Can I ask about allowances?
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Can I ask about allowances?
| Fri, 06-23-2006 - 11:55am |
1. How old are your kids, and how much do you give them for allowance (if anything)?
2. Is allowance tied to chores?
3. What are they expected to use their allowance for?
4. Do you stop giving them allowance if they get a job?
2. Is allowance tied to chores?
3. What are they expected to use their allowance for?
4. Do you stop giving them allowance if they get a job?

My kids are 13 & 15. They get $140 per month. This money is used for spending money, savings, online gaming fees, school lunches, cell phone minutes and all school supplies/lost library books, etc. It is loosely tied to chores/being responsible for themselves so i can work full-time. once I am back at home full-time I plan on tieing it to chores and cleaning up after themsleves more closely. it is a big sum but covers alot of things they would normally come to me for. I have found when they came to me for lunch money for example, they didn't think twice about getting extras all the time. now they do. or with school supplies - they lost or destroyed school supplies at an alarming rate - this year there was none of that because they wanted to have the money to spend on something fun. it also helps them learn to budget when they have to remember to keep enough aside for lunches, cell minutes running out or a replacement school supply item. we also have several extra chores that they are welcome to do to earn extra money if they need it.
Edited to add: When the 15 year old gets back from his dad's he will be job hunting and i will not stop his allowance because i feel he will decide why go to work and make money when i can sit at home and make some. plus he will have gas money expense and other things coming up and i want him to work but want him to avoid taking on extra work and neglecting homework so he can make extra money.
Edited 6/23/2006 3:48 pm ET by cerridwen3301
In response to your questions:
I have 2 boys ages 12 and just turned 16. I was tired of them coming to me and constantly asking for money so here is what we came up with:
1. They each recieve $20 a week on Sunday and it can be spent on whatever they want. However for the $20 they are expected to keep their rooms clean, take out the garbage on garbage day, and help with lawn mowing (we have 2 acres).
2. Additional money can be earned if they complete additional household tasks, but the tasks must be approved ahead of time as well as the dollar amount. A chart with established prices/chores is helpful.
3. My eldest is looking for a job and when he gets one I dont think I will stop the allowance because I will still expect him to complete the chores in step 1. However my son is of driving age and does need to contribute to his driving insurance ($20/month) and cell phone bill and pay for his gas as we have provided him with a car.
4. It seems to have worked wonders as now they know what they get each week and have to plan activities ahead of time to see if they truly want to spend their money on a particular event/cd/movie etc. It has also eliminated the constant whinning for money. They have to save or work extra if there is something they really want ;)
Tina
I think I'm the big pushover/softie! I give my DD14 and DS12 a small allowance -- $25 a month for them to do whatever they want with. They don't have regular chores they do, but they are expected to do any sort of job or chore or whatever I ask of them in return, whether it's weeding the yard or helping me bring in groceries. No complaints or whining.
When the school year is in, DD has an enormous academic load, is at school all day long and has homework that consumes nearly all her free time. I intended to have her start doing her own laundry and packing her lunch last year (freshman) but when I saw what her schoolwork load was like, I just couldn't pile that on her with a clean conscience. She's only just 14.
Younger DS12 is a bit of a lazybones and completely happy to take his allowance (sometimes asks for it in advance, which I refuse, btw) and gets resentful if he ends up doing a lot of things to help me. Due to the school year schedule of DD, he does do more extra stuff than she does. OH WELL ...
Neither one has a huge social life, so if they go to a movie, or on an outing with a friend, I usually give them a few dollars. It's not like it's a weekly event, so it's no big deal for me, and then I know they can pay their own way.
So why do I give them an allowance then? Mostly to so they can see how quickly a buck can disappear. DD is very good at saving her money -- she usually saves most all the money she gets throughout the year so she has a big chunk at the holidays for shopping. DS hasn't quite caught on yet, but I have hope. He'll be down to $5 and comment that he needs to save more of his next allowance because he's just about out of money.
Don't know what I'll do when jobs come into the scenario.
We've always had a rule that
My daughter is 16. I have never given her an allowance. I refuse to pay her for doing things she's supposed to do anyway. No rewards for cleaning her room or getting better grades.
Having said that. I do give her money as she needs it. Granted, as she's gotten older she seems to NEED it more and more . If she's going to the mall, I'll give her some money or I may not, depending on what's been going on in the household.
She just got her first summer job so now it's up to her. I think she'll find that they aren't going to give her money for just showing up either.
1. How old are your kids, and how much do you give them for allowance (if anything)?
****DD14 gets $40 a month, DS10 gets $30 a month. They both get it mid-month. They are able to earn extra for extra chores.
2. Is allowance tied to chores?
****Their allowance isn't directly tied to chores, but if I ask them to do something ie take out the trash, clean up the bathroom, dishes, etc, I expect it to be done.
3. What are they expected to use their allowance for?
****It is their own to do with as they wish - once it's gone, it's gone.
4. Do you stop giving them allowance if they get a job?
****DD14 is now working in a day care - slave wages LOL but it's earning her money and she is having a blast. I have continued to pay her allowances as I expect her to still help me around the house as needed.
I'm not a real big advocate of allowances. When one of the kids has a need for money, we weigh out the cost and the value, and then either we give them the money or we don't...sometimes we may have them do a certain chore outside thier usual chores to 'earn' the extra money. I don't think chores should be tied to allowance because as a member of the household they should automatically be respsonsible for helping out around the homefront, KWIM? After all, I feel as a family we're a team and we should all chip in when necessary and on a regular basis.
We used to give each girl $25/week. After a while, that proved to be not enough, coincidentally, just around the time when some employment was expected. We felt like despite thier allowances we were always being hit up for more cash. This got old very quickly. We may buy 18dd's medicine or help her with some clothing costs, and insurance costs, but she is basically expected to pay her way in every other way. She pays most of her monthly insurance bill, some of her food (she buys all sorts of stuff for her and BF) and any clothes outside our budget. She also saves some of her money for upcoming college costs. 16DD currently does not have a job, but when she did work, she managed to save most of her income and has been using that money for the past year for movies, etc. They are expected to do chores around the house as requested or listed simply because they live there. LOL
1. How old are your kids, and how much do you give them for allowance (if anything)?
Connor is going to be 13 and he gets a regular allowance of $25 per month. He has to budget that money for the entire month and needs to work out "jobs" with us, neighbors etc.. if he finds he needs more money than he has.
He also has a clothing allowance given to him each season he needs clothes. Price depends upon how much stuff he needs. I provide him with a list of items (2 pair jeans, 4 long sleeve shirts, 1 pk socks etc..) He's given just enough money to purchase the basics of what is on the list. If he wants name brands then he has to look for sales to save money on the regular items. Ie.... opt for Rustler jeans instead of Levis in order to have the extra needed for that American Eagle sweatshirt. Or pitch in his own money to pay the difference. ie.. He has $7 to purchase a new t-shirt from Walmart and wants one from AE that costs $12... He needs to pay the $5 difference out of his own pocket.
2. Is allowance tied to chores?
No chores are expected of him as a member of the family and are not paid for.
3. What are they expected to use their allowance for?
Extras, name brands, soda, comic books, movie tickets, dvd/game rentals, gifts and tithe.
4. Do you stop giving them allowance if they get a job?
Once old enough to hold a real job, then yes, the allowance will stop. Allowance is simply money we allow him to have to help him learn to budget and manage money. ONce he's earning his own money he won't need us to to provide him with it. We just want him to be able to manage money well, budget over the course of a month, anticipate upcoming expenses etc.. long before that first paycheck comes into contact with his hand.
stacy