Spending Budget for kids?

[DisneyMama811]

How do you guys handle setting a budget for souvenirs? not just for yourself but specifically for your kids? I know Disney is full of amazing souvenirs and it's easy to get caught up in the "gotta have it" mindset. I am planning to preload giftcards to use for souvenir purchases but I don't know what a realistic amount to budget would be

 

[tstein12]

For DD10, we typically give her $50 for the entire trip on a gift card (our trips are typically 3-4 full park days). We tell her if she finds anything more expensive, then she needs to pay us back the difference when she gets home.

 

[Jmljasmine]

So I'm sure I am going to be very unusual here. What we do though is we started allowance at age 3. A dollar per year old. They have to donate one, save one, and can do whatever with the extras. So the save envelopes will have quite a bit in them by the time we go back. Our younger children at the time we go will be a newish 3 and a 1.5 year old so we will get one thing for the 1.5 year old and 2 for the newish 3 since she hasn't had the time to save. Since our last big travel was cancelled for COVID, the older 2 will have a triple digit value in their save envelopes so realistically could have a lot to spend. At their ages big trips like this are as about as big as they can fathom saving for so if they empty those envelopes so be it. I do intend for them to list what they want to buy and the price until halfway through the trip so they have a chance to see if they really want an item after they see everything else.
Again though, I know we do money very different then most people. I had a father who was a CPA and taught me finances in a very practical way like this and I felt a benefit so I'm carrying on with my kids.

 

[DisneyMama811]

So I'm sure I am going to be very unusual here. What we do though is we started allowance at age 3. A dollar per year old. They have to donate one, save one, and can do whatever with the extras. So the save envelopes will have quite a bit in them by the time we go back. Our younger children at the time we go will be a newish 3 and a 1.5 year old so we will get one thing for the 1.5 year old and 2 for the newish 3 since she hasn't had the time to save. Since our last big travel was cancelled for COVID, the older 2 will have a triple digit value in their save envelopes so realistically could have a lot to spend. At their ages big trips like this are as about as big as they can fathom saving for so if they empty those envelopes so be it. I do intend for them to list what they want to buy and the price until halfway through the trip so they have a chance to see if they really want an item after they see everything else.
Again though, I know we do money very different then most people. I had a father who was a CPA and taught me finances in a very practical way like this and I felt a benefit so I'm carrying on with my kids.

I think this is actually a very good idea.

 

[JFDIS]

We let the kids (2 & almost 4) pick out one toy a trip. They usually pick it out on the first day and play with it in the room during the trip. We let them get something $25 or under. Sometimes they spend $25 and other times $10. One trip they both wanted a Bigger toy so they shared it. My mom gives them ‘Disney money’ for birthdays and Christmas so this is what we use.

 

[MouseMama11]

If we are planning a trip a year or more ahead of time, my 2 girls, ages 10 and 6, ask for Disney gift cards for birthdays and Christmas from relatives. And they also collect coins for their piggy banks throughout the year and the week before our trip we will roll all the coins and turn them into cash for them to spend. They usually end up bringing $100-$150 to Disney to spend on souvenirs! But its all either gifts for money they've saved.

 

[bigpinkdaisy]

We have been visiting Disney with our son since he was 6. The first few years, we just let him pick something from each park. When he turned 10, our family finally realized we were serious Disney people, and they started giving him gift cards for his birthday and holidays. Now that he is going to be 16, our last two trips (13 and 14 - COVID cancelled 15) were more of him wanting to shop at Disney Springs stores, but the few park purchases he wanted were Stance Socks for all of the parks(13) and a hat(he still wears it now) and a t shirt(14)....so that was easy. He spent his gift cards in Disney Springs. To answer your original question though, he averaged about $50 per park - we always visit each park twice, so he usually waited until our second visit to choose something. We are going this year FOR his birthday - and his braces should be off by then - so now he is planning on what he wants to EAT, not what he wants to buy.

 

[Meglen]

Gonna give my son (12) 75$ GC if he wants more to spend he can do his chores and save. I feel that is even to much but I dont want him to not get something he wants.

 

[Missingmypooh]

We do a junk toy the first day there. A water bottle. Some slippers. A bubble wand. A stuffy. So ONE the first day.

throughout the trip I have small trinkets and toys I give them. And we normally buy a balloon.


then halfway or so, after we’ve been through all the shops, they get the bigger take home toy to say “we got it from Disney”! We put a 50 dollar limit on that toy.

total each kid is about 75.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We usually give daughter $100 cash or gift card. Sometimes I prefer the cash so she can physically pay for things and see the money (and where it goes). She also gets money from grandmother and aunt. When we vacation, we generally don't put a spending limit. On food either. We splurge a little. Vacation is really the only time we do. Not that we go overboard either. Don't buy a lot of stuff. We've been there so many times, there's only so many mugs, t shirts and stuff you can use.

