Pocket money

[IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads]

How much pocket money do you give your teens?

DC are 16 next week and 13 next month.
They currently get their age in £ a fortnight, which was a tip I got from here. It feels a bit light.

We pay for phone, gym, school bus pass, school lunches, all extra curricular activities and clothes - and lots of taxi-ing! There aren't really a lot of shops round here for teens to go shopping in.

I earnt all my money at that age, but I grew up in a very large city, where Saturday jobs, and babysitting were easy to come by.

We now live rurally, in a world of zero hours contracts, and Saturday jobs as such don't really exist locally. I'd also like DS (16) to concentrate on his GCSEs. Both DC also attend Saturday morning music schools, which they love (and are decent enough musicians their grades should give them some UCAS points).

So pocket money is for sweets etc, games, other clothes (DD) , drumsticks, guitar strings and whatever else it is they want or need to spend on, and for building up a bit of saving. DS is pretty good at saving - he bought his Switch, his electric guitar and a few other significant expenses himself, but saving took a while. DD will spend money as soon as she gets it!

£10 weekly. We pay for phones and gave them an extra £50 over the summer hols.

At 16 DD got £50 a month.

My 11 and 14 year old get £5 a week as long as they've kept their rooms tidy and put their washing away. They both have phones which I pay for. I buy all their clothes etc so they don't really need much money. They both have asd and adhd so don't go out with friends. If we go out for the day I pay for everything.

They get jobs

We are rural, there are jobs.

My 14&16 year old get £20 a month which seems tight, but they don’t go out and socialise, don’t buy sweets, or clothes! Every penny gets saved plus the majority of bday money so they have alot of money in their bank accounts. Ds starts college soon and might start needing more, though he has an online job that pays a bit, although is not guaranteed (maybe £15-£20 a week) and needs to get a part time job to get something on his cv too, so we might not actually have to increase it.

£16/£13 a week would be okay but a fortnight, Op? At 16 ds got £100 a month pm with phone, clothes, guitar lessons and travel paid for. That's only £25 for treats, socialising, gifts etc.

£25 a week

£15/month. But they get phone paid for monthly fee, treats throughout the month etc. Ferried around etc.

They are doing okay.

Eldest about to start his part time job so may stop his shortly anyway.

Mine (17 & 14) get between £3 and £5 a week depending on whether they've cleared up after themselves, put shoes away etc. We pay for phones, school/college dinners, sports clubs/gyms and most clothes. They have paid jobs though so get more than we give them. They've had extra from us over the holidays though for things like cinema, bowling, golf, train fares.

Dts are 13. They were getting £29 a month but we've just upped it to £50 on the proviso that this covers everything, no more can I have £5 for lunch in town etc stops.

I pay for their essentials and clothes and phones.

They 'work' but in exchange for horse rides not money!

That should say 20 not 29

Ours were offered £20 a month to be helpful around the house. One accepted, one didn’t (though seems to coming round to the idea).

We do give them ad hoc money as well though, usually based on whether they’re “good” things to do… so eg one loves theatre trips, the other does a lot of leisure sports which need to be paid for like hiring a pitch/court with his mates.

On average they probably cost us about £100 a month between them in extra stuff.

DD (15) has a job. So I don't give her pocket money.

I pay for her phone, keep her school account topped up, if we go shopping I'll pay for some of the things she's buying. I buy all essential clothes, shoes and toiletries.

DD at 16 got £50/month. She had to buy sweets, Costa drinks, make up, the odd clothing item, books, jewellery and whatever Taylor Swift stuff she wants from it.

We will update this in a couple of months to a larger allowance which will include more clothing, school lunch (only twice a week) and train travel for leisure. She is 17 now and in her last school year so we hope she will learn to budget. She already saves a portion by standing order each month for gifts and days out.

I have a DS 16 and DD 13 and they both get €40 a month (in Spain) and it's for eating out or whatever they want, I pay everything else. It's plenty for DD but DS burns through it cos he goes out more with his friends. Seems to spend most of it on McDonald's and tapas.
Was thinking of putting it up but can't afford to right now.

Ditto! For 16 and 27yo DD's

Sorry, 16 and 17 yo DD's. Also pay for their hobbies

Certainly by 16 I'd be giving a lot more but then expecting them to budget for going out / phones / gym / canteen money themselves. They have to learn how to manage money and £8 a week (!!) isn't very good practice.