How Much Spending Money to give DD?

[dreamer17555]

My DD6 is going on her first Disney trip in April and has been earning Disney Dollars instead of an allowance. If things keep up she should have 30 before we leave. I was thinking about giving her an extra twenty. Is that too much for a 6 year old?? Also since she is earning her own money does that mean I just have to cringe and let her spend it on whatever she wants? I can see wasted glow-necklace, ect...

How does everyone handle spending money with their kids?

-Becca-

 

[buckler]

On the first few trips the kids got to pick one souvenier each in the $10-$15 range. They could shop around early in the trip but we'd wait till the end of the trip to buy what they wanted (they'd change their minds a few times). Now they don't care about buying anything. The trip is enough for them.

If you cringe at the thought of how your DD will spend the $30, I wouldn't give her $20 more. You'll just cringe even more!

 

[disneyjunkie]

My DD6 is going on her first Disney trip in April and has been earning Disney Dollars instead of an allowance. If things keep up she should have 30 before we leave. I was thinking about giving her an extra twenty. Is that too much for a 6 year old?? Also since she is earning her own money does that mean I just have to cringe and let her spend it on whatever she wants? I can see wasted glow-necklace, ect...

How does everyone handle spending money with their kids?

-Becca-

I would give her an extra $70.00. Then divide the $100.00 by the number of days you're there. That way she has money to spend each day of the trip.

 

[kaysmommie]

I think $50 is fine but I would go to the Dollar store or Walmart/ Target and buy some cheap glow necklaces in case. I would rather spend one dollar then $5-8 at Disney on that. Last trip both my kids had Birthday money they saved for the trip. It was $100 each. They spent every penny of it. I bought their autograph books and one present each.

 

[jrmasm]

When DD was 6 we gave her $20/day. She could spend it or save it up for something larger.

 

[Harlie]

We are giving our kids $30 and we are buying them their "mickey ear hats". We are trying to motivate them to earn extra money by doing their chores and help out more around the house and with their little brother (by reading to him and playing with him nicely)

I figure as long as they hove the one keepsake (the Mickey ears) they should be able to blow errr spend their money on what they want weather i cringe or not. I will excercise vito power if I feel that what they are buying is inappropriate in means of it being dangerous or if it will make a large mess that will make me more then cringe.

 

[DisneyCrazyX5]

My 7 year old twins had between 70-90 dollars. They earned it from us for doing chores and from their grandma. They did great managing their money. They bought a stuff pegasus, a stuffed husky from Canada, a small Scorceror Mickey, and pins for their collection. They were very careful with their money

 

[northriver]

I don't buy many souveniers.

When DS was that age we started collecting pressed pennies, and add to our collection every trip, he is now 14 and still loves his pennies so it was money well spent. I know boys are different but at that age I just packed shorts for him, and purchased t-shirts for him to wear that week as his souveniers. We maybe picked up a few small things but not much and he didn't really have his own spending money. Last trip my father actually gave him charging privlidges on his room key and he didn't buy a single thing. I just really don't like to collect things that become clutter when we get home. T-shirts, pressed pennies, pins, dvd's - those things are easy to store and practical - sorry but so many of the "souveniers" at WDW are nothing but junk.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'd stick with the $30 and then I'd buy one thing for my child. As for worrying that they will spend it on junk...the rule in our family is that Mom or Dad have to approve the purchase. If the child wants to buy something that we think is junky, we usually redirect them to something else that is NOT junky or flat out tell them no and explain why. Its never a problem. Even with this approach, we do occasionally end up with something that is not worth what we paid...and we use that as a lesson and a discussion about marketing ploys, etc.

Having said that: I usually pre-buy some souveniers for our trips: Tshirts at the Disney store (on Clearance) or at the Wal-Mart in Orlando ($12 vs. $25 in the park), glow necklaces from the dollar store at home, etc.

 

[mom2my3kids]

Money goes fast at Disney, my older two had over 150.00 for our 8 day trip in Sept with free dining and spent it all. But I feel 50.00 would be a good amount and then may you purchase her a shirt from Disney on the side.

