Hi there! I'm Monica, your Timeshare Fairy Godmother, a happy timeshare owner of 15 years. I've never worked in the timeshare industry, and I'm not being compensated by any of the parties I talk about in this article.
I'm on a mission to help the 9 million households that own a timeshare make the most of it! Before this frugal fannie dives into my tips, you may think, "What is a Timeshare Exactly?!?" Check out my previous article that gives a quick overview of timeshares, costs of owning one and tips to save money on a timeshare purchase.
Now, if you're reading this it means that you probably already have a timeshare and are looking for ways to maximize it. This article will cover the different ways you can hack your timeshare ownership to increase the value of the dollars you are already spending.
You've joined the timeshare ownership club, now it's time to take advantage of all the perks and vacation deals that come with it. One of the things we love about our timeshare is how flexible it can be. With a timeshare ownership you have financial commitments to your resort, but that doesn't mean you always have to stay at your resort.
Without further ado, let's talk about 4 ways to hack your timeshare to get the most out of your vacations.
It's not a typo, it's true! One of the best ways to hack your timeshare is to return to your resort when the capacity is low.
When our resort is under 80% capacity, they open up the available rooms to owners 3 days in advance - for only the cost of housekeeping. They make the same perk available at a close by, highly rated sister property in the mountains of Vermont.
We take advantage of this offer to secure cheap weekend getaways in shoulder season even when it is not our ownership week! Call your timeshare resort to see if they have a similar 'space available' program.
One place to score additional vacations for pennies on the dollar is from the Timeshare Exchange Companies, which you should have access to whether you bought with Westin, WorldMark, Hilton, or another brand. These companies provide a way for owners to trade their timeshare for a vacation at another resort.
When units are still available companies put them on major clearance 30-45 days before the check-in date. There's no limit to how many of these Last Minute Deals you can purchase at worldwide resorts- AND there is no high pressure timeshare sales presentation required!
These timeshare exchange companies range from very large to small independent ones. Resorts Community International (RCI), Interval International (II), and Expectations Interchange are timeshare exchanges that require a paid membership. DAE, Platinum interchange, RTX and Trading Places International are free to join.
Are you thinking, well that is nice and all, but I bet those are all the older resorts that I'm not interested in anyway. Honestly, there is a little bit of that BUT, there are also lots of great places that just happen to have rooms available. What you'll find in these Last Minute Deals typically falls into 3 categories:
Let's take a look at the recent Last Minute $299 deals at a highly rated Las Vegas resort from one of the exchange companies. If you booked a 2 bedroom unit on Hotels.com for the same time period, you'd pay $1,847 for the week. That means you are saving up to 84% of the price by booking it through a timeshare exchange company.
If you like to vacation for pennies on the dollar, check out what these exchange companies are offering for Last Minute Deals.
The timeshare exchange companies are a key ingredient to make your ownership work for you, and your budget. I hear from a lot of frustrated owners who aren't using their timeshare ownership at all, still paying their yearly maintenance fees and purchasing hotel rooms or Airbnb's instead. Talk about a budget buster!
If you aren't going to your resort or are looking for more vacation variety, the timeshare exchange companies are THE tool to take the dollars you are already spending and transform them into fantastic trips! I've summarized the basics of getting started here.
Did I leave the most significant ways to hack your timeshare for last? Maybe.
Are looking to stretch your one week of timeshare ownership into more vacations? There are a lot of timeshare veterans who use the exchange system to book month-long vacations. There is even a retired couple who timeshare full time and share how they do it on their blog.
To stretch your one week of vacation into many more, follow the below steps.
Whether you're new to timeshare ownership or a savvy veteran, my tips will help you hack your timeshare and get the most out of your vacations.
I hope this article inspired how you can hack your timeshare ownership to vacation more, explore new destinations, and make memories for pennies on the dollar!
My young kids have taught me that it doesn't have to be a trip to the trendiest place of the year to be an amazing, dare I say, a Bucket List worthy vacation.