For many of us, we scrimp and scrape to get our families to a great exotic holiday destination, and while we are finally there, relaxing in the sun, we are at our most vulnerable to 'special deals' from a friendly timeshare salesman.
Rather than just have this brief encounter with gorgeous sandy sunny - and perhaps even hot - beaches - why not make sure we can come back year on year to the same spot.
And why not upgrade from our economy rooms, with a 15 minute walk to the beach, to a 5 star apartment overlooking the sands.
If you have vacationed in popular destinations like Florida or the Canary Islands, I am sure you will already be aware of the many timeshare opportunities that get floated by you as you relax and totally unwind in the sun.
Indeed, many such opportunities do offer great facilities and bargains, but if a deal sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
One of the biggest issues with timeshares is that whether or not you use their superb deals, every year you will have to pay a maintenance fee, based on the size and the number of weeks or points you have purchased.
And this is the danger area.
Virtually every deal that has been offered to me has had such stringent terms built in to the small print, that the whole project turns from being an 'investment' to an outright liability, that however you try, you just can not even give the thing away.
And - unless you are careful - you could be setting up your children for a load of hassle later in their lives, as these things can be passed on in your Will to your dependants.
If your kids are not careful they may find out that the gift in your Will actually makes your kids liable for the ongoing maintenance for years...
Then, look at the cost.
Many timeshare 'bargains' (and we saw a number in Orlando earlier this year) will cost you anywhere from $15,000 up to $35,000 or even $50,000.
Buying forward your holiday requirements may sound like a good idea while you are relaxing in the sun, but believe me, the best way to use timeshare offers while you are away is to get a free breakfast, sit though 2 hours of sales nonsense, and just go for the them park rides.
Now, if great holidays are a MUST for you, then you should look at other options.
If you have got the creditability to raise $50 - $100,000, then why not look at buying a 5 Star freehold property on one of a number of gorgeous Caribbean Islands, or even on the sunny unspoilt coastline of Brazil's Atlantic coast? There is actually a shortage of top class accommodation on many Caribbean islands, especially as many of them are trying desperately to protect their beautiful countryside anyway.
There are actually a number of opportunities where you could buy into such developments, and some of the offers being made once again look too good to be true.
Once again, if you check them out carefully, rather than being a liability on you and your dependants, they could actually be a way of not only providing a great occasional vacation home, but also create a really great annual income.
In fact, some developments will even let you use part of your pension pot to help you secure one or more of these exclusive developments.
How do you find out about such developments? Well, keep an eye out for adverts in the Sunday papers, or look out for local presentations being held by certain developers.
Once again, do your due diligence before parting with any hard earned cash - and use your financial advisors as well.
Even pass it by your family solicitor first.
That is far better and safer than making a snap decision in some warm and sunny beach with a total stranger.