 

[irene_dsc]

Well, I never did end up giving the kids anything ahead of time, but once they started asking for stuff, I let them know that they had up to $50 to spend, and to spend it wisely. If they wanted something that I didn't think was a good use of their money, I'd basically tell them that, and ask if that was really what they wanted to do. There was the most of that the 1st day, at Epcot, since most of that stuff was pretty expensive and not stuff I thought they really wanted (like, a huge Mexican straw hat, lol). They each ended up only spending about $25 each, on stuff they really wanted. (We also didn't spend much time just shopping, fwiw).

 

[bxtx]

We asked family to give our eldest boys money towards the trip for Christmas. Trouble is, with the pound to dollar exchange rate (2:1), they now have a ridiculous amount each - over $220 each for an 8 day trip!! Argh! So rather than giving them that money I have made up "Mickey Mouse Money" together with a dollar amount ($10s and smaller) and who is it is from.

This way, if they lose it, its not real. And if they don't spend it, it can go into their savings account or towards another trip.

DH & I will have veto power, and I'll also give them a limit of ~$10 a day but DH & I know there is a little more if there is something they really want!

Bex

 

[LubsPoohBear]

my girls save all year for are trips money from birthday christmas report card so on an so forth this trip they will have 25 each and i will but them each 3 pins (we all get one for the trip a way to remeber it) and 2 more to trade with and then there on there own unless i see something i think i want to get them( oh ya and we always do a pearl each day at epcot they are saving up to make a neckles to wear at there weddings lol praying i got a long time on that one) have a great trip

 

[Darcy03231]

My kids bring their own spending money and can spend it on whatever they want. Its interesting to see what they want when it's not my money they're spending! They really think about their purchases and almost always decide not to buy much and come home with money.

 

[Disney 'Ohana]

We gave ours $20/day.

And yes, we cringed. $5.00 for a small Eiffel tower Just have to remember you're on vacation and have a sense of humor about it.

 

[mousemomof2]

Both of our kids will have $100 dollars each of their own money from Christmas, birthdays etc. to spend on whatever they want, within reason of course. Now I am just trying to figure out the best way to give it to them as in gift card, Visa card or Disney dollars. Oh decisions.

 

[Jack&Ryan'smom]

We were there in Sept. My DS's 6 & 2 each had $100. I felt it was enough and it did go quickly. DS(6) bought 2 stuffed animals, some Star wars stuff, some disney Racers, a few books, I can't remember what else. I did buy each of them a temporary Tatoo, a Tshirt, a light updrink.
We tried to tell them not to buy the 1st things they saw. They also bought a lot of Disnney jibbetz...at $4 each they added up quickly!

 

[dreamer17555]

Wow! I wanted to thank everyone for the replies. My dad visited and handed her an extra 10 Disney Dollars. If She does her work that means she can earn around 40. Not counting any birthday money she gets (her birthday party is on the 26th). I think within reason I will let her get what she wants and will buy her one keepsake (ie. Mickey ears). The glow necklaces are also a great idea I am adding them to the list.

-Becca-

 

[Goldilocks07]

We take our nieces and nephews places all the time (ages 6, 9, 12), and we are taking them on a Disney trip in August.

We are giving each of them $100 to spend (over 4 park days). This is including if they want junk food, candy, and playing the games at Dinoland.

We have found that when the kids have to spend THEIR OWN MONEY, they are very careful about what they buy, and put a lot of thought into it. Sometimes, they will even say to us, "Hey, why don't you buy some of that candy and then SHARE it with us?" Sneaky little buggars- I have to remind them that I don't want it, but they are more than welcome to use their OWN money. Usually, the item isn't bought.

So, we've never found it a problem.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Each of my kids brings with them $100. They earn it from my mom and dad.

My kids go over there 2 days a week after school. All my Italian mother does for them is cook for them while they are there. So my mom has them play waiter and waitress. Then she tips them when they are done.

That tip money stays at my parents house. Right before our trip, I get the money, turn it into Disney Dollars (I don't do the gift card because I want them to have to "peel" those dollars off and know that they are spending actual money).

Last summer DS bought himself the monotrail train kit, I think it was $70. He wanted it the year prior, but I said no, this year has asked if he can buy with his own money, I said yes......Guess what: He still has it and all the pieces are there and it stilll works.