Souvenier Money for Kids

[frkymcky]

We decided to give our daughter an allowance (she is only 6). She earns $2 a week for doing different chores around the house like using the electric broom to sweep or helping clean the table after meals things that aren't too hard. We also have a countdown calendar for our trip and each day she earns $1 for our trip as long as she is well behaved, if she has a rough day she doesn't earn her dollar. The past few weeks have been great, lol!!! She decided that her chore money is for disney as well. Works for us, I think it will be hard for us not to spend additional money on her while there, this trip is all about her!!!

Great thread - love the ideas everyone has!

 

[PollyannaMom]

DS (age 8) saves up his own money for toys and souveniers. (T-shirts I'll usually pay for, as I figure that's clothes - something I would pay for at home anyway.)

He usually gets a head start by putting aside some of his birthday money (from great-Grandma) in the fall. He also get a small allowance, and tends to start saving that a month or 2 before the trip.

If we're going in the spring, the Easter Bunny puts Disney Dollars in some of the plastic eggs, and if DS loses a tooth right before a trip, the Tooth Fairy gets in on things, too.

(This year, report cards came out the week before we left, and Grandpa gave him some for that as well!)

All in all, I think he had about $80.00 - We were visiting relatives in Florida, and only doing 2 park days, so he came back with some money left over.

 

[prince.john]

My little princess was born for Rodeo Drive, and a shopping bag under each arm. I was born on Walton mountain with a handful of siblings. So I'm trying for a happy medium between us... Holding her to $20-$25 a day in Disney dollars, regardless of whether or not we park hop. But I've also done some online shopping pre-trip. Items like Mouse ears, autograph book, and some trading pins, so that her park money is spent with a little focus on things she wants, and not just spent for the sake of spending money.

 

[2kids1dog]

I have $20 in Disney dollars for each of my kids, but have purchased pins on eBay for trading so they won't have to buy any of those (unless they want a special one to keep). My kids aren't real big on the souvenirs anyway. DS likes buying cards in Japan and DD likes picking a pearl, but they don't really ever ask for much more than that (besides for the pins).

 

[scrapbookmom5174]

I love this reading idea. You should let me know how you record it, or if it's just a regular chart with the book, minutes read, page left off on and stuff like that.

Yep, it is just a chart that we record how many minutes per day they read. I also will mix in some math, language, etc... depending upon which child. Last summer DS (10) was struggling with his times tables, so he would work on those for some of his minutes to break it up. When we first started this, my twins were just finishing the 1st grade. We brought out a big Hershey bar and DS went crazy reading to log in his time. In one day, he read 2 1/2 hours. Now, that is amazing for a kid we used to have to FORCE to read. Now all three of my kids can't wait to start reading for DISNEY. Today was our last day of school, so I am sure we will get our charts printed and ready this weekend.

 

[enchantingodin]

We go every year at least once. Usually my mom takes the kids on her own for a weekend too. So they've been about 8-10 times now. This year we talked about it and decided that we would give them each around $40 to spend at the WoD store in DTD. We always spend our last day there, first doing a character breakfast. I find it's a good 'step down', still there - but not in the bussle of the actual parks. Anyway, we will let them know that we're going to do our shopping on the last day. And they can look in the stores as we go along, but have to wait until the end. Unless of course it's something super special you can't get there. But those are usually the things I like.

 

[erinmomof2]

I think it's good to have kids "earn" their own money before they go. My oldest is almost 5 and she has to save most of her own money. She doesn't get allowance but she does get most of my and DH's change. She also earns money for doing things around the house. Yesterday she vaccumed the living room (we have wood floors so we have a small lightwieght vacuum) and she helped fold clothes, so I gave her a dollar for her work (I didn't have any change.. it's not always a dollar). She also "babysits" for me. Sometimes my husband has crazy hours at work and it's hard for me to get a shower in. My 2 year old is very into everything so I can't take a shower while she's awake and she's a light sleeper so that's out too. So, my oldest DD watches the baby while I shower. They both come in the bathroom with me, but the oldest DD just keeps the baby out of everything, usually she shows her pictures in a book or entertains her with small toys, and of course I'm right there if needed. Between working around the house and babysitting she usually gets 2-3 a week. We aren't going for 11 months, so she should have quite a stash by the time we go. She has a bank account and every 2 weeks we deposit her money and her change money. It really adds up. The change money will be split with her little sister and we won't bring it all. She's saved about $200 in change so far! And we have almost a year to go, no way will she need that all.

But I do think it's a good idea to make the kids earn their own money, even little kids. My daughter is so proud when she buys her own things. And being that she's young, I don't have her do anything to difficult. I want her to have a sense of accomplishment though and learn that money doesn't magically appear in mom and dad's wallet... it takes some effort to make money. And it makes them think more about what they really want. My parent's started me at around age 5 with managing my own money and it is something that I am so grateful for. They would actually write me checks for my allowance and I would cash them in when I wanted something (they were checks my dad made.. from the bank of Mom and Dad) and if I lost them than the money was gone. It was a good lesson.

Anyways, that's my two sense. Sorry this got so long!

 

[zoemurr]

I can't believe how generous some of you are. Even if it is their own money, I don't want them to buy stuff that will just not get used when we are home.

Before our first trip Mickey and Minnie brought them pins/lanyard, auto books, passport, and pressed penny book. They didn't ask for anything else the entire trip. DD did get BBB, and grandma bought DS $10 of legos.

Next trip we bought plastic drinking glasses that they had asked for all year.. maybe used 2x since we've been home.

We're going again this year.. don't plan on bringing anything home except lots of photos, pennies and more autographs.. maybe a pin each? I guess I'm just a Scrooge.. but mine never even asked.. I suppose they know better? I don't think they felt deprived at all.

 

[brymolmom]

Just joking of course - I wouldn't part with my little ones for the world. However, if they found out how much OP gave their kids on past trip - WOW - they would leave me in a heartbeat.

Mine are ds7 and dd5 - past trips I have purchased a couple things for them before the trip and brought them (matching t-shirt and light up toy, for example for a total cost pre-trip of maybe $15 or so. Then when there, we let them get one or two things (usually pins) at parks and one thing at The Marketplace DTD at the end of trip. Total WDW $ per kid about $30 or $40 at the high end.

This year I think they're old enough to decide for themselves. I am making a chore chart for the summer - they currently do not get any allowance (or any gift money to speak of). If they do their chores for the week they'll get maybe $2.00 each at the end of week. That should allow them to earn about $20 or so each. They have maybe $10 in their piggie banks now. Plus Mom and Dad will give them enough to go up to $50 each before our trip.

I will let them spend it whenever they want - first day, last day. But I will encourage them to save a big chunk of it for our DTD night (second to last day of trip). And when it's gone - that's it. No loans from Mom and Dad.

I have never done this before because, honestly, on vacation and if they only have $15 left at DTD and want something that they really would love (i can usually tell if it is something that will go in the closet and never used or something that will end up well-loved) - that is $18...I am not tough enough to say 'nope - you don't have enough'. But this time I am going to be tough - they need to learn that once the money's gone, it's gone.

Wish me luck - hopefully it'll work out.