Hi - I used to wonder why we couldn't afford vacations without a lot of struggle. My DH is a railroad engineer and I am a nurse, and we should be able to do this. About 10 years ago I opened a vacation account in my credit union at the hospital. I have a set amount deducted from my pay into that account. Then when I have some extra money (a refund, a present, or a little extra at the end of the week), I deposit it in my account. I was surprised how fast it grew. And because I wanted to go on vacation so badly I NEVER used it for other purchases. One year I deposited my extra money from being "on call". Anyway, we just bought into DVC at the Beach Club Villas with my vacation savings. I brought the balance to zero (and then some - needed to use $ from our real savings). But I am at it again to save for our trip next year!
Finally, I really liked staying at the Wilderness Cabins...we could eat many of our meals there, and it really cut down on expenses. Also, we don't like going out for every meal. Then, when we did go out, we didn't worry about the cost so much!
Good Luck! Sandie B. from Freeland, Maryland