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Original poster

Pocket money

39 replies

Birchtree1 · 28/07/2025 12:48

Hi,
Wasn't sure where to post.
My older chi.d starts secondary school in the autumn.
He has never had 'proper' pocket money.
I was going to start giving him some weekly pocket money.
How much is okay or to much?
I thought maybe £5 a week? But to me that seems an awful lot really! I am by no means rich or well off.
Also I am worried he'd just buy sweets and drinks I don't approve off!
Also would you just give the money or actually open an account and get them a debit card, they then can manage themselves and also can put money into a savings account if they don't spend all?
There is a free one available at Lloyds for example.
I have explained to him that spending money with a card sometimes doesn't seem like 'real' spending.

OP posts:
Rizzz · 28/07/2025 12:52

I think at this late stage he probably will just buy sweets and fizzy drinks for a while, until the novelty wears off.

Be strict though about never lending him anything from next week's pocket money, so he learns how to budget.

I think the card is a good idea as some places don't accept cash, and I think £5 if fine as long as you can afford it.

BleuBeans · 28/07/2025 12:54

I think it’s all relative to what you earn and can afford to give them as well as whether they earn their pocket money for chores which instills good working values or whether they get it regardless

When I started secondary I got £2 per week which using the Bank of England inflation calculator is near enough £4 per week. My niece gets £10 per week in year 6, however she has a number of chores she needs to complete for that and it’s within her parents budget. She can and regularly does take on extra tasks to earn more. She has also learnt to save well

Just do what’s for your family and finances

BobShark · 28/07/2025 12:54

You need to think about why are you giving pocket money, it’s typically so they can start to learn to manage their own money, start to save for things they want, have money to go for food after school, with friends or pay for those gaming extras they like.

i think if you are starting out, regardless of the amount, set an expectation of what it’s for, ie, in place of you providing money for Roblox, or Fortnite skins or whatever thing, this will discourage the mindless spending on treats from the corner shop.

my DS is 12, we set up an account (primarily because grandparents overseas send pocket money, as they do with the other grandkids) but fortunately he’s a saver, and rarely spends on fast food etc.

Michele09 · 28/07/2025 12:57

I would definitely open a bank account so they can get used to having a bank card. We opened one with Nationwide a few years back. DD recently got the £100 member bonus. They can also use it for money given for birthdays and Christmas. I found they start to get less presents at this age upwards and more money given.

Mumofsoontobe3 · 28/07/2025 12:57

My dad used to give me £1 a day pocket money, given on a Sunday so £7 a week. He had a list of optional extras I could do too to 'top it up' - extra £1/£2 here and there if I went up and made beds and opened blinds etc, hoovering the car. It worked out quite well and I'll do the same with my kids too.

BobShark · 28/07/2025 12:58

Also would say, he almost never remembers to take his wallet anywhere so just this weekend asked me to help him set up apple pay on his phone. So having an account is useful, and he loves to log in and see how much he has saved.

Twinkletoes127 · 28/07/2025 12:58

If it £5 a week, ot will go on sweets, as you can't really buy anything else for that. A kids magazine is about 6 quid, maybe wait until you can afford it better? Or alternatively give it monthly so he can buy something or save?

TomatoWildFlowers · 28/07/2025 13:01

I think have a conversation with your son about what the pocket money is for.

DD (14) gets £40 a month (it was £10 when she was 11, and has increased over the years as she's more interested in shopping). The money is for all her non essentials. We buy standard supermarket toiletries, essential clothing/shoes, we don't buy a lot of sweets/snacks in the weekly shop so if she wants treats, she buys them. We fund her clubs and phone

If she wants a £50 t-shirt, £100 trainers, or a £20 lipbalm then she buys them for herself. If she spent all her money on fast food and sweets, then too bad.

