# Seeking suggestions on how to handle expenses/fees with non timeshare owners [merged]



## ihmkkbg (Aug 3, 2014)

We are time share owners that travel & have close friends that would like travel with us. 

Looking for suggestions on how best to handle vacation expenses/fee's. Since we have already paid for the units and are covering the annual maintenance fee's, what would be appropiate?

We would travel to our time share units for multiple weeks and include our friends that are non time share owners, who would stay in the other bedroom in the condo and have full access to the resort property.  The condo units include 2 Bedroom condo's with a full kitchen, laundry and common areas and are oceanview/oceanfront units at beach locations in South Carolina and Kauai.


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## slip (Aug 3, 2014)

When I invite people I usually don't ask for anything for the timeshare but I
Don't think it's wrong to ask them to pay for half. We don't have a lot of friends
Who can afford the Hawaii trip so I never ask for anything for the timeshare. 
Most of the people who go with don't want to drive so we split the car rental.
If your going to ask for something just do it at the time you invite them.


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## ihmkkbg (Aug 3, 2014)

*Seeking suggestions on how to handle expenses/fee's with non timeshare owners*

We are MVC owners that travel & have close friends that would like travel with us. 

Looking for suggestions on how best to handle vacation expenses/fee's. Since we have already paid for the units and are covering the annual maintenance fee's, what would be appropiate?

We would travel to our time share units for multiple weeks (either home location or use DC points) and include our friends that are non time share owners, who would stay in the other bedroom in the condo and have full access to the resort property. We own MVC multiple oceanview or ocean front weeks at each location in Barony Beach (SC), Waiohai (HI) and Ocean Watch (SC), in addition to DC points


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## dansimms (Aug 3, 2014)

*It will vary*

For us, a situation like this will vary from....accepting a few dinners and bar tabs, to having the other couple cover the rental car, to just making it a deal for them.......such as $100 a night. There will be times, when you want to treat, perhaps as a repayment or to celebrate an occasion that your friends have enhanced by joining you. I would always want to make it less expensive than the rack rate to rent something comparable on their own.


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## SMHarman (Aug 3, 2014)

Having an interesting year with this one ourselves. 
Our friends we usually take a trip with are reticent to go next year as they can't pay their share. They decided upon their share, not us. 
We are happy for them to be there and want them there more than we went their 'share'. 
That memo has been red but not understood though. 
Grrrr


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## Passepartout (Aug 3, 2014)

It depends. With some friends, we'll invite, saying, "We have a 2 bedroom place in ___________. If you want to share it for $_______, We'd love to have you." Sometimes, it doesn't cost us extra, so we'll invite friends, gratis. Other friends are not as well off, but we enjoy their company, so we happily include them from time to time. Other times, we'll pick up the lodging and another couple pays for a rental car and some meals.

The key, is to have open communication, and outline the financial arrangements, if they are important to you ahead of time. It just doesn't do to invite friends or family on a vacation, then present a bill at check-out. That's just poor form and no class.

Jim


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## jeepie (Aug 3, 2014)

And, you will minimize discomfort by agreeing to the "deal" up front...or if you don't, then they may reasonably conclude they are your guests...and therefore, you can graciously accept their kind offer of dinner, car, or a contribution. Just my opinion. Cheers.


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## lilliand (Aug 3, 2014)

We have made several trips and invited extended family.  If it was on our "owned" time we usually haven't asked for anything.  If it was on an Accommodation Certificate or getaway that we paid extra for and they ask what they need to pay, we normally say not to worry about it but if they insist we split the cost.  I think it really is up to your financial situation and theirs.  If you can afford it and just enjoy having others with then don't worry about it.  If it puts any sort of strain on your budget don't be afraid to ask but probably need to mention that when planning the trip so it isn't a surprise to them during the trip.  We have found that most people want to help with costs.  Even on "owned" time you still have maintenance fees that are nice to get help with covering.


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## dioxide45 (Aug 3, 2014)

I recall a rather lengthy thread on this, here is one I can find, but I know there is a more current one than this.

You will get a variety of responses as everyone handles this differently this differently. We don't charge our guests when they join us. Some buy us a meal, some don't. We don't care either way. Having timeshare has given us the ability to bring friends and family along for the trip

We have an upcoming trip that cost us about $600 in MFs, There are 5 other people traveling with us. We could charge each person $100 each, but the money is spent on our end. So recouping that cost isn't important to us.


