How much allowance? DS would like to know.

[tiggerlover]

My almost 10 year old son would like to poll others to find out what the average elementary school (3-4-5 grader) receives for an allowance. He feels he is deserving of more than what he currently gets and I told him he should be lucky he gets an allowance as some kids do not and that he would be surprised to know that his allowance isn't all that bad. So, how much allowance does your child receive?

{Let me say that we do not tie his allowance to chores, he must do chores because he is part of our family and the chores are expected of him regardless. The allowance is to allow DS the opportunity to save, tithe and to spend on himself.}

 

[Marseeya]

Can't answer without knowing per week/month/or what?

 

[tikilyn]

is this weekly or monthly? I dd is 5 and we give her 5.00 a week. My ds is about to turn 3 and he gets 3.00 a week.

 

[paigevz]

When I have cash, DS gets 2.50 a week. When I don't, he doesn't. It runs with the family finances..............we explain to him that sometimes we have extra, sometimes not, and when we have extra, so will he. I think it gives him an insight into how economics work, helps him to learn delayed gratification and saving, and gives him some empathy for us! We also point out to him that we will always buy him things when we buy for us, and for younger DS, and we have at times sat down with him and figured up how much was spent on him the last week (just extras, not daily living expenses), and compared it to if he got an allowance regularly, but had to spend only his own money for what he wanted...........he always comes out ahead this way!


Edited to say, that's my 11 year old son. My 3 year old gets a quarter when we go to garage sales. It's so funny to watch him bargain for what he wants, they almost always come down to a quarter for him!

 

[golfgal]

Well I can answer but not vote, our kids don't get an allowance. They are expected to do certain jobs around the house that vary with the time of the year, more in the summer, less during the school year because of homework. They can do extra jobs like snow shoveling, lawn mowing and scrubbing the kitchen floor (because I hate that job) to earn extra money. They were given the choice of getting an allowance and having to pay for things like going to the movies with friends or not getting an allowance and having us pay for things like that. Being smart kids, they chose the latter.

They can earn money for things we won't buy like XBox games.

 

[tiggerlover]

Can't answer without knowing per week/month/or what?

Sorry. Per week.

 

[Marseeya]

I went ahead and answered.

I've always given my kids $1 per grade they're in, then they can earn up to $2 per week by taking on an "extra" chore that's theirs. I won't pay them for every chore, but I do give them a chance to earn something.

DS chose to start taking out the trash when he was 7 or 8 and he still gets that $1 for it. DD hasn't chosen anything.

 

[HayGan]

My boys are 4 and almost 6 and they receive $5 a week as a starting point. It can go up or down from there depending on their behavior.

 

[daisyduck123]

I didn't vote.

No allowance here for DD11 or DS8. Nada.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I put $1-$4. DD8 gets $2 a week, ***BUT** half goes to her "college fund" in her Cinderella bank. I know it doesn't sound like much, but the kid does not need to spend on more.

It is not tied to chores - we also feel those are something you do as part of a family. Allowance is simply to learn the value of a dollar, delayed gratification, budgeting, etc. I had never thought of, but love the idea from the previous poster that allowance is given when there is extra - that is a good lesson as well.

For a while we followed pediatricains advice and let it be for whatever she wanted to spend it on - but that only works so well. Left on her own she would have a bazillion beanie babies......so we have put a moratorium on new purchases over the summer and she is saving for our trip at the end of October.

 

[Snow Brite]

Well I can answer but not vote, our kids don't get an allowance. They are expected to do certain jobs around the house that vary with the time of the year, more in the summer, less during the school year because of homework. They can do extra jobs like snow shoveling, lawn mowing and scrubbing the kitchen floor (because I hate that job) to earn extra money. They were given the choice of getting an allowance and having to pay for things like going to the movies with friends or not getting an allowance and having us pay for things like that. Being smart kids, they chose the latter.

They can earn money for things we won't buy like XBox games.

This is EXACTLY what I do.

 

[aprilgail2]

I give 1.00 per year of age so at 10 he would get 10.00.

 

[Plantlady]

Three sons, 4, 7, 9 all get $1 a week each, with the option to earn about 1-2 extra each weekend. Only the 7 year old does the chores for extra money. Our allowance is tied to chores, to show that you have to work to get paid. Dad works to get paid, and so do they. However, we debated back and forth, and totally understand the position of being a part of the family, and doing chores for that reason. They are asked to do other chores that aren't listed on their "allowance chore chart".

 

[tmt martins]

DD12 gets a dollar per yearsold so she now gets 12 per week .This is the first thing we take from her when she misbehaives.

I then found out at about 8 that if I took her allowance away DW was takeing her out and spending more then that on her because she was sad.I put a stop to that now the rule is you lose your allowance you get nothing extra that week if you are good I will buy you the world.

Growing up we never had any real money we worked and got very little.I have collected a paycheck since I was 13 years old .

My DD's job is to go to school and try her best .Mind her elders and be respectful if she does this she is rewarded .DGM lets her do things around the Shop and House to make a little extra but she has no set chores.Now if I tell her to pick-up her room or do something for her DM then SHE BETTER DO IT .

 

[MELSMICE]

My 3 DD's have always gotten an allowance. They aren't really tied to chores, although they do have chores that they are expected to do. Oldest DD gets $10/wk & twins get $7/week.

They can do additional chores to earn additional money - cut lawn, wash floors, we needed wallpaper removed so oldest DD earned extra to do that.

DH & I each our own businesses so they can earn extra income by helping out in different ways at each business.

We've always been concerned about them learning the value of a dollar, that hard work has it's benefits & how to save/spend wisely.

 

[corie161]

I must say, those giving a dollar per week of age are generous. I read somewhere to give 1/2 their age in allowance a week, so Age 10 - $5.00. I thought that was a great rule of thumb.

I do indulge my kids every once in a while, nothing large, but I don't make them use all their funds for their wants, so I guess that would make up for the difference.

 

[azgal81]

My brother and I both got $1.25 a week through high school!

 

[KimRaye]

Haven't read all the posts and couldn't vote because my kids have never gotten an 'allowance', and I never did either.

They each have certain light household chores that are expected, while others, less frequent, more helpful, earn them money.

They also get money for their BDs and holidays and, quite honestly, when they need or want something, they're likely to get it. (My fault)

This method, in my case, has worked 50%. DS is NOT a saver, altho he has a minimal savings account and now has a checking account because of work. Whereas DD, once she learned she's had a savings account since she was 1 mo old, decided to ADD to her account, rather than withdraw, but she KNOWS she has that money, and sometimes talks of 'spending' it, but she's never withdrawn from the account. She takes on extra chores to 'earn' the extra $ for something 'special'. She's currently earning Disney Dollars for our trip next month, while DS is working off his excess cell phone bill. What did I do wrong? Same treatment for both kids.

Good question Debbi! Good Luck with DS!

 

[sleepyone]

No allowance for my 3 kids and that wasn't an option on the poll so, I didn't vote.

 

[disykat]

My poor deprived children - they get $1 per year in school PER MONTH! So, my 10 year old son gets $5 a month. I honestly can't think of anything they need to spend their money on. My goal is for them to have to save a while for their wants. I was given $1.25 per month as a child, and my dh didn't get allowance - so to us this number is reasonable.

I used to give them more and they had to do their own tithe and long term savings, but it wasn't working - so now they get strictly spending cash. We pay for all their needs.

The only chore my kids get paid for is weeding, which they only do if they are desperate. They do pet sitting and yard work for neighbors so they have another way to make money.