She has a bank account with a debit card and is really good at spending sensibly most of the time, and has been able to save a little.

whereareyousleep · 28/07/2025 13:11

We do age plus school year so my 12 year old DS in year 8 gets £20 per month and my 7 year old in year 3 gets £10. He has a NatWest rooster bank account with a bank card. He’s good at saving it and doesn’t really waste it on junk mainly buys lego!

Allinadayswork80 · 28/07/2025 13:11

My DD (13) doesn’t get pocket money as we pay for her phone and she wants canteen rather than a packed lunch, which adds up to roughly £40 per month. She has to do weekly chores (unload dishwasher, tidy room, sort/take out recycling) for this. If she wants extra money she can earn it by doing extra chores around the house. We pay for all her toiletries and clubs etc. She has a Rooster account which she has a card for - if she gets Xmas/Birthday money etc. It’s great as you can add chores on with set amounts to earn extra (eg. clean the toilet £3) the app is linked to my account so if she does extra jobs she ticks a box which alerts me and I can transfer the money. Plus she can create ‘pots’ of she’s saving for something in particular. Fortunately she’s not a child that asks for much (yet!).

Overthebow · 28/07/2025 13:16

£5 a week seems quite low to me if he’s going to be going out with friends and using his pocket money to pay for things whilst out. I’d go with £10 a week to start with and up it when he’s a bit older. For comparison, we are just about to start giving our 5 year old dd pocket money so she starts learning about money, and we are planning on giving her £5 a week which would buy an ice cream and a small toy for example. When she’s 10 I’d be expecting to give her a lot more.

FullOfMomsense · 28/07/2025 13:29

First year- £5 a week and expect sweets- a fiver won't get him much.
Second year- he has to use that pocket money to buy his own shower gel or deodorant, so he needs to budget, but also gets some freedom in choosing.
By then he'll have probably realised the value of saving money and will rather save up for a new game or pair of shoes than sweets.

Start with cash, then card. He'll need to get used to card at some point because cash won't be around forever.

Cosyblankets · 28/07/2025 13:34

FullOfMomsense · 28/07/2025 13:29

First year- £5 a week and expect sweets- a fiver won't get him much.
Second year- he has to use that pocket money to buy his own shower gel or deodorant, so he needs to budget, but also gets some freedom in choosing.
By then he'll have probably realised the value of saving money and will rather save up for a new game or pair of shoes than sweets.

Start with cash, then card. He'll need to get used to card at some point because cash won't be around forever.

I don't think a 12 / 13 year old needs to be buying their own shower gel to learn to budget.
If they want a specific one that's not in the weekly shop that's different

FullOfMomsense · 28/07/2025 13:36

Cosyblankets · 28/07/2025 13:34

I don't think a 12 / 13 year old needs to be buying their own shower gel to learn to budget.
If they want a specific one that's not in the weekly shop that's different

Show quote history

It was an example, and a method many parents use.

Original poster
Birchtree1 · 28/07/2025 13:39

Thank you all!
I feel £5 a week for a 5 year old is a lot! But I may be behind times!
But then I pay for ice creams and stuff when we are out.
My child will also get money to spend for school lunches and gets his phone paid for. Toiletries and snacks obviously all paid for.
I was going to go with £5 and he has to let out the chickens and feed them and put them away.
Was just wondering whether a card would be best and he could essentially save up if he wanted to. Going out with his friends won't really happen as we live in the middle of nowhere and he needs to get the bus to and from secondary school. We do however have a village shop 😁
Just trying to work it all out and give him more independence!

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 28/07/2025 13:43

I used to use the local authority children in care guidelines. Children in care have to be given a small amount of personal pocket money each week to allow them to be on a similar level to their peers. It varies by local authority but mine is currently about £5 per week for an 11 year old and £6.40 for a 12 year old.

Basic phone, clothes, toiletries etc are meant to be covered by the carer but specific wants (branded clothing/toiletries etc) can come out of pocket money.

