How much pocket money for 15 year old?

[Simionfab191]

DS is 15. We're thinking £20 per week on the understanding that homework is complete, room is kept tidy and bins are put out. This is to cover food when out with friends/girlfriend, cinema trips and to allow him to save for any particular clothes or video games he wants. We'll still buy his basic items.

Does this sound reasonable?

I was going to say £20 before I opened the thread. So yes that sounds fair.

They don't exist.

I don't want mine to have a job, thanks. He already volunteers at the local stables in exchange for riding as I can't afford a horse for him and he loves them. He wants to do a medical degree at university so I don't want him having a paid job too right now as he has GCSEs coming up and getting top grades is important, studying takes priority. After GCSEs he can look for a summer job.

We give £1 for every year each week, so our DD14 gets £14/week and DD12 gets £12/week

We give £5 a week but pay for bus, lunch, clothes, regular activities/ lessons, phone on top of that. 17yr old works 5 hours a week plus bank shifts so earns £55-100+ per week and saves half. Before he was 16 he was gardening for neighbours at £10/hr. 13 yr old feels hard done by but not actually got off his arse to earn his own money yet….

DD (15) gets £30/month from us, £10/month from grandparents, and approx £100/month from her job. She hardly spends any though so is building up quite a healthy bank balance!

@Hermittrismegistus I used to get £5 per week 20 years ago. Then I got a job at 16 which payed around £45-£50 per week. Managed to pay for driving lessons, nights out etc and saved towards my car. I paid for my dance lessons and phone as well.
No way my parents would have been able to afford £20 per week!

It's not where I live £7.19 for a large Big Mac Meal (not a double)

I think that's lovely.

Where are you based? 1995? A single regular size Big Mac meal is £7.09 here.

When my teens were 15ish I gave them the child benefit which worked out about £50ish a month each. We lived in a super cheap area though, cinema was £2.99 a ticket (5 years ago!)

That's extremely low especially for the 15 year old. How can the kids socialise with friends if they need to save for 2 weeks just to go to McDonalds? £5 goes nowhere.

Sorry, @Elliebellie87, I read it wrong, didn't realise.

20 years ago I was given £100pm. So I definitely don't think it's too much.

I was originally going to say I was quite shocked at some of the responses on here but then reconsidered and I think it just shows how different we all are as parents.

I have 3 DD’s 2 have horses, are in PC and have lessons and compete (which is not cheap) regularly, the other has always gone to music/stage lessons done LAMDA etc. We have paid for it all as consider it opening doors for them and excellent life skills as well as an enriching childhood.

We also pay for all equipment, instruments, civvy clothes, toiletries and treats at the weekend.

The eldest has a little job at the weekend in a NT restaurant, she loves to eat out with friends, go to gigs and the odd weekend party, I still heavily influence how she budgets her money as it burns a hole and I don’t want her to be without…I will also subsidise as I don’t think she should have to pay for everything when the other two don’t either.

The other girls can ask for money but they might not necessarily get it, birthday parties are obviously a given and I’ll always buy the gift but I certainly don’t encourage weekly cinema or McDonalds trip.

They mostly see their friends at the weekend through riding with the odd social meet up out with every month…

In short, they don’t get pocket money as such, I will pay for treats and arranged meet up’s with friends but £30 a week to blow on something that is unhealthy, not tangible and they are gaining no benefits from seems crazy to me…

But like I said we are all different.

@Elliebellie87 Ahh yes because no one else has given an opinion on this thread…🤔

I thought you only gave your kids a fiver a week, i must have missed the post where you said you paid for more. I'm confused...

I was getting £30 in 2003 plus has a credit card for all toiletries, clothes etv

My 15 year old gets £10 a month 😂 and that's only just started - 16 in March.

I personally don't think they need to be doing paid activities such as cinema every week.