Recently, I took my 4-year old to see Disney on Ice. We had a fabulous time with just the girls. I invited a friend, and her two little girls. It was our first time to see a show like this, and we had a blast. There was one problem though. The souvenirs. Yikes! They were outrageously expensive! And, of course, my friend was going to buy her girls each a gift, so I knew I was going to have to get something for my daughter too.
As she and I both tried to talk our girls into the least expensive thing, it didn’t work. The girls were set on something specific. Tinkerbell spinning wands. They were $20 each. The batteries were dead by that night. As we sat down in our seats, and were talking about how ridiculous the money was that we just spent, the lady in front of me gave me a great suggestion. She said, “I always buy something similar to the toys that will be at the event I’m going to, buy it at Wal-Mart for cheap, and bring it in my bag. When my kids ask for a toy, I surprise them with something new!” What a great idea!
While you might not be able to find the exact toy at Wal-Mart or your other favorite discounted store, you can many times find something similar. Do your homework ahead of time. Look up the toys on the website of the event you are going to. Then, you will be able to find something even more like what they might selling. Keep this in mind when going to the following places with your child:
*The Zoo
*The Aquarium
*A Children’s Museum
*A Theme Park
*Sporting Events
You get the idea. We love to take our kids to do fun things, but sometimes, you forget to estimate the total cost when factoring in food, or other souvenirs. So, this is a simple way to plan ahead, and save a buck or two, and surprise your little one with a special gift!
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