How much spending money for children?

[mom2riceboys]

My boys, 5 and 10, raise their own money to spend on vacation. They asked me to sell some of their video games that they no longer play on eBay for them. They made almost $100 on those! They also are gathering up their old toys that they no longer play with and are planning a yard sale on Spring Break next week. They've been doing little jobs around their grandparents' house and have made another $50.00 doing that. Their goal is to have a $100 each by the time we leave May 7th. They are pretty hard little workers, so I think they will make it. This money is their mad money to buy anything they want in the parks.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We give our DS8 $20.00 per day. Most of it he blows at the arcade in the resort. But he always manages to have enough left over for a Stuffed Mickey. He also brings quarters that he has saved over the year for the arcade. You would think being at Disney video games would be the last thing on his mind.

What is it with boys that age? When we went in January we didn't have time to visit the arcade at Pop. When we went back in October we made the HUGE mistake of allowing DS9 to go in one evening. Well, that was it! After that first taste of the arcade that was ALL he wanted to do! He was asking to LEAVE the parks to go back to the stupid arcade! And I think he suckered the money for the games out of DH instead of spending his own money. We need to come up with some very clear arcade guidelines before August!

 

[pta-mom]

This was a great question and one I hadn't really given much thought to.

We are going next month for our first time (and I have said last time though I've been warned by many to not count on that!!) and I am sure there will be things my boys will want. They are 8 & 9 and I've already told them to not think they will be spending a lot of time in the arcade but that I would give them a few bucks each to spend there once! As for gifts or souveniers (?), I guess I will approach it when the time comes. My guys are pretty good at taking no for an answer but if it is something that they really want, I may give in.

Hmm, that's tough! I do think $100 is a lot. For that kind of money, I would totally be wanting to control what they were buying!! I tend to be more practical in nature and would allow something that I felt they would use and not just be a "dust collector". Guess I have some more thinking to do on the subject!!

 

[disneynewbee]

OK I guess we are insane but it was my first trip and my kids too but we gave them $50 a day. We bought there food and drinks but they did have to pay for any snacks out of that money. My dh actually thought I was being mean for making them get there own snacks out of the money and snuck them free snacks on a couple of occassions. Even though it's like $5 for a very small dippin dots I still thought they had plenty of money to buy there own snacks. We do enjoy shopping though and it is a big part of our vacation. I have to drag dh out of the stores. This trip since we've added one new addition they will only be getting $30 per day and will again have to buy any snacks from that.

 

[mum of two pirates]

We are not rich thoe. I started a savings account in sept for both boys and started giving them $5 a week for chores, it goes into there account at school. (we used to do the chore chart thing for .10 each, but DS would do the chores and not mark them down, becouse he wanted me to save my money for disney) What ever other money they get and put in, I told them I would double it. DS put $40 of his birthday money in, had to double it, Lost a tooth last week. TF gave him $5, it was his first tooth, He put it in, cha ching doubled. My sister and mom always give them a buck or two everytime they see them, bang double. Sence sept DS8 has $222 and DS 7 has $211. I told them last week that they are going to have to buy there four cousins christmass presants while were there, at this rate I won't have any money left. But We will devide the money in half and have half for the cruise and half for wdw. I am making them a budgeting game from a candyland game board so they will be able to plan now what they to buy. We also decided that when they want something, we will take a pic of it, and then down load it to the computer that night. Then they can decide if they really want it or not. They are already saying they won't buy xxx becouse that is two much money. They are into lego now so they will spend a bit there. I have been working on there game and can't wait to start spending.

 

[chop456]

My DS will have about $200. We will be there 12 days. I will buy snacks and all food and any souvies are his responsibility. He has already planned on buying something for his sister (this is his kindergarten graduation present, she already had her trip) and he will most likely pick something out for DH, too.