Pocket money (merged)

Becles

Just wondered how much pocket money people give to children aged around 13?

I currently give my son £5 a month, which he spends on rubbish like sweets that I'll probably disapprove of :rotfl:

Then in the school hols etc., if he wants to go swimming/cinema/into town etc., I give him cash to cover entrance fees, bus fare etc.

Was thinking about giving him a larger amount a month, then he has to learn to budget for trips out and that kind of thing. Just wondered what other people give their children?

DUTR

Nothing bar csa payments

kafkathecat

It depends how much you can afford. I found that since I increased my son's pocket money to £6 pw he now saves most of it and bought his own Xbox, but they are all different. When he only had 1 or 2 pounds a week it did all go on sweets and rubbish. K.

GEEGEE8

I used to get £5 a week. £5 per month seems a bit low really and he can't learn to save up.

Intergalactic_Floozie

Oh Lordy, I'm being robbed blind.

I give my 13-year-old son (year 8) £10 per week pocket money and he has a Sunday paper round which is £4 per week. I will also pay for his Friday night football training which is £3 per week (although they're on a break at the moment).

Out of that he goes into town on Saturday and meets his friends and they'll go skating or museums or laser zone, or just hang around (they're not anti social yobs though). he also asked me if he could start going to a running club (£1 per week but I will pay the £20 membership fee if he wants to join fully) so I said he had to get it out of his pocket money. He's also started going to play 5-a-side on a Friday through school which is a quid and he has to share a taxi with some of his friends, so he pays for that too. He also takes some money to school to go to the shop.

So on Wednesday when we were out he asked me if I would buy him some sweets and I said no and pointed out that at £56 hard cash per month (not including football) he actually gets more pocket money than I do! That was a surprise

It might sound excessive but when he was 8 I was paying out £3 footy on Friday, £2 Scouts per week, £2 Hockey per week, and £2.50 at school for extra footy so that was £9.50.

I pay him the whole amount monthly when I get paid and tell him he has to make it last - he does loads better than me!!!

EDIt - just been to count his stash, and I gave him £40 on 15th June, and he still has £49 and some pennies, so he must have had quite a bit leftover from previous month and he's been out twice since then, and done his usual activities. I think I'm paying him too much!

peachyprice

At 13 my boys got £10 per month, paid into their bank accounts, at 15 they now get £15.

Paying it into their bank account does stop the impulse spending on sweets and other crap and helps them to save for something they really want

samandona

I got zero pocket money - taught me money didnt grow on trees and that if i wanted to be independent and 'grown' up, I had to act like, ie, get a job.

Do your kids do any 'chores' to get the money you all give them or is it really just free money?

tessie_bear

i feel really tight reading this thread...my 22 year old get £1 a week and i pay for everything he does...scouts kick boxing swimming

Becles

samandona wrote: »

Do your kids do any 'chores' to get the money you all give them or is it really just free money?

They have several chores each but they don't get paid for them. I don't agree to paying them for housework as I think everyone makes the mess, so everyone should join in cleaning it up!

samandona

I got zero pocket money - taught me money didnt grow on trees and that if i wanted to be independent and 'grown' up, I had to act like, ie, get a job.

Do your kids do any 'chores' to get the money you all give them or is it really just free money?