Paying my kids to order water!!!

[onenursebrandy]

Drinks are expensive when dining out. Really they're outrageous! I made a deal with my children. If they order water while we're in Disney (or any other time), I will give them the cost of their soda in cash. It encourages them to make a better choice, saves me money off the dining bill, and gives them souvineer money to use on vacation.

My question is...what other unorthodox tips or tricks have you tried to save extra money?

 

[DawnM]

I remember once when my youngest was about 5. We were at Disney and had taken our own sandwiches into Epcot and were going in to the Land to eat them and get a dessert at the food court there.

My then 5 year old remembered that the food court had a sweet and sour kids meal and he got all excited thinking we were going to eat there.

When we pulled out our sandwiches and I returned from paying for the dessert (and my coffee) he lost it. He started crying and sobbing and yelling really loudly, "I want Chinese food! I want Chinese food!" over and over again.

I am sure people thought we were the worst parents ever. But at that point I wasn't giving in!

I tried bribing with the dessert I bought but he was having none of it......he continued to cry and repeat.

I know that isn't exactly what you were getting at, but it brought back a memory!

 

[DawnM]

We don't really do bribes per say but we do want our kids to understand that spending money is a choice. If you spend on X then you don't have money for Y.

Right now we are in the throws of discussing college and dual enrollment options, and with all of that.....MONEY.

We are showing our middle son that Community College costs vs. the local 4 year college, vs. going away to a public vs. private school, etc......

 

[Burnedout]

Eh, my kids just knew water was better for them and free. Never would have thought to bribe them.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I don't have any tips, but I like your idea. The price of drinks when you go out is outrageous. I always order water (unless it is a fast food place) because I am cheap. When they are charging like $2.59 for soda or tea, that is just ridiculous. If it is a fast food place, I will pay the $1.00 for tea, that is too much, but I can accept that. I don't even like tea, but I have given up sodas (again), so I gotta have something

 

[mjkacmom]

My kids usually order water on their own at restaurants, but will sometimes look over to me when the drink order is being taken, and I tell them to get what they want. Sometimes they'll get sodas. DH and I order either water or unsweetened iced tea. At amusement parks, we bring in water bottles. Once, at Hershey, we splurged on a large refillable cup, for the 5 of them to share. I dislike soda, can't even drink it at this point.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Eating out is a treat and with that comes soda for the kids. I don't buy soda at home so it truly is a treat for them. I always get water just because it's better for me and I prefer it.

 

[pigletto]

While it's a great money saver, it's also so much better for your health. I remember a waiter at Universal making some quip when we all ordered water a few years ago. It was the dead heat of August. We could barely keep ourselves hydrated enough, why in the world would I drink syrupy sugar water?

On this trip everyone will know what their budget is for meals/drinks/snacks per day. We did this last time and it worked well. We have a full kitchen where we are staying so will only be eating one meal a day out. If they want the soda that's fine, but if they want a funnel cake while watching illuminations they will spend a little less. This only works because the kids are older (18 and 12) and we aren't doing Disney table service dining this trip. It's easier for them to choose where they want to stop for dinner or save some money for later. Last trip there was always money left over and they were able to pad their spending money.

 

[Narnia_girl]

Many years ago my husband bought a Wahl haircut/trimmer kit because he likes a basic short haircut. He began cutting his own hair. We had two sons and as they got older I was willing to take them to the hair salon or barber (which cost me about $15) or they could let dad cut their hair. If they let dad do it, I gave them $5, thereby saving $10. But it was totally their choice. One took the offer all the way until college. The other one stopped in high school.

Same sort of thing with high school rings. First son wanted one, we bought it ($400) and he wore it for a week. Now it sits on a shelf.
Told the second son we would buy his also, but he could choose Door #2: Skip the ring and pocket $100 cash. He took the cash.

(Third child is a girl and a Disney fanatic--now it's really costing us. )

 

[ICF]

Unless it was part of a "kids meal" or a special occasion (bday etc), they know that 99% of the time they will get water when we eat out -- no bribes necessary, it is just how they've been brought up.

 

[wendow]

Our kids know the rule, you want soda, you order a kids meal where the drink is included. Otherwise, you order water. Birthdays and special meals out are exceptions.

 

[DnA2010]

Unless it was part of a "kids meal" or a special occasion (bday etc), they know that 99% of the time they will get water when we eat out -- no bribes necessary, it is just how they've been brought up.

Yup, we are in this boat. DD11 doesn't really get soda at home, so doesn't expect it on vacation. On our fall DL trip we ate brekkie in the room and sandwiches for lunch every day, but ate out for dinners, and splurged for the Fantasmic package at the Blue Bayou- DL understood that by not eating out for lunch, we were able to do this special thing and she LOVED it

 

[hsmamato2]

I get the idea... but I don't think you saved any money OP,since you just gave it to your kids instead of the restaurant..... Over the years my kids knew automatically that most meals out= water to drink- due to the price alone. If they tried to get fresh and make a scene in front of others when they were little kids (i.e. 'but I WANT soda..PLEEESE) kind of thing then they got "the talk" about how eating out is a privilege,not a right,and to keep within our budget they either ordered water gracefully,or didn't get to go out to eat. Once in a while we would get a soda type drink,but not often- Even more than budget wise, health wise soda is so unhealthy.... Now that my teen ds is so used to water all the time,even at home, he never wants a soda,even when it's included with the meal,like a buffet!

