[tinkerbelle24]

I know this has been brought up many times before but I wanted to know what is a good amount of money for a kid per day in WDW?

I am on the DDP and its only my DD and I so I will be taking $100 per day for the amount of nights we are there. I made Madison save her own money this time so she can feel how it is to buy her own things. So far she has $135. Should that be enough or should she keep collecting. NOW~ I dont plan on using all that money per day but ya never know what will come up and I do not use my credit cards for vacations as I am a bill collector

[mickeysgirlz]

I give my kids $20 to spend freely when we go for a weekend trip!

They can either get ONE $20 item or multiple small items like jibbitz, pins, charms, autograph books.

There is so many fun things . . . that if you give them free rein they will get caught up in the moment and want it all (And some stuff you can by at Target and Walmart for a lot less)

OF COURSE, she will see that one I MUST HAVE item! But for $135 she could get a lot of stuff!

[Daisee]

Our kids usually get around $100 each for the entire 10 day trip. They are told to spend it wisely and when it is gone... it's gone! They usually don't buy anything for the first few days and just "window shop". They start to make their final decisions a few days before we leave. Rlander & I budget $100 per day to make purchases throughout our trip. Everything we buy is for the whole family to share. We usually need an extra suitcase for souvenirs.

[tinkerbelle24]

Originally Posted by Daisee

Our kids usually get around $100 each for the entire 10 day trip. They are told to spend it wisely and when it is gone... it's gone! They usually don't buy anything for the first few days and just "window shop". They start to make their final decisions a few days before we leave. Rlander & I budget $100 per day to make purchases throughout our trip. Everything we buy is for the whole family to share. We usually need an extra suitcase for souvenirs.

Thats us too but this time its only my DD and I. we always need an extra suitcase to bring home everything. So I guess she would be good on the $135 for the 5 nights.

[MissDisney]

$135 sounds great!

When the kids were little, we let them window shop as much as they liked, and then on the last day, they could go splurge. DD usually bought an entire costume, and DS usually bought a gun/whip/hat setup at Indy or something along those lines. I bought a bunch of smaller stuff for stockings later.

Now, the kids are older! On the first day, I buy the WDW Shopping and Dining Gift Card. They are sold at most shops and can be used wherever there is a register. The kids LOOOOVE thsi freedom. They can spend the whole amoutn, or budget as they go.

[gemdisney]

I haven't decided on an amount yet? I think what it will be is what ever people give them as gifts for birthdays & such. So they will get that for the entire trip. DS 11 & I will talk about the amount he has what it means per day but that he is in control of it so he should spend it wisely. He's at the age to learn now. DD 2 will be less likely to understand what's going on, so that'll be a completely different situation.

[E&B's Mom]

When my kids were younger (younger than about 7) I used to give them a Disney Dollar every day that they made their own bed - I would time it so they had exactly $50 to spend as they wished, and we would buy them one special souveneir that we all had to agree on.

Now that they're older, we still buy them that one special souveneir, but all their spending $ has to be their own. They each get their age for their allowance ($12 for DD and $9 for DS) but 1/2 has to go into their college fund. So they have 1/2 their age to spend or save as they wish each week. They usually start saving two months before a big vacation.

[crazy4tink]

The last trip DS had saved $22 per day for spending (of our 5 disney days trip and two travel days). He saved all of his funds and then we divided it evenly per the number of days (plus two travel days, driving) and that's what he had. He bought something every day, usually a pin, and actually came home with money!

This trip he is saving again and it looks like he is on course to have $50/day of our 7 disney days of his own spending money. I will suggest that he not take it all, but our agreement is that it's his money, he saved it, if he wants to spend it at disney, he may. and now that he's a little older (11 for this trip), he likes to buy CDs and movies and games, and those things add up.

BA

[Willbegone]

We don't limit DD. She saves her money all year and she ends up with a nice chunk usually. She saves everything from birthday money to report card money to change she finds lying around the house. She saves up until the day before we leave. We usually divide what ever she has saved per night and let her have that much per day. It has helped teach her the rewards of saving and it saves the whining for stuff. So far she has saved $275 dollars and still has 7 months to go!

[cinderbella]

Originally Posted by Willbegone

We don't limit DD. She saves her money all year and she ends up with a nice chunk usually. She saves everything from birthday money to report card money to change she finds lying around the house. She saves up until the day before we leave. We usually divide what ever she has saved per night and let her have that much per day. It has helped teach her the rewards of saving and it saves the whining for stuff. So far she has saved $275 dollars and still has 7 months to go!

Wow!! I need her savings habits!!!

[inluvwithdisney]

Our kids save their own money and spend pretty much how they want to!!! We do not let them buy the 1st day ever!!! That is a looking day, then they can buy, we encourage to buy somethings that are not just junkie stuff!!

[Willbegone]

Originally Posted by cinderbella

Wow!! I need her savings habits!!!

Trust me she doesn't get it from me!

[Dana]

I give my kid $20 a day....that's MORe Than enough. That is money that she earns doing chores for me.

I forgot to add that DD is now babysitting three times a week and earning money every other Sunday handing out flyers with her GF for her father's business. I have made it perfectly clear that she needs to save her own money for the shore in July when she goes with my mom for two week and money to spend at WDW. She is still doing the chores. Her total income is about $75 a week...she has to learn to save sooner or later so this ought to be interesting.

[angell1975]

Originally Posted by Willbegone

We don't limit DD. She saves her money all year and she ends up with a nice chunk usually. She saves everything from birthday money to report card money to change she finds lying around the house. She saves up until the day before we leave. We usually divide what ever she has saved per night and let her have that much per day. It has helped teach her the rewards of saving and it saves the whining for stuff. So far she has saved $275 dollars and still has 7 months to go!

We are the same, we don't limit our DD either. She also saves her money all year for our Disney trip. Anything she gets from birthdays, grandparents, spare change I get at the store, it all goes in her bank. I think right now she has about $100 and we have a little more than 5 months to go. Now, she is 4, but I think she does pretty good. It's never too early for them to start learning about saving.

[Goodegirl2007]

I glad I got a chance to read this thread. My DS is 4yrs old this trip, and I think he will really be into having his own spending money for the first time. We've been collecting Disney dollars.

I love the idea of having the first day or so as a "looking only" day. That way he won't buy on impulse. Thanks for all the great tips.