How much do you plan to spend on souviners?

[blue_eyes5212]

How much do you normally budget for souviners?? This is sort of a last minute trip and I won't have as much as usual to spend and that made me wonder how much others spend on things other than room/dining/park tickets. We have a package with all of those things included.

 

[gibmom]

Hi! It depends on the ages of your kids. Little ones can enjoy collecting pennies so they won't spend as much as older kids.

Julie

 

[pkondz]

Honestly? I make sure both my DDs (last trip 8 & 4) have money (I think they each had about $100) for toys and souvenirs but I only budgeted about
$25 or so for myself. I don't need or want a ton of knick-knacks, Disney or otherwise, around the house. I bought a couple of picture frames for a couple of special photos (one for each DD with their fave princess) and that was about it. Took tons of pictures 'tho and that's all I really want.

 

[Andyjo0930]

In previous trips, we have always bought something small for my kids because they were too little to ask and usually a t-shirt or something for my husband and myself. I think the last time, we didn't spent 100.00 bucks. This time, however, I was lucky enough to win at a local casino and it paid for our entire trip and then I had a garage sale that I was planning to use for our spending money and made a whopping $900.00 bucks. Everything is paid and we have the dinning plan, so my husband and I both decided that we will spend a 100.00 each on something we wouldn't normally buy, and we will let our kids both buy something that again, we normally would say no to. If you have been there previously and don't really have your heart set on anything, budget an extra 100 bucks in case something catches your eye.

 

[Forevryoung]

I'm just me (no kids) and always spend less than $50 on souviners but then again, I'm not a big shopper. I'm budgeting $60 pp for my DBF's first trip ($120 total) but I highly doubt we will spend it all.

Some people go all out and easily spend way more- the vacation and it's memories are more important to me. I don't have the money to be spending on junk.

 

[earlofnowhere]

Was thinking about $50 to $100 but it depends on how loud the kids shout!

 

[Ladybugsy]

I have 2 teens so its IMPERATIVE that they have their own money. I usually put it in daily envelopes. Usually, they don't spend it all..they usually have about 100 a piece. But it sure does cut down on the "I want"s when they have to spend their OWN money...they are downrigh stingy with it when it's "theirs".

 

[earlofnowhere]

i hear you there, bless them, they'll learn!
mine are too young and they just want, when asked at school what daddy did at work the little one said 'he makes money'

 

[k5thbeatle]

Well...if they could just do away with those darn pin stations while I was there, it'd be a lot less! Maybe I could be fitted with "blinders" like horses wear that allow me to only see straight ahead. Point me to the next attraction and honey put the blinders on!

 

[earlofnowhere]

now there is an invention for you, but what do we call it:
teen blinder
teenager concentration enhancement device TCED
errrrrr

 

[blue_eyes5212]

I forgot to mention no kids, just me and DH. I usually plan to spend more than what you guys are saying which is making me feel better about not having as much as I have had in the past. I am so grateful to be able to go at all (I didn't think we were going to get to go this year).

 

[Catrinabeach]

I guess I am one of the few who spend a whole lot on stuff. We plan for each kid to have 20.00 per day to spend so depending on the length of the trip depends how much it totals.

For myself well I think last time we spent about 1000.00 but that's bringing stuff back for everyone too.

I bring 2000.00 for "spending" money which covers all incidentals that are not covered in our package. This trip in Sept we are bringing extra because we plan to do our Christmas shopping for our Dec trip for each of the kids and I know we will spend 100-150 on each person for that alone.

 

[jb2mw]

Me and DH are planning on taking $1500 for our souvineers. This will be DS and DD first visit and we want to be able to get them something special at all the parks. Me and DH went Christmas of 2005, and only spent 150 on souvineers and we said dang it next time we go we are going to have plenty of money to spend of stuff.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

This next trip - close to nothing. I had a $2000 car repair yesterday. Go me!

We don't spend much in general, though. Maybe $100 a trip if that. DH and DS will each buy a shirt, DS will get a couple of pins, and I might buy magnets, notepads, and the like. On our first few trips we spent more, maybe $200 or $300. I'm not really into Disney stuff.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Dh and I go all the time so we just buy a few Xmas ornaments ($50 or so).

When we took our 2 nieces their grandparents, mom and me gave them about $100 each and they spent it all! Pins, tee shirts and many stuffed plush items for the younger one, and the older one wanted Pins, ceramics and a few plus items. (it was their first time there so we let them get whatever they wanted)

 

[toyotaae86lg]

Well its just me and fiance so we bring a good amount for souvenirs. It also depends on how many days you are there because the longer we see stuff the more we will by. I'll probably budget about $500/day in which we will not spend that much but I save to spend.

 

[babybunrab]

I tend to spend money on food since DS and I like the restaurants so much, so we don't have a lot left to spend on souvenirs. We usually do a t-shirt each, and then I get my refillable mug for work. DS will probably do a make your own light saber, though those aren't that much, I don't think. He's also bringing his own money that he's earned throughout the year walking one of our neighbor's dogs. I think he probably has more to spend (about $100.00) than I do on souvenirs.

 

[racinjunkie]

I'm trying to reduce the amount we spend on souvenirs for this trip. We end up coming home with way too much. Last trip we gave the kids each $150 but I wasn't good at saying no when they ran out. I'm a sucker for pins, and I'm a Stitch fanatic. Last trip I tried to focus the kids on pressed pennies and we did do that and it did cut our souvenir budget but not enough.

Some strategies for this trip:
* Scavenger Hunts - I bought the Passporter treasure hunt book maybe if we're focused on that we won't "want" as much
* A friend suggested making note of things that we want when we see it, looking over that list later and deciding what's really important (I made shopping list forms so we can write down the shop location as well as the item)
* Same friend also suggested getting some things from the Disney Store before going and package/wrap them for a surprise every morning or evening
* Autographs/Journaling - I printed out and made journal pages so I really want to try to get the kids to focus on getting pictures to go along with their journals, I may even get ds his own digital camera before we go, dd has one that she bought with her own money quite a while ago. And flash drives are so inexpensive when we get home they can organize their own pictures onto their own flash drives.

 

[Marc A.]

The last two times I have been to DW my DW and I had spent around $200 for pics and souvenirs. This time with our DD will be different. Just the trip to BBB will put us over $200 I am sure.
Plus I love Halloween and I'm sure the stores will have Halloween stuff so that will set us back some. We also have to buy something nice for my little DS who will be turning 1 in August and will be staying with my parents.
It won't be a pretty site when we see the credit card bill but hey....we're in Disney World and we only go every few years. It's worth it.

 

[Princess Jenny]

I really don't spend much on souviers. I tell the kids to look at everything while where there and then the night before we go home, I will take them to the biggest disney store ever and they can pick something out. It's a nice way to end our trip. Going to DTD and letting them get a few things. It also saves a lot of money buying things everyday. It works out best this way for us.