Help with travel/hunting costs

[Indian Summer]

I was reading the "what keeps you from spending more time elk hunting" thread. Several people answered the wife. One said the cost of the reciprocity trips... taking her somewhere to make up for it.

I wanted to pass on some info on a travel club I just joined. it's pretty incredible. I'm a salesman's worst nightmare and I couldn't pass it up.

There's a one time membership fee. Depending on how many trips you take each year that varies from $3900 to $9900. After that, unlike a time share, if you don't travel anywhere on a given year there are NO fees. That one time cost is for life AND is something that can be passed down to 3 generations in your family. Any family member and/or friends can use it. Family members when you aren't even there. Also friends can use it if you're not accompanying them by purchasing a $200 gift certificate. Pretty cool.

The details: First of all think about the cost of trips most anywhere you go. The biggest cost is your accommodations. A hotel at the beach will be from $200-$300 per night. Hawaii and new Zealand more like $350-$500/night. So for 7 days that's anywhere from $1400 in the lower 48 to $2450 in more exotic locations. You'd probably pay around $85 for a basic room in your hometown unless you prefer Motel 6 for $45. Even that would be $315 for a week. That is not to mention the 18+% room taxes which puts the beach places over $1500 and the exotic ones well over $2500.

With this plan you pay a fee of $389 for any year you decide you want to take a trip. They waive that fee for the first year so you can check it out cheaper. Then... for any trip, anywhere in the world where they have places, you pay a flat fee of $159 for the entire 7 days. Even if you bring 10 other people! And the places are incredible. All 1000 square foot suites with bedroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen. If you want a separate bedroom for your guests it's another $189... for the entire week. Not counting the airfare two couples could go to Hawaii or new Zealand or Europe and with two bedrooms the whopping total for 7 nights would be $348. The rooms are all prime location. No long walks to the beach or attractions. Ocean front with balconies facing the beach. Some people in the club sell trips like that for $1000 or more to friends and business associates which is perfectly fine.

They also have two cruise lines, Holland and Royal Caribbean. $159 per person for the entire cruise to Alaska the Caribbean etc. If you want a cruise somewhere they don't go you can use other cruise lines for like $318 per person and go just about anywhere. They have hotels anywhere they don't offer luxury suites for 50% off. Places like Travelocity and Orbitz etc buy airfares and Amtrak trips in bulk. They get a good price and mark them up to profit. This company, as a free service to members, buys those same things and sells them to me with NO MARKUP! They have their own 5 star travel agency service so with one call you can plan trips or ask questions for no extra charge.

You can do what I did and buy their smallest package and then upgrade anytime you want for the rest of your life. Maybe after you retire and have more time to travel for example. A good idea is to have your kids buy it so it goes two generations beyond them instead of just to them and your grandchildren.

So... of you took a few trips over your entire lifetime that cost you the $389 plus the $159 for a total of $528, If you did two trips in a year it would be $389+$159+$159 or $707. $707 for a week in Hawaii and another in Australia! Those trips would regularly cost you $2500 plus taxes or about 3 grand each... how many trips like that would it take to make up for the cost?

Then there's the fact that your kids and their kids can do the same thing for their entire lifetime. Like I said... I couldn't pass it up. They want 10% down if you want to finance. Not bad. For the low cost package you are allowed 1 peak week or 2 off peak trips per year. The other packages offer up to 4 peak weeks or 8 off peaks trips available to you every year. If you were retired and had the time to go to 4 or 8 places every year it would pay for itself in no time. The people at the meeting I went to who owned times shares were freaking out. The $389 you pay as a member just covers some taxes on your rooms which is why you pay nothing if you don't go anywhere on a particular year. Those folks pay $600 or more every year for a maintenance fee and that's whether they use their place or not!

NO.. I don't make anything from telling other people about it. It's not one of those pyramid scheme deals. Yes if I refer someone to them who signs up they'll give me $200 but I don't care about that. I haven't really even mentioned it to anyone else. They don't have anything in South America, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, or Afghanistan lol... but other than that they pretty much have it covered in 4600 locations. If anyone is interested send me a PM and I'll give you their contact info or answer any questions I can.

So go elk hunting for 2 weeks every year and tell the wife... or husband, that you'll take them to Hawaii or Australia or Europe to make up for it! I'm already dreaming of Hawaii, New Zealand, & South Africa.