When did your kids start buying their own tickets?

[quandrea]

just wondering. Tickets are so pricey. When did you start asking the kids to pitch in to help with costs? I guess it doesn't just have to be tickets. Could be dining, accommodation, etc.

 

[adisneyaunt]

When it's a family vacation, or they re asked to join, or they wanted to join... I'm just one of those that does not ask nor expect a child/young adult/adult to kick in.
I figure If I can afford it, I do it ..because I Want too... otherwise I would not include them at all...
which I'd likely not ever do. That d actually go for any "guest" I'd ask to join us... I just assume... if I ask them ( i.e. Young adult niece) I just pay their way...

 

[quandrea]

When it's a family vacation, or they re asked to join, or they wanted to join... I'm just one of those that does not ask nor expect a child/young adult/adult to kick in.
I figure If I can afford it, I do it ..because I Want too... otherwise I would not include them at all...
which I'd likely not ever do. That d actually go for any "guest" I'd ask to join us... I just assume... if I ask them ( i.e. Young adult niece) I just pay their way...

Interesting point. My parents always had us pay as we got older (13 and up). They could afford to pay it all. I think it was their way of building responsibility and an understanding that our travel cost a lot and that we should value it. I'm not sure where I fall on the issue. You are right. If we ask them to come or really require it because they are minors, is it really on them to pay for anything? Probably not.

 

[KrazeeK120]

If I were to invite someone on a trip, I'd pay for it.

I certainly wouldn't expect a child under 18 to pay anything toward a family vacation, and I'm not sure it's fair to expect a college student with limited income and no full time job to be paying into a family vacation either.

Now, if I'm 70 and my kid is 40 and he wants to take his wife to V&A dinner, yeah he can pay for that.

 

[Momto2minniemice]

I know I don't have grow kids yet but I do think I will always over a trip cost if I ask them to go with me and I will do this till I can't and then I hope they will take care of me and bring me to Disney!

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Interesting point. My parents always had us pay as we got older (13 and up). They could afford to pay it all. I think it was their way of building responsibility and an understanding that our travel cost a lot and that we should value it. I'm not sure where I fall on the issue. You are right. If we ask them to come or really require it because they are minors, is it really on them to pay for anything? Probably not.

Personally, I wouldn't have a child who's a minor pay for something as expensive as their tickets. However, I'd have no problem using other aspects of vacation as a way of building responsibility, actually I think that's a great idea! You could let them know that if they want souvenirs, snacks between meals, etc. that they'll be responsible for those costs.

 

[monorailsilver]

Probably when my kids are married or want a separate room with their SO. But if they are 35 and have a FT job they can pay!!

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I'm 37. If my parents invited me on a vacation, they would still pay for everything. They would, of course, accept any offer I made to pay, but they would make an assumption that if they've invited me and my family, they would pay the bill.

Now mind you, I don't really let them do that anymore. We plan "parallel" trips, if anything. But I know they would.

 

[Dentam]

I'm not sure how a 13 year old would get the money to pay for their tickets? When we were younger, we had to do chores - stacking firewood was the biggie - to earn our trip to DL. So I guess if they get an allowance that would make sense.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

Interesting point. My parents always had us pay as we got older (13 and up). They could afford to pay it all. I think it was their way of building responsibility and an understanding that our travel cost a lot and that we should value it. I'm not sure where I fall on the issue. You are right. If we ask them to come or really require it because they are minors, is it really on them to pay for anything? Probably not.

Wow! I was always responsible for my souvenir money from a very young age, but that was it. I would never expect my son to pay for any part of lodging, travel costs, tickets or admission prices until he was out of the house and had a full time job.

 

[wellesleyprincess]

Probably when my kids are married or want a separate room with their SO. But if they are 35 and have a FT job they can pay!!

This has kind of been my parents attitude. Sometimes the trips are a gift (Birthday, Graduation, Christmas, etc.),but otherwise I'd expect to kick in something. If I wasn't getting married, I'd guess turning 30 kind of triggers the same thing.

Once my fiance and I are married I'd expect to pay our way and maybe have my parents (or his) offer to help a little if say they want a specific hotel or want us all to go to a specific restaurant.