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## dioxide45 (Aug 3, 2014)

jeepie said:


> And, you will minimize discomfort by agreeing to the "deal" up front...or if you don't, then they may reasonably conclude they are your guests...and therefore, you can graciously accept their kind offer of dinner, car, or a contribution. Just my opinion. Cheers.



I would agree. Make sure they are aware of any cost sharing at the time of presenting the invite.


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## FractionalTraveler (Aug 3, 2014)

For close friends, what would be appropriate to me is to invite them along and not ask them for anything in return other than their friendship.

FT


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## NYFLTRAVELER (Aug 3, 2014)

ihmkkbg said:


> We are MVC owners that travel & have close friends that would like travel with us.
> 
> Looking for suggestions on how best to handle vacation expenses/fee's. Since we have already paid for the units and are covering the annual maintenance fee's, what would be appropiate?
> 
> We would travel to our time share units for multiple weeks (either home location or use DC points) and include our friends that are non time share owners, who would stay in the other bedroom in the condo and have full access to the resort property. We own MVC multiple oceanview or ocean front weeks at each location in Barony Beach (SC), Waiohai (HI) and Ocean Watch (SC), in addition to DC points



If you are inviting them to come along then they are your guests and you should not ask them for $$. Hopefully they are classy enough to offer to take you out to a couple of good dinners or pay for tickets if you go see a show, etc.

If they have asked if they could come along and pay their own way then I would say 1/2 of the MF fees is fair.


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## StevenTing (Aug 3, 2014)

FractionalTraveler said:


> For close friends, what would be appropriate to me is to invite them along and not ask them for anything in return other than their friendship.
> 
> 
> 
> FT




This is what I do.  I've only taken extended family with me.  They always love it and I invite them because I know they could not afford it otherwise.


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## DeniseM (Aug 3, 2014)

A gentle request to the OP - please post all your questions and responses in this thread, rather than starting new ones on the same topic.


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## jlr10 (Aug 4, 2014)

We have had  friends  join us in the past. The only thing we ever asked for was for them to pay their own expenses for dinners out or paid adventures. (except for kids then that they only had to pay for their own souvenirs.)  Most have offered to pick up a dinner tab or the cost of one of the adventures, but it was never expected.

For one trip I planned a week long women's trip where I took 7 other women with me to a time share in 2 condos for a week.  I made it clear it was my treat, as I knew a few could not afford any costs.  During the week we talked about places we wanted to go and I mentioned that I wanted to plan a trip to Vegas to see Barry Manilow with my sister. At the end of the week they gave me a card with $500 in it with a note to "Go and enjoy Barry with your sister." The irony was that I got laid off shortly thereafter and would not have made the trip with my sister had it not been for their generosity.  The highlight of my "Barry" trip was I got a call for the second and final interview for my new job.  Definitely a lesson on having it paid forward.


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## VacationForever (Aug 4, 2014)

If you invite them along, they are your guests and you should not be expecting compensation.  I invite close friends to travel with us quite a bit and have never expected compensation.  However, I have accepted offers of their paying for the rental car, they making a dinner etc.  As close friends we don't worry about splitting costs down the middle.  We all fight to pay for restaurant and grocery bills.  We love our friends' company and are simply glad to have a good time with them.


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## MALC9990 (Aug 4, 2014)

As for many others here, it depends on the guest and circumstances. With one couple who also own at PBC, we regularly have shared our stays there. Phuket is a long way from the UK so we like to stay for as long as we can, so sharing makes that possible. With them we share the accommodation, each booking 2 weeks and swapping rooms in the niddle of the stay and sharing all the costs such as food and the car rental etc. 

In other cases we do not ask for fixed costs to be shared (MFs) but would share other variable costs whilst on vacation suchas car hire. However if we invite someone who is perhaps in a different financial position to ourselves then we would not expect any contribution at all. They are our guests and that is it.


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 4, 2014)

I used to travel with one friend who was very comfortable at mooching & whining - but was a cheap skate who complained he never did anything or go anywhere. He paid HALF up front and might offer to pickup the tab for breakfast. Notice: I stated USED TO travel with me ... he eventually just totally ticked me off and hence, no further invites. It was the day he lost his all day ticket for the water taxi at the first stop- he was doing a hissy fit after looking all over for his ticket and I asked him "What do you expect ME to do? Give you my ticket?".  (We had paid separately for these tickets.) He said "*YES!"* I said, "HERE!" He took it, looked at it and asked, "What are you going to do for a ticket?" I shock my head and told him I was taking the public bus back to the resort with as much disgust I could project in my voice . A $20 ticket - and this from the man who was always telling he, "you know, I have a lot of money ... my years as a school principal & all my savings" ... did not make him someone who I had known since I was 15yo as person, who 40+ years later, thought of anyone other than himself.

