Getting kids to save money for a surprise trip... ?

[CKmomma]

Okay guys- a little background. DS (7) and DD (6) have no idea that we are going to Disney a couple of weeks before Christmas. I am still deciding if our Elf on the Shelf is going to bring some Disney stuff to get them psyched up, or we will simply throw them in the car and go. My husband and I are still deciding. (If we end up driving I couldn't deal with 13 hours of 'where are we going?' are we there yet- but if we can fly then we are considering just surprising them)
Anyway- I digress. Maximum time of the kids knowing will be 3 weeks roughly if our elf tells them.
I would love to give them some money for souvenirs, but I would also love them to have some of their own money to spend as they wish. The problem I have is how would I get the kids to save their allowance, etc for something they have no idea about. The last time we went was weeks before the oldest turned 3 (yes I'm that cheap and they have been asking to go for years. We have a "disney jar" for our change and we are thrilled to be going back. I'm buying Disney stuff on clearance to bring with us, and making their autograph books. I plan on buying everyone ears, and I'm hoping $50 of souvenir money is adequate...

Does anyone have some "saving motivation" tips for school aged kids? Thanks!

 

[Marionnette]

Okay guys- a little background. DS (7) and DD (6) have no idea that we are going to Disney a couple of weeks before Christmas. I am still deciding if our Elf on the Shelf is going to bring some Disney stuff to get them psyched up, or we will simply throw them in the car and go. My husband and I are still deciding. (If we end up driving I couldn't deal with 13 hours of 'where are we going?' are we there yet- but if we can fly then we are considering just surprising them)
Anyway- I digress. Maximum time of the kids knowing will be 3 weeks roughly if our elf tells them.
I would love to give them some money for souvenirs, but I would also love them to have some of their own money to spend as they wish. The problem I have is how would I get the kids to save their allowance, etc for something they have no idea about. The last time we went was weeks before the oldest turned 3 (yes I'm that cheap and they have been asking to go for years. We have a "disney jar" for our change and we are thrilled to be going back. I'm buying Disney stuff on clearance to bring with us, and making their autograph books. I plan on buying everyone ears, and I'm hoping $50 of souvenir money is adequate...

Does anyone have some "saving motivation" tips for school aged kids? Thanks!

I think that it's great that you want to teach your children to save. However, just like adults, children need a goal to keep them motivated. I think that you will do them a long-term disservice if you "trick" them into saving for one goal and then switch it out on them by telling them that it was actually to pay for their Disney souvenirs.

Perhaps you can make smaller Disney jars for each of them. Tell them that they are also saving for a Disney trip, just like your change jar. Set an example by not raiding your family change jar and tell them that once their $ goes into their own Disney jar, it cannot be taken out until you go on your trip.

I think that $50 per child is a pretty ambitious goal at this point. You are less than 30 weeks away from your trip. Expecting each child to save almost $2 per week from their allowance is asking a lot from children who are that young.

 

[CKmomma]

I plan on contributing $50 of our money for each kid + whatever they save. they still have birthday money and I've considered asking them if they would like to put it back to be used at disney world, but I think that would ruin the surprise of it all...?

 

[Pesky]

I've encouraged mine to save to trips. Our upcoming family vacation they know about and are saving for. But for Disney, I have advised that "one day" we will go and it might be a good idea to put some money aside to have options to buy things outside of any allotted souvenir allowance. They have an idea we might go soon, even though I've told them not this year, but it has gotten them to save because I point out what they can buy with things like "Oh goodness, that is a super stuffed animal. Oh but it's $30! I hope you save your money." and "what a great jacket! you sure would wear that a lot. Hope you have enough saved for it." and stuff like that. It works! I've also told them they have to earn and save for their own iPads if they want them, so it's something else they are saving for.

 

[davper]

At that age, don't say a word as you drive or fly there until they figure it out. I love the surprise look when they figure it out. Just tell them you are going to see old friends that they met when they were toddlers.

But I would also give them GC for their spending money. At that age, quantity of cash to save is minimal. At least is in my family. No one gives cash at birthdays to kids at that age.

 

[Marionnette]

I plan on contributing $50 of our money for each kid + whatever they save. they still have birthday money and I've considered asking them if they would like to put it back to be used at disney world, but I think that would ruin the surprise of it all...?

If you already have a Disney change jar, then the kids must be aware that there's a Disney trip in their future. They just don't know when it will be!

Perhaps you can encourage them to save for their own Disney spending by creating a "Mickey Money Account", similar to a passbook savings account. Make pages for the booklet that are decorated with Disney characters. Record each "deposit" from their birthdays or allowances on separate pages. Include a running tally of how much they have saved. And just like a bank, perhaps Scrooge McDuck can pay them a small amount of interest on their savings (maybe 5¢ for every $1 they save)? Leave space on each page so that they can add a Disney sticker when they've made a "deposit" and add a gold star when interest has been paid each month.

Oh, and Mom is the bank teller. She gets to put their cash in a "vault", where it is kept safe and sound until the time comes to make a vacation withdrawal.

 

[GeraldineW]

I think it is hard to ask anyone to save for an abstract day in the future that they might go somewhere, especially kids. You could encourage the kids to take their allowance and divide it up ⅓ for spending near term, ⅓ for charity, and ⅓ for savings, or some other plan that works for your family. Then maybe you could allow them to access their savings for Disney instead of it being for an iPad, car, college etc. if that is what they want to do.

We are going in August, 2015, and my kids ages 10 and 8 know about the trip. My 10 year old is trying to save money in addition to her allowance by doing extra chores. I love it because so many more chores are getting done and she will have the money to buy things instead of asking me to buy them for her. Win-win. My 10 year old is motivated by all the Harry Potter stuff she wants at Universal though, both my kids have said at their ages there isn’t much that they want from Disney. I guess I’ll be the big spender at Disney.

Good luck with the savings and the surprise and have a wonderful trip.