What's her problem?

So, we weren't planning on going to Vegas this year because we are taking our daughter to Disney in June. Well last week, I hit an unexpected hand pay at the local casino. I pondered it for a couple of days, and I was like, Hey let's go to Vegas! She is like Hey let's pay off some bills. I'm like I can get 3 or 4 comped nights depending on the property. She is like how much is airfare? It's like $600 round trip for two at our the airports that are close to us, but I'm like it's $300 if we drive four hours to Dallas. I'm working overnights for a year and it is pure heck on your family life, plus I turn 40 this year, it seems like good enough reasons to me! What is her deal really? lol

 

I'm with her. Pay off the bills.

 

She's right.

 

As we never went to Vegas while we had non-mortgage debt. I will have to sadly agree with your wife pay off the debt it will make the fun times that much more fun.

 

If you get to LV and blow the $ (no wins, no fun, no whatever), you may hate yourself later. I'm with the others so far.

I don't know what your financial situation looks like (and I'm not fishing for you to explain it) but maybe there's some happy medium where you pay off some/all of the debt and still find a way to go on a shorter or cheaper trip?

 

What are you doing gambling when you have debt you need to pay off if you get a handpay??? Just kiddin. If you are looking at long term debt like car payments or house then negotiate. If credit cards (yikes!!) or other short term crap pay it off. But, once paid off pay yourself as if still in debt with no hand pay until you save up the hand pay amount and then revisit the trip.

And try not to go into further debt visiting the wonderful world. That ain't easy. Good luck and congrats on coming to the board for advice. Beats the ouiji board every time. Ha.

 

I'm probably going straight to hell for this: There is more to life than Vegas.

 

Say "Maybe we should cancel the Disney trip as well?" and see how she responds lol. At least with Vegas you have a chance to come back home with money Goofy isnt going to hand you a check while you are there. .

Dont listen to me. You'll be going to Vegas solo if you do.

 

If you end up choosing the Vegas option and have a losing trip, be prepared to hear about how you should have paid the bills instead. As hard as it would be to turn down a vegas trip, paying the bills is the way to go here

 

Sounds like YOU should go to vegas, leave Mrs no fun at home.

 

I have (thank goodness) already cleared all of my debt, but let me offer this one bit of advice:
Keep gambling money completely segregated from every other aspect of your budget.
So, for example, if I were to win a trifecta at Lone Star Park, 100% of that money goes into the "gambling fund"...which is where the money to make that trifecta bet came from in the first place.
So, the wife & I never have to argue about my gambling, as it is a self-sustaining, self-funding account.
(I also direct-deposit $100/month into that account, so "gambling" is also a "budget" item).

On the flip side of that coin, when I have had huge wins, I typically give the wife half of the win to do anything she wants to with. The other half goes back into the fund.

In my shoes, that hand-pay would go toward gambling, as that's where it's supposed to go!

 

You have a very cute family. Count your blessings and pay the bills. Vegas is always going to be there.

 

I keep my winnings in a “kitty” separate from my regular funds, so I would first set aside some funds for the taxes. What’s left: half for bills and half for the kitty.

 

Just to be clear, We always pay bills before gambling and the like. The hand pay was only like $2000, so it could pay off like one or two small bills at the most. We have been on a "plan" to pay off debt since we don't have to pay daycare since our daughter started kindergarten in August. We are trying to do the snowball method. I just need some fun!

 

Thank you very much.

 

You're correct, two grand isn't much.

I guess it all depends on the interest rates associated with those "two small bills" and the timeline for paying them off if you don't use this grubstake. As well as your "'plan'" for your larger debt and what that entails, again, for timeline and carrying cost. Only you can do the math. If you guys can make it work, go to Vegas. If it really chaps your wife's ass, go with her wishes. You do have a getaway planned in a few months. Or if you need to blow off some immediate steam, what about a nearby vacation/staycation?

 

My wife tolerates Vegas (she’s been here a total of 3 times in 12 years) and that’s about it. She doesn’t gamble (much) and gets right ripped when she loses a twenty in Sex and the City. She also freaks when I tell her I dropped $300 on a night at the tables or on the slots. Yeah, I know, $300 isn’t a lot but that’s my daily bankroll and I 99% of the time stick to that. But, when I do have those times when I fatten my wallet, I ALWAYS split my winnings 50-50 with her so she can do some extra shopping or whatever she wants.

That said, we are no different than many families with kids, bills, obligations. Depending on where we are with all that and what’s coming up for obligations, we always make the decision on Vegas (or the local casino where we live) around that. If we can do the trip without putting any stress on our bank account, we (or like me on this current trip solo) will do it. If not, we hold off. Like someone said before me, Vegas isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Regardless of how much info the OP provides, it’s still an individual decision to be made.

Whatever you’ve decided, I hope it works out as the best one.

 

I love having fun as much as the next. A compromise idea because you seem to be on track to remove the debt. Can you use part of it to pay off a higher interest rate debt (18% credit card) and use the rest for a shorter Vegas trip.

 

I know!
Put $1500 toward bills & take the other $500 back to your local and see what you can do!
Get it back to $2K, and then book!

 

Yep. But he also came here looking for advice. We do that here.