Sharptonguedwoman · 28/07/2025 13:45

No pocket money up to now seems a bit hard but still- we went with £1 per week at about 5 yrs old so about £5 pm give or take in 1999. Grandparents said it was too much, my response was that it wouldn't even buy a Magnum ice cream. As DD got older it went up accordingly. £5 won't buy much, it depends what you want DC to be able to buy for themselves.

Overthebow · 28/07/2025 13:47

Birchtree1 · 28/07/2025 13:39

Thank you all!
I feel £5 a week for a 5 year old is a lot! But I may be behind times!
But then I pay for ice creams and stuff when we are out.
My child will also get money to spend for school lunches and gets his phone paid for. Toiletries and snacks obviously all paid for.
I was going to go with £5 and he has to let out the chickens and feed them and put them away.
Was just wondering whether a card would be best and he could essentially save up if he wanted to. Going out with his friends won't really happen as we live in the middle of nowhere and he needs to get the bus to and from secondary school. We do however have a village shop 😁
Just trying to work it all out and give him more independence!

It’s really not, I spend way more then that on her every week, and ice cream, snacks before her activities, a toy she likes when out in a day trip, the odd magazine, a new book she sees, hair accessories. It adds up to a lot. I’ll be buying less of those things myself and she will be learning to budget and pick things that she can afford.

DiscoBeat · 28/07/2025 13:47

We gave DS17 and DS15 about £8 a week at that age but now they gave £20 a week plus more if they wash the cars or do other gardening jobs.

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 28/07/2025 13:52

My 16yo gets £25 a month.

12 & 14yo get £20

But my 16yo helps a lot round the house as well and picks up extra chores without needing to be asked so she gets more. But if she wants to go to the cinema or anything we still pay for her.

She mostly saves up for specialist art supplies. My 14yo rarely spends so has saved £600.

12yo it burns a hole in her pocket and she tends to buy sweets.

They all have a bank acct.

My 16yo also earns money when she teaches at my karate club.

NotEnoughKnittingTime · 28/07/2025 13:59

What is wrong with buying sweets? Isn't that the point of pocket money.

skkyelark · 28/07/2025 14:00

Just for balance, we started pocket money last year when DD1 turned 5, and she got £1 a week. If we have an ice cream out and about, I pay, and I don't want her buying a small toy every week – we'd be overrun (especially as she's got a younger sister who we'd need to be fair to)!

A year in, that feels like about the right level for her – yes, she's bought some sweets and some pocket money tat (and that's part of what it's for!), but she's also been able to buy some small toys that she's really enjoyed and learnt the magic of secondhand to get some bigger things she specifically wanted.

Murdoch1949 · 28/07/2025 14:02

I would link the £5 PW to a regular chore - one of mine unloaded the dishwasher daily, another kept his shared bathroom clean & tidy, nothing onerous.

NotEnoughKnittingTime · 28/07/2025 14:04

skkyelark · 28/07/2025 14:00

Just for balance, we started pocket money last year when DD1 turned 5, and she got £1 a week. If we have an ice cream out and about, I pay, and I don't want her buying a small toy every week – we'd be overrun (especially as she's got a younger sister who we'd need to be fair to)!

A year in, that feels like about the right level for her – yes, she's bought some sweets and some pocket money tat (and that's part of what it's for!), but she's also been able to buy some small toys that she's really enjoyed and learnt the magic of secondhand to get some bigger things she specifically wanted.

I am going to give my nearly 8 year pocket money but not yet sure how much. I was thinking about £1.50 a week? We aren't on a high income.

Original poster
Birchtree1 · 28/07/2025 14:08

Thanks again!
I think after reading other people's amounts I will go with 5 pounds per week and will set up an account with a debit card and also there will be a separate saing account attached.
Then my child can get use to having this money and we will take it from there. He will not have to pay for anything out of this in regards of clothes, personal care, days out with us, phone, school canteen etc.
He could however save for a new game if he wanted to.
I know it's very late to start pocket money but they never needed it before.
My parents gave me pocket money unrelated to chores. As they wanted us to do the chores independently rather than being paid for stuff that you normally should be doing.

OP posts: