Kids & Spending Money

[puffkin]

I may be odd, but we don't really do "souvenirs" for the kids. I hate the idea of him spending money just to spend money which is why we don't do gift cards or Disney Dollars. We usually browse through the week and if they see something reasonable that I know they will get use out of I will buy it for them. I have a DS2 and DS8. DS2 usually gets a toy or two but DS8 is very difficult to buy for. He doesn't really play with toys anymore, I don't allow him to wear Disney clothes outside of the house/Disney World, and he isn't really into trinkets. I just can't stand buying expensive things and then having them collect dust for a year and then I yard sell them.

Last trip DS8 got a beach towel and a pack of playing cards and some funky pen he found in the one shop. DS2 got a few die cast CARS, a Donald Duck stuffed animal, and a Disney Bus. I bought myself an Orange Bird ceramic figure at the CO-OP. DH didn't get anything. That is pretty typical for a normal trip for us....maybe $100. We usually do one "treat" a day like candied almonds or ice cream so I don't let them spend their own money on that. I also feel strongly that they should appreciate just getting to go to Disney World (or any other place) and that is a "treat" in and of itself.

I think I would feel a little different if we didn't go as much, but we pretty much do this with any trip, not just Disney. I am not being cheap, I just don't like throwing money away either....if they did see something really awesome I would probably spend the money and get it for them (or me, ).

 

[mi*vida*loca]

My kids truly don't ask for much during the year. So when we go to WDW it's my treat and splurge. They are good kids and get good grades. I don't really give them an allowance. Well DS does but he spends his mostly on food at school.

I don't say no to everything but I also don't say yes to everything. In years past they've each gotten a balloon on Main St, a light up toy on our first day that we watch the parade, Mickey ears, each pick one souvenior at the end of the trip, Mickey (DS) and Minnie (DD) plush doll with the current year. At times if we see something somewhere that they have to have I'll get something extra but it's at my discretion. If I know they'll actually use it. If I know they truly want it and it's not just an impulse. They don't get something everyday.

I would say I spend about 100-150 per kid for the whole trip on extras. I don't include snacks and food. My grandmother also gives them some money before we leave.

 

[abeille]

I think around 30-40$ is a reasonable amount for an elementary school age child, to buy one nice item during the trip or a few smaller ones. Just enough to learn about spending and making decisions. Bonus if they are made to 'earn' it throughout the year. I remember as a kid depositing a few coins each week in a bank account and at the end of the school year, going to withdraw 20$ spending money for our family vacation (almost always used it for a stuffed animal at disney!)

If you are worried about them losing the money, I remember that when I was a kid, my mother used to give my brother 20 pennies that each stood for a dollar (so he had 20$ spending money). He got to keep the pennies in a little wallet and he had to turn in a penny for each dollar spent. This way he was kind of responsible for his spending money but if he had lost it, it wouldn't have been a big deal.

 

[pixiepurls]

I have been having my kids (7,5,3) earn their spending money for Disney... Normally on trips we don't do much for souvenirs but normally a little something. I go to a Farmer's Market weekly and I have been having them make thing and sell beside me and it will be split 3 ways before vacation.

SO my question is how much money do your kids get to spend at Disney?

Mine are 4 and 6, they can each get a dress. I may also let them pick out 1 other much cheaper item. Last time I went my daughter picked out some jewelry which was no very expensive at all. She loves "jewels" so I am betting she wants to do the same again this year but I won't buy anything expensive because she looses everything. My 4yo will def want a dress, and she said she wants a stuffed mickey and minnie, so that may be her cheaper item she will have to get small ones if she wants two.

I typically don't do clothing for them, unless we wind up needing something while there. Last time it was so cold at night in december I bought myself a wind breaker I plan on bringing incase it rains. I could have bought a thicker jacket in dec but I knew I didn't own a windbreaker and they are rain proof and it was a good decision because I'll need it with all the rain in August!

 

[whitney37354]

DD has had Disney Dollars & Disney Gift Cards on our trips. Once the money is gone, her shopping is done. However, we have bought her a few extras that we wanted her to have (Mickey ears, t-shirt, pins). Last trip she spent all her money on the second day on a Duffy bear & outfit. We bought a lanyard & pins for her, a misting fan because hers broke, & a light up necklace because the family we were with got one for their girls & we didn't want DD to be left out. She can take that necklace back with her next year! With just one child we probably have it easier with the "gimmies" than others.

 

[wishtdream]

We usually allow our kids to plan to spend about $10 per day of any vacation. We encourage them to look at everything that is available to them throughout the trip and make their purchases at the end. We plan for shopping time at the end of every Disney trip. This year my kids will each bring $100 of their own money for a 10 night stay. They are not allowed to spend their own money on food of any kind. They often bring money home at the end of a trip.

We will also buy each child one souvenir as a gift. The requirement for the gift item is it must last a period of time and be useful or pretty on some level. This is the standard procedure and does not change from trip to trip so we do not ever hear can I have this or that the whole trip. Instead my kids ask can we look here to see if I want what they have. Last year at Disney my oldest chose a sweatshirt and my youngest a set of figurines to use with her existing castle playset.

 

[lizzyb]

Usually about $75.

 

[lauritagoddess]

I also get my son a gift card to use while we're there. Usually I give him about $100 to spend. Our last trip I gave him $100 and he added some of his own money to the gift card, maybe $40 or so and wound up with a lot of money left over. I think there may be about $86 still left on it. We'll take it with us when we go next month and I'll top it up to a $100.

