Budgeting for Disney Shopping - Looking for some advice

[snowweisz]

Hello Budget Board

During my last Disney trip, I had recently switched employers so I had a lot of money to splurge from the switch and I didn't really measure what I spent other than trying not to get things I didn't really need/love that much.

But my next trip, I'm more going within my means and trying to be responsible with how much I spend.

So I'm wondering... how do you people budget for your souvenirs/Disney shopping?
Should I look at things I think I might want and budget for that? Should I just set a number for myself and stick to it?

For the record, I want to get a Disney gift card and try to use only the money in it to shop. But I'm struggling with the decision of how much to put in it lol


So if you could please share with me your ideas and tips on budgeting your Disney shopping, I'd really be thankful.


Thanks in advance, have a magical day

 

[Marionnette]

Hello Budget Board

During my last Disney trip, I had recently switched employers so I had a lot of money to splurge from the switch and I didn't really measure what I spent other than trying not to get things I didn't really need/love that much.

But my next trip, I'm more going within my means and trying to be responsible with how much I spend.

So I'm wondering... how do you people budget for your souvenirs/Disney shopping?
Should I look at things I think I might want and budget for that? Should I just set a number for myself and stick to it?

For the record, I want to get a Disney gift card and try to use only the money in it to shop. But I'm struggling with the decision of how much to put in it lol


So if you could please share with me your ideas and tips on budgeting your Disney shopping, I'd really be thankful.


Thanks in advance, have a magical day

I don't go with a specific shopping list. I like to browse and see what catches my eye. But with that said, I rarely spend a lot on souvenirs.

I have a spending budget that covers both food and souvenirs. I don't break them into two categories. If I see something spendy that I want to purchase, then I adjust my dining expectations to accommodate it. I know this won't work for some people, especially if everything goes on a credit card to be paid later. It's what works for me.

That being said, there is no way for anyone to know or anticipate what you might want to buy for your souvenirs. You just need to set a limit on your spending at Disney like you do IRL.

 

[snowweisz]

Thank you!

I'm gonna have the DP through most of this trip so budgeting for food with my shopping is not gonna be as necessary. I'll only need to pay for a couple of meals on my non DP days.

My main issue is once I get to Disney I wanna buy sooooo many things omg I don't know how to resist lol

 

[Luvchefmic]

Thank you!

I'm gonna have the DP through most of this trip so budgeting for food with my shopping is not gonna be as necessary. I'll only need to pay for a couple of meals on my non DP days.

My main issue is once I get to Disney I wanna buy sooooo many things omg I don't know how to resist lol

When faced with that dilemma I ask myself certain things: Where will this thing I want to buy fit into my life/home when vacation is over ? Will it land on a shelf somewhere collecting dust & forgotten or will I get joy from it for a long time ?
Is this something that is a limited edition and I will kick myself for not buying it and have to pay a fortune 6 months to a year down the road on eBay ? Do I really LOVE it ? These questions help me decide

 

[pixiemama91]

I don't usually have a specific amount in mind when we go. During vacations I usually make sure we have enough spending money that we are comfortable and can shop for what we want. My DH and I usually don't buy that much. Maybe a new shirt or mug/cup or something like that. My DD usually makes out wanting everything. Although she doesn't get everything she asks for, when on vacation we will splurge more. That being said I think on our last trip between DH and I we probably spent $100.

 

[worm761]

Are you normally a big souvenir person?

We are going for only 3 days this summer. I am budgeting $500 for the three of us. I wear a perfume I can only find in Epcot and DH wears the accompanying cologne so I budgeted for those. I buy a new hoodie every trip. I wear them constantly at home and they really aren't any more expensive than non-Disney hoodies. I paid $75 for my son's hoodie at Hot Topic. DH will want a t-shirt or hoodie. DD will want everything but will most definitely be getting at least one new lovey. I saw a t-shirt I want to buy DS for Christmas and some new chopsticks for his stocking. He is not coming this trip but he collects the different chopsticks. And of course, I know the little things will add up.

 

[dpswift]

It depends on what you like and what you think you may want. If you only buy pins you budget will be less than if you are looking for pictures, figures or wine glasses.

I would look at the amount of money I have for spending and figure from there. Also if you splurge at Disney will you cut back for a bit when you get home?

In our family looking at Pins, pictures and figures from Disney makes us happy.

I like to buy a pin from the resort that we are staying at, a "year" pin a pin from my sons favorite ride and usually one or 2 others. I also try to buy a Christmas present for each of my DDs one collects Marie and the other collects Snow White.

 

[SM101]

I don't like a lot of "clutter" around the house but when I browse shops, I do want one (or two) of everything.

I generally limit myself to a few smaller things with the provision that they have to be USEFUL (i.e. a coffee mug is ok, but NOT a figurine). Also, I like to buy a few consumables - a specialty tea or a sweet or the like that to take home - I can enjoy it then it's gone.

I think this time around I'm going to get my daughter a gift card and when it's gone, it's gone. I may do the same for myself to show her I'm sticking to a budget, too.

