How do you determine a good amount of $ to give to kids for allowance?

Question

Do you expect them to earn money with chores or not? Why? I do not expect my kids to buy their own personal care items, so this would only be spending money for grade-school and junior high age kids.

Answer 1

This is how I do it. My kids are 10, 12, and 14. Chores are what we do because we are a family. That is their contribution to the family. They are age appropriate, negotiable with each other and take about 1/2 hour a day. An allowance is to teach them to manage money.
Their base amount is 1/2 their age each. There are extra jobs that pay when they want to save up for a special event, like weeding, washing windows,etc. I pay them on Sunday night. This taught them to budget for the weekend. They must put a third in their bank account. The first couple of weeks were rough, but now they can make it last.

Answer 2

I started earning my allowances when at the age of 13. Doing small chores like watering the plants, doing the dishes or the laundry. It does depend on how old a child is though. Starting at a young age has taught me to value the money and has definitely given me a sense of responsibility. It has also allowed me to experience what it is like to earn my keep.

Whilst my parents never expected me to buy "personal care items", any extra or luxury items that I wanted (not "needed") came out of my own pocket.

Hope this gives an idea of what it was like....

Answer 3

That would depend on the chores they do and how good they do them. Make sure that if they are close in age the chores are divided evenly and paid the same amount. If your boy has to mow the lawn have the girl do it next time. Unless she doesn't dig that then have her do some of the laundry, or the bathroom. That is gross and should be worth just as much as a lawn unless your lawn is huge.

Answer 4

they should earn it by chores. the more chores they do the better you pay them. And when you pay them give them half and the other half save it in a bank account. So at least they could be a little prepared for college and your kids would be a little satisfy for the money they earned. That would be best to do.

Answer 5

I have a 14 yr old daughter and I do let her earn money by doing small chores around the house and for the neighborhood. It teaches her to be responsible and prepares her for the future.

Answer 6

i think every body who lives in the household ought to be doing chores and because i dont get paid to do things around the house, i dont think my kids should get paid to do chores either...

i dont give my kids an allowance because if they need or want something i will get it for them or give them the money to get it for themselves... and if my 14 year old wants to go out with his friends for lunch i will give him some money...he is a good kid and doesnt abuse it...

if you want to set a given amount, the one i used during the short time i gave an allowance was that of age.... if 10 years old $10 a week....

i dont think that kids should be paid to keep their room clean..it is their responsibility to do that.. nor do i believe that kids should be paid to make good grades...

Answer 7

My parents told us, if we wanted anything extra...like, say, a CD, a movie, money for shopping with friends, then we would have to pay for it ourselves. They had us do daily chores, and they payed us about $7.00 an hour....this was about 6 years ago. They paid for anything else we needed. The rest of the money we didn't spend, and my siblings and I would put it into our own saving accounts and had a contest of who could save the most money in a year, it was fun and made us save our money :)

Answer 8

Give them $5 for every good grade they make. Give them $ 15 a week, if they complete all chores that they are given.

Answer 9

My children get pocket money every week and the only thing i expect them to do for it is to keep their own rooms tidy.

They are 11 years and 8 years and they do as a result of the above both take pride in their belongings and rooms or they know they will be penny less. HeHeHe

It also saves me having to clean two rooms.

Answer 10

well, i don't think i ever received allowance when i was growing up...i worked with my dad in the woods, and i got paid $50 per wkend...

but i think that if i were going to pay my kids allowance, it would be what i could afford, and no more...because yes, you want them to be able to buy the things they want, but you still have to buy the things that the whole family wants and needs...lol

and of course they wouldn't just get it because they wanted it...they would have to earn it by keeping their rooms clean, and at least taking out the trash...walking the dog, feeding the animals or whatever...