As for my sibling collection - figure out where the siblings would like to go and overlap it to the "I can tolerate that" list. Baseball Spring training (for example) - I supply the roof & bed and who ever can come (or wants to come) covers the other costs (tickets, food, drink, rental car). Have done DVC, NYC, Kauai, Chicago, FLL, PHX trips in the last 3+ years. If I take a niece or nephew on a "solo with auntie trip", I usually cover the ground costs, too --- esp if it was my idea or a reward. Kids are smart today - they want to be "special" verses being "dumped" on an aunt.

Have PHX Spring Training planned again in 2015. Had to get MORE beds for this upcoming trip - again.


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## PamMo (Aug 4, 2014)

ihmkkbg said:


> We are time share owners that travel & have close friends that would like travel with us...Looking for suggestions on how best to handle vacation expenses/fee's...



I think surely you're the best judge of how to handle it, based on your relationship with your friends. It seems like you're thinking about sharing expenses, and there's nothing wrong with that. If that's the case, work out the arrangements well ahead of time to avoid any misunderstandings. If they're friends you want to spend that much time traveling with, you should be able to sit down with them and talk about how to handle costs.


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## FractionalTraveler (Aug 4, 2014)

StevenTing said:


> This is what I do.  I've only taken extended family with me.  They always love it and I invite them because I know they could not afford it otherwise.



Nice!  I agree, not everyone is as fortunate.

We own the units already and pay yearly MF as everyone else.  Why would I ever look to take advantage of a situation and charge my family or good friends for anything?  If they can pay their own Airfare, meals, and entertainment for the trip then I'm good with that.

The only real reason we invite them along is for their friendship.  Our kids love inviting their friends along and they have a blast together.  The 2 and 3-BR units with the sofa beds are great.

Makes for some fantastic vacations without having to worry about splitting expenses and who pays for what every time the wallet opens up.  That's just a huge drag on everything.

FT


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## Ron98GT (Aug 4, 2014)

FractionalTraveler said:


> Nice!  I agree, not everyone is as fortunate.
> 
> We own the units already and pay yearly MF as everyone else.  Why would I ever look to take advantage of a situation and charge my family or good friends for anything?  If they can pay their own Airfare, meals, and entertainment for the trip then I'm good with that.
> 
> ...


Same here, I don't ask for anything.


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## LisaRex (Aug 4, 2014)

I know people who routinely host parties, and right on the invitation, they ask their guests to bring an appetizer to share.  I also know people who consider that practice gauche; they wouldn't dream of asking their guests to bring anything. 

Similarly, I know folks who wouldn't step foot into a party without a host gift and a reciprocal invitation.  I also know people who'd eat an entire tray of shrimp while downing the 20 year old scotch, without ever returning the invitation or offering a word of thanks.  

Traveling is no different.  Some people think it's perfectly fine to ask guests to "pitch in."  Others wouldn't dream of it.  

The key, as others have said, is communication.  If you want them to contribute anything towards the lodging, tell them that upfront.  If you don't, ask for nothing, expect nothing, and be pleasantly surprised if you get anything. 

By now, I usually know what I'm going to get when I ask friend x over friend y. Some won't join unless they are getting the deal of a lifetime. Others will write a check for $1000 whether I ask for it or not.  Now that we're thankfully  in a position where we can afford it, we chalk it all up to the cost of having good friends -- whether they're frugal or free and easy with their money.


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## PamMo (Aug 4, 2014)

It's great to be able to host family and friends on vacations, but for many people, it's not so easy and sharing expenses makes perfect sense. We've happily split costs with good friends to rent wonderful ski/beach homes. Why not a timeshare? The OP wrote that their close friends would like to travel with them, using their timeshares for multiple weeks. That's a bit different than inviting someone to go on a vacation. I think the OP is simply asking for some guidance as to how to handle shared expenses. I think it's wise of them to work out those expectations at the start. Hopefully, they'll come up with a great solution, and will enjoy many years of vacationing with their friends!


