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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask how much, if any pocket money do you give to a 7 yr old?

48 replies

shouldbeelswhere · 03/10/2011 20:50

My 7 yr old has come home from school today asking if he can have pocket money. He doesn't seem to know why he wants the money but has offered to do extra chores for it (clean out the bunnies and or clear the table). I've said I'll think about it and we can discuss options. Just interested to know what others do? do you give money per chore? How much? Are some chores just expected and don't count towards pocket money? Thanks lovely MNetters

OP posts:
oneofthosedays · 03/10/2011 21:02

I give DD (8 in Dec) £1.50 per week - if she behaves badly she loses bits but generally puts it in her money box and we will count it occasionally and take a bit out if we're going to the shops etc. She tends not to want to spend it on bits and bobs weekly but will buy a DS game for example or a couple of new headbands or something.

boohoobabywho · 03/10/2011 21:07

you are going to HATE me... i give my dd £5 a week. BUT thats it.. thats all and i dont buy her anything else.

However the primary reason we started this was becuase she was learning her 5 times table. and if she asked for something that was £20 i would ask her how many weeks pocked money would that be, and we stand there while she works it out!

I want her to understand the value of money not just the number, we often talk about things being value for money, or expensive for what it is, and yes she does save some of it.

chillikate · 03/10/2011 21:07

Our 4 year old DS gets £1 pocket money each week provided he goes to be nicely and tidies away his toys. TBH the whole thing has been so great for him in terms of learning about money.

He spends about 30p a week on sweets (usually a fudge bar and a chupa chups) and saves the rest. some weeks he buys a magazine or some Spoingebob stickers for his album.

He is very young but I'm so pleased we've done it.

cjbartlett · 03/10/2011 21:09

£1 a week
He saves it until he can afford something he really wants like Lego
He's currently got £35 in his piggy bank Shock

Booyhoo - you can teach the value of things without giving away a fiver each week Grin

ihatecbeebies · 03/10/2011 21:16

I give DS £2 a week, he buys the odd chocolate bar when we're in a shop and he remembers he's got money but usually he saves it up and then when the adverts on the kids channels are on he lists off about 10 things in an hour that he's going to get with his pocket money.

ihatecbeebies · 03/10/2011 21:16

Forgot to mention; DS is 4 and a half.

PureBloodMuggle · 03/10/2011 21:19

none at the moment - though he gets the beano which is 2.10 euro, which i see as pocket money.

Someone suggested to me 50c (so 50p) for each year of the child's age. Seemed like a reasonable idea

upahill · 03/10/2011 21:19

I didn't give pocket money until the kids were 12 and then it is £20 a week.

DH also puts 50p a day in their pot money box.

Pandygirl · 03/10/2011 21:22

My stepsons are 10 and 12 and get £10 per month each (which apparently is really mean and all their friends get loads more :o).

SouthernandCross · 03/10/2011 21:22

We have just started giving ours pocket money and give £1/year/month payable at the beginning of the month. DH felt strongly that the amount should be linked to age. It's not dependent on chores but they are starting to be asked to do a bit around the house now they are getting older.

planetpotty · 03/10/2011 21:25

Upahill please adopt me Wink

BadRoly · 03/10/2011 21:26

We have just started this with ours - they get 10p for each year so dd1 (10) gets £1, ds1 (8) gets 80p and dd2 gets 40p (ds2 still gets nothing because frankly, he creates most of the work...).

We have written a list of chores we expect them to do. The older 2 have things like doing the dishwasher, doing the chickens, clearing up the family areas at the end of the day. dd2 has things like putting her things away when she comes in from school, getting herself dressed, helping tidy up etc.

I think we have started low because it is easier to go up then down and also, we will still treat them when we go out rather than expect it to come from their own money. Also my Mum sends the big 2 a comic each every week.

5Foot5 · 03/10/2011 21:29

70p

DD got 10p for every year of her age until she was at senior school when it went up a bit.

