Money Saving Tips For Time Share Properties

All travel bugs love the sense of adventure and deep end experience that comes with overseas travel. However, when we truly fall in love with a location, it’s not uncommon for us to want to put down roots there. Thus, we buy a holiday home which we hope will provide us with a home away from home in a beloved holiday location that gives you the same sense of luxury as a hotel, yet with the familiarity and comfort of home. We may hope to retire to this property some day and most likely use it as an extra revenue stream by renting it out to our fellow tourists when it’s not in use.

Image by PxHere

While purchasing a holiday home may not be within most people’s budgets, investing in a timeshare property can allow you to share the upfront costs and inherent running costs with others. That said, even when sharing these costs, we can quickly realize that the overhead costs of managing a holiday home can cut into our precious disposable income. In order to make a timeshare property a viable and profitable enterprise we need to find ways to cut costs wherever we can. With that in mind, here are some ways in which you can save money on buying and running your timeshare property...

Save a hefty downpayment

Of course, saving money on a second property, whether it’s a holiday home or an investment property starts with your mortgage. Needless to say, you should do your homework and take the time to find the best housing loan, but that’s just the beginning of where you can save. If possible you should aim to put down a hefty down payment. Typically on second homes the minimum down payment is around 10% as opposed to 5%, but you can save considerably if you’re able to put down a deposit of 20% or more. This will prevent you from having to pay Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) which usually runs between 0.5% and 1% of the full loan every year. This might not look like much on paper but it’s an expense that you and all who you share the property with could do without.

Take advantage of tax deductions

If you purchased your holiday home exclusively for your own personal enjoyment and not as an investment property, don’t forget that this makes you eligible for certain tax breaks. There are numerous deductibles on a timeshare property including;

• Maintenance fees- Please note that these are only a taxable expense if you and your fellow investors rent out your timeshare.
• Loan interest payments- If you used a secured loan to co-finance the property, the interest you pay is tax deductible.
• Property tax deductions- If your property taxes are billed separately from your maintenance charges, these also qualify as deductions.

Keep an eye on energy use

With so many energy tariffs on the market, it behooves you to select one that’s appropriate for the property’s use. For example, if you will use it predominantly as a holiday home and renting it out for very limited periods, it’s likely that it will be consuming little or no energy for the majority of the year. With this in mind, it makes no sense to select a tariff that will give you a great price on energy that’s not being used. On the other hand, if your property will be used for most of the year, it helps to monitor the usage and select a tariff that gives you a great deal for how much energy you’re using and when. Compare prices regularly to ensure that you’re saving as much as possible on both of your properties. No matter how much usage the property gets, installing energy smart measures like energy saving CFL bulbs is a great way to drive down your overheads.

Make sure your vacation property is water smart

Even if you’re very conservative in your water usage at home, if you’ll be renting out your holiday home, there’s no guarantee that your tenants will be quite so water (and cost) conscious. As such, it’s a great idea to install some water saving features. Most of them are relatively inexpensive and easy to install and while some may result in some upfront costs they will invariably save you money in the long term while also helping to conserve one of our most precious natural resources;

• Water saving dual flush toilets
• Gray water showers
• Water saving shower heads
• Water butts for the garden

Although the maintenance costs are offset by the contributions of others when you invest in a timeshare, it’s still in your best interests to strive to keep costs down where you can and take advantage of the unique tax benefits available to timeshare holders!

Are you already a timeshare owner or looking to buy one?

How To Book A Budget Trip To Indonesia

One of the most common misconceptions about travelling is that it is always super expensive. With ridiculous flight prices, pricey accommodation and spending money - it all starts to add up right? 

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

The great thing about travel is that it is what you make it. If you learn the tips and tricks of the trade then it doesn’t have to be expensive at all. In fact, you may be surprised at how inexpensive it may be. 

One of the most affordable destinations - if done right - is actually Indonesia. From the beautiful beaches in Bali to the bustling city of Jakarta, you could enjoy a it all on a budget. 

To help you book your dream trip to Indonesia on a budget, I’ve but together 8 of my best tips and tricks. 

1. Book Well In Advance

If you’re planning your trip to Indonesia well in advance, booking it as soon as possible is one of the best ways to save yourself some money. 

Flights go on sale 11 months before they fly, and sold on a class basis, making the day they go live the ideal time to get them booked up. Whilst this may not always be possible, the sooner you can book the better. 

The same applies to accommodation, the closer it gets to the date you’re booking for, the more expensive it becomes.

    2. Travel Out Of Season

During the summer Indonesia is more expensive to travel too as it’s the easiest time for people travel, and has the best weather! 

If you’re able to travel at any time, avoid any unnecessary costs by travelling just outside of the main season. You still get the benefits of the great weather at the same time as saving on both flights and accommodation. Indonesia is also much quieter during this time, making it so much more enjoyable. 

    3. Be Flexible On Dates

Although not everyone is able to do this, being flexible on your dates could make a huge difference when it comes to cost. Try looking at several different dates, weighing up which options are the most feasible. 

Photo by Jordan Sanchez on Unsplash

   4. Shop Around For Flights

There are lots of different flight providers that fly into Indonesia, so try shopping around when it comes to booking your flights. You may find that there are huge discrepancies between different airlines, saving you from spending unnecessary money on a flight. Sites like Skyscanner and Kayak do all the hard work for you, showing you all of the available flights from your chosen airport. 

   5. Do Your Research

Before you travel, looking into the average price of things will give you a good idea of how much the entire trip is going to cost you. Use websites like Tripadvisor to find restaurants you may like to visit and read the reviews to find out roughly how much they cost. Having this knowledge will help when it comes to putting together a budget. 

