Chores and Money Choices

[cruisecrasher]

My DD4 and DS7 decided they want to go to WDW when we do our cruise next Thanksgiving and are saving for their own two day park tickets all by themselves. (We said if they pay for the tickets we'll cover food and the hotel.) They earn money for extra chores.
DD4 is up to $36 and DS is up to $70.
Anyone else have kids budgeting and saving to WDW?

ETA-
Dear moderator,
I meant for this to be a fun cute thread.
Could you please delete this thread as it has turned quite negative?
Sincerely,
Lori

 

[scbelleatheart]

My DD4 and DS7 decided they want to go to WDW when we do our cruise next Thanksgiving and are saving for their own two day park tickets all by themselves. (We said if they pay for the tickets we'll cover food and the hotel.) They earn money for extra chores.
DD4 is up to $36 and DS is up to $70.
Anyone else have kids budgeting and saving to WDW?

You are talking 4 & 7? Sad. What ever happened to family vacations? They have to earn a vacation? and pay for their own park tickets?

 

[bigbabyblues]

My boys save their spending money.

 

[califlorican]

You are talking 4 & 7? Sad. What ever happened to family vacations? They have to earn a vacation? and pay for their own park tickets?

The cruise is the vacation. This is extra, and if the kids want to earn the money for the tickets, I don't see the problem. Too many kids don't know how much things actually cost- good for them OP My friend's daughter started saving all her money for a Disneyland trip when she was 4 and they finally went when she was 6!

 

[Princess Steph]

We are running the WDW marathon for charity and my DS8 and DS12 are training, fundraising and running because of a friend with muscular dystrophy. We paid for flights, hotel, food and entry fees- everything necessary to allow them to do this really great thing to help others
I asked them to save their money to buy park tickets to use while we are there. I am really proud of all they do, for others and our family!

 

[dminnie]

You are talking 4 & 7? Sad. What ever happened to family vacations? They have to earn a vacation? and pay for their own park tickets?

Wouldn't want to be judgemental or anything do you?

To the OP: That's great to have them start learning early that trips take planning and saving! What a cool idea to have them "help" with the extras.

 

[lauradis]

4 is little young for my taste. What are you going to do if one of them doesn't make enough?

 

[smbowtie]

OP, I think that's great, good way to start them young learning the value of a dollar (even though it's only about 50c). Too many kids get everything handed to them that they just expect it all the time. I'm sure if one of them doesn't save enough they won't get left home though.

 

[reginaastralis]

Since we're locals, and on a pretty tight budget, dd is "in charge" of helping me grocery shop. We meal plan together, make our grocery list, shop our pantry and then check the sales. I usually do the actual grocery shopping alone when she's at school, but she knows that any money "extra" from our grocery fund gets moved to our Disney fund the following month. And since we're at a stage where we are in the throws of the "So and so are doing this and invited us" (does this stage ever end, or are we just hanging out with the wrong people?) I've given her a budget of $20 every two weeks that she has to decide how to spend. Again, if there is any money left over, it can be used for Disney.

 

[NHTikiBeckie]

I am all for teaching kids to budget and save...but I'm not quite with you on the 4 year old.

 

[DisneySnark]

I think it is fabulous! My kids learned to save quite early on! We lived overseas and they understood you don't need plasticrap to be happy.

They both ask for experiences and not presents for gifts now for holidays. They are 9 & 11 and I hope they can retain that perspective!

You are teaching a great life lesson!

 

[lauradis]

OP, I think that's great, good way to start them young learning the value of a dollar (even though it's only about 50c). Too many kids get everything handed to them that they just expect it all the time. I'm sure if one of them doesn't save enough they won't get left home though.



http://distickers.com/ticker/

Never in million years would I think op would leave one home. Lol nor do I mean any disrespect to op , I'm just worried for her 4 yo

I'm just curious as to what's the back up plan is, if one makes it and other doesn't. Does the one that fails to meet the ticket price just not go to Disney parks? IMO that just to high of a let down for 4 yr old. If they do both make or not make the goal no problem.

Op I'm just worried honey that is big fall if they can't make it

 

[LaurLaur04]

I would suspect OP would "help" them should one come up short and the other makes it.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

Good for you OP. It sounds like you are teaching your kids from a young age to work hard and earn the extras they may want.
To the posters who are questioning the shortage of funds of one kid, or the fact that one is 4, I think the OP has plans to make things work out, and work evenly, even if the kids never realize it.

 

[cruisecrasher]

You guys don't know my four year old.

She'll make it, probably with half a year to spare.
She decided she'd rather save all her money for "extra Disney time" rather than an extra princess dress. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
As for them paying for the family vacation, we're taking them on the Fantasy for a week following these bonus days at WDW. I don't think they're hurting for vacation.
They're more excited saving for this than anything they've saved for yet, for what it's worth. Mostly I'm proud that they get the concept of saving and that I have two little budget conscious mouseketeers!

 

[travelbug]

The cruise is the vacation. This is extra, and if the kids want to earn the money for the tickets, I don't see the problem. Too many kids don't know how much things actually cost- good for them!

Agree!

 

[v.t.]

I think it is great! Our boys have always had to pay for their own souvenirs, snacks or any "extras". It has taught them the value of a dollar.

 

[JanaDee]

I think it is great! Our boys have always had to pay for their own souvenirs, snacks or any "extras". It has taught them the value of a dollar.

Requiring little more than a toddler to purchase a very expensive ticket to a vacation destination Mom and Dad picked and want to go to is not an "extra".

Four year olds have no concept of money. Most kids don't have a strong grasp on money until they become tweens or a little older.

Sorry, OP, that isn't something I'd be the least proud of. Saving money for souvenirs/fun things is one thing ~ making your very young kids save their money for a ticket to a place *you* want to go is another.

 

[Marionnette]

My DD4 and DS7 decided they want to go to WDW when we do our cruise next Thanksgiving and are saving for their own two day park tickets all by themselves. (We said if they pay for the tickets we'll cover food and the hotel.) They earn money for extra chores.
DD4 is up to $36 and DS is up to $70.
Anyone else have kids budgeting and saving to WDW?

I think it's sweet that they are willing to put money aside for their own tickets. Personally, I would not have made my young children pay for any part of a family vacation. But that's just how we roll in my family.

I do believe that a 4yo, no matter how precocious, is incapable of understanding saving for a long-term goal. They cannot comprehend the value of a dollar. Most of them will tell you that a nickle is worth more than a dime because it is bigger. They have difficulty understanding "next year" as opposed to "next week". I don't know if your daughter is really learning anything from this exercise. She may not be too happy when you take away her pile of money and substitute it with a paper ticket with Mickey Mouse on it.

The 7yo is better equipped to understand what you are trying to teach him. But I would have approached this lesson on a smaller scale, such as "you can spend all of this week's allowance on X, but if you wait until next week and add up both weeks' allowances, you can get Y, which is even better!" He may have gazelle intensity now, but saving all his chore money for a year so that he can spend 2 days in Disney in November is going to wear thin quickly. Heck, a lot of adults have trouble doing it!

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Too young, IMHO, but to each their own. Kids grow up much too fast in today's world. I would let them enjoy the planning of a vacation without any anxiety about the money.