East Coast Trip - Show me the money!

Parents of students going on the East Coast trip always ask, "How much money does my child need to bring with them on the trip?" The short answer, technically, is "none." Your child won't like me telling you that, but all necessities are covered on the trip. All meals are paid for, drinking fountains are fairly common in most of the places we're going, all admissions to all museums, events, and attractions are included, so your child doesn't need to bring any money. Technically.

OK, seriously now. Your child is probably going to want a bottle of water here and there, perhaps an ice cream cone, or a bag of sweets. So he or she may want a little extra spending money for snacks and beverages beyond mealtimes (about $3-$5 per day).

Then there are souvenirs. I've seen kids buy a couple small tchotchkes for family, and spend little more than $15 on souvenirs for the whole trip. For other kids, if shopping were an Olympic sport, they could medal several times over. One year I even had parents ask if they could wire transfer their child more money since she had already blown through the $300 they originally gave her! Are you kidding me? (By the way, we don't do wire transfers).

You know your child and his/her shopping habits best. Clothing is usually the most expensive item kids buy on this trip, and one sweatshirt in one "I LOVE NY" gift shop can go for $40-50, easy. Overall, average souvenir purchases are about $10-$20 per day.

Finally, as I mentioned in the parent information meeting (and in the online PowerPoint for those who couldn't make the meeting), I do respectfully request a little tip money ($15 total) in advance from each student: $5 for our coach driver, $5 for our tour guide, and $1 per night ($5 total) for housekeeping. Naturally, tipping is optional, but in our country is customary and a nice courtesy, especially for a job well done. All other tips are included in the cost of the tour.

On a related note, parents also ask: "Pre-paid debit card or cash?" There are advantages to both: a pre-paid card can be cancelled and its balance frozen if the card is lost, making it more secure. The downside: even now, not every place takes plastic, and not every place honors every type (Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted). Cash is accepted everywhere, but once lost is almost certainly gone for good. Talk to your child and find out what you think will work best. We'll talk more about this at the pre-departure meeting (March 24, 7:00pm, Rio Norte library). One thing I know for sure: travelers' checks are a thing of the past. Many vendors don't accept them anymore (or the cashiers don't know how to process them). Don't even bother with travelers' checks.

RVI