How much should I be spending on my daughter?

mrbrightside842

At 16, I had a Saturday job in a shop and it was fine, it was only though the day, not late, and didn't interfere with school. Once I started 6th form, I got a part time job in Tesco. I didn't have to pay any money to my parents, but they didn't give me any money either. I had no bills, just a pay as you go phone, and so the money I earned was spent on what I wanted, but that included stuff for 6th form, transport to places etc.

dealwithdebtdot

Hiya Daviecol,

My DD is 16, I rarely give her money over and above her allowance which is £85 pounds a month and I put £15 in a saving account for her too. I rarely run her around either.

I know it is really difficult though, and she doesn't have anything like as much money as her friends do!

From her money she has to pay for her mobile and any clothes and make-up she wants, as well as going out money to the cinema/concerts etc.

I still pay for her hair cuts and school clothes and school shoes.

She hasn't got a regular job yet, I personally prefer her not to, so that she can concentrate on school work and having what's left of her childhood. Plus as soon as she does, the amount of time she will be able to spend with her Dad will be drastically reduced. He lives 750 miles a way!

But a little Saturday job might be the way forward for your family.

Think you might need to have a chat with her about all this, and do a budget with her!

kindofagilr

She needs to get a job, I can't believe some kids these days!

When I was her age I got £10 a week off my mother if I did the housework, I had to hoover house, and clean bathroom.

She bought me clothes if I needed them, not wanted them, if I wanted the pictures, sweets etc then that came out of my tenner

StrawberryYogurt

I will say, since having to earn her own money she has become a lot more spend thrift! Can only be good for the future!

mrcow

At 16 I had a job and bought CDs etc for myself.

You're a mug if you buy that sort of thing when asked to by a 16 year old. Tell her to get a Saturday job or a baby sitting job or a dog walking round and buy her own make up.

BitterAndTwisted

At sixteen I had a Saturday job and did babysitting on weekend evenings. My parents fed and clothed me with the basics for school but anything else I wanted I had to pay for myself.

Please do not be persuaded to lavish cash on your daughter just because other kids appear to get whatever they want. You need to sit down with your OH and work out a budget and decide what can be afforded after that. A flat amount either paid weekly or monthly and that's that.

bubblegumcola

My daughter is not quite at that age yet, four years to go...

At the moment I buy her toiletries and will buy her the odd magazine. Any clothes we normally split the cost between any money she still has from Xmas/birthdays and myself. She uses her own money to top up her phone but that lasts months, luckily she doesn't use her phone much. I will however buy her clothes in the sales from my own money if the price is really good and I know its something she will wear. We haven't got a lot of money coming in at the moment but she is quite good and doesn't often ask for anything. She can make her birthday money last all year and she doesn't get alot! (Hope it lasts)

I think if your daughter is constantly asking you to empty your purse a gentle suggestion of her getting a wee saturday job might not be a bad thing. Waitressing or working in a clothes shop? At least in the clothes shop she would get staff discount but then she might spend all her wages in there!!

Curlywurli

My mum and dad gave me money for clothes when I needed them. They bought my toiletries with the weekly shop. Apart from that I had a Saturday job from the age of 15. I can't understand why she hasn't gone out to get one.
Don't get me wrong, my parents did treat me, but you're more than treating her. You're funding her lifestyle- if you didn't give it to her what would she do then?
Why don't you give her money for doing jobs?
If she doesn't start to realise that she needs to work for money what will she do when she's older? As soon as my children can they will be getting Saturday jobs.

dealwithdebtdot

daviecol wrote: »

My son...he now works and pays £20 a week board (great!).

I was also wondering about this, even though you didn't ask, so I hope you don't think I am talking out of turn. When my daughter does get a regular job, I will be taking a third of her wages off her. A third is supposed to be a comfortable amount of your wage to pay in rent/mortgage without bills, so a third of the wages of a child at home is still a bit of a bonus because they aren't paying for food and bills on top.

You might want to negociate with both of them?

Toothfairy4

I got a weekend job as soon as I was 16, taught me to stand on my own two feet and how hard my parents actually had to work for the money we had. I say make her get a job if she wants to socialise with her friends, she will soon realise.