How do you budget for souvenirs?

[Bethis26fan]

What I do is take how ever much I saved and split for how many days I'm there. What I don't spend each day I have for the next day.

So like I know I'm going to be at only one park if there's something I want I buy it, but if I'm going to be there more than once I'll wait to get it.

[DDuck66]

It really depends on two things, how many times you go and how much self control do you have?? When we used to only go once or twice a year, we usually spent a lot more on souvenirs and memorabilia than we do now that we go monthly. We would usually set a an amount per person per day and it was theirs to spend as they see fit. If they went over one day, then there was less to spend on the next day.

[DNS]

I don't budget for them, but I honestly just don't buy like I used to because I just don't see much I like anymore. It seems so much is based around Pirates and Princesses, a lot of the clothing seems to be of less quality, I don't even care for the style of snowglobes anymore.

[Magic Smiles]

Our only budget is how much can our suitcase limit hold (2 checked bags per person @ 50 lbs each) and our Customs excemption. It would be a real pain in the **** to have to start and pay the Canadian taxes on such a long trip. Just to have customs try and decide which items would be taxable.........too long.
Have to say that my baggage weight was over on our Dec 07 trip and I did have to pay for extra weight.

[IloveDisney71]

I don't budget for them, but I honestly just don't buy like I used to because I just don't see much I like anymore. It seems so much is based around Pirates and Princesses, a lot of the clothing seems to be of less quality, I don't even care for the style of snowglobes anymore.

I noticed the same thing during my past trip. I love to collect snowglobes, but I didn't even see any at the World of Disney store in December, so I ended up getting one from the Christmas store. BUT recently they look cheap/tacky (but the price isn't cheap) and some of them don't even play a song. Weird! I also had a hard time finding a cute t-shirt. I ended up buying a men's shirt because I didn't like any of the womens shirts.
I usually give my kids $100 per DD (we always stay at least 4 days when they go with me) and I allow my self about $200.

[TBY2225]

I think things are way over priced, so we usually don't buy too much. My DD however, saves her money all year to buy princess and Hannah Montana things. Both my DH and my DD and DS all started pin trading, so I usually get them some pins. If I get anything, it is usually earrings or something like that. I really perfer stopping in St Augustine on the way down and going to the Disney Premier Outlet. They sale Disney park merchanidise. I let the kids, DH, and I get some things there. They are much cheaper and then they don't want as much when we get to the parks. My DH got a sweatshirt that he saw later in the park for $10 and it was $52 in the park! I got a t-shirt with Mickey on it at the outlet for $10 and it was $29 in the park! Some things are last season, but they still had some very nice things!

[tink2006]

I really do not budget for this because we normally do not buy much. I will give my DS $100 in dd when we check in. The last three trips he has cashed them back in at check out. One year he wanted to buy a sword . We knew this before we went so we did budget for this (to give him a price range to look for). He is a pin trader that prefers the hunt for the perfect pin. We may buy a couple of new pins but nothing to break the bank. DH and myself might buy a shirt/hat and a christmas ornament.

When DS was younger, it was easier to get caught up in all the shops. I guess we are past that stage...maybe he is learning the value of a dollar

[ktflisa]

We don't budget - which was dangerous the first couple of trips... but not so bad now. We just don't buy much any more. I like to get Mickey stuff for my kitchen, like towels or pot holders, and maybe nice stuff for the bathroom. but most of it I can get online in the Clearance part of Disney shopping.

[crazy4tink]

what are Disney Dollars? Next week will be our first trip, and I have set the kids(4) on their own budget......just curious what a Disney Dollar is, lol, is it something I need??

Disney dollars are a form of Disney currency. I buy them at the local Disney store (at the mall). they come in $1, $5, and $10 increments and spend like regular cash at most WDW locations and the Disney store (I believe a few other places as well). Each denomination has a different character face where the president would normally be.

I have relatives buy Disney Dollars for DS for birthdays/holidays as he is much less tempted to buy and can easily save them for the upcoming trip! Last trip, he had over $300 disney dollars that had been given to him!!

You don't "HAVE TO" have them though, WDW takes cash and credit too!

[DisneyDD2]

I wish I could say that money is no problem, and that when we see something we like we buy it.

But money is a problem, and we still see something we like and buy it.

Maybe they should come out with something similar to the DDP for souvenirs, pay one price per day per person and get X # of souvenirs/day/person.

[pamickeys]

we learned real fast that shopping is a big waste of time and money, most of it ends up on the back shelf. after so many trips ,what i can tell you to do is go buy another memory card for your digital camera and take as many pictures as possible, they are better than anything you can buy. we then burn them to a cd slide show and let it run on our tv, great way to remember each trip

[dolphinmickey9170]

If we like it, we buy it. Within reason, of course. My DH tells me each time he sees the Arribas Bros. Cinderella Castle for $37,500, that I will have that some day. He makes me laugh. He's a real kidder that one.

[PlanningMom]

This will be my first trip, but we will be giving the boys each probably $20 a day that they can spend, or save up for something bigger at the end of the week. I will get the tshirt and mickey ears, etc.

Also, I had a friend who searched the Disney store for several months ahead and got some things on sale, and had a little goodie bag for them every morning when her kids got up. She said it curbed the nick-nack attraction, and they seemed to want to spend on nicer things.

[CU Tiger]

The DD’s save up their own money to spend for themselves and they have to budget that. We, as parents, pick and choose when it is appropriate to buy them additional items. For us, it depends on how well the kids are behaving and what, if anything, they are requesting.

[Darbylew]

We really don't have a budget but we do try to
watch what we spend at times. If we see some
thing that we really want then we buy it. We do
eat most of the time at counter service which
saves some money.

[momof3+twins]

We used to let the kids go wild. Then, we went to setting limits for the trip. But, the best system we have found works really great. We have a box for each kid and then we put all of our extra change and EVERY one dollar bill that we get in there. They usually have 50 to 100 dollars each. We go to the disney store to trade our money in for disney dollars. When the kids are out of money, that is it!!

[goofiecrazy]

I make a list of things that i would like to pick up while there and go from there. Like a couple shirts,pins,xmas ornaments,picture frames and whatever catches our eye.From the past I have i idea on the prices so i go from there.

[prttynpnk]

I don't usually budget- at the end of the trip I just spend my left over money!

[JuicyMoose17]

I keep my souvenier spending pretty low. usually just a refillable mug and some stuff from Japan. Pictures are usually good enough for me.

[animalkingdomguy]

It would be great to have an unlimited amount.