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## alchook (Aug 4, 2014)

I think of inviting people to stay at my timeshare as being comparable to inviting them to stay at my home. So I charge whatever I would charge guests staying at my home.


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## Fasttr (Aug 4, 2014)

alchook said:


> I think of inviting people to stay at my timeshare as being comparable to inviting them to stay at my home. So I charge whatever I would charge guests staying at my home.



And if the guests in your home tipped you for the excellent housekeeping services, it would be ok for you to take the cash.  Now your post in the other thread makes sense.  : :hysterical:


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## LisaRex (Aug 4, 2014)

PamMo said:


> We've happily split costs with good friends to rent wonderful ski/beach homes. Why not a timeshare?



People believe, rightly or wrongly, that timeshare owners pay a lot of money up front, and subsequent MFs are nominal, because that's the normal timeshare model, no?  Only recently have companies like Marriott or Starwood asked for a huge buy-in, then charged huge MFs to boot. So we can't really blame non-timeshare owners for not offering money upfront, because they probably think that you're just paying a few hundred bucks for the week.  

Also, when we say "I own a timeshare," it reinforces the notion of owner/guest. Compare this to "I am going to rent a house." where the perception is that you are both equal renters. 

I mean, I own a lake house and have never thought to ask for friends to reimburse me for my mortgage or utilities.  And I spend lots more money on my lake house than I do my TS!  Similarly, I have stayed with  friends who own lake houses and beach houses, and I've never thought to offer to reimburse them for their mortgage or expenses.


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## VacationForever (Aug 4, 2014)

I have a vacation that is coming up that I feel is fair for all parties.  We have booked timeshare for a week up in Canada.  We are driving up from CA and back and have a friend from overseas (20+ hr flight) who would like to join us.  She is paying for her own air fare to the US. We plan to stop and sightsee etc. for 2 nights each way up/down and as such, will need to book 2 hotel rooms or 2BR lodges in Oregon.  She offered to pay for "her share", so I computed the amount of her hotel room and half of the 2BR lodges and emailed to her the portion that is directly attributed to her.  No charge for the timeshare.  Everyone feels good about the arrangement.  As a host, I want to cover all food while we are at our home, before we leave and on our return.  We have vacationed with her before and we typically fight over who gets the bill at restaurants first.  We are just happy to see her and spend time with her again.  I figure I should cover an additional $2K for her in expenses, typically food and sightseeing, to match up with her air fare.


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## m61376 (Aug 4, 2014)

FractionalTraveler said:


> Nice!  I agree, not everyone is as fortunate.
> 
> We own the units already and pay yearly MF as everyone else.  Why would I ever look to take advantage of a situation and charge my family or good friends for anything?  If they can pay their own Airfare, meals, and entertainment for the trip then I'm good with that.
> 
> ...


Well said! If we invite friends to use our unit, or a unit we exchange for, I wouldn't expect them to reimburse me, but to cover their own costs (airfare, meals, etc.). We protest but have accepted being taken out one night as a thank-you, but more than that there is a grab for all for the check. Expenses that I would have incurred anyway (like renting a car) I just assume. 

If I rent a Getaway expressly for the purpose of going away together, then I think sharing cost is appropriate, esp. if it is one of the pricier ones (like a week at Harborside, for ex., which can be 2000-2500 for the week. I look at that the same as if we decided to go somewhere and book hotel rooms. 

I do know people who invite friends and not only split the cost, but invite a few couples and expect them to cover all their MF costs and additional rental costs, so that the owner gets to go free for the year. Luckily, they are not my friends, because with friends like that....


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## MOXJO7282 (Aug 5, 2014)

If the shoe was on the other foot and I understood TSing I'd insist on paying half of the MFs.  I think its the least you can do.

Depending on where you end up going your friend could be saving you $700-$1000 so a few $100s is only the reasonable thing to do. I know most of my friends would feel this way. I would never accept now with the success of our rentals but they'd insist.   

When I first got into TSing my plan was to split the investment with my lovely SIL's family but her husband was against the idea so they never invested with me.  

They always had a standing invitation to go on our trips and have gone on many but early on knowing that I spent a lot of money they insisted on playing 1/2 MF or they wouldn't come so I reluctantly accepted. 

After I started doing pretty well with the rentals  I told them to forget it and now they've been on 5 fun and exciting trips with us for free but regret like hell no investing with us.  I'm so glad they didn't.