 

[hsmamato2]

Many years ago my husband bought a Wahl haircut/trimmer kit because he likes a basic short haircut. He began cutting his own hair. We had two sons and as they got older I was willing to take them to the hair salon or barber (which cost me about $15) or they could let dad cut their hair. If they let dad do it, I gave them $5, thereby saving $10. But it was totally their choice. One took the offer all the way until college. The other one stopped in high school.

)

This post makes me laugh.... I always cut all the guys hair in our house (mostly successful lol,nothing fancy) And one son started paying a barber as soon as he had a job and some income, the others just don't care!

 

[Pembo]

We got the QSDP for one trip to WDW and my kids were so excited to get their OWN drink at every meal. I was excited about dessert and they were thrilled over pop.

 

[jsmla]

I remember once when my youngest was about 5. We were at Disney and had taken our own sandwiches into Epcot and were going in to the Land to eat them and get a dessert at the food court there.

My then 5 year old remembered that the food court had a sweet and sour kids meal and he got all excited thinking we were going to eat there.

When we pulled out our sandwiches and I returned from paying for the dessert (and my coffee) he lost it. He started crying and sobbing and yelling really loudly, "I want Chinese food! I want Chinese food!" over and over again.

I am sure people thought we were the worst parents ever. But at that point I wasn't giving in!

Waaaay back a long, long time ago when our kids were in the toddler-grade school years we went to WDW every year. It really wasn't in our budget to stay in a hotel and eat out every meal and this was before any sort of Dining Plan. On top of that I was kind of strict with what the kiddos ate, soda wasn't happening. As a result we usually ate "in" back at the camper at Ft Wilderness with a few character breakfasts, Mickey bars and maybe one nice dinner in the World Showcase thrown in for fun.

This wasn't a huge deal for the bottomless pit that was our oldest child (To him ALL food was good, the question being, "That looks like a great snack bag but what will the rest of you eat?") but at some point our daughter became obsessed with the Mickey macaroni and cheese at the QS places. I didn't approve. I tried buying Mickey pasta and making a homemade version but, no, only the "official" neon orange, salt and chemical laden (This was long before WDW began making a stab at healthier options.) fast food stuff would do. Since back then I was convinced that junk food would cause the kiddos to grow a third eye or something we were at an impass.

Anywho, after a massive days long pro-Mickey mac-n-cheese campaign by DD, I finally caved on one condition-she had to use her own money to pay for it. (We gave the kids a daily allowance at Disney that was theirs to spend on whatever.) She was thrilled. We have the cutest video of her marching up to the counter and forking over her very own money for her very own plastic bowl of faux cheesy happiness. I would like to say she hated it but she didn't, she savored every little Mickey head with the abandoned joy that only an eight year old experiencing a heretofore forbidden treat can muster. She ate every bite while we munched on our sandwiches and carrot sticks. The lightbulb wouldn't go on until later that night.

Fast forward a few hours. It's Spectromagic time! The lights! The characters! The whimsy! The crummy little carts selling overpriced junk! Her brother bought something with his fun money. Can't remember what it was but it was sufficiently entrancing to ignite a firestorm of acquisitive desire in DD. Unfortunately poor DD was broke and the joys of Mickey mac-n-cheese were but a distant memory. She tried begging, she tried pouting, she even tried to negotiate the purchase of a share in her brother's shiny, glowing, whistling whatever-it-was. Poor, sad DD, she learned to budget the hard way. Well, hard if you're eight.

The funny thing is she's grown up to be the more frugal one as well as the healthier eater of the two.

 

[DIS_MERI]

My kids also don't get sodas unless they are part of the kids meal, a special occasion, or they use their allowance.

For our January trip (4 days, 3 nights) I gave them roughly what the DDP would have cost ($175 each; DD9 would have been much less, but I gave her the same as her siblings to be fair). Normally they would have gotten $50 spending each, but instead I paid for one dinner, at Cape May Cafe. DD13 is the only one who complained (she said she didn't get to eat enough, but that was her own darn fault, lol). They each came home with at least $75. They got to buy soda for breakfast, if they wanted. Middle one doesn't want to do it again, the other 2 would love it if we did

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

My kids are always welcome to spend their own money on the things I won't purchase (including sodas). Funny...they never want to spend their own money!

 

[DSLRuser]

no way i would do that. I am the parent. If I say they drink water, they drink water.

 

[wendow]

Many years ago my husband bought a Wahl haircut/trimmer kit because he likes a basic short haircut. He began cutting his own hair. We had two sons and as they got older I was willing to take them to the hair salon or barber (which cost me about $15) or they could let dad cut their hair. If they let dad do it, I gave them $5, thereby saving $10. But it was totally their choice. One took the offer all the way until college. The other one stopped in high school.

Same sort of thing with high school rings. First son wanted one, we bought it ($400) and he wore it for a week. Now it sits on a shelf.
Told the second son we would buy his also, but he could choose Door #2: Skip the ring and pocket $100 cash. He took the cash.

(Third child is a girl and a Disney fanatic--now it's really costing us. )

My dh has cut his own hair our entire marriage (20+ years) and now he cuts our boys hair. Such a huge savings! I also cut my girls hair if they are just wanting a trim and I learned to highlight my own hair off youtube. The DIY highlights save about $600 a year. I will have to remember your methods for when my boys get older and want to go have their hair cut by a professional, rather than dad.