How much do you give your children for allowance?

[GoofyGirl75]

My dd7 gets $3/week. She gets to keep $2 for her "spend" bank, and she puts 50 cents each in her "save" bank and her "share" bank.

Her allowance isn't tied to chores, but the following chores are expected of her: pick up her stuff from all areas of the house, keep room picked up (she's not great at this), wipe bathroom sink, set the table, clear her own dishes from the table. Good grades are also expected, but she doesn't get money for them. (Her grandparents do give her a small monetary reward for good report cards.)

My ds3 hasn't started getting allowance yet (but he's happy if someone gives him a few pennies.) He also isn't expected to do chores, other than help pick up his room. He also sets the table sometimes.

 

[delmar411]

It just seems like a lot to me. Then again, at 13, my son only occasionally went to the mall and movies with his friends.

So most of your friends (20? years ago) got about $90 a week? I guess my neighborhood wasn't upper middle class, though I thought so at the time. Most of my friends, if they got an allowance, were lucky to get $10 a week.

Yeah, a lot of my friends were pretty spoiled.

But there is also the COL context. We lived outside DC, things even 20yrs ago were expensive. Nowadays I can't afford to go to the movies there as an adult! LOL

Here in Indy though, things are a lot cheaper so I don't think my ODD 'wants' for much. Although she gets a lot less money than her friends (and I buy her a lot less things too), I think she's got it pretty good.

I don't think you are out of touch.

A lot of how people handle things like allowances is based off how they were raised. And how are the kids to even know any different unless they are comparing allowances between each other. If your children aren't complaining I bet there isn't that much of a difference between their friends.

 

[delmar411]

Seriously? I forget half the time! And the kids do too, so obviously it isn't that important to them.

I give the older boys $7/week and the 7 year old $5/week.

But the problem is that the games they want cost the same whether they are 13 or 7, so it can cause some issues. I haven't quite figured out how to handle that yet.

Dawn

Have you looked into any of those game rental sites? I haven't looked into them but I've heard there are a few out there. Might be a cheaper way for them to get games and then they aren't out a lot of money if they don't like the game.

 

[DawnM]

No, they play with them first to see what they want/like. The problem is that the 7 year old wants games for the same price as the older ones but he doesn't get as much in allowance.

Dawn

Have you looked into any of those game rental sites? I haven't looked into them but I've heard there are a few out there. Might be a cheaper way for them to get games and then they aren't out a lot of money if they don't like the game.

 

[HLDisney]

My DD9 gets $9/week. $1 is for church offering. I gave her a choice of how much she wanted to save and how much she wanted to spend of the remaining $8 and she chose to save $5 and spend $3.

This allowance is not tied to chores. She is expected to help out around the house because she's a part of the family. I know my DD well enough that if I tied her allowance to chores, the chores wouldn't get done! The allowance is a tool to help her learn to manage money. In the beginning, when she was 5 and getting $5/week ($1 for offering, $2 for savings, $3 for spending) she used to spend the whole $3 as soon as she got it. Over time, though, she's learned to save (she was able to save up her allowance to pay for 1/2 of a Nintendo DS Lite when she was 6 - I paid the other half) and she has learned to think twice before making impulse purchases. I hope that learning to spend her allowance wisely now will help her to avoid many of the money problems plaguing our world today.

Helen

 

[lovehoney]

My kids get their age -2 every week and they are "paid" every 2 weeks. With this formula the 10 year old gets $16 every 2 weeks.

The kids get a kick out of figuring out their new allowance on their birthdays.

By getting an allowance the boys have learned to save up their money to purchase the video games/toys they want.

 

[bjscheel]

I pay allowance once a month and it is a dollar per year of age. So DD12 gets $12/month. It is not for chores. They really don't need a lot. We live in the country, they don't just go to the store or run around town with friends, like their peers in town.

My problem is how far to extend any veto power on what they spend it on. For example, DD9 wants to spend $35 of her money on a certain Barbie. I told her to think about it for a few days. She won't change her mind, she doesn't see any reason to save it for something else and Barbies are some of her favorite things. Do you let them buy whatever they want, in reason, even if you think it's not the best use?

 

[Bungle]

Our kids get $20 each per week. $15 dollars of that goes into a savings account every week no questions asked. $5 is for general spending. If my oldest wants to go see a movie or go skating all he has to do is earn it by doing things other than his every day chores.

We really feel its important to teach our children how to save.