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## Ron98GT (Aug 5, 2014)

NYFLTRAVELER said:


> If you are inviting them to come along then they are your guests and you should not ask them for $$. Hopefully they are classy enough to offer to take you out to a couple of good dinners or pay for tickets if you go see a show, etc.
> 
> If they have asked if they could come along and pay their own way then I would say 1/2 of the MF fees is fair.



I agree with you.  If "I'm inviting" someone, "I" just wouldn't feel right asking to get reimbursed and trying to explain the MF's, so I don't.

If someone is trying to invite themselves, that's another story. There I would have to explain the cost of my RCI Points ($700 MF/ 80,000 Points) for their room or what the aprox. cost the studio side of my Marriott 2-Bdrm L/O would be based on the MF's (60/40?).  I'd never give up any of my HGVC points though, since I only have 7K points & the MF's are too high at $1300).

But, that's me


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## alchook (Aug 5, 2014)

Fasttr said:


> And if the guests in your home tipped you for the excellent housekeeping services, it would be ok for you to take the cash.  Now your post in the other thread makes sense.  : :hysterical:



I don't do any actual housekeeping myself. That's a service provided by the management of the timeshare resort.


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## DAman (Aug 5, 2014)

How about if you invite a group of friends, you plan a week, you use valuable points(or a valuable unit in trade), and your friends all cancel at the last minute?  I think asking everyone for their "share" of expenses upfront is a good way to make sure people show up. 

I find that using ePlus helps if everyone cancels. 

I use a lot of my units/points for ski weeks with friends(DW does not ski) so this thread is topical for me. 

It's one thing when I book a unit for myself and invite friends(then friends are my guest). It's another when I have to book extra units and incur additional costs.


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## hangloose (Aug 5, 2014)

Our experience:

When we invite extended family to vacation with us in our MVC timeshare, we generally do not ask for anything in return.  However, they often do offer to pay for dinner out, groceries, or some activities.  We find this works well. It helps offset our other expenses while still saving hotel cost for our extended family. 

We have had times however when extended family plans to join us, then cancels shortly before.  Thus leaving us with a larger villa size than needed and no offset for other costs.  We are disappointed they cannot join, but accept it without asking for anything in return.

If it was friends, it could be different.  I could see scenarios where I would request them to help pay. In those cases, I would set the expectation up front.


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## Luvtoride (Aug 5, 2014)

Haha, M6 I'm still laughing from your post!  I couldn't imagine how someone could have the nerve to do that.  We often take friends with us to use our TS weeks, as we will be in 3 weeks at Grande Ocean in HHI and we would never consider charging them to join us.  Usually the guest treats us to a nice dinner during our stay as a thank you and we split all other expenses.  
My wife and I were talking about this and wondering, if the invite was to join us at a resort where we were staying in hotel rooms no one would expect us to pay for their room would they?  I guess I can see the side of charging guests to stay at a TS something, but it's not who we are.
Brian.


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## GregT (Aug 5, 2014)

I am in the camp where I invite friends and family to come, and do not ask for any contribution towards the cost (and will decline the offer, but accept the dinner out).  I know sharing the cost would prevent many of them from being able to accept the invitation, and having them join me is more valuable that the cost subsidy.  Airfare alone can be enough of a hurdle.

This is especially important when it comes to my terrific nieces.  They are both squared away, fine young ladies (ages 22 and 25) who are great role models and confidants for my two daughters (now 12 and 13/almost 14).   I even pay the airfare for Alissa and Amber to come to Hawaii, so important that connection is to me.  I tell my daughters, if you can't ask Mommy or me a question, I trust the judgment of Alissa and Amber.   And I do.   Great kids, and it's been my privilege to watch them grow into fine young ladies, who are now both in good and healthy relationships, one married and one engaged.

So.....long way away from asking about cost-sharing.....but timeshares really help me to build memories with my family and friends, and to strengthen the connections that are so important.  That is priceless to me.

Best,

Greg


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## jimf41 (Aug 6, 2014)

Great post Greg. Made my day.


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## bogey21 (Aug 6, 2014)

I never ask for anything and never mention costs.  My friends usually spring for the groceries on their own volition.  Some pay 100% of a restaurant tab or golf.  Some volunteer nothing and that is ok with me.  I didn't ask for anything.

George


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## Makai Guy (Aug 6, 2014)

As this thread relates to timesharing in general, and not any specific resort system, I've moved it to TUG Lounge.


