How much pocket money do you give your 16 year old son?

[Yellowflowers7]

Mine has just turned 16 and is still getting £4 per week for emptying dishwasher. I think he probably needs more now as he has a long summer (as well as finding a job!) but not sure what is the going rate so to speak. Any thoughts would be helpful! Thanks

I'd put post its on the fridge with tasks and amounts. See what happens.

My 12yo gets £40 a month. Really what is he going to do with £4 a week?!

Holy crap. That's my whole child maintenance

Watch out OP... This is a topic that attracts many odd ideas.
The reality is what you can afford/what else you provide.
Mine get everything basic bought - clothes, food, toiletries, clubs/subs and £20 a month.
From that they pay their phone and what ever else they want. GP's give the occasional tenner and birthdays and Xmas brings cash from relatives.
They've never said it's not enough, but they don't have expensive tastes or think they NEEEEEED a Maccies every week.
Works for us.

Sorry to be that person, but is the 'son' bit relevant? Should daughters be given different amounts or should those with 16 year old daughters not answer this thread?

Our sons are older now but at 16 both had part time jobs (earning £200 plus a month) so we didn't give them any pocket money.
We still paid for food in the house, school clothes, phone contracts etc.

This is also a good idea. Everyone chips in for day to day stuff un paid, but If i cant be arsed to do my ironing one week for example I might offer it up for a tenner. Same with car/window washing kinda jobs.

How much does he have saved up from birthdays and Christmas and how much does he need?

I don't give teen DD pocket money throughout the year, I do give her £30 a week during school holidays which probably evens out. She's not really a spender anyway and ends up with loads of money life over from family gifts.

Vouchers for things to do might be better, cinema vouchers and that sort of thing and encourage him to get a job instead of relying on you

@coodawoodashooda it has to cover everything including going to a McDonald's with friends at the weekend / cinema etc. it's cheaper than me adding extra to the £15 they were getting.

Eh?! I'm referring to my son as he has turned 16. I have three daughters and what I do for him I will do for them when they eventually turn 16. What a silly post.

None...we don't really do pocket money. We put money into a savings account for him every month. If he needs anything he'd just ask us....but really he is the least materialistic person I have honestly ever met. He really has nothing he wants to spend money on. When he gets birthday or Christmas money, he doesn't know what to do with it. I buy his clothes and if he goes out, he usually does stuff that's free, football/basketball in park with his friends.

Mine gets £9 a week at 15 and it goes up by £1 every year so he'll get £10 a week during year 11. This will be reviewed when he finishes school depending on how hard he tries to find a job. I won't leave him penniless but I will expect him to do his best to get a job and fund himself from 17.

We gave ours (girls) £25 a week at that age from which they had to buy clothes and toiletries beyond the basics and top up their school lunch cards to buy snacks etc or to buy lunch if the cba to make themselves a packed lunch. We bought them a travelcard to get them to school so they had no costs to visit friends and we paid for their phone and gym membership. They both had music Saturday school so getting a part time job wasn't really an option. However, they were pretty assiduous in getting themselves local babysitting and music practice supervision work on top of that.

£10 per week my boys got at that age.

Mine get £15 a week + £5 I put in long-term savings until they are 18. Phones and clothing is fully paid. College travel and lunches paid

But I expect them to get a student job around 8 hours a week. If not achieved by 17 pocket money stops.

If they have a student job the pocket money continues :-)

Ds1 gets £20 pw for doing the school run for me when it fits in with his schedule. Additionally, £8 pw pocket money and phone paid for.

My 16 yo gets £20 a month, plus an iPhone 13 and all the data she needs. We are also paying for her to go on the school trip next Easter and that’s £1300.

she’s just got a job and will be getting £50 a week minimum.

Early 2025 we will be paying for driving lessons and car insurance so I don’t think the £20 is too stingy. I also buy clothing but she covers makeup.

At 16, mine had everything in the house paid for - toiletries, phone, essential clothes etc plus £50 a month. Both my daughter and son (daughter probably a bit less because she's 5yrs older so money went further). They didn't work until they left school after A levels so needed money. We also paid for driving lessons from 17 and their first cars for their 18th birthdays (saved since they were born).
Until they were going out with friends and wanting clothes, trainers, going to restaurants that were expensive (Prada trainers at £500) they didn't have pocket money.
Thankfully they're now both adult and daughter has a good job, son is doing an apprenticeship so they're paying their own way for their social lives. Apart from bed and board - we still fund that whilst they're saving for mortgage deposits. Yes, they have far more disposable income (and treats) than I do!

No pocket money but i give him money for his social life and his mobile phone is paid. Plus food and a roof over his head Lol

It depends what you can afford and what you expect him to do with it.

My DC got £50 a month but that covered their phone, all socialising, buying presents and any other random things they could think of. After GCSEs they both also got jobs which lasted them through sixth form and provided extra funds (if your DC is not going on to further study, this might not be applicable).

You could also look at how much you are funding currently (not basics like clothes and toiletries and bus fares to school) and look to give something equivalent?

Oh and we paid for our daughter's pony/lessons from 10 to 19 (expensive) and son's football, gym and cricket subs.

We only buy basics-they have jobs for whatever else they want! As all teens should.

At 16, mine got the equivalent of child benefit. I bought school clothes/shoes, a coat, toiletries etc and the money she was given was hers to spend as she wished on clothes, shoes, socialising etc.

Depends on how easy it would be for him to earn his own money? And, how much can you afford?

Do you usually top up his disposable income? I.E. how often do you give him cash to go out with mates?

My 16 and 13 year olds get £20 a week, but they can earn more by weeding, washing the car etc.