Souvenir Spending budget style

[jessp1021]

I was wondering if anyone could share how they keep souvenir spending for the little ones budget friendly? I feel like on our past trips our kids have had wayyy too much money and ended up with things that they didn't play with or cheaper items that ended up getting torn up I am seriously considering either a 1 souvenir limit for the entire trip or doing pressed pennies or possibly both..what do you do to keep the souvenir spending in check?

 

[dumbocutie]

Yep that is what I have done. Make them think about it. They could pick out one item they really wanted. So we might stand in a store a while debating if this was the "item". But it was worth it if they would come up to me with an item I would go OK if that is the one item you want.

Many a time they would put it back and be glad they did since they would find something they would want even more at the next store.

Just be careful if they pass an item, and then realize they wanted that one the most, especially at Disney when sometimes it is only available at the one park that you do not plan to hop back to. I think this might of happened once to us.

But sticking with one item saved on taking home junk and packing was easier. Also the vacations are expensive enough between travel. food. lodging and entertainment. I would always tell my kids how much the trip was costing and their eyes would get big and how we sacrificed in order to go on the trip. That always cut down on the can I have this and that. They understood just going on the trip and the memories were the gift.

 

[mydisneyobsession]

We have tried handling souvenirs in a couple of different ways: giving a very small souvenir budget to each child on a Disney Gift Card and doing the "one item" rule. The souvenirs that have stood the test of time have been the single items that were chosen so carefully!

But I agree that you should be careful to give a reminder to the kids when we won't be coming back to a park so that they know they need to decide before the end of the day, and be prepared to stop by the gift shop on the way out of the park in case one of the kids decides they can't live without something!

 

[polkadotminnie]

I made my kids earn the money doing extra chores then pay for it themselves. They were not in such a hurry to spend it when it was thier money.

 

[MrsPete]

We just don't buy souveniers at all. Our kids don't have a problem with this. They realize that they go on multiple vacations each year, and one way we do this is by not spending on junky-junk about which they don't really care anyway.

However, more important than the money is the time spent. When our kids were younger, before we'd developed this philosophy, they seemed very focused on choosing a souvenier. It took an inordinant amount of time, and then they always second-guessed themselves. I didn't like the focus on consumerism rather than family time and having fun.

It's been more than a decade since we nixed all souveniers, and we haven't been sorry yet.

 

[verlee]

I made my kids earn the money doing extra chores then pay for it themselves. They were not in such a hurry to spend it when it was thier money.

This... The boys are earning their own money. They are much more thoughtful when they are aware of how long it took for them to earn it.

 

[jessp1021]

We just don't buy souveniers at all. Our kids don't have a problem with this. They realize that they go on multiple vacations each year, and one way we do this is by not spending on junky-junk about which they don't really care anyway.

However, more important than the money is the time spent. When our kids were younger, before we'd developed this philosophy, they seemed very focused on choosing a souvenier. It took an inordinant amount of time, and then they always second-guessed themselves. I didn't like the focus on consumerism rather than family time and having fun.

It's been more than a decade since we nixed all souveniers, and we haven't been sorry yet.

We are quickly becoming more of the experience geared family and less of the buy something..I want them to remember the times we spent together and not the money we spent on them!

 

[DLB]

We save up money in a coffee jar decorated with Disney stickers!! About a week or so before we go we change in the coins and get cash. (thsi year I think I will get Disney Gfit cards) split the money in two since I have two kids.

While we are there - this is their spending money and once it is gone, that is all. We pay for drinks, food etc. They have to use their money for arcade, toys etc.

The other thing that has worked is to take a picture of whatever item they think they can't live without that day. Wait until they ask for it again or they decide they really want to spend money on that item.

This practice seems to work the best for us. It is remarkable how few things my kids actually feel is worth spending THEIR money on. Most trips they come home with money!!

 

[RachelsMommie]

My kiddos ask for Disney GCs for birthdays and Christmas before our trip. Not from everyone, just the grandparents. Anyway, they have $100 each (so $200 total) for our Disney trip in May.

Of course, we'll buy some stuff, but we generally limit it to little things like magnets and Christmas ornaments.

 

[Bob NC]

Our kids were never really out of control on the whole souvenir deal.

They always realized that the vacation is DISNEY, not buying tons of plastic crap.

None of us ever bought into the souvenir craze, my wife and I will typically buy one nice thing, usually a book about WDW or maybe some coffee mugs.

The kids never even carried their own money to buy stuff, it was just the mindset they had that we are going to buy them maybe one or two things over the course of a week, but it was never an issue. It mostly always went unspoken, but we are there to enjoy the resorts and the parks.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I've got several friends whose kids know at least 6 months in advance when the next Disney trip is coming. (Planning and dreaming is half the fun, after all!) The number one thing relatives are told, if they ask, that the kids would want for birthdays and/or Christmas is gift cards or cash for WDW. The relatives love this (their lives are much easier), and the kids usually build up a tidy nest egg for Disney.

Some parents will tell the kids that they will buy ONE t-shirt or ONE pair of crocs. That's it. If the kids want anything at all else, it comes from the birthday and/or Christmas money on their Disney cards. Other parents just say that everything comes from the gift cards and toss in the price of a t-shirt on top of what the kids have saved. Others say that souveniers come from what the kids have on their gift cards and don't add anything. Some let their kids do extra chores for Disney money and some don't. But the principle that the kids have their own money is pretty standard.


