It is July 1! The
calendar is officially telling us that half the year is over and we have half
of it left. What will you do to make the
most of it?
My philosophy is that time is like money and I want to spend
my time wisely. I was reminded of this
the other day when I was volunteering at our local event center. It donned on me that I do “get a lot done”
with my time—work full time, volunteer, contribute to two local boards (and
treasurer of one of them), teach coupon classes, blog, and do fun things with
my family. What’s the old adage. . . “If
you want to get something done, give it to a busy person”?
The husband and I decided a long time ago that we didn’t
want to spend money on “stuff” but rather on experiences. I feel the same about spending time.
The boy seems to have taken on the same philosophy as he
wakes up each day ready for adventure asking “What are we going to do today?”
Don’t get me wrong, I can spend a summer afternoon curled up
with a good book just like anyone. So
spending time wisely doesn’t mean perpetual motion, at least not for me.
I also want to not waste time. Efficiency is high priority. I have always admired the male lead character
in the book Cheaper by the Dozen or Spencer Tracy’s character in the movie
Desk Set as they were both “efficiency
experts” of sorts. (I also love
Katharine Hepburn’s character, too, as she is smart!) Disney’s efficiency pillar
for service and operation is one of the reasons we keep going back!
So, how am I going to make the most of the rest of
2013? Well, a great big trip to Walt
Disney World is at the top of the list!
Helping others plan their magical Disney vacations, adventuring with my
family, making our home run smoother (and more efficiently), and continuing to
find and teach others about “deals” will round out the year.
What are you plans to make the most of the second half of
2013?
I have a question unrelated to this post. Why do you use a travel agent? Specifically, how does it benefit your family? I have been to 10 times; twice as a child, 4 times as an adult with no kids and 4 times as an adult with my daughter. I only used a travel agent once and that was for our trip last month. I found it to be more of a hassle than a benefit. Sure, I got a cute gift bag filled with goodies from our travel agent…but nothing that I couldn’t throw together for under $20. I am a bit of a control freak and like to be able to make changes to my reservations when the mood strikes. I like to price out many different options and see the breakdown of prices for each ‘add-on’. I found with my travel agent, there was a lot of back and forth. When I asked how much something was, her response was “It’s all lumped together in the package and can’t be itemized”. So, I just went to Disney’s website and priced the stuff myself. I hated that my Disney packet did not get mailed to me. It was mailed to my travel agent and then I had to make arrangements to meet with her to pick it all up and go over all the details. I was really annoyed. Based on my experience I will never use a travel agent again…unless of course I can ever get my husband to go on a Disney Cruise. Then I would use a travel agent, because I wouldn’t know the first place to start with the planning.
ReplyDeleteHolly,
DeleteThanks for the question. This one can be a tough one. There are a variety of reasons and benefits: first is that we are a team--both searching and finding the best deals and there is always some information or access that our TA can get but we can not, like special pricing at the Hyatt prior to a cruise. Second, she takes care of everything, including our dining reservations. I just email her with dates, locations, preferred times, and then she emails me back with the times booked and confirmation numbers. There have also been instances when our flight times have changed significantly and she has contacted the airlines to get our flights changed at no charge to us, which is typically unheard of in the "do it yourself" world unless there is a storm warning of some sort. Our TA is an independent AAA agent who works out of her home. I have never had to arrange a special meeting with her, as she will deliver documents to our home. Now, if we were first timers, that might be a different story. And, if I want to change anything, I just email or call. We have changed dining plans, added days to our reservation--with the price broken down--and all has been handled wonderfully. As far as perks, yes, we have received art work, gift cards, on board credits, and now AAA has a member rewards program where you earn points. What I like most is that I don't feel like I am alone or doing things myself. Again, we are a team. I have her phone number programmed in my phone and she has even called me back on non-work hours to help. Here is a post that tells more: http://toddjodybrent.blogspot.com/2012/08/why-we-use-travel-professional.html
Hope you talk your husband into cruising soon as it is one of the easiest vacations ever!
Thanks for your response!!! And I also hope I can talk my husband into cruising. He loves Disney almost as much as I do. He's just not interested in a cruise right now. We'll see. :)
ReplyDelete