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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:
AlexaShutUp · 29/04/2022 18:15

I give 16yo dd around £160 a month, but this covers all of her clothes, shoes, lunch money, bus fares, toiletries, socialising, presents etc. I pay for school stuff, a basic sim only phone contract, and extracurricular activities. She also earns quite well from her part time job and tutoring jobs, so she isn't short of money but she does save quite a lot.

YvanEhtNiojYvanEhtNioj · 29/04/2022 18:23

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!

This will probably considered abuse on Mumsnet.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 29/04/2022 18:25

DD and DS both have jobs, I pay for school stuff including meals, toiletries as we all use the same and their phones

Original poster
HardRockOwl · 29/04/2022 18:56

@waitingpatientlyforspring god how do you keep track of all that?!

OP posts:
Hottubtimemachine · 29/04/2022 19:03

£50 per month. Covers buses and lunches out with friends. I will buy clothes if with them but will give extra if they need to buy clothes etc when out with friends.

ENoeuf · 29/04/2022 19:10

15 a week paid weekly into their account. This is recent as he just kept blowing his allowance of £45 the day he got it in meeting friends etc.
We pay school costs, club costs, phone contract (sim only once the phone was paid off), and necessary clothes. With the older ones we would then say if you want trainers above eg £60 in next, you pay the difference.
No Travel costs needed and this is for social life in town, birthday presents for friends, clothes / books. I worked it out over the year as macdonalds once a week, a book once a month and £150 towards clothes in the year etc.

waitingpatientlyforspring · 29/04/2022 19:37

HardRockOwl · 29/04/2022 18:56

@waitingpatientlyforspring god how do you keep track of all that?!

Saturday morning is pocket money day. We know if washing has been brought down and we check their rooms so first £5 is easy (up until recently that is what they got) We just decide between us how much of the other £5 they get. Oldest is on track for full £10 if he can get his room tidy tonight!

ilovebagpuss · 30/04/2022 16:27

My DD 15 works a few short shifts a week watressing at a local pub and takes home about £60 plus tips a week. I also give her £40 monthly towards clothes and toiletries but still buy her most of her clothes it's more to use for extra bits she wants.
I known it's not always easy to find a little job but I'm surprised at the amount parents are giving out for gaming and snacks etc without the child doing anything.
Also I pay her phone and obviously school food.

HorribleHerstory · 30/04/2022 16:30

£7 per week and phone paid for. That’s to cover toiletries but not clothes. Everything else they buy from their wages/earned money.

Sidge · 30/04/2022 16:38

DD is 15.5 and gets £20 a week. I also pay her phone bill (£10 pcm), school bus and lunch money to top up her FSM card which is about £15 a month.

Out of her allowance she buys her own clothes (she’s really thrifty and shops in charity shops, on Vinted etc) and most of her skincare, makeup etc - I buy basics like toothpaste and shower gel, tampons etc as well as big items like coats or school uniform.

Abraxan · 30/04/2022 16:40

Dd used to get £50 a month, from about 14y.
We paid for her phone and most of her clothes, and any transport linked to school. She'd get the odd bit extra in holidays too.

It was for 'social' spends really.

axolotlfloof · 30/04/2022 16:43

We tried £45 per month recently, but DS said he was out of pocket at the end of the month, so we have gone back to I give him money for outings (mostly bus and Mcdonalds), and buying birthday presents. I pay for phone, school dinners (not much, he mostly takes sandwiches), toiletries and clothes.
The sticking point is the clothes. I don't want to buy what he wants. He doesn't want to wear what I want to buy.
Eg He wants £80 white trainers. I am happy to buy £40 black trainers.
We need to have another go at it, I think.

JaninaDuszejko · 30/04/2022 17:03

DD1 (14) gets £50 a month. It's mainly spent on books and clothes and days out with her friends. Her phone we bought outright and she has a PAYG contract, we pay for school lunches, school uniforms etc. I still buy most of her clothes.

jellybeansandthings · 30/04/2022 17:39

We don't give them pocket money , ie a set amount. I just say to them to check they have money with them in case they want to buy some snacks or for emergencies, we're talking keeping some funds handy just in case, kind of thing. If they haven't I tell them to look in my purse and take some. If they are eating out with friends we'll just give them money to take. We pay for any clothes, but they aren't particularly interested so it's just basic wardrobe stuff. To be honest they just don't buy stuff, but they do know that if there's something particular they want then we'll get it for them, but really they hardly ever ask. I know it's not a conventional way of doing things, but it's how we were brought up, and as adults we prefer this approach because it fits in more with what we believe in.

bendmeoverbackwards · 01/05/2022 13:23

I give my 15 year old dd £60/month. She loves clothes and before we gave her an allowance was always pestering for money. The monthly allowance covers all non essential clothing, going out and friends' presents. We pay for her phone, anything to do with school (uniform/books/equipment), toiletries and all her dance classes (£££!).

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 01/05/2022 15:41

My 16yo gets £40 a month which is not enough but all I can afford.

She went for a job interview this morning!!

purplesequins · 01/05/2022 15:47

20 a month plus 5 to top up their phones.
we pay for sfter school activities directly and supplement their outings a little

gamerchick · 01/05/2022 15:51

Mine gets his child benefit. As did his siblings before him.

NoWeaponsOnTheTable · 01/05/2022 15:53

My 14 yo gets £20 per MONTH for specific chores and can earn a bit more for being extra helpful etc.
We pay phone, toiletries, clothes and shoes if needed..if wanted she pays herself.
She usually goes to mcds or Starbucks every few weeks with friends and into town occasionally. She doesn't go short.

BigSandyBalls2015 · 01/05/2022 15:56

Don’t any of these teens work? Both of mine had part time jobs at that age.

NandorTheRelentlessCleaner · 01/05/2022 16:01

My DS gets £35 a week, he's 16, it's for lunch money (hungry lad) and going out/frills/presents for family and friends, extras

It's a lot, but he does not get tenners here or there, this is it.

Last week he wanted to go paintball if and paid bus + ticket himself

It's a lot, maybe, but both he and I prefer it to him having to ask for cash

I buy some clothes for him (coat, shoes, basics) but if he has his heart set on a special top he likes he saves up for it . In fact I spend very little on clothes for him. He "steals" a lot of his dad's 1990s treasure trove Wink (DH kept all his 90s jeans and leather jackets etc), anyway, I digress

Svara · 01/05/2022 16:01

BigSandyBalls2015 · 01/05/2022 15:56

Don’t any of these teens work? Both of mine had part time jobs at that age.

Mine will after GCSEs, he's not 16 yet. He might have been able to find something earlier but it's not a good time now.

Svara · 01/05/2022 16:04

Also DS isn't all that motivated by money, unless I couldn't afford to give him anything. I only give him £40 a month (plus pay £10 for his phone) and he doesn't spend that. Just buys food and the occasional PC game.

merryhouse · 01/05/2022 16:51

My teens didn't have paid jobs as such, because extracurricular stuff takes up so much time. S1 did the occasional paid singing with a fancy church choir. S2 worked in the school canteen for two terms.

We were in a reasonably fortunate position and able to fund everything we required. I worked on the principle that I'd rather they had time for orchestra / bellringing / karate / family games night.

And of course, as I said before, they're both relatively staid and don't spend much.

VerifiedBot2351 · 01/05/2022 16:52

£5 a week

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