What do you budget for spending money?

[abinormal]

Not counting meals, what would you say you budget for miscellaneous extras - souvenirs, treats, etc?

 

[taraaplin]

I brought 1000 last year (we had QSDP dining plan) and we only spent 800. That is including pirates league for two boys plus one table service meal that wasn't included in QSDP. We bought many souvenirs that looking back really were frivolous spending. It was our first trip and we went overboard. This year we are not doing a dining plan and bringing 900 in gift cards
and 1000 cash. I don't expect to use it all but figured better more than not enough.

 

[Bluestars]

When my boys were little, we would let them pick out something every day with a daily limit of $20. When they got older, they just wanted to ride the rides and weren't interested in toys.

I usually buy a coffee mug and sometimes a T-shirt, so for my trip this year with just my husband and myself, I would say that I will budget about $50. This does not include meals or snacks.

 

[patsal]

Used to budget $100 per person (4) for two weeks, now I doubt I even come close to $100 total for family of three over three weeks! I really don't buy much anymore. If there were a Dooney I wanted then I might spend money.

 

[Priorityonecb]

We go often enough that we don't really buy "things" there anymore. This coming trip I know I will be buying a refillable mug, a princess license plate for dd and Potato head accessory pieces for the little boy I nanny for. I budgeted for those things and nothing more. I put $10 a day into my food budget in addition to what I will spend on meals for treats. I almost never wind up spending it, but I budget for it just the same.

 

[dayvewc]

Everything left in my checking and savings account?

I normally spend about $500 on souvenirs. But most of that is on stuff I buy to give to other people. If I quit being the "nice guy" that brings other people stuff, I'd probably spend less than $100. I always try to get at least 1 beach towel and 1 t-shirt. And refrigerator magnets (preferably with thermometers in them - just what I collect).

 

[sixxmum]

The first two trips, the kids all had a lot of Dis dollars from family and probably spent about $250 each. Since then, we all use Christmas money and are probably closer to $100 each.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

That's sort of like asking how long is a piece of string.

Honestly - like some have said, $100 gets their family of 4 through a week.
Me? I LOVE to shop at Disney (as do my kids). 9 day trip, I can spend $1000-$1500 and not be a bit sad about it! I have a Mickey kitchen at home, a Mickey garden, a Disney ornament collection for my tree, love my Mickey jewelry and accessories...all which need updating annually - and don't get me started in World Showcase....

 

[stasijane]

Depends on what tiem of year I go. If its early in the year then my DD14 and myself can get buy with less than $1,000. Now if its just me and I am at food and wine, you better double that!

 

[Networth]

The last trip we didn't shop much for souvenirs. We spent around $350 on frames/photo books, ornaments, a hat or two, bunch of toys for the nephews, sweater and candies as Christmas gifts for all the neighbors.

But we spent $4,000 at Wyland Galleries at (Poly & BWI) on some paintings. I don't really considers those souvenirs though.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

It depends if my husband goes or not. I tend to spend more if he is not there to watch me like a hawk! We were there for 9 days and I spent about $600. this time. The kids spent their own spending money too. The last time he didn't go I spent double that.

 

[mamato3girls]

Our last trip (for our family of 5 doing 6 park days and staying 7 nights with the regular dining plan) we brought $1200. That covered our gas from NC and back and also a cheap hotel on the ride back, tips at table service restaurants, the BBB for our two older girls (just the basic package), and a good amount of shopping for souvenirs. We probably came back with at least a couple hundred left over as well. I don't think we purchased any other food items while there because the dining plan more than covered what we needed and we didn't buy any food on the road on the way home because we had 4 or 5 quick service meals left and we grabbed a few sandwiches and desserts from Earl of Sandwich on our way out of Disney to last us the ride home.

 

[abinormal]

Thank you, this is very helpful. I'm a bit overwhelmed planning, and I realize it's very subjective. But you've given me a good idea about what kinds of things *I* would buy, so that's a start.

I'm a keychain collector myself.

 

[dayvewc]

Thank you, this is very helpful. I'm a bit overwhelmed planning, and I realize it's very subjective. But you've given me a good idea about what kinds of things *I* would buy, so that's a start.

I'm a keychain collector myself.

If you have access to a car, go west down 192 (I think) and there is a Wal-Mart on the right about 8 miles past WDW. Last summer they had the best keychains ever. They were Mickey Heads keychain dangles (single color each, but about 5 total colors to choose from) and the keyring was also a Mickey Head. Pretty cool. Seems like they were $1 - $1.50 each. I bought multiple ones in each color and handed them out to people (coworkers) for those "I feel obligated to get you something when I vacation, but I'm not going to spend real money on it" gifts.

 

[AJ1983]

Its just the two of us,no kids, so any "spending money" is just money to cover meals, snacks, and alcohol. We do buy ONE nice souvenir to commemorate each trip, and we have decided this year will be something from the Disney original art store in DTD (probably something very small, based on the prices I remember haha). Its a little pricier then usual but it is for our honeymoon so we don't mind splurging. Also, DFi might get a Lego set at the Lego store

Normally our souvenir budget is between $50-100, and is something we can keep forever. I might also buy a Disney Christmas ornament because I love them

 

[Lumiere Lover]

DH and I are huge souvenir purchasers. If we want it (excluding balloons) we get it. In 2012 we took $1,700 for two people for spending money, and ending up buying gift cards with free small pins at Christmas time, and then using those gift cards on the same trip. One piece of really nice jewelry can be quite expensive.

Everyone is different.

We are the people that like to decorate our hotel window, and by the end of a trip it looks like a store front. In 2012 we ending up sending packages home (we bought a lot of large Mickey ornaments).

 

[HereForMinnie]

I always buy my son plushes and toy cars. I like to buy clothing and accessories at DTD and whichever resort we're staying at.

I'm not a fan of knick knacks like vinlymations or figurines. I think they take up too much space and collect dust. At least with plushes, toys and clothing I know someone is using or wearing them.

We put about $100 a day aside for souvenirs.

 

[fla4fun]

Well, I usually allot about $500 for a ten day trip. However, most trips I end up not spending it and it gets carried forward as the spending money for the next trip. I typically end up budgeting a little too high on the food portion of the travel budget, and then buy souvenirs from that leftover cash instead of what I had originally set aside for souvenirs.

Some trips I don't end up buying anything, and some trips I do - that depends on the merchandise on offer during the trip. I came back from a ten day trip in December buying nothing. Same for my September trip. However, the trip in March, I bought some jewelry and a jacket - used up the entire souvenir budget on that trip. I've been there often enough that I don't buy just to buy - it has to be something very special. I used to buy a lot more before they reduced the variety of items available.

My suggestion would be to look at the Disney parks section of the Disney Store online to get an idea of what items cost. Then set a budget you are comfortable with. Every person is going to be different.

 

[Brittmarie04]

We're going 2 weeks from today. Jan 18-25th. 2 adults 1 child. I'm budgeting $500 extra spending money. I usually never set a budget, but I don't want to buy a bunch of junk we don't need.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

We don't buy much. I can't even fathom spending $1000 on merchandise. I budget $250 for "miscellaneous spending" and rarely spend it all.

This next trip my kids will be old enough to get the concept of spending money so I am going to give them a Disney gift card with probably $50 for each. That is for them to use for souvenirs or extra snacks and they will have to manage it. DH and I may spend $150 or so total on new mugs, a baseball cap, photo album, Christmas ornament and an antennae balls. We don't collect anything and I don't like having to cart all that stuff home.