How can I convince husband to cancel trip?

I'm with your husband. As long as you can afford both, I would not cancel the trip. Never pass up a chance on a trip - something else may come up next year, etc.

Enjoy the trip. Husband 3; Gail 1.

Gail, I'm not sure my opinion will be of much help, but here it is anyway. I tend to have the same attitude as your husband. You can deal with the Reno's after you return, when you've replenished your savings and established somewhat of a "plan" on how to repair the damage (I've been watching a lot of Holmes on Homes lately, so know that these things have to be approached properly). You should be able to make some temporary repairs to keep things together until then. Yes, Paris will be there next year but to look at it another way, your house will be there when you return and the situation doesn't sound severe enough that it couldn't wait for a few months. I learned a valuable lesson a few years ago after suffering a severe injury. That lesson was that if there's anything that one wants to do (such as traveling in Europe), it's a good idea to do it when you can, as one event can change the situation in a big hurry! After about 5 months of recovery, I celebrated by taking off to Europe for 2 months! One other thing to consider, is that I'm not sure whether a refund of your tour deposit is possible due to a "bathroom infestation"? I've just signed up for a RS tour as well, and seem to recall that they only refund based on medical issues (however, I haven't read through the terms of the Agreement yet). With 3-months to go, you should be able to make some temporary repairs that aren't too costly (although what's possible is difficult to say without being able to see the situation more clearly). Do you have an alternate bath that you could use? Regarding this "affecting your enjoyment" of the trip, I'd focus more on the time spent with your husband. The house can wait. BTW, I'm sure you'll have a great time on the France tour! Good luck!

Gail, in a nutshell, you're saying if you go on the trip you'll be unhappy and if you stay home and fix the bath he'll be unhappy. Why don't you ask him what it would take for him to agree to putting off the trip until next year and tell him what it would take for you to go on the trip with him....You could take the trip and get a loan to fix the bathroom when you return. Also, you could stay home and supervise the bathroom repairs while he goes on the trip. I agree, fixing the bathroom is important but I'd consider my relationship with my husband more important. You could always get all the planning for the bath done before you leave on the trip, so you know you've done what you could and you'll do the rest when you get back.

If you go, and I agree with all of the above comments, I just found kind of cheap tickets with Iceland air, 1100 Round trip to Paris. I had to cancel a Rick Steves trip a couple years ago due to the birth of twin grandsons and the 400 each down payment was not refunded but kept and used the next year. Have a great trip.

I knew I could depend on the board members to give me some well thought out advice (especially Ken!) I liked the idea of having a repair plan ( and estimates) in place before we leave so that the work can be done as soon as we return. I am the worrier in the family and hubby is the "everything works out" guy so maybe this time I will try to let go a little and know that the house isn't caving in. I am excited about our trip (17 days in all with time in London and Paris before we join the tour) and now with a plan of attack for the bathroom I can refocus on planning every moment of our trip ( not really but hubby thinks I spend too much time planning- though that's my pleasure). Thanks again for the helpful advice- you guys are great!!!

I'm a bit late but Iwill still congradulate you on what I think is a good decision. I worked for a large car company and I remember two guys who had 3-month temporary assignments in Cologne. It was their first time in Europe and they came back happy travelers who were going to take their wives to travel in Europe when they had time. Well, in less than 2 years both women were dead and the great trips never happened. Life is very temporary and precious and as long as finances alllow it I would say go. 20 years from now you will remember the trip but the bathroom will be long gone. Have a geat time!

Gail, The ants will go away when the source of the wetness goes away. If you have two bathrooms and two different places to take a shower, stop using the leaky shower ASAP. If you do not, get the leaky shower repaired by someone who is willing to fix that one problem now, and deal with the rest after you get back from your trip. This is the sort of problem that a reasonably handy person can do without resorting to a full-blown gutting of the bathroom, unless that is what you wanted to do anyway. I know someone who had exactly the problem you describe (without the ants). One thing led to another and now they have a shiny new bathroom. But what could have been a $500 fix-only-what-you-have-to solution turned into a $40,000 home refinanced project. It is amazing how quickly money can disappear in situations like this. I have seen people put more thought and effort into cutting out a 50-cent-off coupon than they will trying to pare a $40K project down to $30K.

