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?

Child benefit should really be used for raising your child. Glad the taxpayers are paying so that your 2 year old can have thousands in the bank. What is wrong with this picture?

My 15 year old gets £25 per month. And I do give him extra for trips out with friends on an as needed basis and I pay for phone, travel, clothes. He can earn £10 for looking after his younger brother when me and DH have date night 2-3x month. He’s also started doing some work in a furniture upcycling shop a couple of times a month, so is making another £20-30 there.

I am going to average it all out and give him a monthly allowance after Xmas so he can learn to manage and budget.

He tends to buy protein water with his £15 and sweets, sometimes a smoothie. I know he treats his friend sometimes because he doesn't get given much money. I'm fine with this because I like that he is generous and they've been friends for years. I save some money for him each month. I'd like him to do it himself but he has learning disabilities and can't manage money well at all. Hence I handle his PIP and pay his activities out of it for him. He has a bank card with some money on for when he goes out but I don't keep much in that account because he loses his card every so often. He loses his lunch card too. I just transfer money on to his card when I think he needs it. He gets a small bursary from college and I save that money for him because I think he gets enough to spend.

Will that be his to spend as he likes when he's a bit older?

@Scalottia i don't need it for raising him so why wouldn't I save it🤷🏻‍♀️I am also a tax payer as is my husband 🤷🏻‍♀️so nothing wrong with the picture that I can see🤔

@EarthlyNightshade no I don't think I will let him jus dip into it as he likes. Ideally it will be left until he wants to buy a house/car

Ah ok, you are saving for him.
Lots of people do.
I think another poster was talking about their child having lots of money they presumably did have access to, but not spending it.

@Bbq1 @Elliebellie87 I'm starting to feel a little under attack and judged here. And even disbelieved.

I explained in my first post that she doesn't spend anything. I didn't feel I needed to add that she's had an inheritance, her great grandparent saves for her and she puts away any money she gets for birthday/Christmas.

I'm actually quite proud that she has saved so well. She doesn't get a huge amount of pocket money compared to some on this thread.

I thought this was a discussion thread, which is why I added our circumstances and asked a question within the flow of the conversation. I almost wish I hadn't posted now!

Having said that, I like the suggestion that she uses her own money for spends if I pay for the trip. Thank you for the idea.

I'm sorry, I don't want you to feel
that I'm judging you. Wasn't my intention. Yes, you're right to feel proud that your dd is good saver. It was just the drip feed and the e idea of reducing her pocket money - later followed up by saying that dd spends nothing snd has thousands in the bank which most teend don't have. At least your dd has a good head for money which is very important.

You’ll probably find, if they’re out with kids with more money, that they’ll end up having their friends ‘sub’ them. Teenagers with money (that they didn’t earn 🙄) seem to be very generous! I used to limit my son on principle (private school so social circle all had plenty of money available to them) then I found out he was having Starbucks and all sorts bought for him regularly by other kids. I was absolutely mortified. My intention was he just would see them as occasional treats (the same way I do). The reality was that he still had them, funded by someone else’s parents.

I give my son my debit card and tell him what he can spend when he goes out now - never loads but in line with what he’s doing. If he was going to just wander round and pop to Greggs it would be £3/4, if he was going to the cinema it would probably be £25 as that’s the cost of a ticket, popcorn and a drink where we live (we only have an Odeon Luxe). It means I can see where he’s actually spending too.

i agree with a previous poster who mentioned vaping - it’s rife and seems so normal these days. I don’t ever give cash after previous vaping incidents - which means he doesn’t have the means to buy them should he ever be tempted again….

My 15 year old gets £60 a month. Going to put it up to £80 as they are not working due to gcse focus.

My kids got £30 a month from grandparents, until they were old enough to get jobs. My 24 year old bought his own house, with his own savings aged 22. They all have learnt money isnt to be burned, a lesson I wish I'd learnt. As a result if not having money to waste, they're all better at savings than I am. They all got jobs aged 15 (the youngest is 15, so these jobs do exist in some areas.).

The 16 Yr old is a lifeguard out of college. He pays for his own gym membership, climbing and clothes as he likes to shop. Cinema and fast food don't really feature in his current world, but ic they did, he would pay. He also has savings. The 15 Yr old has savings, her money goes on clothes, make up/beauty products, travel to friends. She too, has savings.
No one missed out on childhood experiences, they just learnt how to budget their £30.
£20 a week, if you can afford it, is nice, but I hope your kid is learning some budgeting etc

This depends on the child. DSD used to get £50/week - that included lunch at school, going out with friends, and enough left over to save if she wanted to. Everything else was paid for her by DH on top. But after 15 we decided to change it to £200 a week to include everything she needed. But she didn’t vape, didn’t drink, her only vices were coffees, mcdonalds, and designer clothes.

£200 a week? @JustAMinutePleass

I hope all these people giving their teens all this money are not the ones struggling with COL. They really don’t need unlimited funds to spend on sweets and energy drinks.

@BobTheCobblet it would be nice to think these kids are, at least, being encouraged to spend their excess funds with small, independent places. Imagine the good it would do in their local communities.

@JustAMinutePleass £800 a month?

Some people are spending more than my mortgage on pocket money for one teen, absolute madness.

But surely they aren't doing that every week? Mine gets £10 a week dependent on chores. He's out tonight snd has enough to go yo McDonalds with his friends and hopefully to the arcade.

But he's not going to the cinema every week. Or getting a big Mac every week. He will have to budget, isn't that the point?

I would also be raising the bar and expecting some family meals, DIY and housework. Unless you want his partner to be on here in a few years complaining he doesn't pull his weight.

Mine did their own laundry from 10 y/o. My elder son's house is immaculate (he doesn't like cooking but gets by).

Where have i said that all of DD's money is in a current account?

Honestly, you are coming across as very confrontational and it's really feeling like you're singling me out to pick holes in whatever I say!