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 6, 2014)

I know there are various "levels" of family and which stage the members are in life & career. 

Families today are scattered so much more than those of the 1925-45; the 1945-1965; the 1965-1985 to become WHO grew up there are NOT living there now and who the devil lives where their grandparents did NOW.

Yes, I have used timeshare vacations as "treats" to my scattered nieces and nephews. I have used timeshare vacations as BRIBES to my siblings - getting them to USE PRECIOUS VACATION DAYS. We have been thru the "sick" years with our parents and the passing on of almost ALL their generation. There have been NO WEDDINGS or births within the nephews & nieces YET ... so, the financials are pretty similar for my generation.

Unlike my childhood which revolved around my grandparents' house and holiday dinners, the family's generation has developed trips. And my timeshare trips are a big part of getting together with the next generation. My home is currently in the same area as my parents' (their grandparents) who were grumpy and old and where they did attended funerals. Not a happy place or a place of fun. More of a "Another vacation trip to PHL? WHY? Do I have to go?"

So, the family has NEW traditions - new places of fun - adventures - a reason to take "time" to relax and connect. And sometimes, as we age, we realize the people we hold close to us, MAY BE GREAT FRIENDS and not related by blood. And timeshare vacations are neutral ground and new grounds to explore ourselves at.


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## Patri (Aug 6, 2014)

Many posts have shifted from the OP question, and brought in responses to other situations, which is fine. But hers was that the people 'wanted' to travel with them, and several Tuggers have given good advice on that. I agree then it is perfectly fine to ask for $. If friends invite themselves, their costs are their own.
Another thing to take into consideration - how time will be spent. Each side may need private time. Couples may do many things together, but also want to do some things alone. They may have totally different interests. So if possible, lay out those guidelines, so everyone has the best time possible.


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## Ron98GT (Aug 6, 2014)

Patri said:


> Many posts have shifted from the OP question, and brought in responses to other situations, which is fine. But hers was that the people 'wanted' to travel with them, and several Tuggers have given good advice on that. I agree then it is perfectly fine to ask for $. If friends invite themselves, their costs are their own.
> Another thing to take into consideration - how time will be spent. Each side may need private time. Couples may do many things together, but also want to do some things alone. They may have totally different interests. So if possible, lay out those guidelines, so everyone has the best time possible.



And that is a problem, like in our case, of my wife wanting to take a friend (1 person) to Hawaii that has never been there, but we've been there many times.  I don't want to spend all my time rehashing tourist sites that we've been to many times.  And it's hard for us to get time alone, because of the single person, in a strange/new place, with no means of transportation.  Even using Costco and Foodland, we spend a ton of money on food & alcohol, so how do you discuss that issue?

So your right, there are other considerations that must be thought thru and discussed with your "invited" guests, before the trip.  Although if it's close family, like my wife's son, there's nothing to discuss, I'm paying for everything, except the airfare.


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## gnorth16 (Aug 6, 2014)

I ask for nothing, but have always been offered a round of golf or the dinner tab one night.  It's not about the money, but rather the time spent together.  My nephew is already asking about our next trip together after returning 3 weeks ago.


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## dioxide45 (Aug 6, 2014)

Here is how we are handling an upcoming trip to Florida of seven people later this month. All friends, no family other than DW and I. This is similar to how we have handled trips in the past with additional guests.

*Transportation (to/from):* Total of seven people, five are flying, two are driving. Those driving are paying their full way there, gas, hotel for a night on the way down and back up. Unless the try to be warriors and drive straight through. Those of us that are flying paid for our own airfare. One person used miles.

*Rental Cars:* Once there, the five that are flying need rental cars. Two full size are cheaper than a van or full size SUV. We know now the most that the rental car will cost, so we have divided it by five to figure out the cost per person. We will estimate fuel costs and divide that by five before the trip.

*Groceries and Beverages : * I am a meticulous planner and already have a menu worked up for what meals we will be eating in the unit. I have priced out the expected cost. That is divided up by the seven people. 

*Dining Out: *Everyone is on their own. They can come along to the restaurant, go somewhere else, or stay in the room eat leftovers.

*Lodging (one night, two rooms for the five people flying): *We aren't sure exactly how to handle this. We currently have the total for two rooms divided by five, but are considering having the couple staying in the one room pay for their entire room and divide the cost of the second room by three.

