Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

How much pocket money are you giving your 15 year old?

66 replies

HardRockOwl · 28/04/2022 17:23

Or a teen around that age?

I think the time has come to work out a proper budget for my 15 year old DS. He has £25 set a month and on top of that Im paying £60 a month for his school lunches (I know that's not a treat for him!!) , im buying caps, t shirts, the clothes he likes, going our money, money for his gaming , oh all sorts - and it's racking up

I can afford to give him a decent amount a month and I think it's time to stop a tenner here, 20 quid here etc etc and give him a set amount out of which he must buy his snacks, gaming stuff, the expensive clothes he likes (not the basics) and the line the spends on snack food when out with friends

What are you giving yours and what do you expect it to cover?

OP posts:
familyissues12345 · 28/04/2022 17:29

At 15, DS1 was getting £15 a week pocket money. A little more than I'd think to give at that age, but most of his friends are a train journey away so it factored in travel costs at the weekend.

We paid for everything else - clothes, toiletries, mobile phone etc

Since he started working aged 17, I stopped with pocket money, but instead continued to save £15 a week, with the intention it'll be a little pot of extra cash when he goes to Uni this autumn

AMindOfMyOwn · 28/04/2022 18:11

My dcs are getting £30 a month.
We buy most things for them anyway so that’s money to buy stuff they want but don’t need iyswim.

id be careful to make comparaison between how much different parents give their dcs. Plenty of things to consider before comparing, incl how much spare money you actually have and what they are supposed to do with it!!

BirdsBirdsBird · 28/04/2022 18:22

DS is 15 and his pocket money is £30 a month. That is for going out, computer games, Lush bath bombs (!) and food when out and about. I also pay for a weekly public transport ticket and buy whatever basic toiletries, clothes and shoes he needs. If it is extra, e.g. another pair of trainers just because he wants them, then he pays for them himself, or asks for it for a birthday present etc. I usually pay for one activity at each school holiday with Tesco clubcard points, for himself and a friend, partly because his friend's parents do sometimes pay for outings too.

Bramshott · 28/04/2022 18:27

DD2 (15) gets £15 a month, but we're rural so there's not much chance for her to spend it! I work on the basis that that's 1 cinema and lunch out per month. If she goes on a shopping trip, I will put more into her account depending on what she needs, and she gets extra money from babysitting and pet sitting.

When DD1 was college age (16-18) we gave her £95 a month and the idea was that that was supposed to cover everything she needed - clothes, weekend and after school transport, toiletries, food out etc. She managed pretty well, although I always seemed to be buying her toiletries with the rest of the shopping which I didn't really mind!

CPHB2021 · 28/04/2022 19:44

I don't have a teen yet but I think when we do, it will be in the realms of £60-80 a month. Travel is expensive as is food etc too. I don't know that £15-£30 would go far at all. X

Therunecaster · 28/04/2022 19:51

I pay for my 15 year olds gym membership and phone. They get 100 pounds pocket money per month.

stoneysongs · 28/04/2022 19:51

Ours (Y13 and Y11) get £75 pm, I've just put it up from £50, which they've had for about 3 years.

They spend it on clothes, socialising, presents, gaming stuff, whatever they like. I still buy toiletries, school equipment and what I think of as "essential" clothes ie school uniform and a basic wardrobe. Anything else they buy themselves. So if they grow out of their coat I would replace it. If they want to own two coats, they buy the second one themselves.

downtonupton · 29/04/2022 00:00

DS gets £30 a month - we live in London so he gets free busses - we keep money on his Oyster for trains.

We buy clothes and toiletries - but if he wants a band t-shirt or something extra like that he buys it himself. He can earn himself more by doing extra jobs (on top of basic family stuff). We expect him to pay for cinema and food with friends etc.

Imsittinginthekitchensink · 29/04/2022 00:13

My y11 and I decided recently that she'd go from the £30 she was getting, to £80 (her child benefit money) and she would buy all her clothes other than those needed for school. She pays for all her travel already. I pay for her phone and toiletries.

seasaltstripes · 29/04/2022 11:09

13-15 year olds here. They get £70 a month. They pay for clothes, socialising, toiletries beyond the basics and travel out of that (they walk to school though). I buy school uniform and pay for extracurricular activities (which they all still do quite a few of!) and their phone contracts.

15 year old also has a job, which pays about £100 a month. She's very careful financially and is putting money aside for driving lessons/university etc.