 

[collegejunkie]

when i was younger (middle school), i got $20 per night on weekends to go to the movies or mall. as i got older, my friends wanted to go out to dinners and things instead of the movies, which cost more. i got more money to spend as my friends wanted to do other things because otherwise i would have been left out, which is obviously not the point of having an allowance. if there was a special occasion or event, like a concert, then i would have to ask about that separately and trade off something (extra good grades, babysit siblings, run errands, etc).

 

[-Hope-]

We have a different take on things than many people as far as chores/allowance are concerned. We try to instill the idea that as a family we are all responsible for maintaing things (at varying levels of responsibility of course) and we also all share in the bounty. Chores are not directly tied to allowance but instead both are seen as part of being a member of a family.

At times my dh may get a smaller paycheck than usual since he doesn't get paid holidays or sick leave. As a result the kids my get less or even no allowance depending on how much "bounty" is left after the necessary household bills are paid. When this happens their responsibilites in the house are the same- the dishwasher must be emptied, trash taken out, etc. even if there isn't extra money to share.

So, all that being said dh and I sat down with our monthly budget to see what we could afford to give the kids after the bills were paid, money put in savings and we got our own "allowance" to spend freely. For us that came to $10 each per week- however ALL of their extras for the week must come from their allowance. If they want a soda or candy bar when we stop for gas, fast food when they could have eaten at home, an extra trip to the skating rink (aside from planned trips w/ our homeschool group) or anything else that we don't feel is necessary then they must pay for it themselves. Dh and I see this as an exercise in them learning to live on a budget, a skill we feel is necessary.

ETA: We also don't feel it's our job to determine what has value and what doesn't. Obviously we aren't going to let our kids buy something we feel is dangerous or immoral (neither of which has ever come up, lol) but other than that its their money. Ds has spent money on virtual things for his Webkinz which we felt was a total waste of money but it only took a few times for him to realize that he'd rather save for tangible things. We think its better to make these mistakes and learn these lessons when your 11 with a few dollars and no need to make rent than when your 20, spending a lot more and have to have money to keep a roof over your head.

 

[pigletto]

I don't know if I am in the minority here, as I have only read the last few posts. We don't really do "allowance" in the traditional sense I guess.
If there is something special the kids want.. let's use a video game for example, then they can earn towards it with extra chores they don't normally do. Most things though are just sort of expected. You are responsible for your own mess, and helping out with the common areas in this family. So your bed, helping out with supper, folding laundry and putting away.. that's all expected.
On the other hand, if dd says "Hey I'd like to go to the movies on Friday with Lisa" then I give her money for her ticket and some snacks. She earns money babysitting and I don't say much about what she does with it, unless she wants something I don't think she needs (like another lipgloss when she has 10 of them). Then I might remind her she doesn't need said item.. but I don't forbid it by any means.

It all seems to work out.. though I imagine we will need a updated system when she's in high school and more social, or driving e.t.c

We gave them a set amount for our Disney trip. They kicked in extra money they saved from birthdays and extra jobs.

 

[WeekdayDisneyland]

I didn't get one as a kid yet I still learned to manage my money well. My parents involved me in things like grocery shopping and paying the rent. My dad owned his own business and would often take me to his office. I was fortunate enough to get first-hand experience of how money works at a young age.

I won't give my kids an allowance, but I will provide for their needs and some wants. The expectation in this family is that everyone contributes to the smooth running of the household.

That being said, I do have a list of extras chores that I will pay the kids to do should they feel the need to earn extra money. A friend of mine grew up with a similiar philosophy but with a minor detail changed. Her parents would pay her $6 an hour for extra chores, "just like in the real world".

 

[Vijoge]

DGDs get $13 and $11 per week. They have an agreed upon amount they must save and an amount they must set aside for giving. The remainder they are allowed to spend as they wish, and they usually know what things they are expected to pay for out of this money. I say usually because last week the 13 y/o bought socks with her allowance money and we really don't expect her to buy her own socks! Their allowances have nothing to do with their chores or their grades.

 

[mikamah]

I give my ds9 5 dollars a week and he picks up his stuff, takes out the trash and sets and clears the table. It also include seasonal chores like help with shovelling and raking. I started last summer, and now when we go to a store and he wants something he spends his money. It's made shopping a lot more pleasant since I don't have any argument when I don't want to buy him something, when he asks for something, I may say it's not a great idea and tell him why I think that, but if he wants it, it's his money and he can buy it.

We're heading to wdw wed, and he's got his money for souvenirs this trip, and once it's gone, it's gone. Though I am a bit of a softie in disney.

 

[drinkme]

dd12 gets $30/month, and ds10 gets $20/month. They have to pay for their extra things with the money (shopping, movies, skating, etc.). It's not tied to chores, the kids work hard around the house.

