How much allowance / pocket money for a 17 year old?

[Chicchicchicchiclana]

This would be for general clothing (not special things like coats and trainers) the odd lunch out etc. Not phone (we pay for that separately). He earns £65 a week on Saturdays so we expect him to save some of that and spend the rest on nights out etc.

How much would you give him monthly. We aren't badly off but not in a Mumsnet "scraping to get by on £100k a year" family either.

To be honest I was expected to pay for everything I needed from my weekend job at that age including driving lessons and commuting to college. I don't think its expected that you give him anything at all

On top of his 65 per week he earns? Nothing. I'd pay for phone/bus pass/usual living costs like toiletries etc but I woildnt be handing over cash to top up his 65.

Dd got £35 per week at that age. Ds gets less but he has no interest in buying clothes.

If he’s earning £65 a week that’s plenty! Especially if you’re paying for his phone etc.

We give dd aged 17 £10 a week and pay for her phone which is £19 a month. She works part time and earns about £70 a week. She’s off to university in October and I think it’s good for them to learn to rely on themselves as much as they can before they go! (Obviously if she desperately needed something we would get it for her and we buy basic clothes / toiletries etc).

Dd gets £50 per month on top of her wages but is expected to buy all clothes, shoes etc with that.

We also pay up to 10-15 pcm for her phone contract. If she wants more than that she'll have to pay it.

I'm surprised at people saying nothing! His sister didn't have a job at his age so we paid for everything for her.

I was thinking maybe £200 a month. Too much?

@Chicchicchicchiclana

I'm surprised at people saying nothing! His sister didn't have a job at his age so we paid for everything for her.

I was thinking maybe £200 a month. Too much?

Way too much! Most adults don’t even have that spare to spend!

I was of the view that I wanted to encourage my children to work but not to the detriment of their studies so they deserved to keep most of their wages whilst they were in full time education.

We've been giving £35 a month which is supposed to cover everything I don't actively want him to have - so we pay for suit, basic shoes, school books, gym, haircut, phone; if he wanted fancy trainers he would pay, he's paid for his prom ticket and flamingoland trip. We paid when we went out for lunch and his girlfriend joined us: he's paying for the meal they're having tonight and the alcohol he bought with his friends last week.

How much would you normally spend on his general clothing? And are you clear that this will include pants and socks?

I'm surprised at people saying nothing! His sister didn't have a job at his age so we paid for everything for her

Well, maybe if you didnt pay for everything she would have got herself a job

65 per week is plenty, and it's good he is earning that himself.

In my local authority a child in care would be expected to receive £10 pocket money per week and £15 clothing allowance per week. So thats £25 per week.

I just remembered dd's money including her sorting her own lunches out as she was living away at college at that age.

I have a 17 year old DS who has just got a job. Once he starts getting his wages (roughly £2-300 a month) then I'm going to stop allowance - but save it for him for Uni etc.

He gets £40 a week for college commuting and lunch and his mobile paid for.

He pays for his own gym membership

@cheeseislife8

To be honest I was expected to pay for everything I needed from my weekend job at that age including driving lessons and commuting to college. I don't think its expected that you give him anything at all

Same

(I may be a bit of an outlier because I don't expect them to spend money on "nights out" while they're in 6th form...)

16yo DD earns £45 a week and I don't top that up simply because I can't afford to atm.

I've contributed to a bus pass and gym membership over the summer until she starts college and can use theirs.

I'd expect to pay for essential toiletries and will chip in for clothes etc depending on her need and my budget. Usually go halves on hairdresser etc (I'd pay in full if it was just a cut but at £120 a time for balayage it's a no from me!)

She's taking over her phone contract next month and also contributing to her prom dress as it was over budget and she's also doing a paid internship over the summer.

Rather than expecting him to save some of his £65 perhaps you could put a bit in savings account each month.

Nothing you already pay his phone and then you said you buy him his expensive items like trainers and coats . So £65 should be plenty .

Nothing.

£65 a week is plenty. I wouldn't give him more to be honest.

Nothing. He’s 17 and entering adulthood. His sister shouldn’t have got anything either. Sure if you want to treat him to clothes etc do so, but a set amount is not appropriate IMO.

We pay monthly £25 spends, £25 savings, £25 clothes, plus gym membership, phone and any regular toiletries / tights etc that go in the weekly shop.

DD 16 earns £100-200 per month depending on how many hours she picks up in her part time job.

£200 for clothes and the odd meal out is far, far too much!

Why not monetise his chores? That way he can earn as much or little pocket money as he chooses.

Mine got £60 a month at that age (recently)

At 17, mine got £17 pm from us.

If they want to have expensive living, then they used money from their earnings. They've always paid for their own phones. We've always paid for 'necessary clothing' and tend to bung toiletries in with the grocery shop. We still paid any membership for the odd thing they still belonged to.
I'm not sure what you think he would spend £200 per month on, even if he didn't have his own earnings ?

From age 16 my dc got a part time job to pay for what they wanted. I paid for what they needed. If they wanted anything in particular I bought them for birthday/Christmas.