 

[butterfly71076]

My DS saves his own money, in his own Disney jar. Anytime he finds change or a buck or two, he puts it in his jar. Of course, sometimes he wants to spend it, I'll remind him about Disney and let him decide if he wants to spend it or not. Then, at the time of our trip, I'll take the cash he has and buy a girt card with it. But usually not all of it, last time he had over $150 in his jar, I think we brought $75 with, and he spent every penny! He picks out things he wants and we try to guide him toward nicer things, but sometimes he won't give up on the little junky toys and we let him, after all it's his money!

 

[Drusilla]

DD12 and dd9 save their birthday and xmas money during the year. Dd12 has a "job" babysitting for our neighbors once a week on date night, she has been saving that as well. To even that extra out for dd9, she does special chores around the house when dd12 babysits and earns the same amount as dd12 does from the babysitting. They usually each end up taking about $100 of their own money for a 8 day trip. I also get the Disney credit card reward dollars on a gift card and split that between them too.

We are at every park atleast twice so they window shop on the first visit to the park and after they've decided what they want we go back and get it on the 2nd visit. I also take pictures of them with the item so I can remember which store it was in if it is something not common in many stores.

 

[michellelovesthemous]

We use the gift card app all the time to keep track of our Disney money, you can nickname each card number so you know who's is who's
DD16 has always had her own spending money this year I think she is taking around $500 but we only go once a year and we are there for 16 days. Her weakness is EPCOT and Japan that will be an easy 100 drop Even when she was little I figured 25-30 a day for a snack or stuffie to cuddle. I still can veto even now except I give her the One no veto option she can use, she is still careful about that choice!
Have a wonderful trip no matter what you decide!

 

[TillyMarigold]

As a kid, my parents let us pick *one* souvenir per trip and it could be whatever we wanted.

I'm planning to do something similar with my son when he's older, with the addition of a T-shirt, and then older than that, a gift card plus whatever of his own money he wants to spend.

But for his first trip at 2.5? It's on, baby! He's getting pretty much whatever he wants. (I mean, not *whatever* he wants. But I'd be willing to get, say, a shirt, an ear hat, a giant balloon, and a toy or two.)

 

[wishtdream]

As a kid, my parents let us pick *one* souvenir per trip and it could be whatever we wanted.

I'm planning to do something similar with my son when he's older, with the addition of a T-shirt, and then older than that, a gift card plus whatever of his own money he wants to spend.

But for his first trip at 2.5? It's on, baby! He's getting pretty much whatever he wants. (I mean, not *whatever* he wants. But I'd be willing to get, say, a shirt, an ear hat, a giant balloon, and a toy or two.)

soo cute I buy my kids new "Ears" each trip these fall outside of the souvenir allowance. Ears are mandatory and make for awesome pictures!

 

[DaughteroftheKing]

We will do $40 or $50 for each kid. We are going in November but not telling the kids till about 3 weeks ahead of time (if we can keep it a secret that long ).

Once we've told them, we'll give our school-aged son a chance to earn MORE spending money by earning certain grades at school.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I may be odd, but we don't really do "souvenirs" for the kids. I hate the idea of him spending money just to spend money which is why we don't do gift cards or Disney Dollars. We usually browse through the week and if they see something reasonable that I know they will get use out of I will buy it for them.

...

I think I would feel a little different if we didn't go as much, but we pretty much do this with any trip, not just Disney. I am not being cheap, I just don't like throwing money away either....if they did see something really awesome I would probably spend the money and get it for them (or me, ).

If you're odd, I'm right there with you. I hate collecting junk that will never be used again. On our last trip, the kids wanted Woody and Jessie dolls, so that was the one item we bought for each of them. They almost never, ever play with them, which sucks. But that's the way it goes with souveniers...they just don't get played with much after the trip. But it's also why we don't spend much...we're there for the experience, not to shop. Over the years, I can recall every single thing we've bought at Disney, and not one thing is played with regularly. Oh, except the Mickey ears! LOL. Both kids will wear their Mickey ears whenever they can make an excuse to do so.

This aversion to collecting junk is what led me to pressed pennies. Could not believe how much the kids have enjoyed that activity! I also don't mind spending money on Disney clothes...at least the kids get repeated use out of them.

 

[HHMcG]

Last trip my kids were 7, 6 & 2. We settled on 4 souvenirs each (said it was one per park). We did not set a $ amount as I would be willing to spend more on a souvenir they will actually use then some less expensive thing that clutters up the house. DH and I did have veto power over souvenir choices.
I'd say they ended up spending $75-$85 per kid.

Their grandfather who was on the trip did buy them a fifth unplanned souvenir.

That worked for us. We will continue this type of plan until they are teenagers or so.

 

[luvmylatte]

I give my son the choice of a $50 Visa card or $50 Disney card. It is his to do as he pleases, but seeing that we fly to WDW it must fit in the suitcase. Made the mistake of buying a cap gun at DTD one year that was too big. The price to mail it back to NY was $30... The cost of the cap gun was $15... Lesson learned by me. Also we do most of our shopping on DTD day which is towards the end of vaca. This way we avoid all the impulse purchases ( of course I need yellow Mickey slippers and glove hands and yes I do need 3 pair of ears TODAY....RIGHT NOW) that can happen when you get there and get lost in the magic.