What generally winds up happening is that the folks don't stress over the random junk that the kids buy - the kids are happy and are learning experientially about what's junk and what's not, and sometimes they are perfectly happy for months with an item that the parents would've said was pure junk and sometimes something the parents would've thought was a great, long-term item gets lost in the clutter and sent to Goodwill brand new!

Of course, most of the people I know drive to Disney, so space isn't a big deal; if they flew and had to check luggage, it might be a different matter entirely.

 

[PrincessHeather'sMom]

We are not generally big 'shoppers', but we tend to practice this philosophy. We start the vacation settling in, eating, and at Downtown Disney window shopping and getting an idea of what we'd like to have by the end of the trip, and don't buy anything until the last day. Our last day is usually spent at Downtown Disney or at the park where we saw something we haven't forgotten about or can't live without. Too, sometimes we have in mind what we want already before we even leave home, and the 'sourvineer' thing is already taken care of. This time around I want a Dooney & Burke purse - I've been saving my change in a bucket for a year now and we have 6 months to go. That will be my souvineer. I'm going all out this time because this is probably our last trip for many years to come... Usually I get a shirt or something 'useful'. DD saves for pins and usually a shirt. In any case, the long and the short of it is, we don't buy anything until the end of the trip. If the item is coveted that much, we will remember what it is and where it is at the end of the trip. That keeps things in perspective for us.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

We have never been big souvenir people, either. Our kids do pressed pennies, mostly because they're inexpensive, small, and something fun to look back on. (They each have a couple books with pressed coins from around the US and Europe.)

We tend to travel with my parents- they will get each grandkid a T shirt.

Other than that, we focus on photographs. DD11 likes to collect flyers, maps, etc to go along with those. (Sometimes she puts in a scrapbook, may more just in folder in her room, but at least the price was right )

 

[Pembo]

Pressed pennies and autograph books from us.
They each had $25 to spend as they wanted to. As others have said, when they only have a finite amount to spend, there is a lot more thought put into the purchase. Remember that if you buy something at the MK but they find something they like better at Epcot, you can do returns from anywhere on property at any WDW resort. This has helped us as well.

 

[VAfamily1998]

We have 4 kids. We have been to Disney three times. The first time was in 2005 (we only had 3 kids--ages 4, 3, and 6 months at that time) and we didn't have spending limits that time. It was our first time, and also we were celebrating Dh geting back from 6 months in Iraq, so saving money wasn't a huge consideration.

The next two times were in January 2008 and November 2009. We were on much stricter budgets those times so we did this:
Each child got an autograph book, a hat or set of mouse ears, and $25 to spend on whatever they want. The last trip, I also sprung for a lanyard and a few pins.

We may go in May for Star Wars weekend--not definite yet but if we do, we will proabably again do one hat or mouse ears each, 2 or 3 pins each...and $25 spending money each...my kids aren't as interested in autograph books anymore.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

We never really set a limit. If something is a piece of junk (ahem most Disney toys cough) we tell the kids it is junk. I guess we are lucky that they don't really ask for much so the few things they want we usually buy. We are not big shoppers on vacation so that helps I suppose but to be honest the kids would rather do stuff than shop.

 

[jennb529]

Our plan for this summer is to give each of our kids $25 GC, they got Disney GC for Christmas, will get Universal GC in Easter Baskets, for a total of $50 each for a 12 day vacation.

We will buy them one T-shirt each at Disney and Universal, as well as snacks, food, drinks. Anything else will come from their gift cards.

Now, I say this is the plan...I tend to go a little overboard at Disney with the souvenier buying

 

[mumto3girls]

We generally don't buy very much for ourselves or for our kids. We usually go about every other year and we just don't need a lot of "stuff". When my oldest first was old enough to want things she saw, we told her we would let her pick one thing on the last day at Downtown Disney. That worked well for a while, but now they are old enough to notice and want things in the parks as well. We have held firm to the idea that we would buy them one thing and now we allow them to also use their own money--from birthdays, allowance etc. Once their money is gone, that is it. This past trip they also had small gift cards from their grandparents that were part of their gift.

Occasionally I will see something that I know they would like and buy it and put it away for birthday/Christmas. My littlest loves Minnie and the trip before last was in August 2010 and her birthday was at the end of the month. I bought her the Minnie outfit, shoes, gloves and ears. She is just now outgrowing it and wore it for two Halloweens, several Halloween parties, and several "princess" birthday parties--she doesn't care for the princesses.

I usually get a Christmas ornament each trip for myself and sometimes some scrapbooking supplies.

We never get t-shirts or hats--kids have never even asked.

 

[krd315]

we took our granddaughters (ages 6 & 7) on their 1st trip in Jan.
my daughter made them t-shirts and autograph books from the creative disign board here
we bought them ears and treated them to the pirate league
we gave them $50 each for the souveniers of their choice
Doing this we spent a total of about $200 (plus the t-shirts and autograph books) for both granddaughters over 6 days

We also set expectations that it may not be the same on future trips. We are going back in Sept. for 4 days and we are saving our change for souveniers as this will be a budget trip going 2x in the same year and we are treating them to MNSSHP.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

We aren't huge on souveniers to be honest. In the past, we have purchased mugs, Christmas ornaments, tshirts, and one or two stuffed animals. I have also purchased some scrapbooking supplies, which I don't really consider souveniers, per se. Our oldest son understands that we will not be buying a lot of "stuff" there because a considerable amount of money has been spent on the trip.