She is 15 now and has a basic of £5 per week but sometimes she gets more if she does extra stuff for it. Certain chores she is just expected to do, e.g. washing the dishes, changing her sheets, cleaning out the guinea pig (well it is hers). But I often give her the opportunity to earn more by doing the hoovering or mopping the kitchen floor or something

5Foot5 · 03/10/2011 21:30

BadRoly - X post about the 10p per year!!

lillybloom · 03/10/2011 21:30

£5 a week from their DGP's. They use it for magazines or savings. I think its too much (all primary school age) so they don't get any from me.

BadRoly · 03/10/2011 21:32

5foot5 thank goodness you did - I was feeling decidedly tight :)

smelli · 03/10/2011 21:33

We started at 2 pounds, 1 to save and 1 to spend. But Deadly 60 cards went up, so now it's 2.50. But he still has to save a pound a week.

Dancergirl · 03/10/2011 21:33

We used to give our older two (10 and 8) £1/week each. But we kept forgetting so now they get £5/month each. We used to do the 10p per year of age thing but it seemed unfair that they got different amounts being only 21 months apart and liking the same sort of stuff.

However it's NOT related to chores at all. They are expected to help out as home just because we are a family and we all muck in. I expect them to put their dirty washing in the basket, put clean washing away, strip their beds on bed change day, keep their rooms generally tidy, take their plates to the side or in the dishwasher. Sometimes they help me unload the dishwasher but that's just as and when.

I have threatened to dock pocket money for bad behaviour but I'm happy to say it hasn't happened yet!

onepieceofcremeegg · 03/10/2011 21:35

My dd (8 in January) gets £1.50 a week. She does a fairly decent clean of her room to earn this (damp dust, change bed with help, hoover with help etc)

She does routine jobs/little tasks daily that are unconnected with this money, e.g. taking her plates into the kitchen, picking pjs up off the floor daily.

She often saves her money, and might buy a "magazine" or fizzy drink that I would say no to if I was paying!

I think it has helped her to understand the value of money a little.

She broke a photo frame by throwing a toy in a bad temper and I have deducted £1 towards a replacement which she thinks is a fair punishment. imo quite meaningful as well; I well have to spend money on a new one.

lisad123 · 03/10/2011 21:35

DD1 who is 8years, gets £1 aweek IF she does her jobs, which is dishwasher and feed the dog. However, she does horse riding and gymnastic once a week.

staylucky · 03/10/2011 22:19

DD is 7 and gets £2 a week which she saves in a piggy bank along with any extras like birthday money, tooth fairy pennies. We've done this For about the last 18 months and she's had a couple of good splurges out of it.

We started because she was at the age where she was constantly asking for crap things when we did the sat shop in town or asking for magazines then toys then rides on the small amusements they sometimes have in town. I never said she had to save it but a few weeks of realising she didn't have enough money to buy the toy she'd just seen because the money was spent within 30 secs was enough to hit home that saving was better. Wish I could!

SageMist · 04/10/2011 13:47

DD is 9 and she gets £3 per week. I take 50p off if she doesn't keep her bedroom tidy. Oh and I take 50p off if she gets into trouble at school (long story to that, but it worked!)

I deliberately don't pay for extras, as I used to do this with DS and he constantly asked 'how much will I get if I do X', and drove me round the bend.

wibbleweed · 04/10/2011 13:51

DS (7) gets 50p 'basic' per week, which we top up to £1 if he does a few jobs e.g. folds his PJs & airs his bed; helps clear away toys (even if the mess is caused by little brother!)

MumblingRagDoll · 04/10/2011 13:52

Jeez. I don't. I suppose I'd better start.

Fo0ffyShmooffer · 04/10/2011 13:56

We give DS (9) £4.50 a week which is 50p per year of his life BUT £1.00 of it has to be put in savings jar because will blow it all on Match Attax cards and chocolate otherwise.