Mumsnet Talk

He's had the round for 18 months - just before he was 13. It's in my name so he gets £4 or £5 more. It's a couple of hours sorting out leaflets for papers on a Thursday and a couple of hours delivering on a Saturday.

For this he gets between £18 and £23.

We pay around £26 per month for his phone.

If he wasn't doing a paper round I suppose we would be giving him around £10 per week.

Is it unfair that he doesn't get this from us?

He blows all his paper money on nothing and if he got another £10 a week (which I think is far too much for a 14 year old in addition to the paper money) he would blow this as well.

direct debit into his bank? that kakes it a bit harder to spend and t easier to save it. out of sight out of mind. my dc get pocket nmoney this way....always a nice surprise for them to see how its mounted up....and might be an incentive to save?

He's only got a long term savings account that he has to put some of his Christmas and birthday money in.

I have suggested he saves say £7.50 a week out of his pocket money and I will top up by £5 or even the same amount but so far he hasn't taken me up on the offer.

I really don't know whether we should make him save some of it.

All he does with his money at the weekends is eat out at fast food places, bowling, snooker but at the bowling alley there are lots of slot machines so I am wonder if he is putting a lot into these.

he would be old enough now for a cashcard or debitcard...both my dd's ages 15 and 13 have these.

yes,i think encourage saving! he's going to need that skill soon enough. a social life is great,but so is being able to think 'no,have been out enough,can't afford it again'

£10 a week sounds a lot to me for a 14 year old excluding phone.
Perhaps I'm very mean but my 13yo gets £15 a month and this has to cover his phone.
In principle though, I can see why he would resent losing his pocket money because he has a job.