*Lodging (timeshare stay):* This is on us. We invited the guests. We originally had a 2BR unit with only two others coming but up-traded in to a 3BR. We asked the first couple if it was okay to invite the others and then did so. The only costs we have are our MFs and those were paid back in January.

For the groceries, gas and rental car costs, we have told the people upfront their expected portion. Some have paid us, others haven't. Everyone will though before the trip. If anything was overestimated or we we end up booking the rental car cheaper through Costco before the trip, I will figure out after the trip if we owe anyone anything back. Some will take it, others won't.

This is a lot of work. Though with a large group of friends it is the fairest way. No one complains because they are getting to stay in a wonderful villa at an ocean front resort for free. I am not paying to feed some of these people. This is different I suppose if I were inviting people to my house, where I would feed them from our current stock or buy any groceries that we would need. But I also wouldn't invite five others over to stay 7-9 nights at my house.


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## Icc5 (Aug 6, 2014)

*We enjoy family and friends*

When we have space we invite family/friends because we enjoy their company.  We ask for nothing.  If they want to buy some food, take us to dinner, pay for us for some entertainment great.  We don't expect or ask for anything except that they also enjoy themselves.  That is a requirement.  We enjoy our vacations and timeshares and like to share with our loved ones.
Bart


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## Dori (Aug 6, 2014)

We have often invited friends and family to join us on timeshare vacations. We feel it is acceptable to ask them to share the cost of groceries. All of them seem to fell that is very reasonable, and are appreciative of the invites.

Dori


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## am1 (Aug 6, 2014)

I think sharing all costs is fair.  If they are using an otherwise unused bedroom then maybe not half the mfs but some amount.  But remember mfs is just one of the costs of ownerships.  As long as they want to go and can afford it paying half is fair.  If one wants to be generous there is no fault in that.  

Whatever one wants to do and the other party is okay with is fine by me.


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## DavidnRobin (Aug 6, 2014)

Much of this depends on many factors - such as annual cost of the TS.
(our SVO TSs have very high annual costs...)

We have travel companions (2 adults) that go with us to the Westin St John (USVI) for 2 weeks almost every year (8 years now).  From the beginning they split all costs with us 50:50 (we each cover our own flight costs) - no issue.  I actually pay for everything, and then they reimburse me (it is easier to keep records that way...). The MFs/taxes for WSJ are ~$5000 for the 2 weeks.  I suppose you very generous folks would just cover this?


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## GregT (Aug 6, 2014)

DavidnRobin said:


> Much of this depends on many factors - such as annual cost of the TS.
> (our SVO TSs have very high annual costs...)
> 
> We have travel companions (2 adults) that go with us to the Westin St John (USVI) for 2 weeks almost every year (8 years now).  From the beginning they split all costs with us 50:50 (we each cover our own flight costs) - no issue.  I actually pay for everything, and then they reimburse me (it is easier to keep records that way...). The MFs/taxes for WSJ are ~$5000 for the 2 weeks.  *I suppose you very generous folks would just cover this? *



Maybe even a little more?    It was worth it to me...  

Best,

Greg


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## dioxide45 (Aug 6, 2014)

DavidnRobin said:


> Much of this depends on many factors - such as annual cost of the TS.
> (our SVO TSs have very high annual costs...)
> 
> We have travel companions (2 adults) that go with us to the Westin St John (USVI) for 2 weeks almost every year (8 years now).  From the beginning they split all costs with us 50:50 (we each cover our own flight costs) - no issue.  I actually pay for everything, and then they reimburse me (it is easier to keep records that way...). The MFs/taxes for WSJ are ~$5000 for the 2 weeks.  I suppose you very generous folks would just cover this?



I think it may be different if it were an every year thing. And knowing the MFs at WSJ, I certainly would expect some reimbursement if the same couple were joining us year after year. In that case it almost seems like joint ownership.


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## MuranoJo (Aug 7, 2014)

In cases of exchange units for multiple couples, I normally just ask for the exchange fees (knowing I had to pay the m/f anyway).  Most often, they know they're getting a great deal and insist on paying for the rental car or a dinner or two.  I once arranged a family reunion and exchanged for 5 units--in that case, I did ask for the exchange fees.  They had a resort experience for less than the cost of a Motel 6 and we all had a great time. 

We've also taken some friends who otherwise couldn't afford to go. Usually this is just two couples sharing a 2 bd, and we don't ask for anything.  I've even used FF miles to fly them to HI before because they really are close friends.


