teens pocket money

MentalMinnie

out of curiousity, how many of you have taken out contract phones for your kids?

When I was 15 i convinced my dad to do one for me. Think i was one of the first kinds in our school to have a contract phone (this was about 12ish years ago). Think it cost £15 a month. I always stayed within the minutes and texts, and when I used to give my dad the money each month he used to give it back and tell me to save it.

Pity he's such a d!ck now...

gibson123

jellyhead wrote: »

How did you reach £110? Just curious

His phone contract including smartphone is £7.50 per month. (I assumed £15) Guitar lessons are £20 per month if averaged throughout the year. (I counted £10 per week) £30 pocket money and up to £20 lunch money per month. Plus £5 for miscellaneous stuff.

When I say a basic wardrobe I do mean basic. £20 a year for a pair of trainers, £45 for his coat but that will last more than a year, 2 hooded jackets, a couple of t-shirts per year, 4 pairs of trousers or jeans, basic supermarket boxers and socks.

With the exception of the trainers his clothes will last for years - at least 2 years for a pair of jeans. He doesn't grow much and is still in child sizes. He's only had 2 haircuts in the last 2 years, he's growing it. I have to wrestle clothes off him when they fall apart because he will literally wear them until they no longer stay together. He will get an expensive band hoodie for christmas or birthday, same with t-shirts. He is currently wearing my band t-shirts that have been in the loft for 16 years!

I do think we should give him more pocket money, but he says he doesn't need it. He will walk into town and mooch around HMV with friends and only spend £1 on lunch ... they club together to get 3 cans from Poundland or whatever, and a sausage roll. Cinema maybe once per month but again he walks and gets a child ticket which is £4.50 I think. He gets into swimming free because he looks under-16.

He gets child train tickets to gigs and the bands he likes play small venues, sometimes costing less than £10 a ticket. If we gave him more he'd just buy more CDs and t-shirts.

He has mild special needs and while I agree that letting the child budget is a good idea I know that he'd happily go without lunch at college if he'd run out of money and he is like a bear with a sore head if he doesn't eat or drink during the day, and it's a long day 8am-6pm out of the house. He'd be okay without food, but we'd all suffer in the evening. Also, I don't think he'd pass the credit check to get a £7.50 p/m contract himself ... I know kids who spend shocking amounts on phone credit alone. My son wears trainers with holes so bad that he rips holes in his socks ... if I weren't paying for new trainers they'd never get bought.

He does budget to some extent, for example he keeps enough change to go to youth club at £1 a week and he's just started using his own cashcard for his bank account that I have no access to, so he controls his £30 pocket money.

I think girls and brand-conscious boys will cost more, as will children who grow a size per year or more. Some kids need bus money too, but mine walks to school/college and back.

Sory answered in the body of your post, I can't work out to colour or bold it (duh) I think my main point is that because my daughter is on a budget, she is not brand concious, it sounds like you have got it jsut about right though

gibson123

Re him going out, he isnt walking the streets he is at his girlfriend's. Her Mum cooks for him and brings him home. He is quite safe. It's just I would like to see the person that I work hard all week for sometimes and I dont want to be a maid, running a hotel for him!

I KNOW!!.... it would be nice if they occasionally wanted to do something with you, wouldn't it.

gibson123

thehappybutterfly wrote: »

My 15YO daughter gets each month:

£10 cash for herself
£20 for dance club
£13 giffgaff Blackberry topup
£40 for school lunches
£10 here and there if she goes into town on a Saturday afternoon (maybe once a month)

I buy everything else for her - school uniforms, school stationery, clothes, haircuts, toiletries etc. She buys her own make up (she goes through mascara like nobody's business!), and accessories like handbags etc.

When people say that they give their child an allowance which is to cover clothes, haircuts etc - do they actually physically give them the money? I've never even thought about doing it that way but perhaps I should and it will teach her the value of money. ATM she does very little in the way of chores and always just the minimum she can get away with. For instance, her job is to hoover the house but she thinks that this is only the living room and the hallway!

It goes into her bank and she has a cash-line card. My daughter does stick to a budget, ok she has a blow every now and again, like we all do, (tartan DM's £40 from e-bay,, hmmmm!!) but she suffers when she finds that means she has no money for going out.

gibson123

jap200 wrote: »

Wow - all I can say is - please don't tell my sons!

My sons aged 10, 12 and 14 get their age in pocket money each month, i.e. the 14 year-old gets £14 etc. They are expected to do basic minimal chores for this, but will be rewarded if they do more - e.g. digging over the veg plot.

My £14 year old got £100 from us for his 14th bithday present towards the laptop he is saving up for. If we gave him a £100 hand-out every month I just can't see how he would be able to learn the real value of money. However, that's just my opinion - each to their own!

If you give your £15 year old £100 EVERY month, then what on earth would you be giving him for his birthday or Christmas?

Same as you would give any youngster, the difference being that they know the value of money and how far it has to stretch, so they are more appreciative. I spend about £100 on birthdays and about £150 on Christmas, some of her friends parents spend a lot more. One girl got a blackberry, laptop and £100 to spend on clothes from her parents. :eek::eek:

toadhall

My daughters aged 13, 15 and 17 also get their age in pocket money each month, if they do all their chores around the house they can earn up to £10 more. It has worked since they were in primary school and they mostly save it for gifts and fashion, make up etc.