Taking the Kids: Having a souvenir strategy
How Many? How much? When? After "are we there yet?" the next questions, and unfortunately ones that last the entire vacation, have to do with souvenirs. And it doesn't matter if your kids are five or 15. They all want to know:
How many souvenirs can I get?
How much can I spend?
When can we shop? (Possibly the most asked question from older kids.)
Just as you should plan your itinerary and have a "what if" talk if the kids (or you) get lost, you need to have a souvenir strategy before the trip even starts. You don't want to bust the vacation budget on something like a $40 sweatshirt, or a toy that will be forgotten the next day.
Talk to the kids about a spending limit for souvenirs; some families save lose change in a jar all year exclusively for this purpose!
Are you going to buy a "family souvenir" to remind everyone of the trip?
Do the kids have birthday money, babysitting money or allowance they have been saving?
Do the kids want one big souvenir or several smaller things. Are you going to spring for one thing, say a hoodie or a princess dress, or will all souvenirs come from the kids' own money?
If clothing is on the wish list, shirts, caps, sweatshirts, consider hitting a nearby outlet mall or local megastore. (I've scored great souvenirs and gifts at Costco in Hawaii, for example.)
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