I have said elsewhere on TUG and on my Youtube Channel that Timesharing can be great if done right. Since I bought my first resale at the end of 2022, I've been on multiples more trips, and longer trips than ever before in my life. I used to do ~4 days before Christmas in NYC, and one ~9 day trip every 4 years on average before. Now I've done 6ish trips a year for at least a week using timeshares around the US and used my hotel points and spend in Europe.
Last year I went to Williamsburg, Smuggs, and Wychnor Park in timeshares. This year I've been to HHI, Destin, Massanutten, and Berkshires. I have Vegas in Sept, and 2 weeks in Florida in December (might look for a third).
Next year I have Marbrisa in March, New Orleans in late April, and penciling in Nashville, maybe Smoky Mountains, and Massanutten again if I can get a deal, and August in Lake Lure / Foxrun.
I broke even on my resale purchases and current MFs, and rental / RCI costs vs hotels already. I'll be thousands ahead, especially with current hotel costs, especially if I get 2 or 3 rooms like the Timeshares.
I'm loving going to new places and looking forward to returning to some where I couldn't possibly do everything in just one week. I always have a trip to look forward to, a new area for some new pictures, or a new video to make about a timeshare or travel location. It's a blast especially compared to the ~3 COVID years where I was stuck, but even compared to the 4 years before COVID where I "couldn't afford" another trip. Turns out I just needed to force myself to pre-pay and get access to these amazingly low prices via RCI too. And even the $2,500 rentals that I've shied away from aren't that bad compared to 2 hotel rooms in the same area for the same time.
Exploring the new areas is also fun, and different activities can be fun - the lifts to the top of mountains or ping pong / mini golf. Various beaches or parks etc. In some ways the timeshares have made my travelling like I got a huge raise or something - people think I'm a lot better off than I am, just because resale plus planning is so inexpensive, especially with eating various meals in the units with their kitchens.
I fully believe that for the right person, you can be in for ~ $4,000 a year in MFs and extra vacations / cash deals and instead of one 7 day trip if you're lucky, you can easily do 4 1 week trips in 2BR units. I've done it for 2 years now, and seem on track for a third. (Granted, this is just the lodging, but still a big difference IMO).
