Pocket money/allowances

[wishfort]

I'd like some guidance on this. DD is turning 13 and we've said an allowance, for her to budget, is the right thing from now on. Any ideas as to reasonable levels of pay and what they should cover? We are in Australia but understand (duh!) exchange rates, so.. go ahead..please.

They sell chocolate chip cookies . They get them for about 80p for 5 (the fresh bakery ones) and sell them for 50p each.

OMG, I must be such a skinflint. My DS1, 13, only gets £1.50 per week pocket money, plus a bit extra occasionally for chores. My DH gave him £4.00 at the weekend for washing the car for example. I top up his phone for him, but probably only £10 every couple of months.

He has just sold some old X-Box games on E-bay for £50 and is trying to save up for an X-Box 360. He would like a job, but not a paper round - not sure what else there is that he could do!

3boys. You are not a skinflint. Our girls ddin't get a monthly allowence until they went into year 10 ( about 14). Before that they got different amounts of pocket money according to thier age, At 13 they had about £2.20 a week. My DB gives his children 15p for each year of thier age so at 10 they get £1.50 a week.

Mumeeee, thx for words of comfort - I was feeling really out of step. I mean, if you give your DC £50 per month how are they ever going to understand that money doesn't grow on trees? Actually, I wish someone would give me £50 per month to spend on whatever I like

OK. I've gone from worrying £50 wasn't enough to worrying £50 is too much

My idea is that DD will cover ALL of her expenses out of this, including clothes and shoes (other than school clothes and shoes) presents for friends, mobile top ups, non-essential toiletries, sweets etc, etc. My idea it that it will help her to understand about budgeting - she will have to save for Christmas presents and other big expenses - and it will make my life easier as I won't have to constantly 'police' her clothes spending! She is away at boarding school for 3 weeks at a time and so needs some financial independence.

Someone please tell me I haven't lost the plot!

DD 11yo has just got a bank account and cash card and we will pay £20 per month into it. Out of that she will have to buy lots of stuff (haven't worked out what yet!)

I got her a cash card on the account so she can use the cashpoints but I am already planning to upgrade it to an electron card that she can use in shops. That's because I want her to be able to buy something for say £3.99 without having to find a cashpoint - and lots of those only issue minimum £10 now so if she only had £5 in her account she wouldn't be able to withdraw cash iyswim.

(All electron transactions are authorised at point of sale and will only go through if there are sufficient funds on the account so no chance of her going overdrawn.)

She has a very sensible attitude to money so far. With her mobile she has worked out the cheapest tariff and we always top up when she will get the best value (instigated by her).