How much money each week

[doodledo92]

Hi could I please ask how much money you give your 16 year old who's in full time education each week?
I don't mean for clothes and college/school things I mean to go out with mates etc.

My son is at college full times he's just left school. He doesn't have a part time job he's applied for loads but not getting anywhere. I still revive child benefit for him plus child tax credit and maintenance each month off his dad. I'm just wanting to know what a reasonable amount would be to give him each week.
Thanks

My 14 year old gets £50 per month. She buys her make up etc and has a couple of visits to coffee shops with her friends.

I would suggest a base rate with the opportunity for earning extra for doing jobs for you while he's waiting to find work? Cleaning windows, washing the car etc?

My DS gets £45 a month plus the odd extra if he’s had to buy lunch at college. He worked a bit over summer so had some money in the bank, but most of that has gone on clothes and Christmas presents for his girlfriend.
I gave him £150 for clothes at start of term, he used to wear school uniform but now it’s own clothes.

I give my 14 year old £50 a month paid onto his Go Henry card. I probably buy bits and pieces that add another 30 quid a month to that but officially, £50

DS 16 doesn’t get anything but if he is meeting friends which is rare (especially now) we give him money and buy his clothes.

If he was coming it a lot it would have to be a set amount and or getting a part time job.

Thanks for your comments. I've been giving him £30 a week when he's been going out and the odd bits for bus fare and lunch at college.
I didn't think I was giving him to much but reading your comments I feel £120 is quite a lot now!

I must say I don't buy his clothes anymore. He's wanting designer brands now to be in trend with his "mates" told him I'm not paying them prices and if that's what he wants he buys them himself. He uses his Christmas money and birthday money .

@LucyLem0nade

A go Henry for a 14 year old!! Why does he not have a current account?

OP I have mine £20 a week. It sounds a lot to some but it barely covered the train/bus fare into town and some lunch once a week. If she was going to the cinema or swimming I would give an extra tenner to cover entry fee plus snack.

Doesn't Go Henry have fees? My dd just has a bank account with debt card.

We give our 13 and 15 year olds £20 a month into their banks but I buy their clothes and give them extra when they go out with friends

@papaelf err because that's my choice and doesn't have any bearing on you whatsoever?

[quote LucyLem0nade]@papaelf err because that's my choice and doesn't have any bearing on you whatsoever? [/quote]

Obviously. I'm allowed to comment and ask though. It's a shame 'it's my choice' is the best you have.

£30 a month plus £5 on his PAYG phone (though tbh he could have more on his phone, but he's never needed it).

At the moment he is not really spending it as most of his socialising is "hanging out" with the occasional McDonalds/Subway.

I think this does depend a lot on where you are and who he mixes with. DS's friends seem to have similar amounts of money so (back when they could actually do things) they had no expectations of being able to spend lots on socialising - they might (say) go to the cinema once a month but most of their meetups are just wandering about/someone's house. Where as other people seem to have teens where going regularly to coffee shops is a thing, and I can imagine they would spend a lot quite quickly.

I give my 14 year old £10 a week paid into his bank account.
My 18 year old gets his train fare paid £8 and £7 a day for meals and drinks at college.

@papaelf lol. Why on earth should I justify my choices to some randomer on the internet? What a weirdo

My 16 yr old gets £40 per month, which is what XH and I can afford to give her between us. Her friends get a lot more than this.

[quote LucyLem0nade]@papaelf lol. Why on earth should I justify my choices to some randomer on the internet? What a weirdo [/quote]

You think I'm weird for asking why your 14 year old has a go Henry and not a current account? Come on, that doesn't make me even close to being weird. I am weird btw, for lots of reasons, but asking a simple question, on a chat forum, where discussion is the norm? Nah, that does not make me weird.

I give my 15 yr old about £40 a week

Don't have a teenager, but some years ago now my parents gave me £20/week at the same age, although they bought my clothes sedately to this. My dad had a thing about me not having a part time job until after my A-Levels incase it interferes with studying, so it was probably slightly more than some of my friends got at the time.

DS is 16 he gets £35 pw to cover lunches and all incidental expenses. He has a train pass for school and I pay sports subs separately. I realise this is at the high end, we both work ft and if he wants something he is expected to put his hand in his pocket.

I just hand over money adhoc. At the moment nowhere is open apart from takeaway places. Travel, phone & school lunch are on autopay.

We give dd £5 a week and she earns £20 a week from her job in a chip shop and we pay for her travel card.

Never done pocket money but I've been transferring £10pw to my ds for his travel to college, it's turned out that he gets a lift with a friend most days so it's building up his bank balance nicely I pay £5pm for his phone and buy his clothes (I also choose most of them because he's not fussed with brands) He's very much a saver rather than a spender.

My DS 14 gets £25 per month allowance. He also earns £5 every Sunday from his paper round.

We pay for all his travel, food and clothes separately. So we put money into his current account for lunch, buy him a bus pass if he needs it and make sure he's got shoes and clothes. He's not interested in clothes or shoes really.

He never spends his money! Nowhere to go right now. Nothing to do. It's just building and building and building! He has an easy access savings account and a harder to access savings account so he moves money into those using his app. (HSBC)

We also pay for his phone contract.

DH is about to sign up to a music streaming service that the whole family can use.

My DS14 gets £10 per week from us and £10 a month from MIL. Phone, toiletries and basic clothing covered by us. He does have 2 jobs and quite frankly earns a ridiculous amount for his age most of which he saves. I do often give him an extra £10/£20 if he's going somewhere with his friends for lunch or cinema etc. He's a good kid and has coped really well this year and works hard so I like to spoil him now and then.

My 16 year old gets £80 per month plus I tend to put a extra £10 in a week towards lunch. I pay for bus which is £120 a month and her phone another £50.

The £80 is for her clothes, coffees, friends birthdays, contact lenses etc. She has to learn to budget with that.

I think that if you start a thread askimg a question and revealing information about your situation, you need to expect questions to be asked as well as pure factual info to be given....the whole point is this is a discussion forum.

I give my teenager £10 per month and she also has £20 per mo th from GP so £30 per month. This is never fully spent. If she goes out for lunch with friends I will tend to give her the money and I will often pay for clothes etc. Luckily she has cheap tastes in stuff and doesn't have a hugely active social life yet...helped by covid!

The more they go out, the more they will want to spend generally. If they go out in the evening, they might want to pay for meals out, drinking in the park (this can be the reality) or at friends homes or pizza takeaway type of thing, plus will probably want more clothes for going out in. If it's an occasional mid day get together (what my DD does) then it ends to be £10-15 for a pizza express meal or Wagamas type thing. They will use a discount code and drink water. If she goes shopping with friends, she will often spend £25ish on some clothing and stationery, but that's less than once a month.

Personally, I think if they want a social life that involves regular going out and expenses a job is required. It might be hard to get one at the moment, but opportunities for socialising are also very limited. If you don't give them too much, there will be a stronger incentive to find a job after Covid and there's lots to learn from having a Saturday job.