If you don't mind, would those of you who have kids of pocket money age tell me how much your kids get and what they have to do to earn it and also what they are expected to buy with it? Oh also how old they are too?

We are having 'discussions' in the Piff's house........

Thanks all x

How old are your kids?

Ours are nine (today) and thirteen (in two weeks), neither has ever received pocket money and both have to do 'chores' each week, they don't seem to have suffered at all. They both get reasonable presents for Christmas and birthdays and will often end up with some treat when we are out. I never really bought into the idea of giving them money for nothing or of expecting parents to do everything for them.

Ours are 15 & 17 and have never had a regular, fixed amount; especially now the older one has a p/t job - paying well.

They usually go to the local shop weekly to help stock up on pop and they 'keep the change' and that's generally about $5 each.

I get other stuff for them, such as video hire and chocolate and other sweets when I do normal shopping. Other things like cinema trips, they get that as and when.

They wash the pots and pans after supper, join in with 'tidying up' and they 'help' me with the snow shoveling.

It works well.

Thanks for your replies.

Currently our 13 year old daughter gets $10 per month, she is supposed to empty/load the dishwasher if it needs doing and I'm at work and she is home. She is supposed to keep her room reasonably tidy. She is also supposed to pick up the dog poop and walk the dog (she does the dog walking bit and both of these doggie things were a condition of getting the dog). The $10 was because she wanted some pennies to save and call her own.

I have also lately agreed to $10 top up for a newly aquired cell phone - this is because it's a safety item and not (in my eyes) a luxury if she is going to get herself out on the bus which she has done.

OH wants me to stop paying pocket money as she seldom picks up poop (usually me in the winter and hubby before he mows - BUT saying that the dog rarely poops in the garden in the summer as he doesn't like a mucky garden). OH nags her into tidying her room every week.

I sometimes buy her a magazine and the other night she went to see Hedley WOOO HOOO! So gave her some money for a T.shirt/souvenir. OH thinks this should have come out of her money. He also thinks if she wants a book/CD/movie/designer top/make up/key ring or anything else a teen wants should come out of her money. She has just given up a $20 per month paper route. (I Don't blame her)

She would like to get a little job. I'm not keen on that. She's busy with band practice and Cadets. If she wants a $8 belt or bag or something, I'd like to buy it for her, but OH thinks it should come out of her money, therefore in my eyes she needs an allowance for clothes and luxury items so she can save and budget.

Hi L its tough isn't it.

When you work out what luxuries are supposed to come out of her pocket money $10 a month doesn't go far!!!

Personally I would up it to $7.50 a week - then that way if she wants a top or CD or to go to the movies etc - she has to save herself, but also you have leverage when she doesn't clean the poop - ie no allowance this week.

You'll probably find you save money doing it that way as opposed to shelling out whenever she wants it.

Put the onus on her to save and make her allowance a bit like a pay packet!!!

Sounds lime $10 a month for nothing (though I do admit to paying $10 for daughters phone as well as a safety item). However equally I would not usually expect the kids to fork out for anything like souvenirs from a day/evening out.

Ours don't get any allowance. The eldest did not do what she was supposed to do, clean her room and help in the kitchen so we stopped it, when she was 9 I think. Made no difference, she just saved her birthday money. Now 17 she managed to buy her own horse, car and pay to keep both.

She went on the high school apprenticeship program so she could earn money, doing school at night. What she did not mention until the last moment was that she had put us down as the apprenticeship employer! As it turned out it worked OK.

The youngest would do anything to avoid working, even for money. We put away a few dollars a month into her bank account, but she is not allowed to touch it, it is her savings account. Hopefully she may contribute one day.

One thing we have been keen on doing is to teach the kids the value of money, shopping smart and budgeting. Worked on the eldest, last time she went back to the UK on holiday (paid for by us), my mum commented that 'your daughter has deep pockets and short arms' Is that not what grandparents are for?

That's important.

I remember when I was first working as a civil servant in the 70s. Pay was low but we did have an agreement where our wages went up/down according to a 'cost of living' adjustment.

My parents asked for the 'extra' in addition to the agreed 'housekeeping' money. I thought that was very unfair at the time.

My OH gives 20 bucks to each of her kids (boy 9, girl 6) a week, they do nothing for it at the mo but help out now and then when needed (heklping bring groceries in, tidy their own stuff etc), however its taken away for punishment if they have been naughty!! (She is strict) I almost never get my allowance

My eldest is almost 11 and she gets £4 a week on a Saturday, for this she has to hoover every day, some dusting, clean the car out, wash and dry up the stuff that cannot go in the dishwasher, clean the hamsters out and her fish tank and at the weekends she strips the beds.

She does get money forfeited for naughtiness and cheekyness. She is also told that 'once it's gone, it's gone'. However, if we have trips to the cinema etc, then we pay to get in and the sweeties. Obviously we buy all her clothes.

She is now learning to budget, which is nice to see because she saved up for a purse and a pair of earrings that she wanted. I frequently find myself saying 'money doesn't grow on trees you know', just like my mam used to say to me.

Karen

We give our 7 yr old £1.00 a week he gets quite a bit when he sees his grandparents he saves this up until he has about £10-15.00 depending on what he wants to buy, last time he brought a super soaker

I do say to him he can earn more if he wants, by doing some easy household chores, We also have a star chart whereby he can earn a special treat after he has 10 stars,

When he gets larger amounts ie christmas and Birthdays he knows this goes in the Bank for holidays and is not touched,

Suppose we will have to raise it at some point, for that he will do chores or he won't get it

When mine were in high school they had Amex cards, I let them run about $300/month each without commenting. They mostly bought clothes, music and petrol. They had phones on the company. They didn't do much in the way of chores but then they didn't really have time, they both had part time jobs and very many sports and social activities.

Once they got to university they pretty much stopped using the cards but that's when the serious bills started.

Yep we are still helping ours 2 at uni and one needs to go back and finish his Riba

Hey Piff Poff - I love Hedley - and Kate Perry!!
any way my 13 yr old gets £6.50 a week and £10 credit on her phone on the 1st of each month. My 9 yr old boy gets £4.50 a week.

They put birthday and chrstmas money in their bank accounts which they have a card for - well dear daughter does, I have the boys one!

FOr their weekly money they are expected to help around the house - espcially as OH works long hours and I work 3 days plus teaching

this includes dish washer / wash in up

washing in and out of machine and in line or in dryer - older one will iron
hoovering, sweeping and generally keeping rooms tidy.

Daughter always spends her, while at last count son had about £300 in his bank -- hmmm thin I need some new shoes . . .

I will buy concert / gig tickets , and make sure its fair, like for like, but any extras they have to get it - T shirt etc. . .