Until recently, timeshares have been the way to go when someone wanted to get a good deal on yearly vacationing, but with the recent rise in discount travel clubs is it still a a smart move? I will compare the two vacation plans and show how discount travel clubs are the better choice for people who want to save on their vacations.

1) Initial costs- Purchase a timeshare at a resort or second hand from the original owner and you will pay anywhere from say $6,500 to $20,000 depending on where your unit is and how good you are at haggling when they try to close on you. Paid either in a lump sum or over time, you now own a week of time at a resort that you can exchange with others looking for something in your area. Let’s go midrange for a buying price of $13,250.

If you joined a discount travel club, you paid somewhere between $199 and $500 to get access to vacations around the world… Gotta give that win to the vacation club for a more affordable initial price.

2) Recurring costs- According to memorable-beach-vacations.com, ownership has its privileges because you now are responsible for ongoing maintenance fees, upkeep, furniture and appliances, roof and pool replacement, and of course insurance and property taxes. We’ll use their figures for time share resorts in Virginia Beach, which they found range from $390-$550 a year, and use a midrange figure of $475 a year. This annual fee would be adjusted for inflation and probably increase over time. Your total annual timeshare costs over 10 years, barring any roof or pool rework, is $4,750. If you trade for other units around the world, there are other costs involved that vary from group to group, so it would be hard to determine the exact costs other than to say they would be at least several hundred dollars more expensive a year.

» Read more: Timeshare Verses Travel Club – Which is the Real Deal?

If you are planning a family vacation, why not make it an extended family vacation and receive a great group travel discount? Travel with extended family?! Ok, we aren’t crazy and we know it isn’t for everyone, but we have found that the bigger the group the bigger the savings. So, if a big family gathering isn’t your idea of a vacation, you can round up a large group of friends.

The first thing you need to do is to contact a reputable travel agent or tour group, you can do one stop shopping to plan your group vacation. This allows you to plan the vacation to include your group interests instead of being stuck with a set vacation package. You often receive cheap tickets for airfare and discounts to points of interests, for hotel fair and for meals. Often, you can negotiate a “meals included” price, although this might mean you get whatever they prepare for you.

If you are planning anything from a family reunion or a reunion with friends to a work or company retreat, there is no better way to build memories than through a group vacation. Group travel can be overseas or in country. Some of the best group travel deals that we have found are actually for cruises. Cruises even give good discounts on groups as small as a family of four, with it working out that one of the family members is essentially going for free.

» Read more: Group Travel Offers Discounts and Cheap Tickets for Travelers

Who says that discount hotel rooms are only available at shabby motels? With a little creativity and a whole lot of patience, you book a room in a posh hotel and enjoy luxury at a big discount. Get everything you have always wanted – 24-hour room service, comfortable bed linens and a concierge without all the bills.

The Internet works wonders

A tight budget is no excuse for a cheap hotel room. Use the Internet to your advantage to find the lowest rates available for the best rooms in town. Log on to your favorite travel agent website – you will be surprised at what you may find.

Be on the lookout for nontraditional categories such as ‘hip hotels,’ or ‘spa favorites’ and ‘seaside retreats.’ Your travel websites may be ‘hiding’ discount rooms in these categories.

Are you planning to stay long? If you are, take advantage of discount rates available for tourists who intend to stay for an extended period. You can typically get as much as 30 percent off the regular rates.

» Read more: Discount Hotel Rooms