Dear Gail, This is probably not the best place to come for votes to cancel your trip. We are all travel freaks here. I think the $800 deposit is the tie breaker. It's crazy to throw away $800 to remodel a bathroom now that can be done later in the year.

Go to Europe after 'bandaiding' the bathroom problem. The trip should give you more lasting elation than a bathroom reno. WE would never miss a trip for any ongoing home improvements/repairs, our new flooring will be on hold while we head to Britain in May. Maybe we're travel obsessed?

We cannot travel overseas this year due to my drop in income. I'm totally bummed. I had used my FF miles for a trip to France, and had to pay $300 to get the miles returned to my account. Luckily I hadn't yet put the deposit on the trip. We are putting everything on hold, stopping or curtailing all services where we can, just to have the money to budget for everyday expenses, mortgage, food, gas, etc. If you have budgeted for the trip, and can keep expenses down during your travel, (not buying a bunch of "stuff") and the bathroom can be fixed and paid for without going into debt, then take the trip. If however the cost of the repair will take you more than 1 year to pay off, cancel the trip for your own peace of mind.
All that being said, once you are off the plane in Europe and enjoying the experience, the bathroom will be a distant memory (perhaps until you board the plane to come home, then you can worry about it again!) Updating the bath shouldn't be a big priority, travel and experiences are worth it. The bathroom can be re- done anytime, travel should be done while you can! Fix what you need to fix, and go on your trip

Well, Gail, I think you and your hubby should go ahead and take the trip. As others have said, you never know what is ahead of you in life, and health is always an issue, even at 48/49. So go for it. I have known people who have saved and saved and saved for their later years, and then planned to do something and couldn't. So while you can afford it, and while you are still in good health you should go. Enjoy your trip and love every minute of it. The bathroom can always be fixed later, and it won't go away. Plus, if you have another bathroom, you can use that one until you fix the problem., be it now or later. Take care. Have fun.

As Irv alluded to, I once read that the greatest mistake we make is to think we have time. There's always the chance that you and your husband may not get to travel next year, so enjoy the trip.

Gail, We have had a house on the market since May of last year. In October when we hadn't had so much as a nibble I started working on my husband about cancelling our trip to Europe this April (we'd made those arrangements last spring never dreaming our beautiful Victorian home wouldn't sell). It took him awhile to get his mind around the fact that our budget couldn't handle two mortgage payments (we'd already bought a home), a major remodel of the new home (well underway and almost finished by that point), four weeks of touring (although the air was paid with miles and the lodging was timeshare & hotel points) and five weeks of being gone from my business and thus having no income. It looked like a no-brainer to me, but he just needed time to process. We eventually compromised with cancelling the two weeks in Prague and Vienna, and just doing the two weeks in France where friends were already committed to joining us. Even with a new realtor that is now bringing in offers, escrow has fallen out twice in the last month so we are both very glad that we shortened up the trip. You mentioned spending some time touring on your own before joining Rick's group -- perhaps letting that part of the trip go until another time would be a good compromise.

Well, this site if definitely filled with people who either like, love or are obsessed with travel...so not too many people here would say scrap it. But, ten years from now, will you look back on those memories of the trip, or those memories of the bathroom? I guess we have to live in a little reality here, but if there is a choice, for me, I always choose travel, with no regrets.

Update- We had an exterminator come today and it seems the ant problem is not as bad as it appeared. I also had my sister-in-law's brother come by Sunday to look at remodeling/repairing the bathroom and it will be something we can do easily later in the summer. Thanks for all your helpful comments and Europe here we come
( with no regrets)!!!

Great! I was going to recommend Outhouse + Travel, but you seem to have worked it out.

Life is short! The memories are better than any bathroom, even with ants! Thankfully, we have learned this lesson well with lots of health problems in our family and two young deaths. Don't worry about the bathroom- go and enjoy because life is truly short and you must enjoy while you have the time. The bathroom will get fixed in due time.

Gail, You may be asking the wrong crowd for help. I tend to view it as how many places do I want to see divided by how many more opportunities I'll have to travel. True, France will be there next year but I'll have one less opportunity to see it (and everywhere else I want to visit while I'm able).

Congrats, Gail. I dislike ants, and especially if they come into my abode.

Gail, You answered your own question. Transfer to a tour later in the year. Do the repair, build you savings, then take the trip later in the year. Wala. Edwin