   6. Budget Spending Money In Advance

Having a budget in mind for each day will allow you to plan well in advance the things you want to do. Failing to budget runs the risk of you running out of money before your trip is over, however if you have one in place you’re more likely to go home with a little extra. 

The recommended amount of spending per day is $30 - $50, as living costs are much cheaper in Asia than they are here in America. If you’re planning on doing activities and excursions, you may need to budget a little bit extra. 

Photo by Artem Bali on Unsplash

   7. Book Activities When You Get There

Although it may seem like a good idea to book excursions and activities through travel providers before you travel, they’re actually much cheaper to book once you get there. For example, snorkeling in Bali could cost as much as $60 when booked in advance, but when booked using a tour provider on the beach it is as little as $10. These kind of savings could be the difference between being able to stay an extra few nights. 

   8. Stay In A Hostel Or Home Stay

Booking accommodation in Indonesia can be a little overwhelming when you don’t know what you’re looking for, however, the most affordable options have proven to be hostels or home stays. Hostels are great if you’re travelling solo and looking to meet new people, whereas home stays may be a little bit more luxury (without the cost). If you’re lucky, you may even end up in a stunning villa like the Villa Di Bandung. 

Have you ever been to Indonesia? What are your budget friendly tips? Let me know in the comment section below!

Art and Museums of Philadelphia - Part 2

Last week I took you on a quick trip through some art and museums of Philadelphia in Part 1 of this post, and now I want to continue showing you what other awesome things the city has to offer.

Like a lot of other cities, Philly works with local artists to beautify their city, through statues, murals and more throughout the city. Everywhere you look there are amazing things to see from all different sorts of artists in all different mediums. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love a good wall mural, and walking around Philadelphia is sort of like a dream, because you find the most interesting artwork on the sides of buildings, in all of its neighborhoods. This Olde City one caught my eye with so many little pieces and the stark contrast between just the two colors.

Not only are there tons of works of art, but you can even take mural walking tours of the city. We had limited time and didn't take one, but we sure did see a lot while we were going from one attraction to another. I mean, walking is the best way to see a destination and you don't miss out on as much as you might taking public transportation or driving (which we did do, but we parked in a lot in the mornings and drove "home" in the evenings). You have to slow down and look around. We even found this mural, above, still being worked on and colored in.

Even the mundane things in the city have makeovers, like this electrical box. You also see colorful trash bins and alleyways and outdoor rooftops. 

I had to stop and take several pictures of the side of this building. Not only were the colors fantastic, even on a cloudy day, but the artist made it look like it had stained glass windows where there was only a brick wall. It was gorgeous.

Philadelphia is known as The City of Brotherly Love, so you'll see renditions of the classic LOVE statue all over, as well as XOXO. This AMOR caught my eye, as it's different, in a part of town that is French and Italian, and it's on a box, so people can stand underneath to get their picture taken.

It's hard to pick favorite art from the city, because there's so much and it's all so different from each other. If you love art, and you're on a budget, just take a walk anywhere with your camera and get an eyeful of free culture.

We had the opportunity to check out a much recommended attraction in Philadelphia called Magic Gardens. This massive work of art is made up of pottery, china and pieces the artist Isaiah Zagar enjoyed to make these fantastic mosaics. Everywhere you look, there are 50 things to catch your eye. 

Zagar found mosaics as a way to combat his depression and also make the city more interesting to look at. He was part of a group of artists who would purchase not so great buildings and completely reinvent them. It got to the point that shops and landlords began to hire him to create cool mosaics for their buildings as well, and you can see some of these on the buildings you pass on South Street, and also down alleys between houses and shops. 

Zagar started Magic Gardens and it was completely filled with things he loved within 14 years. There are so many tiny things (and huge things) in the labyrinth of mosaics, that it might take that long to enjoy every piece he put into this. Above is one of my favorite tile finds. 

There are tunnels and steps and archways and walls and towers and words of encouragement. It's definitely a lot to take in on just one trip. I eavesdropped a bit on a private tour going on and learned that sometimes tiles weren't meant to live outside in the weather and have had to be replaced over time. Zagar will choose or create new pieces to replace them and comes out and mixes his own mortar as well. He's very hands-on with his creation and you can see that with each step you take. There was care to make the most of every inch you see. 

While you walk around, you'll find a lot of bicycle wheels, which were all donated by a local repair shop. Even the bathrooms are covered in mosaic, and there is a small exhibit "hall" off the back of the ticket desk where you can see even more art and make purchases as well. 

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This massive art installation only took 14 years to make. It would probably take that long to appreciate all the gems hidden among the rubbish. . . #jetsetter #jetset #ilovetravel #tourist #tourism #tblogger #tbloggers #travelblog #travel #travelblogger #travelgirl #travelgram #instatravel #traveler #traveller #budgettravel #budgettraveler #budgettraveller #spon @visitphilly #philadelphia

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Can you believe how much effort and love went into the Gardens? At one point, Eric and I were standing in the middle and I told him to look up, and you can see mosaics and art on the chimney, probably 40 feet over your head. It was amazing. 

There are a lot of sexualized pieces and nude men and women at Magic Gardens, so if that's not a conversation you want to have with your small people, this might be a thing to skip with them. They aren't crazy obvious, but there are plenty of them all over if you're looking closely. If you celebrate the human body and don't have these issues, it's a definite must-visit. 

What do you think of the wonders of Magic Gardens? Stay tuned for more of my Philadelphia adventures.

Disclaimer: Visit Philly gave me a VIP attraction pass in order to visit Magic Gardens at no cost, but all opinions are 100% my own.