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.

We gave ours £100 per month at that age. That was for socialising, make up, clothes over and above the basics etc. We paid for their phones. I think if you gave your DS £50, on top of his wages that would be generous. £200 plus his wages is far too much.

My 17 year old earns about £120 a month.
I don't give him any cash but pay for his phone, train fares to college and clothes. I also pay his scout subs. If he is home there is food in the fridge to make lunches but if he is out he buys his own. I save some money for him every month.
I think he does OK

He already earns £260 per month, and you want to give him another £200. What makes you think he needs that amount of money?

Gosh I only realised now that he earns £65 per week not per month. He has plenty of money OP. He needs no more.

On top of £65 a week plus a phone? Nothing,blimey!!

We give our 17 year old £100 a month but buy clothes,toiletries and pay for phone and contact lenses
Don't want mine working term time when still at school/Uni
He gets some cash from my mum
I think just £10 a week

Nothing but I would pay for essential clothes so uniform if he needs one , a coat , socks underwear etc

My mum paid my phone (set amount a month anything over that had to be topped up like lab as you go) and my bus pass for school for anything else I wanted out of my own wages so I worked at Tesco 3 nights a week plus a Saturday or Sunday shift then waitresses on the day I didn’t have a weekend shift.

Was tough and I was bloody jealous of all my friends who got allowances but also taught me loads about money, budgeting, saving and prioritising stuff

I wouldn't give him anymore tbh that seems plenty

Dd is 17 and gets £60 a month.
She has just got herself a part time job but she will continue to receive her allowance.
We pay for phone, bus pass for college (she can also use this at the weekends to go and meet up with friends and go shopping etc), school supplies/books, toiletries, clothes, makeup, basically everything.
Twice a year we take all the dc shopping and update their wardrobe, they have a (generous IMO) budget and can spend it all.
Clothes/shoes inbetween this they can buy themselves.
She spends her own money on things like lunches out, entertainment, clothes, shopping trips, sweets, more makeup and jewellery.
There’s a fine line between too much and not quite enough, I suppose by the time I work out what’s ‘right’ it might be too late!

£65 a week disposable cash is plenty.
But if you want to top it up, thats up to you and what you can afford!

I had a Saturday job at that age and got nothing else. Although I'm sure that my parents continued to pay for some of my clothes etc. This was pre-mobile phones.

none

we don't do pocket money, they get everything they need or want (within reason).

if they go out we give them some cash.

The problem does lay if you have an older child who had that amount through pocket money and because second child has a job you don’t give them anything.

Can you put it aside for a post exam holiday or driving instead? That way they both get the same amount but they don’t have to much money in the pocket. When they should be studying and not getting up to mischief with cash to splash.

Nothing.
But I might help out every so often, particularly for something bigger where cash flow is a problem.
Sometimes a job is done in return, sometimes I'm paid back in a installments, sometimes I "forget" to ask for it back.

As he's still at school and living at home we think we should be covering all his clothes and food normal toiletries etc. But he wants to choose his own clothes, even down to underwear. I buy him the odd pack of socks, stationery for school, that kind of thing when I'm doing general shopping. Can't believe some of you think he should buy everything out of his £65 pw earnings. He gets his hair cut every 4 weeks at £15 each time. We think that's for us to cover too. It will be different if he goes in to higher education and gets a loan. I don't think it's ok to leave him to pay for everything out of the £65 he goes out and earns.

I'm probably too tired but I don't understand the problem.
you know what budget you'd use for whatever clothes you normally buy.

if he wants fancy, trendy more expensive stuff he has to pay for the difference or you can just spend more.
the end

We give DS £35 a week and he earns roughly the same each week in term time and around £250 a week in the holidays.
He pays for his phone, clothes, lunches, travel, socialising, haircuts and chips in for family presents with DD plus he's saving for a camper van

@Chicchicchicchiclana

As he's still at school and living at home we think we should be covering all his clothes and food normal toiletries etc. But he wants to choose his own clothes, even down to underwear. I buy him the odd pack of socks, stationery for school, that kind of thing when I'm doing general shopping. Can't believe some of you think he should buy everything out of his £65 pw earnings. He gets his hair cut every 4 weeks at £15 each time. We think that's for us to cover too. It will be different if he goes in to higher education and gets a loan. I don't think it's ok to leave him to pay for everything out of the £65 he goes out and earns.

Why do you think this? It's great learning on how to budget your own money.

I give my 16 year old £80 a month, she earns £25 a week from her Saturday job. She will soon received £190 a month from an investment she has so she will be expected to pay for everything and budget/save for uni.

As far as I can see most people who say they wouldnt give them anymore more cash pay for clothes and phones and other basics
If you really aren't going to provide those things then yes it makes sense to give them more cash

I think he should have the same as your DD had unless there was a reason she didn’t work and he is. Otherwise he is penalized for working? But that doesn’t mean he needs it as cash. It could be put into savings for him.

@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?

Mine gets around that. A bit here and there. They have tried (and failed) to get a job and have ended up volunteering 3 times a week instead. £50 per month straight into bank and at least £20 extra a week.

£200 is loads if you're buying coats, shoes and lunches out separately.

£200 including everything would be more reasonable for a family with money. It might be hard working out whether to get a new coat or trainers but that's the point of budgeting. Lots of uni students and adults won't have £200 fun money.

My 17 yr old twins get £80 /month.
That’s for all ‘unnecessary’ clothes and outings beyond me buying big stuff like winter coat and Pjs. I pay their travel and lunches. So that’s Pocket money/whatever money.
Works for us