When it comes down to it - I'd rather spend the money on food/drink/experiences rather than "stuff".....I'll splurge on meals at signature restaurants or get tickets for La Nouba, but I'll balk at spending $40 on a tshirt. I have been explaining that to the kidlet for years now....I think she's finally starting to get it

 

[msmama]

I try to know what I want ahead of time so that nothing is a surprise. Not that I plan out every little thing I buy, but have an idea.

So, maybe a shirt, an ornament, a picture frame, etc.

I LOVE the Disney artwork, but I know it's not practical, so while I might want to buy it, I know it's not a good purchase. I also think about packing it to bring home before I buy.

My Mom taught me that if I see something I want, put it back on the shelf and walk around the store for another 10 minutes or so thinking about how I will feel about the item in 6 months. If I think I will regret NOT buying it in 6 months, then the purchase is ok.

You're also going to have a different budget for a Dooney and Bourke bag than a tee shirt and a mug.

Also, I always find that the wearable stuff at disney is awesome while there, but once I get it home, it's a bit hard to find places where a sparkly snow white shirt isn't a weird fashion choice.

 

[Maddie2]

All great responses. Two more things to keep in mind:

* Consider how you will get the item home. Will it fit in your suitcase? With the cost of airline baggage and if the item is large, this might be something to factor in. If you are not flying, this might not be as much of an issue.

* We sometimes take picture of things that we think we REALLY want, along with a note where we found the item. We wait a while and look at it a few times and more often than not, we decide that we don't really want/need it after all. Something to keep in mind too, is that if you get home and kick yourself that you didn't buy a particular item, you can call the phone number on any gift shop receipt and order it.

* Eventually most items that you see at WDW will end up on ebay. You might get home, check ebay and find it for less $. This has happened several times to a friend of mine!

 

[snowweisz]

Omg thank you everyone!

You all have such great ideas, I'm seriously super thankful

So I've figured this from my last trip's purchases:

-Most of the things I got, I've put to good use. I wear a lot of my Disney clothes (I find that rocking a Mickey t-shirt with a pair of skinny jeans and a blazer is always fabulous!), I love my Disney make up and I use pretty much everything I got last time except my tiara and my coffee press.
The coffee press because I'm lazy lol
And the tiara well, it's not that easy to wear lol but I love it and don't regret it.

Soooo
Here's what I've thought
I'll go about the practice of putting something back and thinking about it. Especially since I'll be there for over a week so I know I will have time to think about things. I'll try not to buy things during my first few days. At Disney you see the same things in a lot of places and I know I'll have plenty of opportunities.
I did that last year with a Minnie bag I really liked. I looked it at in several places, held it in my hand for a few times and then ultimately took it home at like, my last day. It's one of the things I've used the most from my trip!

Still unsure about how much I'll put on the gift card I'm getting but I have some time to figure that out... I don't wanna put as much as I can afford because I wanna think that I can spend less than I can actually afford? Does that even make sense?

Really, thank you everyone who's commented in with some advice, loved it all.
Keep it coming if any of you have more

 

[tinktinktink]

I normally buy DD 1 toy and this year she'll get new mickey ears. I buy myself a Christmas ornament every year because I know it's something I won't have sitting out all year and they're fun to look at year to year. I bought me a scarf with hidden mickeys that I wear back at home. Normally just small things. DH spends money drinking around the world which can get pricey so he doesn't buy anything.

 

[mrsabbott]

We did the gift card thing last trip. We all got gift cards as a Christmas gift. When they were gone, they were gone.

 

[burnurcomputer]

Disney art is a great souvenir if you would display it! Its only about $40 to have the artists draw a single character, you can add a name and date, they easily fit into suitcases, and are standard sizes, so you don't have to buy the expensive frames at Disney.

 

[snowweisz]

Disney art is a great souvenir if you would display it! Its only about $40 to have the artists draw a single character, you can add a name and date, they easily fit into suitcases, and are standard sizes, so you don't have to buy the expensive frames at Disney.

I want Disney art at some point.

But I've told myself that it will be my reward when I get promoted into my own office. Then I'll waltz myself into The Art of Disney and buy a beautiful piece of artwork for my new office lol

That day will come #wishes

 

[mamatobbg]

I don't like a lot of "clutter" around the house but when I browse shops, I do want one (or two) of everything. I generally limit myself to a few smaller things with the provision that they have to be USEFUL (i.e. a coffee mug is ok, but NOT a figurine). Also, I like to buy a few consumables - a specialty tea or a sweet or the like that to take home - I can enjoy it then it's gone. I think this time around I'm going to get my daughter a gift card and when it's gone, it's gone. I may do the same for myself to show her I'm sticking to a budget, too. When it comes down to it - I'd rather spend the money on food/drink/experiences rather than "stuff".....I'll splurge on meals at signature restaurants or get tickets for La Nouba, but I'll balk at spending $40 on a tshirt. I have been explaining that to the kidlet for years now....I think she's finally starting to get it

I'm taking this advice, too. We'll give each of the kids and my husband and myself a generous (in my eyes) budget and we can spend as we wish.

One of my fave souvenirs is the refillable mugs from the resort, we use those all the time. I also collect magnets. I'm cheap. Maybe I'll splurge and get one from each park. my downfall is spending on the kids. I'll probably end up using most of my money to buy more for them.

I also am spending more on experiences this trip.

I'm just adding all of this up and adding into my overall budget for saving purposes.