does anyone give their young teen an allowance

[blueskiesandforests]

Does anyone give their 13/14 year old an allowance for all non essential spending? So more than pocket money, meant to replace all casual cash hand outs?

DD currently gets pocket money which she's responsible with, but there are a lot of ad hoc non essentials she still asks for money for.

Does anyone give their young teen a larger amount than pocket money but with an absolute ban on handing out any other adhoc cash?

Is this successful? How much do you give them? What do you still pay for? Do they budget well or run out of money half way through the month?

Yep she has a bank account with card, sorted the card out when she was 11 so she's used to that. Going to arrange online banking so she can check her balance from home.

I'm not sure what to do about the girls need more money side as she has a brother 24 months younger. I guess to make that fair I'll buy underwear (very unfair how expensive bras are...) and sanitary products! Otherwise it'll have to be equivalent at equivalent ages. Thinking about it though DS will probably still be growing out of clothes at an age when DD has stopped growing, so as a teen boys might need more simply due to growing out of clothes and shoes and having no choice about replacing everything. So that's another minefield.

Holstenlane 150 is an awful lot... But it may be the right way to go in order to securely stay firm on absolutely no extras except in genuinely exceptional circumstances.

We'll pay for football, phone (basic tariff) underwear, school residential, school stationery excluding luxuary fancy colour pens etc - everything else comes out of her allowance...

I paid my own phone out of mine, and with anything between £100 and £150, I'd expect them to pay their own. Maybe say you'll pay £10 a month for their phone... if they want a more expensive contract then they pay the rest or something?

If you want to go completely the way of no extra money; that's the amount and they need to budget and stick to it then it needs to be enough that they aren't struggling or aren't wearing ripped clothes because they don't have enough for a new pair of jeans or something and if you want them to have a wee savings pot on their own. It is high; and she could absolutely do it in less. My figure just reflect my lifestyle at that age but a lot of people lived on much much less.

It's just the first few months are the worst as she'll want to spend spend spend... So you need to be clear about your expectations and remind her if she has any big expenses coming up that she will need to save for it etc.

Holstenlane she wears ripped jeans - she bought them like that... Possibly its the 1990s again...

She does have access to a savings account with a couple of hundred euros in it - she went a bit wild the first time she went shopping with a friend (her cash card is a limited type of debit card - can't be used on line but can be used in some high street shops), and we had to have a talk. Since then she only uses it occasionally and puts 5€ a month plus some of her birthday money into a savings box and pays it in twice per year.

I think we'll start with 100€ per month, to review after 6 months. If she thinks she needs more she can write down what she spends it on and set out why she needs more, and if I agree then I'll increase it.

Thank you for your input, it's been very helpful.

Not sure if anyone's mentioned it but there's a good book about money and kids called The Opposite if Spoiled. Give ds £40 per month which is for going into town with his friends, small items and snacks. He's 12.

*The Opposite OF Spoiled