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

On our first trip with my son (2017), we set a $15 limit. Now it is $20-25 per kid, one toy each. No balloons or expensive ice cream bars. I try to get them each a Disney World shirt on clearance on shopdisney at the end of the year. In non-mask-wearing years, we get the photo package and have a photo collage in our living room of all our Disney trips. We often get a Christmas ornament for the family as well. We may not bring home a lot of souvenirs and I say no to a lot of extras, but we usually go twice a year, and I remind the kids that we can go so often by spending less each trip. So I guess it depends on age of kids and whether it is a once in a lifetime trip. We only went to Disney once when I was a kid, and we were allowed 2 toys and a shirt (not sure if Minnie ears counted as a toy or if that was an extra). The only reason we got 2 toys is because my little sis threw a tantrum one of the last night's we were there and my mom wanted peace and quiet in the hotel room. They were going to try to keep it to the 1 shirt, 1 toy, rule of all our other vacations.

 

[DisLiss]

My kids bring their own souvenir money, so it's basically up to them, albeit with a few travel related restrictions. It has to be able to travel home safely and in the luggage we already have with us. I'm not one to bring an extra piece of luggage to hold souvenirs. We just don't like to bring so much stuff into our home, period---whether it's WDW souvenirs or anything else.

We give our kids a Disney gift card at any birthday or holiday before our trip, and then they can opt to save any other spending money they have. Right now, my one son had stopped putting any money aside during our COVID delay, and his brother kept saving a tiny amount each week, and now as of this week, they have exactly they same amount of money set aside. So I "warned" the son who had stopped saving that this has occurred and (as I thought would happen) he immediately said he wanted to start putting aside the same amount as his brother each week. So typical!

Once they arrive, they'll spend it differently, though. They won't want to buy all of the same things.

 

[DisLiss]

So the save envelopes will have quite a bit in them by the time we go back........the older 2 will have a triple digit value in their save envelopes so realistically could have a lot to spend.

This is exactly the case with us. The kids always are saving money just as basic savings, but then they can opt to save some of their "spending" money as well. My one son has 4 different saving categories for himself right now---Disney, Lego, Laptop, and then just his general savings account. The Disney, Lego, & Laptop funds come out of the "spending" portion of his allowance. He's just opting to spend it later on. That leaves him a rather small amount weekly to actually spend right now, but let's face it, right now he doesn't have a lot of opportunity to spend money since we don't really go many places where he can shop since the pandemic started.

 

[Blondie58]

Our first trip to Disney years ago (80s) was one souvenir, period. (And I am sure we guided the selections per price.) We were lucky to even be driving to FL (1200 miles) to see this magical place for two days!! And we did not buy any food at the parks or stay onsite. (I was mesmerized by the CR and the monorail going through it! lol) We front-loaded all expectations per purchases (eating and souveniers) before we left so there would be no issues. Fast forward many many years........................ My son's last trip (2018) was to spend five days with me at WDW. I paid for the trip minus his airfare that he booked with frequent flyer points. We had so much fun!!! He is still a great "kid" and we stayed on the 14th floor of the CR!!! Pixi dust........................... and years of hard work have paid off.

 

[crazylady]

We don't spend alot of time in gift shops on purpose. Typically we let.the kids pick one thing per trip ($25-$50). Last trip I game my 12 yo a gift card for $50 to use for whatever he wanted. He ate alot of ice cream and drank alot of soda. I don't think he bought anything to bring home.

 

[loves to dive]

When my son was little through the teenage years he could pick one expensive thing around $100 and one not expensive thing around $20. He is an only child and we only went every other year until he was well into his 20s and we didn't take anything but long weekend trips on the year we didn't go to Disney so I saved for it (single Mom). I do that for myself as well, it's usually either a mask from Italy (which is way over $100 but hey it's my money) or a D&B (again way over $100 but again my money) and then maybe I'll buy a Tshirt or mug.

 

[sponica]

It probably depends on the age of the kids more than anything. After having to cancel 3(?) trips, I'm in the "IDGAF" how much we spend as long as it A) fits on the plane and B) isn't a zillion dollars.

But by the time I go, I'll have a 5 year old and a 20 month old. Those souvenirs tend to be on the less expensive side. I honestly get more upset about spending money on food they don't eat.

 

[DisLiss]

After having to cancel 3(?) trips, I'm in the "IDGAF" how much we spend

Ugh, I hear you. My current planned trip will our 3rd one cancelled, too, and I am definitely starting to be in that same "IDGAF" zone about almost everything at this point!

 

[sponica]

Ugh, I hear you. My current planned trip will our 3rd one cancelled, too, and I am definitely starting to be in that same "IDGAF" zone about almost everything at this point!

My aunt's 4 night cruise in an oceanview room has turned into a 10 night with a suite . I think a lot of people are in that zone....

 

[Shellyred8]

I have a friend that used this approach: They told their two sons that however much money they were able to save up for their trip for their own souvenir money, they would match it. In hind site, she said she should've set a limit, as one of the son's was able to save up more than she was anticipating.