To timeshare or not to timeshare - that can be the question for many weary vacation travelers who get caught up in the discounts that are offered for “only one hour of your time.” We did make an initial timeshare purchase when our daughters were young, but this is certainly not an endorsement for anyone to invest in timeshares. We purchased ours before the popularity and ease of finding great travel accommodations through Airbnb or Vrbo. Having said that, we have enjoyed this means of sharing time with our daughters (and now son-in-laws as well) in a more expansive living space when we vacation together.
Timeshares and vacation clubs, as most people know, are pre-paid furnished studios or apartments with everything you need such as plates, cookware, towels, etc. In fact, it is pretty much everything except consumables like food, drinks and personal items. We have owned timeshares for almost 22 years, and we have developed a few helpful suggestions that center around those objects that are not supplied.
Not sure if it is my OCD or Type A personality, but I have always opened up a suitcase in the guest bedroom a week or more before a trip so that we could place items in “as we thought about them.” This activity naturally led to preparing for timeshare travel. One of our early discoveries was that we always seemed to need the same things every time. We started placing items in a bag a few days before we would leave for a trip - this eventually became “The Timeshare Bag.” We chose a reusable plastic Trader Joe’s bag because it is durable and a great size. We learned that creating a bag or tote with items needed for every trip was quite helpful.
For those of us who truly enjoy cooking, having a full kitchen while on vacation is a joy! Early on, one of our friends said that she always packed spices when traveling to their timeshare instead of purchasing all new bottles when they arrived at their location. We started packing garlic salt, steak seasoning, etc. - spices that our girls liked if we cooked meals in the kitchen or at one of the barbecue grills. Other cooking items we keep in the bag are matches, flavored tea bags, favorite coffees, filters and a wine opener. We even have small containers of sugar and flour. Other helpful items are ziplock bags, a few plastic food storage containers for leftovers and chip clips.
Kitchen products are not the only items in the bag. Liquid hand soaps are a must for week-long stays, because timeshares typically only have bar soap and dish soap; it is helpful to have pump soap in the kitchen and main bathroom especially when traveling with children. Things like Lysol wipes and laundry pods are also good to include. We always pack Sharpies - black and red! Black is helpful for scuffed black shoes or for labeling ziplocks, and red can serve in a pinch for chipped red nail polish or for labeling items.
Keeping a notepad in the bag to add to the list of “wish we had brought this” and to create grocery lists has been helpful. We try to pack some shelf-stable food for the first night and next morning so that we do not have to do grocery shopping the first night after dinner but can wait until the next morning. Items like crackers, nuts, popcorn and individual chip bags for an evening snack and packets of oatmeal or packaged pastries for a quick breakfast are a few suggestions. Fresh fruits and vegetables for snacking can be included along with water bottles and juice if traveling with a cooler is an option.
Most timeshares will have a weekly calendar guide - which offers fun activities for kids and adults. We have learned how to make flower leis, line dance, go on nature walks, etc. Swimming pools with slides are typically available, and many activities are in the water and kid-friendly. We always try to take a small beach tote that can fold up flat in our suitcase to take swimming items to the pool.
Obviously, taking a full timeshare bag is dependent on the location and whether we are driving to the vacation spot. A large ziplock of essential items can be be taken if we are flying to our destination. When we return home from a trip, we replenish the bag or place a note on top as a reminder for what needs to be replenished. We keep it in our pantry to add products as we think of them.
While this is surely not a “sales pitch” for timeshares (because the costs do not end with the purchase since there are yearly maintenance fees), we have enjoyed the opportunities they have provided. Having the prepackaged timeshare bag ready to go has proven to be helpful so that we are not packing and repacking essentials every time.
