as well as what we use when we timeshare.  We would like to take a look at some of the applications (often called apps) we use and enjoy.  All of the applications we use either came with the iPod or we have purchased them for a small fee from Apple, using the iPod itself. Most of the applications run $.99 and can be purchased for both the iPod or the iPhone.

Internet use: If you have a wireless connection in your home, or if you get to a WiFi hotspot, you can use the iPod and access the internet. Many resorts have free connections in the rooms or the lobby. We also find free hotspots at McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Panera’s, as well as several other restaurants. You can use the iPod to check and send eMails, check the news (both national news as well as news back home), check the weather (which is great for planning your weekly activities), get maps and directions,  look for attractions in the area you are traveling to, as well as anything you normally might use the internet for.  It’s great!

iXpenselt-This is a finance app which tracks monthly and daily expenses.  You set up a budget and then input what you spend and it keeps track of everything.  It is very useful in seeing what you spend on your vacation and in what areas you are spending.  We also use it to plan future trips, and year-round to keep us on track with our finances.

Music-You can download music off your CD’s as well as buy music from the Apple iTune store. Then you can play your music over speakers or with headphones.  We carry a cord which hooks the iPod up in the car as well as to most CD players at the resorts.

Urbanspoon-This app can help you select a good restaurant. It gives you a list by type, cuisine, price or neighborhood.   It also has ratings and reviews from fellow eaters.

Tripit-This is an organizer for all your travel plans. You eMail your plans and it takes care of the rest. It is great for the frequent traveler. It shows your schedule, and keeps you on track for your trip.

Games-There are thousands of games you can install and play all day long. Many are free and some cost $.99. There are games of every kind and for every age group, and are great for traveling. Kids can spend hours playing in the airport, airplane or car. It’s a great device for adults to keep you entertained when you have to wait, just like the kids.

General travel-There are all kinds of additional travel apps.  They have apps for many of the major cities which give you attractions, maps, etc. There are apps for the National Parks, Flight Tracker, Disney World, Universal Orlando, eCurrency, Translator, and on and on. RCI has come out with its own app. It’s nothing great, but does have some useful features.

It should be obvious that we enjoy the iPod and find it very useful when we travel. There are hundreds of additional applications that you can download based on where you are traveling and your interests.  We highly recommend that you get one and start having fun!!!