WildCherryBlossom · 29/04/2022 11:46

£7 a week (only paid if certain chores are completed - bed made daily, music practise, light help around the house - that sort of thing). Takes lunch to school so that is part of our weekly shop.

kimfox · 29/04/2022 12:02

£20 pw. Covers random shit fashion/
2nd hand stuff from Depop etc / some train fares : some eating out / makeup / presents for friends etc. This is topped up for train fares if going to friends who live miles away and I can't drive her there. She's always got a large buffer as didn't spend anything much during the lockdowns so managed to save about £200. Additionally I buy necessary toiletries, phone, and essential clothing. 17 yo has the same constantly blows it all going out out, and we are always topping up and buying things. Still, he will be earning next year so I view it as temporary. Bet it won't be.

SmellyWellyWoo · 29/04/2022 12:17

DS is 16 and gets £85 a month. He contributes towards clothes & trainers out of that however as he has expensive tastes!

julesover40 · 29/04/2022 12:20

DD15 gets £60 p/m. We pay for her mobile contract, she gets driven/ walks to school. I top up her lunch account, but she barley used it as brings snacks and drinks from home.We buy her toiletries and all essential clothing, but branded extras and 'merch' she buys herself or adds to Xmas/birthday requests.
She usually manages her money very well,buys us xmas and birthday pressies, buys her friends gifts etc .
She also gets regular cash top ups fro m both sets of grandparents too, both girls do.
DD9 doesn't get an allowance yet, she does so many extra curricular activities that we pay for, plus all clothes, toiletries, amazon crap, game top ups. She is too young to go out independently with friends yet. The way she gets through money I'll need an extra income before agreeing an allowance!

WhereIsMyBrain · 29/04/2022 12:20

£200 a month for 16yo DS. That covers everything- gym membership, clothes (except school uniform), going out, snacks etc etc.

Svara · 29/04/2022 12:26

snacks, gaming stuff, the expensive clothes he likes (not the basics) and the line the spends on snack food when out with friends
£40 a month to cover this, almost 16. Doesn't care about clothes so I just buy the basics.

LilacPoppy · 29/04/2022 12:29

At 15 so two years ago dd had £10 a week plus phone and bus pass paid. If she was going to town I would give her money for lunch, but only to cover the price of McDonald’s, if she wanted somewhere more expensive she had to pay the difference.

SockFluffInTheBath · 29/04/2022 12:32

mine get half their age per week so DD15 gets £7.50 per week. I pay her phone contract, and for clothes. If she’s going out-out I will bung her a bit extra.

cestlavielife · 29/04/2022 12:35

Let him buy all his clothes and lunch time food etc and give enough to his bank account for all this
So he learns to budget
So 100 a month?

SirSidneyRuffDiamond · 29/04/2022 12:42

I give him £30 per month into his bank account and also pay for his phone contract (£28 per month). I also buy all his clothes, cinema tickets, snacks if we are out together. etc. He is at boarding school so has limited spends during term time, but he's inclined to be a saver not a spender.

merryhouse · 29/04/2022 13:05

5 years ago we were giving our two £35 a month each.

We then paid everything we specifically thought they ought or wanted them to have - music lessons and paraphernalia, karate classes and paraphernalia, phone and contract, bus pass (to school but also available for use around a small area), occasional school dinner, gym membership, standard wardrobe and toiletries.

Going out, sweets, buying presents, fancy trainers, gaming stuff - all exactly what pocket money is designed to cover.

Our boys are staid types though, so didn't spend much on socialising.

zighead · 29/04/2022 14:34

My 15 year old DS gets £30 a month which he spends on sweets, very occasional gig or cinema tickets and his mobile phone costs him £8 a month.
He doesn't have any interest in branded clothes and so never spends it all. He gets money for birthdays and Christmas too which seems to last him ages.

moodyseagull · 29/04/2022 15:10

£5 per week

Original poster
HardRockOwl · 29/04/2022 16:56

Thanks for all the responses

I think I'll continue to pay his dinner money for school which is about £15 a week.

And I think I'll give him pocket money of £80 a month which to begin with, I'll drip feed to him at £20 a week. I do want him to learn to budget properly but I also know him well - and I think he will blow the £80 and regret it, so we will build up.

OP posts:
waitingpatientlyforspring · 29/04/2022 18:07

14.5 yr old son. Gets up to £10 per week but it's earned so he rarely gets the full £10. £2.50 if room is tidy, £2.50 if washing is done. Then the other £5 is made up depending on how helpful he is during the week doing housework- and his attitude when we ask!