Allowance questions

[KarlaB]

Do your kids get an allowance? If so, what age did you start and what do they have to do to earn it? Is it weekly and how much do they get? Or do your dks just have things they have to do as a contributing member of your family with no "wage"?? :)

[MaryL]

Our boys get an allowance. I think we started it when ds1 was 5 or 6. It was about the time when he started to be unsatisfied with buying a "hot wheels" car at Wal Mart. LOL I couldn't (and wouldn't) buy him Pokemon cards, etc whenever he wanted them. So instead we started to give him an allowance. Our system is not attached to household "jobs". We expect both of our kids to help out...and don't pay them to do it. They get 1/2 their age in dollars. (So ds1 is 8...and he gets $4/week...ds2 is 6 and gets $3/week.) They both have wallets where they keep it. Sometimes they spend it and sometimes they save it. They've even worked together to save for something "bigger" once. LOL They've both learned the hard way that it's not a good idea to waste your money on something you don't really want. We do forget (on occasion) to give them their money...but at the same time (on occasion!) we will buy them something without spending their allowance savings. It works very well for us!!!

[AnnW]

We started about the same age as Mary, but ours is tied to chores. We don't believe in getting paid just for "being"...every other job in the world you do the work you get paid (well, except for MINE!!!!) if you don't do the work, you don't get paid.
It does help them learn to budget. DD still wants to go the dollar store every week though! LOL

[BevJ]

Our ds gets an allowance, tied to chores as well. He used to get $5 a week until recently and for that he just had to help put the garbage to the kerb(sp?) on Thursdays and help set the table if asked. He always clears his own dishes after meals. Now that he's older we've upped it to $10 but have added making his bed every morning and vacuuming his bedroom when asked. If he doesn't make his bed, we deduct from his allowance. He basically spends it all in practically one day, lol.

[KarlaB]

Thanks for all of the info!!

Another question for those who get paid based on chores - do they have a chart to mark off the stuff they do and do they get $ deducted if they don't do them? (Bev you already answered that part. :) )

[AnnW]

Since this is also helping them to get into the habit of picking up and we wanted it to be a win/win situation, we did a roll of dimes for dd and a roll of quarters for ds. When they didn't do a chore we took a quarter/dime out of the roll and dropped it into a jar. They had the chance to earn it back by doing extra chores.

[RCT]

we haven't started the allowance here yet...but we do get paid for jobs every know and then....the kids helped me last week clean the patio, move things and actually threw some yard toys away that were cruddy we worked for about four hours out there....I gave them each $2.00...they were so happy....

Ds is asking about an allowance....we are not sure what chores we want to delegate his way but will probably start him on a routine by the new year...

great question...:D

[KarlaB]

Originally posted by AnnW
Since this is also helping them to get into the habit of picking up and we wanted it to be a win/win situation, we did a roll of dimes for dd and a roll of quarters for ds. When they didn't do a chore we took a quarter/dime out of the roll and dropped it into a jar. They had the chance to earn it back by doing extra chores.

I like that idea!! :thumb: Think we will start doing that with oldest ds!

[Mickey]

Been thinking about starting this here, too.

When I was a kid, we were expected to do certain things simply because we were part of a family. I was never paid to make my bed or clean my room or set the table or feed the dog or help fold clothes--those were things we just did because we were part of the family. We earned money by doing special chores like sweeping the driveway, raking leaves/grass, washing/vacuuming the car (and mowing and ironing my dad's uniforms when we were older), etc. Think I'll probably do the same with MB.

[Cathy]

Originally posted by Mickey
Been thinking about starting this here, too.

When I was a kid, we were expected to do certain things simply because we were part of a family. I was never paid to make my bed or clean my room or set the table or feed the dog or help fold clothes--those were things we just did because we were part of the family. We earned money by doing special chores like sweeping the driveway, raking leaves/grass, washing/vacuuming the car (and mowing and ironing my dad's uniforms when we were older), etc. Think I'll probably do the same with MB.

Except for ironing Dad's uniform (we polished his shoes!)....Mickey did we grow up in the same house?

That's also what I do with dds. They also have a PATHETICALLY small base allowance...I mean much less than anyone has said yet...and my dds are teenagers!! But I admit to forgetting to pay the base pretty often. It says something that they don't really miss it. LOL

[Lynda-WA]

DS gets 5 a week and it's tied to a job. When we had a job he had to do the poop. Since then he has to do the mowing during the dry season and wood pellets during the cold wet season. We only have two seasons here! He rarely spends any.

Both kids have choirs that they don't get paid for. I've told them that Dad and I don't get paid for doing house choirs so why should they? I buy them alot of things all year long but mainly stuff from Goodwill. they know better then to ask for things at a store other then Goodwill (usually). Since we always talk about money they have good financial management skills. I'm always pointing out how much something costs compared to a different size or brand. And we talk about how much a toy is compared to other things and if it's something really needed.

[Mickey]

Originally posted by Cathy


Except for ironing Dad's uniform (we polished his shoes!)....Mickey did we grow up in the same house?...

LOL! Only one state away (we were in PA). ;)

My Dad polished his own shoes/boots--it was a major project with a big wooden box/kit and everything (he must have liked to do it)!

[BevJ]

Originally posted by AnnW
Since this is also helping them to get into the habit of picking up and we wanted it to be a win/win situation, we did a roll of dimes for dd and a roll of quarters for ds. When they didn't do a chore we took a quarter/dime out of the roll and dropped it into a jar. They had the chance to earn it back by doing extra chores.

That sounds like an excellent idea, Ann...we'll have to try that with ds.