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## lprstn (Aug 7, 2014)

When we travel with ppl, we usually do the following:

(1) Get them their own room *they pay whatever the extra vacation or rental price is

(2) Each get own rental car - if they want to ride with us, we share the car expenses

(3) I do an itenary of the things we really want to do or see - send it to them and ask them what things they are doing with us.

Too many times we've vacationed with others and got totally derailed or jipped. So this is what has worked best for us.


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## Patri (Aug 7, 2014)

Just had a thought (and I think I know the answer). What would Tuggers do if the situation were flipped? Let's say it is not a trade where one vacation you host at your timeshare, the next vacation the other couple hosts at their timeshare.
If you were invited to travel with another couple, would you cover any costs? (You DID NOT invite yourselves. Tuggers just aren't like that.)


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## am1 (Aug 7, 2014)

Patri said:


> Just had a thought (and I think I know the answer). What would Tuggers do if the situation were flipped? Let's say it is not a trade where one vacation you host at your timeshare, the next vacation the other couple hosts at their timeshare.
> If you were invited to travel with another couple, would you cover any costs? (You DID NOT invite yourselves. Tuggers just aren't like that.)



I always want to and do pay my share and am okay with a little extra.


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## MuranoJo (Aug 8, 2014)

We always offer to split the entire cost 50/50.  If they refuse, we will often pick up dinners, gas, etc.


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## A.Win (Aug 9, 2014)

It all depends on your guests' financial situation.

If they are at or below your income level or net worth, just treat them and anything you get from them is extra.

If they are richer than you, you would expect them to return the favor in other ways. Nobody likes the idea of paying for the rich cheapskate. 

In general, I find that when you pay for a richer person, you will somehow get it all back and then some. This is especially true if the richer person is older too. They appreciate nice gestures more than younger people.


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## Luanne (Aug 9, 2014)

Patri said:


> Just had a thought (and I think I know the answer). What would Tuggers do if the situation were flipped? Let's say it is not a trade where one vacation you host at your timeshare, the next vacation the other couple hosts at their timeshare.
> If you were invited to travel with another couple, would you cover any costs? (You DID NOT invite yourselves. Tuggers just aren't like that.)



I can't imagine not offering, or insisting, on paying something.


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## klpca (Aug 9, 2014)

The funniest thing about this thread is how everyone thinks they know their friends financial situation. In my line of work I see what a lot of people earn, and I think that there would be some surprise at the actual numbers, both high and low. 

I agree with Luanne. I would never, ever expect to vacation with someone without paying for my share. And I would expect that our guests would feel the same way and I will respect that and graciously accept their offer to pay. I ask for a fairly nominal amount, less than half of my cost. It works for us.


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## Passepartout (Aug 9, 2014)

There are 'givers', and there are 'takers.' Those who can, and are more willing to share get invited more than the others.

We are 'givers.' Feel free to PM invitations. Acceptances granted on the basis of available times. 

Jim


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## A.Win (Aug 9, 2014)

klpca said:


> The funniest thing about this thread is how everyone thinks they know their friends financial situation. In my line of work I see what a lot of people earn, and I think that there would be some surprise at the actual numbers, both high and low.



Yeah. Maybe most people don't know the numbers that well. Maybe I am nosy but I know where my family and close friends work, so I know their approximate salary. I know the value of their home. I know where and how often they travel. I know if their kids are in private school. I know if they are savers or spenders.

If I don't know these things, that means they are not close friends or they are very newly acquired friends. If that is the case, then we should probably split costs 50/50.


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## sfwilshire (Aug 9, 2014)

We have invited a couple to stay with us in our Angel Fire unit in October. There will be no extra cost to us if they decide to join us, so I wouldn't accept any reimbursement. We are going whether they join us or not.

If they elect to buy some groceries or pay for a meal out, we may accept it. On the other hand, they have included us in activities where there was no extra charge to them, but which were a nice treat for us. It all evens out in the long run.

If you exchange for a bigger units so your friends can join you, and therefore use more points or TPUs than you would have without them, that is a good reason to let them share the cost. Otherwise, I would feel like I'm asking them to cover part of the cost of my own vacation. Not a bad thing if everyone is happy with it, but probably not for me.

Sheila


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## radmoo (Aug 10, 2014)

My cousin and hubby are hoping to join u next March at Royal Haciendas.  As we have 2 br, we would not accept $$$ but would surely let them pick up dinner, bar tab and groceries.


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