Once in awhile, if they want extra money, I will have them do a big chore for the extra money.

 

[collegejunkie]

I didn't get one as a kid yet I still learned to manage my money well. My parents involved me in things like grocery shopping and paying the rent. My dad owned his own business and would often take me to his office. I was fortunate enough to get first-hand experience of how money works at a young age.

this is really important! my mom always took me grocery shopping, had me look through coupons before we left, and showed me how to break down our monthly income versus expenses several times so i could see why we couldn't live at disney world or some other really pricey thing that my young mind wanted. definitely involve your kids in the household shopping and show them how to pay bills.

 

[williamson_ja]

My kids don't get any allowance. I have kids aged 16, 14, 13, and 5. They each clean their bedrooms, and one or two other chores each day (depending on the time of year... mowing lawn, bringing in wood for the stove, etc.) They are also expected to get very good grades without being paid. When kids grow up and have to clean their own house, no one is going to pay them for it. They are going to have to be hard enough workers to see something dirty and clean it up without anyone paying them or telling them to do it. That is how real life works. If my kids need money, they have had several opportunities to work for others to make money. They have also found ways to start their own little businesses which have made good money. When we go to wdw, they bring the money that they have earned. It may sound harsh to some of you, but they are wonderful kids and extremely responsible. The only exception to the rule is that we usually buy the 5 yr old one thing while on vacation. She just doesn't have as much opportunity to make her own money at that age.

 

[disneymom2one]

I am way, way, way in the minority here. My daughter is 15. She has one of the Amex pass cards. I load it with a specific sum of money on the first of the month. For now, that amount is $150 - so about $40 a week. That has to cover everything but needs. In other words, if we feel she needs a pair of jeans, we buy them - but I get to set the price point as well as the store. If she feels she "wants" another t-shirt to go with the 20 she has in her closet, she buys it. She packs her lunch and I gladly will buy healthy items. If she "wants" candy, it's on her. She really buys just about everything but the real basic needs. This also needs to cover anything extra on our vacations.

This has dramatically changed life with our high functioning autistic teen for the better. She feels more in control of at least one small aspect of her life and is also learning pretty valuable life skills. She's pretty proud of herself when she walks into Wal-Mart and on her own, realizes she needs new socks, picks them out, and then handles the transaction with the cashier - huge, huge victory for an autistic kid.

I don't feel the pinch because we easily would spend that amount on her in a given month anyway. If our budget changes, she's aware her allowance could go down (or up I suppose). I line item her allowance in our spreadsheet and consider it a "bill" just like any other bill.

The allowance isn't tied to chores. She helps around the house because she's a valued member of our little family.

 

[twinsplusone]

Views on allowance are so different. In our house, the kids are expected to do well in school (no paying for grades) and to help around the house. We give them an allowance $1 per year every two weeks. So our 10 yr old gets $10 and the twins get $8. They have to save half each "pay period" in their Disney/Vacation funds. I didn't want to tie allowances into chores because I don't want to keep track of adding or subtracting money and we just feel chores are part of being in a family.

This has helped tremendously with the "I want" every time we go to the store or vacation. They now have their own money to budget. For a while they went through their allowance as fast as they got it, but they are now into saving their spending portion.

Before DH was laid off, they got paid weekly. So they took a paycut as well.

 

[hsmamato2]

well, I can't 'overpay' my kids....don't have enough extra! but I always wanted them to have discretionary money,so they would learn how to manage it.
now, at 11 and 17 (no job yet for teen)
teen gets 6 per week, 11 yo gets 5.00.
just enough to play around with, but not so much they feel like they're entitled to our hard earned cash in a big way
they both do LOTS of household chores, which are not tied to allowance. We let them know at about age 3, that as part of the family,we all pitch in,and work hard to make our house a home. and as part of that, they would get a 'family allowance' to spend.
every once in a while we pay them some extra to do some major,unusual job,but never very much. We want them to NEED a job for real money,when they are mature enough.
They are both excellent at managing their money,and we pay for family extras,etc. They spend their own $$ when out with friends,etc.
My DH is 100% opposed to paying kids to do jobs around the house. So this is how we work it,after many years,it seems to fit our style!
I guess we sound mean,but they are surrounded by friends who just get large amounts of cash for existing,and we want a different mentality for our 'future competent adults'
when we vacation the kids save and bring their own money- my young one has been known to bring along large sums of his saved money to blow on a trip,we're always amazed at his ability to stash it away till needed!