Souvenir's Budget

[txgirl]

I'm curious how much people budget for souvenir's and extra's. We are collecting change in our Disney Jar and hope to have a couple of hundred before our trip (sept. 05). Our kids are 10, 8, and 2. Any suggestions?

 

[princess lovers mom]

our last trip with the 8 and 4 yo DD's we gave them $15/day for souveneirs and they could choose to spend it each day or save up or borrow from the next day if they wanted something more expensive...this gave them an idea to think about how much something was and whether it was worth it...with some help even the 4 yo did understand this...it also avoided having to say no so much and I never said no even if I didn't think that it was a wise choice because it was THEIR choice....

we bought for them 1 sweatshirt or t-shirt, autograph book, and a charm for their charm bracelets...everything else was up to them

 

[beattyfamily]

Oh that's a tough question. What I basically do is I have a spreadsheet with all the expenses; everyone I can think of and then I have a category for daily "Spending Money" for souvenirs and other daily things like tips, renting a boat, gas for our rental car, some groceries, offsite food, photos I purchase, etc...I put $100 a day for that "spending money" and it always seems to be enough and I usually break even when I get home.

I'd say 60% of that $100 goes to souvenirs. I buy myself a shirt, a photo album, the first trip I bought a key chain from each park, and a frame. For my kids I get them an autograph book and pen, a couple of plush dolls and sometimes costumes at the World of Disney and sometimes some other small souvenirs from the Fantasmic show or we get their faces painted. I'd say we spend a lot on souvenirs! At least $300 - $500! I know that's crazy but we LOVE Disney and treat each trip like it could be our last.

 

[2tinkersmom]

We also did a Disney jar for months before our trip...its amazing how fast the change adds up! And my girls both would add any money earned from extra chores or even gift money that they got during the time leading up to the trip. If they had significant money that was truly "their own" it went into an envelope with their name on it in the jar (my 10 yr old earned money getting the mail for our neighbors while they were out of town). Then right before our trip we counted it out together and they split the money that wasn't in their individual envelopes.
I found this really gave them a sense of "owning" the money and they knew exactly what they had and then they had to make their choices accordingly. We bought them a t shirt and a sweatshirt, didn't take that out of their funds. But they both flipped over the pin collecting so they really learned how to add up how much pins cost and what they had left to spend.
It really eliminated any whining about I want to get this or that....even from my just turned 6 year old which I thought was great! Anything to cut whining from a vacation!

 

[jckdisneybound]

I budget $500-800 for "shopping". That being said, I LOVE to shop so I like being able to buy what I want without worrying about $$. And it's good for me to set a budget so I save ahead of time and don't use the Credit Card.

 

[Cameo]

We have a DD-7 and DS-5. This trip (10 days) I was planning on giving them $50 each and letting them take $50 from their birthday money/earned money bank. It may not seem like a lot, but we have SOOO much Disney stuff and we were just there last August. I'm hoping a lot of the stuff is the same as it was then!! They are crazy about pin trading, so we also said we will buy them each 5 pins. We usually spend between $500-$600 on souvenirs, but need to try to cut down on this trip since we are on a limited budget, so I'm shooting for $400. My husband and I have been to WDW so much, we usually only buy one or two things.

I try to be so good on each trip, but it seems like things that add up for include:
photos (taken by restaurants, or a family photo we have taken each trip)
mugs, cups or additional items that go with the meal

 

[jacksmom]

We have a ds that just turned 8, who loooves pins! He also likes to pick out gifts to bring back for class mates and friends! I give out Disney dollars for chores and special events during the year! But, We usually spend around $200 additional for his souvineers! I usually spend between $300 and $400 myself! I love charms and scrapbook stuff!

 

[jenr812]

Did you say scrapbook stuff? Where???

 

[lsteadman]

most of that is paid to her through the "no swearing" rule in Disney dollars.

Everytime I swear she gets $1...she has cleared a good $97.00 off me. Most of that is earned while I am driving in traffic!

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

My kids usually end up with about $200.00, through the change bank, and chores. That is not only for stuff, though. They have to use their $$, for extra snacks, arcade games, hair wrapping etc.

My older one got into pins last trip, and I did buy her the starter kit, and 1 pin from each park. Now both are excited about pins, and I'm freaking out to see how much that will cost me. I have bought 50 pins on E-bay, for them to trade, and they will get some of those from the Easter bunny. They have also paid me for some of them, from their Disney fund. I'm trying to get a lanyard, for my 6 Y.O., and pin cases for them both.

My mom, MIL, aunts, and cousins also each slide them some cash before we go, so most of the time, they have more $$ than DH, and I.

I usually only buy 1 or 2 things. I collect snowglobes, and I always get a photo album.
DH always gets a t-shirt or two, and a hat.

 

[Princess Glenda]

DS9 and DD4 will have $50 each to spend on their own special souvenirs and I'm sure DH and I will also buy them a few things. The $50 is in Disney Dollars and they can use it for whatever they want--no questions asked. Last May DS saved up his money until the very end and I was very pleased with his choices.

 

[PaulaSue]

I am getting the girls Disney Dollars for Easter, birthdays, Christmas and Halloween. We are not going for almost a year and I am trying to figure out how to sneak a few more in here and there till the time comes. I figure instead of more candy or other stuff I would get them a good start with there own dollars. I also hinted to My Mom last week so I'm hoping they would do the same insetead of all the little stuff they give them just because.

I don't know how I got the idea, maybe from the boards a few months ago when I first started looking for ideas.

 

[Evil Queen]

Right now I have budgeted $300.00 for DS8 and myself. That could change should we hit any hard times before then and need to dip into. It really is the lowest on the budget priority list for us.

So that's about $25.00 a day each.