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Kids Pitch In For Pennies

The kids are begging to take a trip to Disney World. You know the drill - “Please mom! We'll never fight again and we'll clean the car and we'll eat peanut butter sandwiches for dinner for the next 3 years!”

Most households that own a television have seen the many, many commercials that Disney has been promoting this year. And there's no doubt that the kids are picking up on the magic of Disney through the smiling faces of the children in these commercials. And maybe your kids are right... Maybe this year is the perfect year to plan a Disney World vacation. Even better, maybe this is the year to teach your children how they too can help make a Disney World trip a reality.


Spring Cleaning

Every penny helps when it comes to paying for your vacation. You can start by cleaning out the closets! Have your children go through every piece of clothing they own – right down to the socks and underwear. Separate the items into two piles: yard sale and consignment. The nicer items that are name brand and in good to excellent condition should be considered for the consignment pile. The clothing with rips, tears and stains should be put into the yard sale pile.

After sorting the clothing tackle the toys, movies, books and video games. Do the same with these items – yard sale or consignment.

Next, search online for local kids consignment sales. In some areas these are becoming more and more popular and a great way to make a few extra dollars. These sales are typically set up for a one to four day event where you can tag your items and drop them off to be sold without you needing to oversee the sale. It's a great way to sell your unwanted kid items!

On to the yard sale. Have your children help tag the items – the cheaper the better as you do not want to pack anything up after the sale! 50 cents and $1 items are great for yard sale shoppers. Put the older children to work during the yard sale. Have them help carry items for older shoppers, bag items, and even put their sales experience to work by suggesting great toys or games for your yard salers to purchase.


Flower Sale

Another great way for children to help out with Disney expenses during the spring time is by selling flowers. Seed packets, a bag of potting soil and small clay pots are fairly inexpensive. Zinnias and cosmos are usually easy to grow from seeds. Help your children plant and take care of their flowers. And they can even take orders to sell their flowers in advance. Have the children ask grandparents, aunts and close by neighbors if they'd like to purchase a small potted flower for a minimal price. Before you know it you may have a couple of future entrepreneurs on your hands!


Snack Savings

One last simple suggestion for kids to save a few extra pennies towards a Disney vacation – skip the school snack line! I know that buying ice cream or cookies during lunch is a nice treat for kids. And I'm not suggesting they never do it. However the 50 to 90 cents really adds up, even if it's only once a week. Talk to your children about putting their snack money towards Disney World. Use it as a great math lesson!

75 cents x 4 (weeks) = $3

$3 x 9 (months of school) = $27

And $27 can buy a nice souvenir during your Disney vacation!

These ideas are not designed to make your family rich or to pay for a Disney trip in its entirety. Instead these are great ways to connect with your children on a fiscal level and teach them the value of a Disney dollar. Get creative and come up with your own ideas on how your children can earn and save money towards your next Disney adventure!