When I was a teenager or in college, I was responsible for my own spending money (with maybe an extra $20 or so from them), but asking a teenager to kick in hard earned babysitting money for a mandatory family vacations seems harsh. (And risk the well if I have to pay I just won't go attitude). Similarly, I've always been expected to pay for my own drinks (since turning 21 of course) and any additional snacks/upgraded meals/souvenir mugs, etc.

 

[loves to dive]

Until my son got married I paid for the lodging and tickets and he picked up some meals, drinks, etc. After he got married, he and his wife stayed in a separate room from me so they paid their own room and tickets. After he got divorced, I paid for the room and his tickets, he contributed to meals, etc. Last trip I paid for his ticket but he upgraded it to an AP himself. He is back in college and living off the GI bill and military disability, which barely covers his rent and expenses and I love having him with me, I can afford it so I pay.

 

[Sydney2977]

We have paid for everything on trips for our kids but as they got older they have saved birthday or Christmas or chore earning money to pay for extras like souvenirs.

Older DS who is 20 and in the Air Force and taking college classes spent his own money Christmas 2015 to go on a short trip with his girlfriend. We paid for his four day military discount tickets as his Christmas gift while he paid for food and the resort. She just started the college program at WDW so this summer he is planning to visit her so they can celebrate their 21st birthdays, which fall within a week of each other. We'll probably pay for his 4 or 5 day military discount tickets as his gift and he'll pay for the resort and food.

Younger DS is paying for half of the trip his band is going on this year ($600)- I am going as a chaperone (only have to pay $300). He saved money he got from earning Eagle Scout and house and pet sitting this past year. We would have paid for it all but I am very proud he is helping out.

 

[Vijoge]

My family never vacationed, but DH's did. He had 4 sisters and none of the kids were expected to chip in for vacations, even though they all started working around age 15. Only once they were married did they have to pay their own way.

We have 3 sons. Oldest owns DVC. Middle son vacations with his in-laws and I think they pretty much cover everything, or at least the lodging and meals. Youngest still lives at home but he doesn't care much for travel. If he did decide to go with us I would definitely let him pay his own way-he earns more than DH!

 

[WhispyPixie]

Haha.. I had to laugh as this....we have 4 kids. 30, 25, 25 and 18. The 18 year old is the only one that we pay for fully as she is still in college. The 3 older kids buy their tickets. We all still stay in room for 6 or we get 2 rooms and they throw in some to cover the 2nd room. We usually cover TS meals, as they are family events....and they cover all the other meals. When you have a full time job and are paying for your life expenses..more than likely you can pay for your own vacation as well. If we cover things, it is because we desire to, not because they expect it.

 

[melanielll]

My kids are 21 and 26 and we still pay for everything - if they are coming with us. An independent trip - that would be on them.

 

[quandrea]

This is so interesting to me. Now that I have kids--7, 7 and 13 I got to thinking about this the other day. I never thought anything of paying for trips when I was a kid. It's just what we did. Now that my daughter is reaching the age where I started helping out it came into my mind. She is a excellent at saving and in all truth that money should be earmarked for something of her choosing or education, I would think. I look back on some of the things my parents did and in hindsight some of it seems a bit off. But that's a whole other thread.

 

[quandrea]

I'm not sure how a 13 year old would get the money to pay for their tickets? When we were younger, we had to do chores - stacking firewood was the biggie - to earn our trip to DL. So I guess if they get an allowance that would make sense.

I'd pay for these trips at thirteen with summer job money, babysitting money, birthday money...

 

[Pkltm]

Our kids are both in post secondary school, our last trip, my son worked full time and he wanted a friend to come and them to have their own room so he paid his own way.

Next trip is to celebrate our anniversary and they both asked if they could come for part. We are paying for their accommodations, most meals and airfare. They have paid for their passes. They both work pt during school, ft in the summer.

 

[TCRAIG]

I still pay for everything when my daughter and I go on our every other year trip together. She married last year and is now expecting our first Grand later this year - so when we pick up our EOY trips - now with SIL and Grand - I plan on picking up the tab for all of us as far as Villa (we're DVC) - tickets - meals together - etc. if she and her husband decide to go on a seperate dinner date - they would pay for that. One nice thing - I did buy a some 10 day no expire tickets years ago - so really - it's just food expenses